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Leo Wells on Commercial Real Estate, Business, and Life

By Leo Wells, President, Wells Real Estate Funds

Welcome to my blog! I will be sharing opinions about current events related to commercial real estate, as well as observations concerning a variety of personal and business-related topics.

Leo Wells on the progress of Haitian students

Posted on: 09/13/2011 | Under: Miscellaneous | By: Leo Wells  

It's been quite a while since I've blogged and I appreciate hearing from those of you who've written to say that you've missed seeing my occasional ramblings on various topics.  Hopefully I can get back into a more regular writing mode. (Given the current state of our economy, politics, and the start of the college football season, there's certainly no shortage of things to write about!)

Several have asked that I provide an update on the Haitian seminary students who came to Atlanta to attend Carver College in the wake of the catastrophic earthquake that destroyed their Port-au-Prince campus in January 2010.  That seems like a fitting topic with which to re-start my blogging efforts.

My good friend, Reverend Robert Crummie, president of Carver College, reports that the 13 men and four women are adapting very quickly to life in the United States. A group of them live in a home just a few doors down from Atlanta Braves legend Hank Aaron.  I'm hearing that these students' thirst for education and great study ethics are helping them excel in their studies.  It's refreshing to see young men and women who appreciate the relationship between education, success, and achieving their goals.

Reverend Crummie reports that the Haitian women have come to embrace makeup and the longer hairstyles more prevalent here in the U.S. It seems the students have also discovered American fast food!

The students have been attending English as a Second Language (ESL) classes on Saturday mornings.  Speaking English helps to bridge the gap with students from the U.S. and other countries.  They particularly enjoy mingling with their Nigerian and Jamaican classmates. 

In addition to their studies, the students work 20 hours a week in Carver's work-study program doing various jobs from library assistant to groundskeeper.  The money they earn goes towards tuition and housing expenses.  They do not have work permits, so they are unable to work outside the college.   

As I've alluded to before, all of the students signed affidavits to return to Haiti upon their graduation in three to four years.  Upon their return, they can apply for graduate programs in the United States. But most are eager just to start making a difference in their homeland.  Reverend Crummie remarks that he believes these 17 students will ascend to positions of leadership upon their return to Haiti. 

Thanks once again to all of you who supported our efforts to bring these students to the U.S. with prayers or financial support.  Please be aware that there are still two students who have not yet been able to secure passage to the United States. I would ask that you join me in praying that these three will soon be able to join the others.

Leo Wells on a Very Special Thanksgiving

Posted on: 01/20/2011 | Under: Miscellaneous | By: Leo Wells  

I mentioned in my last blog post that there were a couple of seasonal items I wanted to share before we are too far removed from the holidays. Today I'd like to share a story of a very unique celebration hosted by my dear friends Jim and Juanita Lott this past Thanksgiving.

The story begins when Juanita attended my wife Angie's birthday party this past September and met Reverend Robert Crummie, the president of Carver College and another dear friend of Angie's and mine.

As you may recall from previous blog posts, Reverend Crummie and Carver College have received a number of students from the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Port-au-Prince in Haiti when the seminary was largely destroyed in last January's earthquake.

While talking to Reverend Crummie, Juanitia realized that when Carver closed for the Thanksgiving holiday and other students were leaving campus to spend time with their families, most of the Haitian students would have no place to go. Juanita quickly suggested that she and her husband Jim would like to provide a uniquely American experience for the Haitian students.

When all was said and done, the Lott family shared Thanksgiving Day with fifteen Carver students from Haiti, Nigeria, and Jamaica, as well as others from the school and their own children and grandchildren. A traditional Thanksgiving dinner was served around a large table with lots of quiet chatter, followed by a neighborhood scavenger hunt and a memorable "hymn sing." Crossing cultures, nationalities, and generations, it was quite an extraordinary occasion. I've included some photographs so you can get a feel for what a joyous event it was.

I am writing about this not only because it is a heartwarming story, but because I hope it will encourage each of us to remember just how blessed we are, and to consider how we, in turn, have opportunities to bless others.

With the passing of the holidays, many have already forgotten the "reason for the season" and the concept of good will to all men. But just as there's no time constraint on God's generosity, I hope we will continue to be mindful of His goodness throughout the year, and that we will seek to share with others from the abundance with which we are blessed. Of course, reaching out to others needn't always involve monetary assistance. Sometimes just a kind word and a helping hand can mean so much. Or an unexpected Thanksgiving treat for some lonely students very far from home.

May all of you enjoy a truly blessed - and generous - New Year!