Haiti has always had a big place in my heart.  After the January 2010 earthquake devastated the Caribbean nation, I had the incredible privilege to live inside an internally displaced people camp and write about what life is really like for families there (click here to read those articles).

That is why I was so excited to learn about the work of a friend of mine, Jace Freeman.  Jace, a talented documentary filmmaker, also spent time within Haitian refugee camps after the earthquake.  And while I used writing and photography to try and capture what I was experiencing, Jace used film.

A scene from The Country Club

Trying to describe Jace’s film-making style is difficult.  It’s a bit like… well, like you’re actually there.

But wait… Why am I telling you all of this?  Why not just show you?

Jace and his co-producer Sean Clark have just released their 14-minute short documentary, The Country Club and have given us permission to embed it right here on World Next Door!

I encourage you to take a few moments to focus in and let the story of one 12-year-old boy open your eyes.  After you watch it, take a look at the Next Steps below to learn more.
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From March 28-April 2, 2011, I had the opportunity to spend time with Nehemiah Vision Ministries, WND’s partner organization in the village of Chambrun, Haiti.  My goal for the trip was simple: secure more sponsors for NVM’s amazing child-sponsorship program.

One of the most memorable moments of the trip was when I met my own sponsored child, six year old Chené Estrame, and gave him his very first Tonka truck.  Never before have I felt so sure that a financial investment would reap such incredible rewards in the life of another.

I also had the opportunity to catch up with our friends, the Elliotts (an American family living in Haiti for the year) and to spend time with baby Rosmelie, the once-malnourished child I met during my last trip to the country.

Samira Jean, one of the many children given an education because of NVM’s child-sponsorship program.

All in all, despite how short the trip was, it was an experience I won’t soon forget.

So read on!   And see how you can change the life of a child forever…

Back to Haiti!

It’s time to catch up with our friends and partners in Port-au-Prince!

Click here to read this travel journal…

Amazing Growth

The village of Chambrun is being transformed… and you and I can be a part of it!

Click here to read this article…

Jumping In

I have never seen such a small gift mean so much…

Click here to read this article…

Photo Gallery: The One Thing

Nehemiah Vision Ministries needs just one thing to break the cycle of poverty in Chambrun…

Click here to see this photo gallery…

World Next Door Uncut – Episode 9

In this episode, meet the sponsored child that completely stole my heart!

Click here to read this article…

Pushing Ahead

Although their first four months have been rough, God is using the Elliotts in some amazing ways!

Click here to read this travel journal…

Coming to Life

How did one baby’s story touch the life of an entire village?

Click here to read this article…

A Quick Fix?

When a popular TV show host visited Haiti, he learned a lesson that is valuable for us all…

Click here to read this article…

Well, my time in Haiti is over.  Although it was a very short trip, it was truly a fantastic one!  While I was there I got to dive deep into Nehemiah Vision Ministries’ child sponsorship program and spend a lot of time with the wonderful people of Chambrun.

I am thrilled to announce that, as of the writing of this article, we have helped to secure 15 new sponsors for NVM!  Because these 15 families, groups and individuals are willing to support children in Chambrun, the readers of World Next Door are playing a significant role in the transformation of that community.

Poverty is not something that can be fixed quickly!

Now, our goal remains 25 sponsors, and I will continue to push for new ones whenever I have a chance. But before we bring the articles for this trip to a close, I want to share with you one final perspective I found fascinating on this trip…

Good Intentions

Please take a moment to watch this clip from a TV show called No Reservations (if you are really strapped for time, watch only the second half).  In the show, Anthony Bordain, a chef and travel writer, visits post-earthquake Haiti to sample some of the country’s cuisine.

What he accidentally discovers through an act of good-will is just how complex and difficult aid and development can be.

First of all, props to Mr. Bourdain for being so honest about the results of his actions.  Many Westerners insist on believing that everything they do is helping, rather than hurting.  It took quite a bit of humility to admit that his plan backfired!

