I was in Haiti earlier this year with a typical Help One Now missions team. My job was to tell the stories of the work we were doing. I met guys like Richard the Artist, and saw the life-transforming power of microfinance. I got to meet a few dozen orphaned kids, and watched as workers broke ground on a playground project that would allow these kids to experience the joy of play. And I met workers on one of our 100 Homes projects who showed me the importance of job creation in the communities we work within.
One thing that was very clear to me is that there was an abundance of stories that needed to be told. At times I felt overwhelmed with the reality that there was no way I’d be able to tell all the stories by myself through just one trip.
So Chris Marlow and I started dreaming (or scheming). We brainstormed about how we could get a bunch of really good storytellers on a trip together. Our goal was to find the people who could paint a picture (with words) of the work that’s being done in Haiti. We knew that if we were able to get the right crew together, then we’d really be able to drive some impact through those stories.
We got to work on the idea almost immediately upon our return to the U.S.. We pulled together a short list of people who we wanted to go. As we started reaching out to them, we were stunned at how many of them not only said “yes,” but who expressed how honored they would be to be part of such a team!
So we’re excited to announce that on October 8-12 we’ll be taking an incredible team of storytellers into Haiti, and we’re setting it up so that you can experience Haiti through their eyes. The team is:
- Jennie Allen
- Sarah Bessey
- Mary DeMuth
- Jen Hatmaker
- Kristen Howerton
- Deidra Riggs
- Duane Scott
- Mollie Donovan Burpo (photographer)
- Kris Rutherford (filmmaker)
- Scott Wade (photographer)
- Dan King (team leader)
- Chris Marlow (team leader)
The team will be visiting an orphanage, a home-building project, a major tent city, and a school in an economically depressed village that was ground zero for the big cholera outbreak about two years ago. We’ll be meeting and talking to children, families, and the leaders in Haiti who are transforming their communities.
We’ve set up a special Help One Now Haiti Bloggers trip page, a Twitter list of the team, and we’ll be using the Twitter hastag #Help1Haiti so that you can follow along with the team as we experience Haiti together. You can even get the badge to display on your website or blog!
We’re expecting that this will be a life-changing trip, not only for those who are going to Haiti, but also for those who follow their stories. So please help us spread the word about this trip, and engage with our team so that you can experience Haiti right along with us. More than anything else, we ask that you pray for the many live that will be touched through this experience.
Dan King
Team Leader, Help One Now Bloggers