The Neighbors Project is NWHCM’s approach to relief and 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. Dustin Waller photo

Northwest Haiti Christian Mission was founded on forging lasting 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, relief and 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.

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 teaming up North Americans with Haitian communities. It’s a partnership where Haitians and North Americans share physical and spiritual resources, with the mutual goal of 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.

May 24, 2011

Montello, WI — As the country of Haiti struggles in so many ways, there is good news as well. The launch of the first Living Food Bank aquaponic system will bring fresh fish and vegetables to many. The construction of this system is nearing completion on the Northwest Haiti Christian Mission (NWHCM) campus in Saint-Louis Du Nord, Haiti and the training for the individuals who will oversee the operation of the system has been completed in Montello, Wisconsin.

Trainees Chris Clarke (left) and Ed and Lora Ginter in an aquaponics demonstration greenhouse at Nelson and Pade, Inc., in Montello, WI, earlier this year. Photo submitted

Nelson and Pade, Inc., a Wisconsin-based company specializing in aquaponics and the creator of the Living Food Bank, in collaboration with NWHCM, has trained three enthusiastic people who will be managing the new aquaponic system at NWHCM. The Living Food Bank uses a science-based aquaponic system, solar energy and a tropical greenhouse to grow high quality fish and vegetable crops. Aquaponics is an integrated method of raising fish and vegetables in a soilless system. In Haiti, tilapia, a fast-growing fresh water fish, along with leafy greens such as Swiss chard, collards and kale, and peas, beans, eggplant, tomatoes and peppers will all be grown.

Ed and Lora Ginter, from Kentucky, and Chris Clarke, from Montana, traveled to Nelson and Pade, Inc.’s facility in Montello to complete a two-month Extended Stay Learning Program. Nelson and Pade, Inc.’s new demonstration greenhouse has various aquaponic systems in operation which are very close in design to the systems in Haiti so, even though the training took place far from Haiti, the information and application is parallel to the system at NWHCM.

Ed, Lora and Chris learned the daily operation of the systems, water quality testing and monitoring, fish feeding and feed calculations, filter maintenance, seeding, transplanting, harvesting and system assembly.

Nelson and Pade, Inc.’s John Pade and Education Director, Sarah Kaatz, provided direction and education to Ed, Lora and Chris. Other advanced principles covered included fish biology, fish stocking, plant culturing and health, pest scouting and control, bio-security, nutrient dynamics, system and greenhouse maintenance and more. Plus, the team assembled, tested, crated and shipped the complete solar energy system to Haiti.

Ed, Lora and Chris will travel to Haiti – Ed and Lora as long-term missionaries working to oversee this and other aquaponics projects, and Chris to assist with the start up and operation of this system. Rebecca Nelson and John Pade will also travel back to Haiti, to help with the start up of the system. As NWHCM expands their aquaponics projects and installs additional Living Food Bank aquaponic systems, they will have a serious impact on the availability of fresh food in Northwest Haiti and beyond.

This project is headed toward success due to the combination of using a science-based aquaponic system design and a comprehensive training program from Nelson and Pade, Inc., along with the well-established and very capable Northwest Haiti Christian Mission, a holistic ministry that currently feeds 15,000 servings per day, provides medical and surgical services, nutrition programs and many other services to residents of northwest Haiti.

For more information on aquaponics, systems or training programs, visit www.aquaponics.com.

Press release from Nelson and Pade, Inc.

By Andy Olsen, NWHCM Media Director

They listened for days, scribbling on pads of paper. In the hot ocean air of La Baie des Moustiques, the church group from Rockford, Illinois, walked door-to-door to nearly every house in the small town. They asked questions about everything – about who lived where, about who did what, about health and about livestock.

A short-term mission team from Rockford, Illinois, conducts a community needs assessment in La Baie des Moustiques. Photo by Dustin Waller / Contributor

It was Northwest Haiti Christian Mission’s first-ever community needs assessment, a town-wide survey intended to paint a picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the town.