But what he learned in going for the “quick-fix” was an extremely important lesson… there is no easy way to bring about change in Haiti.

Long Haulers

Because of NVM, this child has a future…

This, my friends, is why I am so impressed with the work of Nehemiah Vision Ministries.

They are not working for a “quick fix.”  In fact, most of the things NVM is doing in the village of Chambrun won’t bear real fruit for many years.

But they are not in it for instant, feel-good results.  Pastor Esperandieu and his team are “long-haulers.”  They are not doing relief. They are doing development.

Instead of simply handing out food or money, they are providing a generation of children a quality education.  Instead of coming in to do a couple of major evangelistic events, they are painstakingly building a congregation with its roots deep in the village community.  Instead of simply bandaging wounds and handing out painkillers, they are educating the people of Chambrun about how to stay healthy in the first place.

You get the picture.

Very little of what NVM does looks great on a spreadsheet.  Board meetings aren’t accompanied by skyrocketing graphs.

But although the children of Chambrun aren’t much better off now for knowing geography and long division, when they grow into adults they will be equipped to work and earn a living in ways their parents could have never dreamed.

Think About It

This is why I am excited about child sponsorships.  Instead of pouring our money into an endless string of “quick-fixes,” we now have the opportunity to invest in a ministry that is truly in it for the long-haul!

Are you willing to be a part of the development of Chambrun?

So think about it.  If you haven’t already, take a look at the many children in Chambrun that are still awaiting sponsors by clicking here.

Pray and consider… Are you being called to invest in the work of NVM?

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Anthony Bordain learned the hard way that there is no easy answer to the poverty of a country like Haiti.  But I wonder… How would his perspective have changed if he’d eaten rice and beans with the kids of Nehemiah Vision Ministries?

It wouldn’t exactly be gourmet cuisine, but I guarantee you of one thing… it would be a meal he’d never forget!

I walked through the dusty village looking down at the baby toddling in front of me.  She held on to my fingers for support, but otherwise charged ahead as if I wasn’t even there.

Rosmelie, trying really hard to walk on her own!

An infant-sized “onesie” was hanging off her tiny shoulders, unbuttoned at the bottom to make a kind of skirt (a common outfit for babies in the impoverished village of Chambrun, where buying new clothes every month is out of the question).

As the one-year old looked down to see the rock she had just stepped on, one of the pre-teen girls from the village ran up and swept the baby into her arms.  Cooing baby talk in Creole, she turned the baby around.

I looked at her chubby cheeks and into her beautiful brown eyes, hardly able to believe that she was the same baby I had met just six months before.  But she was…

The baby was Rosmelie.

Kacie with baby Rosmelie.

A Life That Was Saved

I first wrote about Rosmelie during my last trip to Haiti in September.  At the time, she was a malnourished and dying six-month old who had been essentially abandoned by her mother.  However, because of the work of Nehemiah Vision Ministries, Rosmelie’s life was saved.

Today, Rosmelie is an energetic one year-old, learning to stand on her own and just about ready to walk.  She has developed quite a sense of humor, too, and thinks it’s hilarious when people blow on her face.  Although she is still very tiny for her age, Rose is developing extremely well!

As I spent time in Chambrun writing about NVM’s incredible child sponsorship program, I got to play with and love on little Rosmelie quite a bit.  Needless to say, I absolutely fell in love with the little punkin’!

Hard Work

Much of Rosmelie’s survival can be attributed to the work of two volunteer nurses working in NVM’s medical clinic, Aubree Dell and Kacie Davis.  When they first discovered Rosmelie, starving and half-dead, they dedicated enormous amounts of time, energy and patience to nurse her back to health.

For the women of Chambrun, there is still a lot that needs to be learned.

Over the following six months, they worked hard to educate Rosmelie’s mother (as well as the many other young mothers in that part of the village) about proper nutrition and children’s health.

This was no easy task, as there are many misconceptions about child-rearing in the village.  One day, Kacie told me, she was laughed at by the women in the village for suggesting that babies shouldn’t eat solid foods when they are only one month old.

