To look at it today, there is grass and trees as far as the eye can see. Across the busy, Haitian road, mountains rise high and powerful – once a bare mountainside, it’s now home to many Haitian citizens and their families following the devastation of the 2010 earthquake. Cows graze slowly throughout the field and occasionally, a small giggle or conversation in Creole can be heard from afar. The heat of the sun shines down on the expanse of land, and the honk of car horns sound through the air.
Tall grass. Plots of corn. The occasional tree. To most passersby, it simply looks like another lonely field. To the Back2Back Haiti staff, it is just the place to plant roots and to invest deep.
On May 15th, after three and a half years of prayerfully waiting, Back2Back Haiti staff member, Brent Fudge, signed papers to obtain ownership of land.
The newly purchased land is located on National Highway 1, across from the Canaan community. The first step in the land development will be building a solid wall around the property. Then, the construction of staff housing and team housing will begin once the wall is completed.
“We are excited for what will develop and grow on this land,” Jeff Hickman, Back2Back Haiti director, shared. “As we look to the future, there are many possibilities for what we can foster and what can occur in this new space.”
The land will not only be home for staff families and visiting teams, but also where training can take place for staff and neighboring organizations.
“We are hoping to build a sizeable training center here,” shared Jeff. “It will be large enough to allow space for 50 to 100 people to participate in all kinds of training, including Trauma Competent Care instruction.”
The land will also have recreational space, a place where staff and mission guests can enjoy games and fun with the children, allowing for further connection. A quarter of the land will be left undeveloped for now, as Back2Back is praying and seeking guidance on how to best serve the children in Haiti. The experience Back2Back has gained in developing the Hope Program and the Strong Families Program, as well as others, will be considered for Haiti as we continue to assess the needs of the community.
Families who lost their homes and were displaced following the 2010 earthquake were moved to the Cannan mountainside, across from the new Back2Back property. The homes began with tarps for roofs and scrap metal for walls and have now developed into concrete block homes. Back2Back Haiti is prayerful as first steps are taken within the community to come alongside families and provide necessary means to help them to thrive. Will you join us in prayer as we get to know our new neighbors and think through how we might engage in their lives?
If you look out across the land waiting to be developed, you can now imagine the cultivation to take place, the growth waiting to happen.
Back2Back Haiti humbly thanks each of you for your partnership, your dedication to the people of Haiti, and your willingness to come alongside staff and children in prayer. We look forward to growing with you.
