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.
“Every Saturday, my heart was filled with joy,” says Elvin, reflecting on the love and care he found at Cornerstone Kosova. Growing up in the harsh realities of Kosova, Elvin once faced a life full of hardship. But through the community’s love and the teachings of Jesus, his life was transformed. Now 15, Elvin’s journey of hope continues, and he’s sharing that same love with others.
When I introduce new people to Forward Edge, I’ll often describe what we do this way: we help children around the world overcome poverty, discover their true worth, and pursue God’s extraordinary purpose for their lives. I believe these three descriptors are distinct and important. Let me explain a little
It started with a simple nudge—a last-minute feeling that I was forgetting something important. Rushing through the airport, I couldn’t shake the urge to buy a Bible. I didn’t know why, or who it was for, but I trusted the feeling. A week later, in a small village in Ghana, that Bible found its way into the hands of Talata, a girl who had never heard of Jesus. This is the story of how God’s quiet whispers and a small act of obedience became part of something much bigger than we could have imagined.
“Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the Lord. “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do
12 yrs. old
Entered the program: November 2025
Hawa lives with her mother and 3 siblings in one room of a rental house. The home is constructed of cement blocks, roofed with aluminum and has a concrete floor. They cook outdoors with wood and share a latrine with the other tenants.
Hawa’s mother is a single parent. She is unemployed and relies on assistance from other people to take care of herself and her children. They sometimes have only one meal a day. Hawa’s father abandoned the family, re-married, and moved to a another community. He doesn’t support his children, and meeting their needs, especially educational, is very challenging. On several occasions, Hawa has been sent home for non-payment of fees. She often does not have food to take to school. Hawa’s performance is affected due to the lack of textbooks for studying.
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