Complicated

Making things even more complicated, about a month after I wrote my first article, Rosmelie’s mother changed her mind again and decided that she didn’t want to care for the baby after all.  Once again, she abandoned little Rose and simply left her lying in a hut, helpless and alone.

Thankfully, Rosmelie’s aunt found her in time and decided to care for the baby herself, something she has been doing faithfully ever since.  Rosmelie’s mother continues to visit from time to time, often showing a genuine interest in caring for the baby, but then inevitably leaves the village for three or four days at a time.

Aubree and Rosmelie in the village.

So yeah… it’s complicated.

Respect

Nevertheless, Rosmelie continues to grow and develop.  Kacie and Aubree continue to love and care for her.

And as a result of their regular presence in that part of the village (checking up on Rosmelie, bringing cans of formula for her aunt, teaching the mothers about health, etc.), the two nurses have become a recognized part of that community.  Just two months ago, Kacie was asked to become the godmother for a newborn baby!

As they have grown closer to the families there, Aubree and Kacie have earned a lot of respect and are even in positions of authority that they never could have been in before…

“What are you doing? You need to go to the clinic first thing tomorrow and get that checked out!”

“Actually it’s better if you don’t let the babies share bottles.”

“What is this, flour? Yeah, you really should try to give her more milk.”

It may not seem very significant to Kacie and Aubree, but those two nurses are helping to bring about some incredible social change in Chambrun.  Living simply and using the gifts that God has given them, they are playing an important part in the restoration of an entire community…

Working for the Good

As Rosmelie continues to mature and as her body continues to grow, it’s amazing to think about how far things have come in just six months.

Thanks to NVM, Chambrun is coming alive!

Under normal circumstances, a baby in Rosmelie’s position would have simply passed away unnoticed; another statistic in a deeply impoverished nation.  But because Nehemiah Vision Ministries was there, not only has one baby been saved, but an entire generation of children can now have hope for bright futures!

Romans 8:28 is really starting to make sense to me now:  “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

The story began with a baby close to death.  But because God’s kingdom is at work in Chambrun, an entire village is now coming to life!

Since the middle of last year I have written several times about a remarkable family called the Elliotts.  Aaron, Shelli and their three children Isabel, Sydney and Sitota are currently in the middle of a year-long adventure in Chambrun, Haiti working with Nehemiah Vision Ministries.

Although they are by most accounts a standard suburban American family, they have been following the Path of Yes for many years.  Saying “yes” to God so consistently has led them to some interesting and unexpected places.  Apart from taking numerous short term trips all over the world, Aaron and Shelli recently took the huge step of adopting an Ethiopian orphan and are now living in Haiti for a full year.

From left, Isabel, Sydney and Sitota.

While I was down in Haiti writing about NVM’s child sponsorship program, I had the chance to catch up with the Elliotts and to see where this current adventure has taken them…

Worn Out

When Aaron and Shelli picked me up at the airport, I could tell that they were worn out.  After four months in-country (three and a half of which were spent living in a tent!), they looked just plain exhausted.

As we drove out to Chambrun together, I began to understand why.

On the ministry front, Aaron and Shelli have helped to organize and train a ton of short term trip teams from the U.S. and Canada.  In the first 10 weeks of their stay, they hosted, taught, cooked for and debriefed over 350 people!  Having traveled with many high-maintenance American teams myself, I know how exhausting this can be… 

Aaron himself has made countless trips to the airport to pick up new teams, often making the trip three times in one day.  Sometimes it takes 45 minutes to get to the airport.  Other times it takes 2 hours.  Oh, and one time Aaron had to charge through a roadblock set up by angry protesters who were throwing things… You know. The usual.

There is lots of room for the kids to run around, but somehow they still manage to have a ton of extra energy…

The Kids

And then there are the kids.

