As the dean of women, she was committed to the girls' well-being, and her office always seemed to care for them—even those who were a little "special." As a fellow staff member, I could tell she seemed to really care for folks. I think she was just so committed to it that she often came across as overbearing and offputting.
I did get to see a side of her that most did not, as I had occasion to work at the old City Baptist Building on the Sunday 1p-6p shift, this would have been in the mid-90s. This was generally an uneventful time, but Belinda would have a class with several high-school-age girls, "bus kids", who would stay at the church between the AM and PM services. She would teach them what would be home-ec-type classes. From cooking a meal, setting a table, sewing, mending, washing, and ironing clothes, you name it, she was teaching it. I remember her teaching them how to make a meal plan, make the grocery list, and then take them shopping. I see several of those ladies on Facebook with strong families, doing well and growing, many outside the IFB circle, and they probably credit their family success to Belinda, helping them to grow in areas where they did not have a good home life or another example other than Belinda.
I will also say that out of all the classes I had in college, the best class session was in the Teacher's writing seminar when she thought. It was a sensitive subject for her, and she did tear up a little, as did some of the students. It was about working with people, specifically teens and young adults. She did not have any children herself, but you could see that she had a tremendous desire to make a difference in those who needed it. It was one of those life-changing moments and was the opposite of what we saw from the pulpit and other chapel sermons where you yelled "godliness" into someone. She had a fabric doll that was full of stuffing. She took the stuffing out, and the doll was just a limp piece of empty material. She explained that many kids we will deal with as teachers are empty, listless, and lacking purpose. Yelling, disciplining, and correcting a child to sit up and pay attention does nothing as they are empty, and she would demonstrate on this small doll, which would fall over. We would need to instill philosophies, knowledge, life skills, and traits that would fill a person to make them willing to learn and succeed. She would then put a little of the stuffing back in the doll. Once the doll has something inside them, they will respond to corrections and instructions when required. We were basically the ones who would make or break people. It was a great lesson that I still use today.
