Neighbors Project

The Neighbors Project is NWHCM’s approach to community development. Spend some time clicking around here to learn what it’s all about.

NWHCM staff perform a community needs assessment in La Baie des Moustiques. Needs assessments form the foundation of the Neighbors Project, NWHCM

By Andy Olsen, NWHCM Media Director

I travelled recently with a children’s minister who was returning from a mission trip. She and a group of Americans had led a VBS program on the trip, and she gave a glowing report about her experience. But as she was processing it all, she made an observation.

“I’m glad we got to do what we did,” she said. “But I think it would be even better if, instead of leading the VBS ourselves, we could equip some women in the (local) church to run VBS programs themselves. That way, they could do it even when Americans aren’t there.”

She has a point.

Northwest Haiti Christian Mission was founded on forging lasting, transformational relationships between North Americans and communities in Northwest Haiti. We place the Church at the center of that relationship, using it as an instrument for evangelism and community development. Our goal is nothing less than changing Haitian communities forever by sharing the love of Christ and meeting basic human needs.

But sometimes in overseas ministry, we sell ourselves (and the nationals) short by not using our God-given creativity. We limit our efforts to merely handing out “stuff” and going home, or by assuming we know the best ways to help. While we have the best intentions and certainly a lot of gifts and talents to offer, we very often forget that the nationals have a lot of gifts and talents to offer, as well.

At NWHCM, we want to make sure we are investing the hard work and service of our mission teams in the most effective ways to help Haitian communities. That’s why we’ve launched the Neighbors Project, an exciting initiative that helps focus our ministry efforts to make sure we’re meeting real needs.

The Neighbors Project is about partnering North Americans with Haitian communities – not in a paternalistic way, but in a spirit of side-by-side service and ministry. It’s a partnership where Haitians and North Americans share physical and spiritual resources, with the mutual goal of spreading the gospel through holistic ministry – that is, bringing people out of spiritual, physical, economic, and social poverty.

Simply put, it’s about loving our neighbors in the global Church in the same way we love our own churches.

Have you ever done short-term mission and wondered if you could do more? Have you ever wanted to think outside the mission trip? Spend some time exploring here to learn more about the Neighbors Project. You’ll be glad you did.

This column originally appeared in the June 2010 issue of Northwest Notes, NWHCM’s semi-monthly newsletter.