Along with Shelli’s responsibilities with visiting teams, she is homeschooling Isabel and Syndey and trying to maintain a healthy family in the middle a developing country.  And although the girls work hard and usually have good attitudes, meltdowns and tantrums do happen from time to time.

But those normal emotional outbursts are nothing compared to what Sitota is capable of.  He really is a tornado.   In total “boy” fashion, Sitota manages to hit, deface or destroy just about everything he touches.  One time he poured nail polish all over their TV.  If Sitota isn’t happy in time-out, he’ll let everyone know.

Let’s just put it this way: raising children in a place like Chambrun is no easy task, no matter which country you’re from.

A Sunday Drive

All of this came to a head last month when the Elliotts went to the Dominican Republic border to renew their visas.

When these kids get back to “normal” life, they will never be the same!

Their leisurely drive was cut short when they came across a major tap-tap accident (a form of public transportation).  With the help of local police, they had to rush the crash victims back to the NVM clinic in Chambrun.

After things were under the control of the clinic staff, they began their journey again.  This time, they faced car-sickness, lots of sibling pestering and one complaint after another of thirst, hunger, exhaustion, etc.

The border was chaos.  Trucks everywhere trying to get into Haiti, lots of sketchy people asking them for their passports and for money, fights breaking out right next to them…  It was overwhelming.  Getting their passports stamped took around three hours.

When they finally returned to Chambrun that afternoon they were exhausted, frustrated and emotionally spent.

Calling

With all of these difficult and emotionally draining experiences, I think it’s natural to ask if it’s really worth it for the Elliotts to be in Haiti.  Wouldn’t it be easier for them to just go home and have someone else do the work?

Well, after spending a week with them, I think I know the answer.  Yes. It would be a lot easier for them to give up and go home.  But that is not what they are called to do.

Pastor Pierre, director of NVM, goes on and on about Aaron and Shelli.  “I have never seen someone so willing to just come and serve here,” he said about Aaron.  “Most Americans come in with their agendas and their plans, but Aaron simply comes in with open hands.”

It’s not difficult to understand why he feels that way.  With Aaron and Shelli taking over the responsibilities of caring for visiting teams, Pastor Pierre is free to pursue his own calling of growing his ministry.

Shelli and Aaron, we are all impressed with your bravery. Keep it up!!!

Because of Aaron and Shelli, Nehemiah Vision Ministries is better able to pull the village of Chambrun out of poverty.  Although it may feel difficult and overwhelming from time to time, they are directly helping the lives of impoverished Haitians every day.

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I don’t know about you, but when I hear stories of brave Christ followers like Aaron, Shelli and the kids, I am inspired to push ahead with my own calling even more.  Although they have faced many bumps in the road, they are moving forward, trusting that God will be there to meet them.

I want to live my life like that.

So keep on pushing ahead, Elliotts.  We believe in you!

What an incredible trip this has been.  In just six days we have secured 14 of the 25 sponsors we are hoping for!  Just a few more to go before we meet our goal!

In the meantime, I would like for you to meet Chené, the child I’ve begun sponsoring through Nehemiah Vision Ministries.  Although he is a bit shy on camera, he is one of the sweetest little six year old boys I’ve ever met!

Little Chené, who will now begin school in the fall!

Although this episode is shorter than usual, my hope is that it once again gives you a glimpse into what life is really like in the World Next Door…

Episode 9 Footnotes

• As I mentioned in the video, Kacie Davis is holding the camera.  You can meet her and Aubree Dell in the first episode of WND Uncut by clicking here.  
• Yes, that is a baby goat in the background.  Dawwwww….
• Sorry for getting so distracted around 1:20. Kids were all over the place and it was a bit tough staying focused!
• Check out the Next Steps below to see how easy it is to sponsor a child with NVM!
• Tune in next time for Episode 10, in that episode we’ll be reporting from Jerusalem!

Nehemiah Vision Ministries needs just one thing to break the cycle of poverty in Chambrun…

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Sponsor a child today!

