A tear slips down Gervens’ face. Lauren Neal, Jesus in Haiti staff member and respected partner of Back2Back, looks out among the children who have lived and grown alongside Gervens for the last seven years. The children at the Lighthouse Children’s Home register surprise, sadness, and wonder. The room quiets as they process the news…. Read more
The children from Lighthouse Children’s Home climbed aboard the bus and chose seats carefully as they settled in for an eight-hour drive to The Citadelle Laferriere. The Citadelle Laferriere sits atop Bonnet a L’Eveque mountain in Northern Haiti. It was built between 1805 and 1820, immediately following the The Haitian Revolution that gained the country… Read more
This month’s guest writer is Kaden Kimple. Kaden submitted the following essay last fall to Power of the Pen, Ohio’s Interscholastic Creative Writing Program for Middle Schools, while her mom was on a mission trip with Back2Back Ministries. When I think of super powers, I think of strength, speed, flight, brains, and maybe the ability… Read more
“Now show me how we should cough!” The smiling children raised their arms, play-coughing into their elbows, demonstrating their understanding to not spread more germs. It’s Healthy Kids Day in Haiti and everyone is learning. Back2Back Haiti staff member, Holly Ravenhorst, recently connected with Blessings International – a ministry who administers health assessments. “We wanted… Read more
The first week of March brought light to Jesus Name Children’s Home. Jesus Name Children’s Home used a generator for electricity, but only for special occasions. It lacks access to city power sources. In the beginning of March, a team visited Back2Back Haiti with SonLight Power, located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Together, they installed a solar… Read more
She opens the door and walks to her seat. As she walks by, people take in her pink and white dress, smiling and complimenting her work. As she takes her seat, Wideline grins confidently. Not only is she wearing a new dress, she’s wearing a new dress she made herself. It’s Sunday in Haiti. “About a year ago,… Read more
It’s a sunny day in Haiti. As Dan Ravenhorst, Back2Back Haiti staff, walks towards Lighthouse Children’s Home, he can hear a clear, confident voice pierce the air. He smiles to himself. He may not understand every world to this song, but he recognizes the voice who is sharing it with the neighboring homes. Anne Marie… Read more
Ansouby’s eyebrows knit together as he looks down at his fingers, strumming across the strings of the guitar. To anyone watching, it might look like he is deeply concentrating, but his stature has become a release for him. A year ago, seven children from Harvest Care Children’s Home began taking music lessons from a local… Read more
Haiti can be a hard place. Amidst stories of corruption, devastation, and crippling natural disasters are statistics that almost defy belief. Seventy-seven percent unemployment. Over 300 orphanages in the city of Port-au-Prince alone. The poorest country in the entire western hemisphere. However, there is also breathtaking natural beauty in the mountains and emerald green ocean… Read more
Fednia came to Harvest Care Children’s Home confused and afraid. She was unexpectedly transferred from another children’s home and wasn’t told why. Being uprooted once again created another painful rip in her heart. She arrived at Harvest Care wounded and angry, with thick emotional walls around her small frame. For the first few months, Fednia… Read more