It was the beginning of something big.

Such survey work is the foundation of NWHCM’s Neighbors Project, NWHCM’s new approach to community development. The Neighbors Project facilitates meaningful cross-cultural church-to-church relationships that are dynamic and transformational for both churches and their communities.

With the Neighbors Project, we partner American churches with Haitian churches. They work together to serve people in the Haitian community, sharing physical and spiritual resources with the mutual goal of spreading the Gospel through holistic ministry – that is, by addressing both spiritual and other needs.

The primary goal of the Neighbors Project is to encourage community development projects that are thoughtful, planned, and born out of the real needs of Haitian communities.

The Rockford group is one of a handful of churches working with NWHCM in community development (they actually began their partnership with the La Baie des Moustiques community before the Neighbors Project was conceived). The group quickly recognized that “La Baie” is a fishing village, yet many people there lost their fishing boats in the hurricanes that slammed Northwest Haiti in 2008.

The group decided to work side-by-side with community members to begin replacing those boats. Funded initially by the group, the boat project is designed to eventually be self-funding. Fisherman who receive a boat are expected to take a portion of their profits from selling fish and contribute it toward building another boat.

The concept is simple, but it has significant ramifications. Community members learn and practice biblical concepts of caring for one another, and members of the group learn to invest through service and relational ministry, in addition to providing financial resources.

At NWHCM, we believe that all ministry must be done in Christ-like love, which will show itself in demonstrated respect for both Haitians and foreigners.

And at the center, that is what the Neighbors Project is all about: Listening first with compassion, then acting with wisdom and respect.

Learn more about the Neighbors Project by clicking here, or by contacting Curtis Rogers, NWHCM Community Development Coordinator, at curtis.rogers@nwhcm.org.

Photo and design by Kyle Ellis

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Northwest Haiti Christian Mission has launched Help Heal Haiti, a new ministry aimed at mobilizing the next generation across America to invest in Northwest Haiti and make a difference in Jesus’ name.

More than just a slogan, Help Heal Haiti (HHH) hopes to become nothing short of a movement to help change lives in the poorest region of Haiti. By partnering with youth groups, college campuses and other communities of concerned individuals, HHH will offer tools for raising awareness of the needs in Haiti and providing opportunities to meet them.

“This generation is hungry to be a part of something real, something life changing,” said Brent Bramer, HHH Director. “We have a great opportunity to inform, equip and empower the next generation to help bring sustainable change to Haiti through the work of NWHCM. I’m humbled and thrilled to see God move” through HHH.

In coming months, HHH will begin offering ready-made packages for group awareness events and fundraisers. HHH will also work with next-generation groups to encourage traveling to Haiti for hands-on involvement in holistic ministry.

HHH is a fully integrated part of NWHCM, yet it brings with it a distinct brand that will enable the mission to develop partnerships in new areas. To learn more, visit the HHH website by clicking here, or contact Brent Bramer, HHH Director, at brent@helphealhaiti.com.

Thursday, May 6, 2010 – Northwest Haiti Christian Mission today released “The Hungry,” a video photo essay project that draws attention to the causes and effects of hunger and child malnutrition in Northwest Haiti, and the ways NWHCM is working to help.

The result of more than a year of documentary photography work by NWHCM photojournalist Andy Olsen, “The Hungry” follows the stories of two children: A severely malnourished girl being treated in NWHCM’s hospital, and another malnourished girl enrolled in one of NWHCM’s child nutrition programs. Through the eyes of these children and their families, the video explores the complex set of factors that contribute to poverty and hunger.

The video was produced before the January 12 earthquake that forever changed Haiti, but the issues it confronts are no different now than they were before the quake. As with other natural disasters in Haiti, the earthquake has only placed greater strains on Haiti’s economy and food supply.

Churches, individuals, organizations and other groups are encouraged to use “The Hungry” as a tool to raise awareness of the issues of hunger and malnutrition. It is a perfect accessory for packing events and fundraisers in conjunction with NWHCM or its ministry partners, Feed My Starving Childen and Kids Agains Hunger.

