This November, Forward Edge International celebrated 40 years of fruitful ministry at our annual Worth & Purpose Benefit for Children. As part of the celebration, Forward Edge’s Program Directors were invited to attend from around the world. As preparations and accommodations were being made, I learned that our Haitian Program Director – Chavannes Jeune – needed a home to stay in during his time in the Pacific Northwest. My wife and I offered up our home as a place to stay, thinking it would be a great chance to serve… but what I wasn’t expecting was how much we would be served in return.
After picking up Chavannes, and his son Vladimir at the airport, I immediately noticed what a kind, humble and gracious demeanor Chavannes displayed to everyone he encountered. My daughter, Noa, is 2 years old, and (like any toddler) can be energetic and rambunctious at times and wanted to play with Chavannes again and again.
As a Program Director and ministry leader in Haiti, Chavannes has an incredible amount of responsibility on his shoulders; I wouldn’t blame him at all if he ignored our daughter’s requests or shut himself up in his room to rest. And yet, every time Chavannes interacted with Noa, he would smile, sing out her name and play with her. They quickly formed a special bond, as I witnessed Chavannes’ love for supporting children – including my own – firsthand.
As the week went by, I got to spend time with Chavannes, asking him about his testimony and how he came to be such an incredibly impactful leader in Haiti. With sincerest humility, Chavannes shared his story of how God rescued him from a motorcycle accident when he was young; with gratitude to God’s faithfulness, from that moment forward he committed to preaching the Gospel on every continent, while serving the people of Haiti, day after day.
And for the past 40 years that’s exactly what Chavannes has done. He has preached the Gospel in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. He has worked with churches, non-profits, governments and foreign leaders to help support the Haitian people with tools and resources for their physical, educational and spiritual flourishing. Despite danger and turmoil in his nation, especially over recent years, he has remained faithful to Jesus, to serving his Haitian neighbors, and to supporting children by leading Forward Edge’s Haiti Program.
As I listened to Chavannes share stories, pausing from time to time to translate his thoughts from Haitian-Creole to English, I couldn’t help but think about the book of Acts, and how Jesus’ followers grew into an eclectic, diverse global family. Chavannes and I are from different generations, nations, languages, and cultures. On paper, there’s nothing about our lives that would make us destined to become friends. And yet, because of the bond of Jesus, we are now friends, teammates and brothers in Christ.
The Sunday after Forward Edge’s Worth & Purpose Benefit, Chavannes joined us at our church’s gathering, and prayed a blessing over our community in Haitian-Creole, while Vladimir translated into English. Our church family was deeply encouraged and blessed by Chavannes and Vladimir and continue to pray for them as they seek to love their neighbors, just like we do, a few thousand miles away.
These types of friendships and partnerships are what make Forward Edge International so unique. Whether you’re making friends in another country while on a mission team, supporting a student through child sponsorship, or hosting a Program Director, everything Forward Edge strives to do is centered on our core value of Trusted Relationships.
As Ecclesiastes 4:12 states, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” These trusted relationships built around Christ are like a strong cord, unified for the purpose of bringing glory to God and increasing our effectiveness in transforming the lives of children trapped in poverty through Christ-centered, holistic care. I am grateful for Chavanne’s presence in my life, the strong cord that’s been built between us, and the beautiful things that God is doing through Forward Edge.
Relationships are everything. And it’s not just those in the U.S. reaching out to other countries; it’s the entire Global Church engaging with and learning from each other. As an organization, we seek to foster and steward those vital relationships. Recently, the director of our Uganda children’s program, Bonny Lugayizi,
This blog is a part of an ongoing series on Forward Edge’s Pearl Partners. Check out our highlights on Cuba and Haiti and enjoy this interview with Jane Wathagana. 20 years ago, Jane Wathagana was a successful businesswoman in Kenya, the Director of Animal World Safaris and Elangata Luxury
Ever wonder if you’re really making an impact in the life of the child you sponsor? The very fact that your child knows you chose them shows them they are special and that they matter. They know they’re important to you and also to God, you may even be an
Viola lives in the slums of Kampala, Uganda with her parents and five siblings. Living conditions in this area are cramped and unsanitary. Viola’s family lives in a small, brick, two-bedroom house. The whole family shares one room and the other one is used to house chickens and a goat that
7 yrs. old
Entered the program: March 2023
Rahina lives with her parents, two older siblings, and grandmother in a two-bedroom house built with mud and roofed with thatch. The family has access to electricitybut not potable water. There is a village dam that residents draw water from until it dries up; then, the women and girls of the community have to walk long distances to find other sources. There is no local healthcare facility. Rahina’s village is very poor and lacks many resources.
Rahina’s family is Muslim. Her mother is a housewife and her father is a small-hold farmer who cultivates maize and cassava, but barely harvests enough food to last them throughout the year. The family has had to live on less than a dollar a day and Rahina’s parents struggled to provide the basic needs of Rahina and her siblings. Now since coming to Create Hope, the family has consistent food and Rahina is finally able to go to school every day.
Plus bonus group fundraising ideas!
