GOD is GOOD! JOIN US! 

It’s been nine years this month since we opened the doors to Travay Bondye!  What a ride it has been!  We have seen ups, downs, failures, successes, heartbreak, growth, change, loss and everything in between as we have operated this home.  But, the one thing that has remained steady is God’s hand on the work.  As we think back on the last 9 years, the most significant thing and indeed the most wondrous thing is that God has provided and carried us through every storm and every success. 

Jumping into service in a third world country was never going to be easy and I believe God blinded us to how hard the road would be!  How good is God that he saw that we needed to be naïve to achieve his plan?  We opened a home for abandoned children in a country that is not our home with a language we didn’t speak and no history in missions because God opened doors that only could have been opened by Him.  There wasn’t really a choice but to say yes and trust.  That doesn’t mean it’s been a cakewalk.  It has been a learning experience since the doors opened.  Raising children who have been through trauma can be rough and it is sometimes hard to know what they need or what to do.  Honestly, no one can do this work perfectly and without scratches.  There are wounds, there is baggage, there are families, there is loss, there are government guidelines and there are lots of opinions.  But there are also children who have been given a raw deal.  No child arrives at Travay Bondye because they had a nice life.  Abuse, addiction, death, homelessness, hunger fill their memories.  Our work is to provide a safe space to nurture those wounds and teach them that they are perfect in Christ.  Life is not pretty or easy or even easy to understand and God doesn’t say it will be.  This work can be hard, confusing, lonely, isolating, terrifying and more!  But it is also beautiful.  The life of every child is beautiful. It is easy to second guess the work and wonder if you are doing enough but in the midst of that, God says “I’ve got this” and you go on.  You learn and you grow and you strive to do more.  You listen.  You pray.  You trust. You continue.  You ask for help.

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We share this because God has been abundantly clear that He loves these children.  That He has a plan for them.  That He won’t give up on them.  That they are HIS!   So, the work must go on.  And we need help to grow this ministry!  There is so much work to do.  We need hearts and hands to continue the work that God started.  We have seen growth and change and success, but we also see struggle and loss and heartbreak.  We know there is more to come for these kids.  And we need you – time, minds, creativity, finances, skills.  Name it, we probably need it.  It’s been nine years!  What a testament to God’s goodness.  You’ve seen us, you know us – JOIN US!  Together we can do more.

Please contact us at [email protected] and let’s get this work to the next level.

Your Friends at GRANGOU 

As we come to the close of the year, we thought it would be a great time to reflect on the amazing journey that was 2017.  In our 9 years at work in Haiti, this year was by far the most fruitful and encouraging. God has blessed Travay Bondye and Grangou in so many wonderful ways.  We are certainly still a work in progress, but the future is bright for the kids!  Some of the year’s highlights include:

• In January we were able to purchase a large tap tap that allows us to transport the children to school and church.  This is a huge blessing and allows us to transport them safely as needed.
• February and March brought awesome training for our staff.  Teams came in with nanny training and management training that is allowing our staff to become better and better!
• Summer brought another team of wonderful people to share the gospel and some fun with the kids at Travay Bondye, Maison des Enfants de Dieu and hundreds more at our annual VBS.  This is always a highlight of the year for our kids!  With very little to do during the summer for most kids, the VBS brings a little escape and a lot of joy!
• September was the launch of our TNT (Teens in Transition) home.  Our third group of kids aged out of Travay Bondye and this time it was 10 at once!  To keep this large group focused, we partnered with HandUp Global Goods to get an apartment, hire a house manager and institute house policies to get these kids on the path to adulthood.  They are also attending church, devotions, school and trade school.
• October brought one of the most awesome blessings we have seen in 9 years!  A new home!  We have lived in several homes over the years and none have been a very good fit for 70 children.  Finally we found a large piece of land with several small houses AND the owner has agreed to sell it to us!  This is a huge answer to prayer and we could not be more thankful.
• December closed up the year with our annual Christmas trip.  November was a month of collecting a nd working with volunteers in the states to make sure all kids received a special gift.  Then in December, a group of 16 traveled to deliver the gifts and throw parties to celebrate the season!  Cake, music, beach, crafts, pizza, dancing, gifts and more!  It was a GREAT way to close the year!
• This year also brought a special new ministry to us.  Some of our Travay graduates started an outreach to kids who live on the streets.  It is called Be the change!  They try to do a monthly gathering with food and lessons and also visit the kids as much as they can.  They are trying to pool their own money to make this happen.  We have had the privilege yo partner with them for a few of the monthly visits and for a Christmas party with the kids.  It has been an absolute joy to see our kids give back!

This list certainly doesn’t exhaust all of the good stuff!  School, new director, new supporters and so much more could be shared.  It really has been a great year!  Please continue to pray for the kids and jump in where you can!  We appreciate all of our friends, we thank you for joining us in this work and we wish you a HAPPY, BLESSED 2018!