“The Hungry” is also available on NWHCM’s resources page.

The Hungry

Watch in HD

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 – Finding Mache is a brand-new VBS supplement with a missions focus. Built around a series of five short DVD video segments, it follows a young girl named Naika who is searching her small town in Haiti looking for her family’s donkey, Mache. Along the way, Naika sees the many ways that God is using missionaries in Haiti to change lives and help children grow up to be strong and know Jesus.

Produced by Northwest Haiti Christian Mission, the materials make an excellent “missions moment” supplement to any existing VBS curriculum or children’s Sunday school class. In Finding Mache, children will encounter a safe environment to learn about poverty, missions, evangelism, and helping others.

The Finding Mache package includes a DVD, teacher handbook with suggested activities and accompanying materials, and a Northwest Haiti Christian Mission T-shirt. It also offers practical ways for kids and churches to get involved in missions in Haiti.

Contact us today to request a FREE copy of the materials for your church or VBS program. Materials will be available in mid April.

Finding Mache :: The Preview

Watch it in HD.

(March 8, 2010) Indianapolis, IN – Mark Wilkerson, an executive with OneAmerica Financial Partners in Indianapolis, has partnered with Northwest Haiti Christian Mission to launch Run Mark Run!, an initiative to recruit 1,000,000 people who will pledge a penny for every person he passes during the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon on May 8, 2010 in Indianapolis. All proceeds will go to the relief efforts in Haiti.

Mark Wilkerson (photo submitted)

Wilkerson’s unique strategy will use traditional and social media to gather pledges from around the world that will assist with Haiti relief. He will use a blog, e-mails, Facebook and Twitter to chronicle his experience and urge more people to pledge. With a goal to pass at least 2,000 fellow runners, Wilkerson and NWHCM will use the donations to create a fund that will improve and sustain medical work in Haiti.

“With the high demand for medical care after the earthquake, we understand that the existing resources needed to improve medical care have been stretched beyond capacity,” Wilkerson said. “The destruction of hospitals, the lack of medicine and increased patient loads for current medical facilities and personnel require more funds, so every penny raised will be meaningful as we look to address these needs.”

NWHCM has been working to provide and improve health care in Haiti for the last two decades. The organization’s work includes an outpatient clinic that sees more than 2,000 patients each month, a birthing center that delivers between 60 to 80 babies each month, and a surgical facility that hosts U.S. surgical teams year-round.

To make a pledge or learn more about this endeavor, visit www.runmarkrun.net.

Simply sponsor a child or adult in any Northwest Haiti Christian Mission program, and a short-term missionary of your choice will earn points toward his or her trip. They can convert those points into a scholarship for their trip, funded through a special mission scholarship program.

Your sponsorship will change the future for a child forever. And it may just change the life of a traveler, too.

How it Works

1. Sponsor a child or adult online at nwhcm.org in any mission program. The greater the sponsorship amount, the more points a traveler earns.

2. When creating a sponsorship, be sure to include the words “Points Sponsorship” and the traveler’s name in the notes field.

3.The traveler specified in the notes field will automatically earn points for your sponsorship, and those points will be automatically credited toward a scholarship for their upcoming mission trip. Unused credits can be used by the traveler on future mission trips.

4. Enjoy the relationship you will begin building with your sponsored child or adult, and remember to pray for the traveler your sponsorship is supporting.

To qualify for Points, a sponsorship must be:

• Established online at nwhcm.org, or made over the phone
• Established with an automatic donation plan via credit card or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
• Established indefinitely or for a minimum of one year
• Established for the full amount of the Sponsorship Need, except for Miriam Center sponsorships. Partial points will be awarded if Sponsorship Need is less than the program amount. For example: A Miriam Center sponsorship of $200 a month (out of a total Sponsorship Need of $300 a month) would earn 120 Points. A Miriam Center sponsorship for the full $300 a month would earn 180 Points. See below for a full explanation of Points amounts.

