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.
Villa Esperanza, Managua, Nicaragua My name is Medardo Sánchez. I am 19 years old and I am currently in the 4th year of high school. I want to tell you that before I met Village of Hope, I was thirteen years old and studying third grade of primary school. If
Ileana has been in our Nicaragua children’s program for the last eight years. Our team has poured into her heart, spirit, and education, and she has blossomed into a beautiful young woman of God. Her life hasn’t been easy, but as you’ll read in her letter, she has learned to
Love has a way of radically transforming lives. At Forward Edge, we place our focus on helping children trapped in poverty reach their full, God-given potential (Ephesians 2:10) by meeting their basic needs (food, safe water, health care) and empowering them with quality education, vocational training, and spiritual discipleship. This
A Birthday with a Purpose Rappel down the side of a building to raise money for children?! I’d never heard of such an idea, but it sounded great to me! I’d get to challenge myself, do something fun, and help children all at the same time. My fundraising goal was
12 yrs. old
Entered the Program: February 2025
Violeta lives with her mother, stepfather younger brother, Elias (also in the program), and baby sister in a three-bedroom concrete house with a concrete roof and concrete and dirt floors. She currently shares a bedroom with her brother. The kitchen is in an adobe room separate from the house and the family cooks with wood. They access water from a hose on their property and the bathroom is outdoors.
Violeta’s mother used to live in Mexico City with father, but he abandoned her when she became pregnant with their second child, who, sadly, died of SIDS. She moved back to her home village where she eventually met Elias’ father. When she got pregnant with Elias, they got married. Violeta’s stepfather has adopted her as his own, and they have a very close relationship. Both of her parents work farming the fields and her mother also cares for the home.
Plus bonus group fundraising ideas!
