It has been really great to be back in the US for family time, TONS of sharing about what we are up to in Haiti/DR and time with mentors, friends, partner ministries, etc. who have so much wisdom as we proceed forward. We are back in Alabama for the next 9 days and then we are heading back to the island for a while!

Here is a quick photo update on what we have been up to this very busy summer!

Our first layover was in Houston where we got to meet with some advisors for Living Waters International and we also got to visit one of our fave babies, Sam.

At Dani and Nolan’s rehearsal dinner in Washington state, Ryan was in heaven just a few days after coming back from the island. We ate a southern feast. Crawfish, shrimp…it was amazing!

We got to see one of our best friends, Melina, at the wedding. So fun.

Congrats to Dani and Nolan. Nolan is Ryan’s brother and one of our good friends. Thankful for skymiles that helped us get there!

While we were on the western side of the US, we were also able to fly to California to meet with our mentor organization, the Haiti Endowment Fund. The founders are not traveling to Haiti anymore and it was SO amazing to sit and talk and share and pray with them. Thanks so much, guys!

Love the Bithers! Cindy (right) runs the operations of Haiti Endowment Fund now alongside her husband, Kevin. Kevin’s parents are the founders, shown above.

When in Cali, we were also able to meet up with some long-time friends we met in Haiti. This dinner was so special to us. We were able to laugh, tell stories, get emotional…all the feelings that are associated with Haiti. These guys are such amazing friends- no matter how long it is before seeing you again. (Some of them we had not seen in 3 years!) They offered such a hope and reminder of WHY we do what we do and WHO we are doing it for- really.

We flew back to the south and got to spend two days in meetings with one of our favorite churches and NGOs in funky New Orleans. So good seeing this girl and hear about what she’s doing in her city. We are excited for all that is to come from our partnerships here.

Finally, arriving in Daphne, we were able to have our good friend, Lindsey, join us for a few fundraisers. THANK YOU to all who came out to listen to this great band, hear what we had to say about Konbit Haiti and eat some yummy Haitian food. So good- and we ran out of food! THANKS to those who put it on, donated, came, listened and got pumped!

We traveled up to Neighborhood Hops and Vine in Birmingham to also network and share with a group of new people. Thank you so much to Drue and Madeline for taking the time to set this up!

 

As we got back into Alabama, we were able to make it to South Alabama (our alma mater!)’s annual alumni meeting and receive an award! We are continually humbled and thankful for the way the University of South Alabama has stood with us as we do development on the island of Hispaniola. We are looking forward to the future of partnerships with this University. Go Jags!   

 

It was very cool news to see that Justice Water and Konbit were featured in a cool magazine called Compose Magazine recently. To check it out, click here: Compose- Taylor Peters

As you can tell, this has not been a chill summer- but it has been one totally full of the power of community and what can happen when you RALLY and people come together for a common goal (which, interestingly enough, is what the word “Konbit” means). We have met so many awesome people and have had some very cool meetings about the partnership of their organizations and ours. It is a neat thing!

Our hope has been that through our sharing, that we’d all realize that we can engage with the developing world with more than just a week long trip to their home. We can engage on every level- from the sugar we purchase to the way we choose to invest to the bottled water we drink. The small choices we make can greatly affect the lives of millions overseas.

Thank you for all of the cups of coffee and wine and for all of the dinners and lunches and times in between. Thank you, so much, to those of you who have engaged with us, who have made an effort to understand some of the issues facing the island of Hispaniola and for loving us so well.

We are in the final process of submitting our paperwork to apply for 501c3 status here in the US- with a lot to do in Haiti, as well, so please keep us in your prayers as we move forward!