In June of 1999, Steve and Tyler, a junior in high school, ventured forth on their first mission trip. They came back changed people.


   


Two years later, we had the opportunity to return as a family of four. The Lord had already placed on our hearts the idea of adoption. It was during this trip that he taught us that a child is a child and we could love one of any color.  


In January of 2002, Jadyn was welcomed home by Tyler aged 19 and Troy aged 15.

Just nine months later in October of 2002, the Lord took Troy home as a result of a car accident. In his compassion and wisdom, he had given us Jadyn, knowing we would need her bright eyes and sweet smile to make it through the toughest thing we had ever faced.

In March of 2003, five months to the day of losing Troy, we dedicated a playground in his memory to the children of Pillatre, Haiti. Our team of eighteen; Troy's friends, their parents and our family worked together to find joy beyond our grief.

         
Jadyn: leaning on Troy's memorial stone in the playground and playing with her new
Haitian friends during her first trip to Pillatre in June 2009.

And God kept working on us....in August of 2003, we felt him leading us to become more involved. We became the Forwarding Agents for Haitian Christian Ministries, the main liasion between the ministry in Haiti and the supporters in the USA.

Again, in June of 2004 and January of 2007 we were blessed when Jasmine and Janae joined our family through adoption.

Each year, we have been able to return to Haiti to continue our partnership with Pastor Emmanuel Laguerre and his work among his people. 

Over the years,  the Lord has blessed us by allowing us to help a family we love in Haiti transition from a stick hut to a block home. And now, He is speaking to us once again.

He is challenging us to learn to live with less so that others might live with more. He is asking us to truly live out the second greatest command "love your neighbor as yourself".  He is asking us to provide one of the most basic needs we have as human beings: shelter.

We have learned in this journey that obedience brings blessing beyond measure and joy to our hearts. We're trusting Him to work in mighty ways both here in the United States and in Haiti.

Praying that you'll join us,
Steve and Shelley