For Travelers

Earning Points

You can earn Points for every new sponsorship of a child or adult that a sponsor designates as credit toward your trip. You can also earn Points for medical sponsorships, as outlined below. Note: Points may not be earned for mission trips departing before May 30, 2010.

Sponsorship Point Values

*Click here to learn more about NWHCM Medical Sponsorships

Click here to sponsor a child or adult in Northwest Haiti today.

Redeeming Points

It takes almost no time at all to begin benefiting from Points. You can cash in your Points for large or small amounts toward the cost of your mission trip. When the amount of points you’ve earned reaches any of the benchmarks below, NWHCM will automatically credit your Points toward your upcoming trip.

Point Benchmarks

FAQs

How is the Points program funded?
Points is paid for through a dedicated scholarship fund that NWHCM has established. This money has been generously set aside by donors and NWHCM to provide scholarships for people traveling on mission trips with NWHCM. The goal of the scholarships is to make overseas missions more accessible and to encourage lasting investments in the lives of children and adults in Haiti.

How can I check my Points balance if I’m going on an upcoming NWHCM trip?
Remember that your Points will be automatically applied to your trip cost when your accumulated Points reach one of the redemption benchmarks, so no action is required on your part. NWHCM will notify you of your trip balance 30 days prior to your travel date.

If necessary, you may check your Points balance and the balance for your trip anytime by e-mailing us at travel@nwhcm.org. Please do not phone our U.S. business office to check your Points balance. Thank you.

Do my Points expire?
Yes. Points expire 18 months after the date of the trip for which they were accumulated. For example: If you are awarded Points for a particular sponsorship two months before your mission trip on June 1, 2010, and you do not use them for that trip, those Points would expire on December 1, 2011.

Can Points be applied to our group as a whole?
Yes. If your church or group is handling trip costs as a lump sum instead of as individuals, then Points may be earned for and applied to the group’s total trip cost. However, any Points earned for that group will expire after the group’s travel date and may not be used for future travel. In addition, those Points may not be transferred to individuals. If you wish to inquire about handling trip costs as a lump sum or are unsure of your group’s status, please contact NWHCM’s travel manager.

Can I start a new sponsorship and credit the Points toward my own upcoming trip?
Yes. If it’s a new sponsorship, you can earn Points for it!

Do I need to have a firm trip date before earning Points for my upcoming trip?
No. You can earn Points for your upcoming mission trip even if you do not have a specific date range just yet. Please be sure to have sponsors include in the note field a general idea of when you may be traveling.

How can I start taking advantage of Points?
If you are planning an upcoming mission trip with NWHCM and you have not already received a brochure about Points and about NWHCM sponsorships, please contact us. We encourage you to use these valuable materials as you serve as a sponsorship advocate for NWHCM.

Click here to download a Points flyer to help you as you raise support for your trip.

Rules and Details

1) Points may only be earned for new sponsorships. Existing sponsorships or increases to existing sponsorship amounts are not eligible. Only sponsorships started after March 10, 2010 are eligible.
2) The cutoff for earning Points for a particular trip is 30 days prior to the travel date. New sponsorships created 30 or fewer days prior to the travel date will earn Points for a future trip.
3) Unused points expire 18 months after the trip date for which the points were initially earned.
4) Points may not be applied toward trips of other travelers or family members.
5) Points are redeemed automatically by NWHCM, and may only be redeemed when the total point amount reaches one of the Point Redemption Benchmarks. Unused points will be counted as surplus toward a future trip.
6) Sponsors who are identified as intentionally closing existing sponsorships and replacing them with new ones, with the intent of earning extra Points, will be disqualified from participation in the Points program. NWHCM reserves the right to disqualify sponsors and Points at anytime, at its discretion, without prior notice.
7) Points have no cash value and may not be redeemed for any goods or services other than NWHCM trip scholarships, as defined above.