On Wednesday I had the opportunity to meet the child I have begun sponsoring through Nehemiah Vision Ministries. Standing in the heat and the dust of Chambrun, it looked like I was giving a child a fun new toy.  But what was going on underneath the surface was far more significant…

It was an absolutely unforgettable experience!

Stuck in the Cycle

Six year old Chené lives in the impoverished village of Chambrun.  He is the fourth of five kids being raised by their mother (Chené’s father passed away when he was still a toddler).

Like most children in his village, Chené struggles daily with malnutrition, illness and pervasive poverty.  His mother, who sells charcoal in the city, makes around a dollar a day, hardly enough to care for five kids.

If left to fend for themselves, Chené and his sisters would undoubtedly grow up without an education, landing only occasional, low paying jobs and someday raising families faced with the exact same problems they dealt with as children.

Chené with his mother Miltha and four sisters Guilene, Guilanda, Guilandia and Landia.

However, because of NVM’s child sponsorship program, Chené’s three older sisters have all begun their education.  In the fall, Chené will as well.  For Chené and his family, the cycle of poverty is beginning to break!

Bearing Gifts

Because he was my new sponsored child, I decided to give Chené a small gift when I met him.  I was also carrying a second gift from my sister because, as it turns out, Chené’s best friend Kiki is the child that my sister Lucy sponsors!  How cool is that?

I went to Chambrun with Clerice, one of NVM’s administrators and Kacie, one of the clinic’s full-time nurses.

We arrived at the village in the blazing heat of early afternoon, but Kiki and Chené were nowhere to be found.  They were out playing somewhere.  Clerice, Kacie and I chatted with the neighbors as one of their children went tearing off in search of the boys.

After a few minutes, Chené and Kiki arrived, but they were covered in dust from playing.  Their moms quickly whisked them away for baths.  They wanted their boys to look presentable for their guests!

Speechless

When the boys were finally ready, dripping wet and wearing clean shirts, a small crowd had gathered.  I asked Clerice to translate as I began my little speech.

“Um, ok. Kiki.  Do you remember a blan [white person] named Lucy that was here before?  She is your sponsor.  She helps out so that you can go to school. Do you remember her?”

Chené receiving his brand new Tonka truck. He was speechless! So adorable…

Kiki nodded, a bit terrified that this random blan was singling him out in front of a crowd.

“Ok, well she is my sister.” I said.

He didn’t respond.

“Um, anyway, she wanted you to have a gift to let you know that she’s thinking of you.”

I walked over to my bag and pulled out a wrapped package.  I handed it to Kiki who looked around wondering what he was supposed to do with it.

“Go ahead! Open it.  It’s yours!”  I said, smiling.

As Kiki began to rip off the wrapping paper the other kids crowded around to see what it was.  When they finally saw the gift, a shiny yellow Tonka truck, all the kids oohed and aahed.   Kiki held the dump truck, speechless, while everyone else reached in to try out the button on top that made noises.

Next, I brought Chené front and center to give him his gift.  After seeing what Kiki had received, Chené was almost shaking with anticipation.

“Chené, you know how my sister Lucy is Kiki’s sponsor?” I began.

Chené (left) and Kiki with their new toys.

Chené nodded, nervously looking over to his friend Kiki for support.

“Well, I am now your sponsor.  In the fall you will get to start school!  And here is a small gift for you.”

I handed Chené another wrapped gift.  It took him no time at all to leave the wrapping paper in shreds on the ground.  In his hands was a bright yellow backhoe, a perfect counterpart to his best friend Kiki’s dump truck.

To say thank you, Chené ran over and gave me a hug.  He had a big smile on his face.

Opportunities

It was a beautiful moment for me, and not just because I’ve never given a gift to a more grateful recipient.  It was beautiful because I knew what the gift symbolized.

At that moment, I had joined my disconnected suburban life with the life of a child in need.  I had given a small portion of my relative abundance to provide a lifetime of opportunities for a young Haitian boy.

