Our Founder's Story
Our story begins in 1999 when Kim Waller, a Youth Director from Warren, MI., thought it might be an exciting adventure to join forces with 2 other churches and take 22 high school youth (including her 19 year old daughter and 15 year old son) and 8 adults to Port Au Prince, Haiti on a mission trip. Little did she know how much this trip would change her life, her friends, her
family and the way she viewed everything around her. This story continues with Keith, Kim's husband, who wasn't too keen on the idea of 3/5's of his family going to a country he only knew of as dangerous. Being the police officer he is, he decided to go on the trip with the sole purpose of protecting them. He would never have imagined how attached he would become to this country and it's people. Kim and Keith had different experiences on this first trip...
Kim enjoyed the excitement of the unknown and letting God lead every decision, while Keith was drawn to what he knew and the ways God could use him and the team to accomplish things for His Kingdom. Kim loved going to the hospitals and making connections with the sick and dying, while Keith found a sense of accomplishment from building walls for churches and painting a Christian school. Kim looked forward to holding, feeding and changing infants and playing with toddlers at the orphanage and school, and Keith used his God given gift of playing his trumpet for church services. Kim loved doing preparations for the trip back in the States while Keith was the enforcer (while) in Haiti... but they had the same outcome, an intense passion for wanting to help the people of Haiti, both physically and Spiritually! They wondered what God had planned for their future and how they could make a difference when so much needed to be done! Their decision was to return to Haiti regularly and to bring more volunteers, .. to pass on the excitement and blessing of helping others in great need, .. to educate the people in the States about the need in Haiti by speaking at churches and organizations, .. to fundraise and bring funds down for rice, beans and supplies for construction, .. to encourage our Brothers and Sisters in Haiti by helping where they needed it, .. to sponsor children (and encourage others to sponsor as well) so they could receive a Christian education, tools for the future and a meal each day... to stay in contact with our new Haitian friends so they would be more aware of what was needed... to be open to what God had planned for their time and gifts. With all these intentions of being Jesus' Hands, Feet, Arms, and Voice to the Haitians Kim and Keith have never gotten used to how blessed they are by the Christian Haitians themselves! Their pure Joy, ever-present Hope and Trust in our Savior, Jesus Christ has always been very inspiring and uplifting. They, along with the board members of "Hope for Haiti" and many other volunteers, have very close friends in this Third World country. They have had the privilege of having some of their Haitian friends in their homes and churches and Kim and Keith were also blessed to be able to attend a "family" wedding in Haiti. Yes, it is very much like home and family to them and they are excited to have shared a part of their journey with you in hopes you would come to love, encourage and support these special people living in conditions we are so unfamiliar with. Over the past 13 years, Kim and Keith pray all their efforts, including the efforts of the many who have gone with them, have brought Glory and Honor to the King of Kings and that the Name of Jesus Christ has always been, and continues to be, uplifted and praised!!!