Right now I’m out $40 a month.  I may have to forgo a latte here and there.  Maybe choose to eat a sandwich instead of eating out once or twice.  But Chené?  His life will never be the same.  Chené will receive an education.  He will have access to quality medical care.  He will eat a hot, healthy meal for lunch every day for years.

Yesterday I asked Chené what he wants to be when he grows up.  His answer?  “A doctor in Chambrun.”

Will he go on to be a doctor?  Who knows?  But the fact is, he could.  It’s actually a possibility now.  Chené’s mother finished the second grade.  Chené could finish college.

Small Sacrifice

So why am I telling you all of this?  Am I trying to toot my own horn or to convince you that I’m a good person?  No.  I’m telling you this to get one simple fact across:  If I can change the life of a child, anyone can.

I wonder if Chené will ever know how much he changed my life?

This is my encouragement to you today.  Will you consider making a small sacrifice of money to give a huge opportunity to a child here in Chambrun?

Maybe $40 a month isn’t possible for you right now.  But what if you split it six ways with a group of your coworkers?  What if your church small group decided to sponsor a child together?  Maybe one of your own children would be interested in giving a few dollars from their allowance each week…

The fact is; you and I have the potential to radically alter the course of an entire generation of children here.  Our partnership with NVM could actually help bring a village out of poverty.  And I am not exaggerating.

So take a look at NVM’s website.  Read through the Next Steps at the bottom of this article.  Talk to your friends and family.  And decide… are you ready to jump in with what God is doing in Haiti?

Who knows?  Maybe someday you too will find yourself in Chambrun, giving a gift to a grateful child…

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Sponsor a child today!

“You! You!”  A group of preschoolers ran up to me trying to get my attention.  They had seen my camera and wanted their picture taken.

As I started snapping a few photos, one of the older kids shook my hand and asked in English, “What… is… your… name?”

I answered, “My name is Barry.”

“Beh-wee?” He asked.

I laughed and said, “Close enough!”

Amazing Growth

It was my first full day back in Haiti.  I spent the morning wandering around Nehemiah Vision Ministries’ campus to see what was new.  I had only been here for a few hours, but already I was blown away.

Since my last visit in September, NVM has completed two dormitories for volunteers, finished two homes for long-term staff, and built a giant warehouse out of old shipping containers.  They have raised walls on the hospital foundations and even broken ground on their new children’s home (raising their capacity to care for orphans from 8 children to 64!).

To say that I was impressed would be an understatement.  As I walked past the nearly finished volunteer shower building and heard stats on the number of chickens NVM was raising (yep, they’ve started an egg-selling microfinance initiative!), it was clear to me that God is working here in some big ways.

The new men’s and women’s dorms on NVM’s campus.

But as I sat on a bench surrounded by adorable preschoolers waiting to see their pictures on my camera, one final sign of growth struck me as the most important: there are way more kids in NVM’s school than I ever remembered before…

Humble Beginnings

As I’ve written on past trips, Nehemiah Vision Ministries began in 2005 after Pastor Esperandieu Pierre and his wife Dianne stumbled across the impoverished village of Chambrun while on an afternoon drive.

As they drove between the mud huts looking for a way back to the main road, they were overwhelmed by what they saw: thirteen year old girls breastfeeding their babies, children with distended bellies and orange hair (a sign of nutrient deficiency), uneducated and unemployed men sitting under trees… Some of the worst poverty they had ever seen in their country.

Unable to shake the conviction that they needed to help somehow, Esperandieu and Dianne began Nehemiah Vision Ministries, an organization dedicated to helping the people of Chambrun pull themselves out of poverty.

A few of NVM’s adorable preschoolers!

Realizing that a lack of education was one of the primary causes of Chambrun’s poverty, they began an elementary school for around 25 children.  Their plan was to add a new class of preschoolers each time they moved the previous class up a grade.

Today

Today that school has grown to 377 students.  This year’s preschool class alone has nearly 100 kids!

This is what astounded me the most as I sat there on that bench.  Surrounding me was an entire generation of children from Chambrun (and now, other nearby villages) who are being given the tools they need to break the cycle of poverty forever.

But educating so many children is not free.  Although NVM creates ownership by charging very modest school fees to parents, they still require significant financial support to keep so many kids in school.  Qualified teachers need to be paid, books need to be purchased and hot meals need to be cooked (for many kids at NVM, their school lunch is often the only meal they get during the day).

You and I

That’s where you and I come in.  Nehemiah Vision Ministries has a fantastic child sponsorship program that makes it easy for us to directly support a child from Chambrun.  For just $40 a month, we can cover every part of a child’s education here.  Books, meals, healthcare… all of it.

One of NVM’s preschool teachers hard at work.

Right now, there are still 175 children here in need of sponsors.  Some are preschoolers, just starting out.  Others are teens, needing simply a little push to finish strong.

But here’s the thing.  Unlike a lot of great causes to which you might write a check and hope for the best, NVM’s child sponsorships keep you involved directly in the life of the child you are helping.

When you sign up to sponsor a child, you will receive a packet with all sorts of info about him/her, about NVM and about Haiti in general.  As your sponsored child grows and develops, you will be able to stay in touch with letters and periodic updates.  You can send small gifts and even, should you so desire, come to visit him/her yourself!

Unforgettable

I just started sponsoring a six year old boy and got to hand deliver his very first Tonka truck this afternoon.  Believe me when I say that it was an unforgettable experience (more on that in my next article).

There are still many children waiting to be sponsored. Will you answer the call?

My goal for this short visit to Haiti is to secure 25 new child sponsorships for NVM.  As of the writing of this article, we’ve got 3 lined up already.

Will you be one of the next 22?

Think about it.

—————

As I left the classroom of preschoolers, I looked around once more.  The teacher was there, writing on the chalkboard.  The pencils and papers were there, sitting ready at the desk.  The students were there, willing and excited to learn.

All that was missing was you!

Hello there!  Welcome back!  It’s been a busy winter.

Since coming home from Cambodia, I’ve been focusing in on a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff that keeps World Next Door running: fundraising, administration, selecting our summer interns and working with our Kenyan partners to prepare for the summer.

But now we’re jumping back into the heart of what World Next Door is all about… new articles!!!

I’ll find out how Haiti is developing.

To kick off our spring season, I am heading back to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to reconnect with our partner ministry, Nehemiah Vision Ministries.  Here is what you can look forward to from this trip:

Haiti Checkup

Me with the Dazmas, the family that hosted me in their tent.

I’ll ask lots of questions, walk through downtown Port-au-Prince and visit tent villages to find out what, if anything, has happened since I was last there.  How has the rebuilding been going and what do we, as Americans, need to know now that the international media has moved on?

Checking in with the Dazmas

Although I won’t have time to stay very long, I will definitely check in with the family that graciously hosted me in their tent last time, the Dazmas.  I’ll learn how their situation has changed and find out what the future holds for this incredibly hospitable family.

Elliott Family Update!

As many of you know, the Elliotts (dear friends of mine) are a family of five that bravely chose to live in Haiti for a year to work with Nehemiah Vision Ministries.  Now, four months into their year-long adventure, we will find out how life is treating them in the village of Chambrun.

With NVM’s child sponsorship program, you can directly change the life of a Haitian child!

NVM’s Child Sponsorships

Finally, I will be digging deep into Nehemiah Vision Ministries’ excellent child-sponsorship program.  I will begin personally sponsoring a child and will spend time with him and his family, writing about how his life will change now that he has a chance to go to NVM’s school.

Our goal for this trip is to secure 25 new sponsors for NVM.  I count as number 1, so we have 24 more to go!  Perhaps you will be one of them.  For $40 a month you can forever change the life of a child in Haiti.  Think about it…

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All that to say… stay tuned.  It’s going to be a short, but very sweet trip to Haiti!