Our Latest Love

loveBig is Expanding

loveBig is excited to announce that we are partnering with our dear friend Junior Charles and 360 Project to support a second school and feeding center in Haiti!

Junior Charles started the Eglise Baptiste Point de La Vie church on the first Sunday of January of 2017 in Meilleur, Haiti. In 2018, he and the church opened the Institution Mixte Bread of Life school to support the families of the church and the community. Jerry Gifford and Life Point Church partnered with Junior to support the church and school. Once the school was established, Jerry & Life Point Church started 360 Project to financially support the school. The school started with 34 students and over the years they have grown to 68 students. Six months after the school started they expanded the school to offer a feeding program for the students as well. Due to many recent factors 360 Project reached out to loveBig and asked us to partner with them to support this amazing ministry. After many months of prayer the loveBig board feel that God is leading us to expand our ministry and combine our two ministries into one. loveBig will begin supporting both ministries on August 1, 2022.

loveBig has a long and blessed relationship with Junior Charles. Angela and I met Junior on first our mission trip to Haiti. Junior was our faithful guide, interpretor, liaison and answered our thousand questions. When we decided to return just two short months later Junior again was our guide and liaison. Angela and I quickly established a friendship with Junior and He has been a major support to us and the loveBig ministry in Haiti. We have been had the blessing of meeting his beautiful wife and children and worshipping with them in his church during our many trips to Haiti.

We are so excited to work directly with Junior Charles and pray that God will use this ministry to bless the people in the community and that many will come to know the Lord through this school and feeding center.

Sweet time of fellowship at Eglise Baptiste Point de La Vie

Junior Charles visit to Kentucky

Students at Istitution Mixte Bread of Life

Mina Update

As the hardships in Haiti continue to grow, God continues to use loveBig and the school and feeding center in Mina to meet the needs of the people in the Mina community. The school has grown to over 260 students. In a recent conversation Pastor Supreme explained that he has parents come daily begging for their children to be allowed into the school and feeding center. He said if we had the money and the capacity, we would have over 500 children. Pastor Supreme is tasked with evaluating each case and accepting the most dire cases. We praise God for the families we are able to serve but pray that God would open the doors so that we would not have to turn anyone away.loveBig needs:

1. Finances to finish building the school. We currently have 5 operating classrooms.

2. Finances to hire additional teachers. $1500/year per teacher. We need to hire a minimum of 2 new teachers.

3. Additional finances for food. The cost of goods have increased in some cases 9 times

the cost of 2 years ago.

Mina students

Mina Feeding Center

Preschool students

 

 

 

 

Receiving God’s Blessings

Christians learn from early childhood, what a joy it is to give.  Many of us get a warm feeling inside when we do something nice for someone, and giving to others is truly always rewarding.    During a recent mission trip, I received a true blessing by observing an example of Mark 12: 41-44 played out before my eyes, as I watched the children of Mina, who have so little, freely and generously share almost all they had with others.  I watched hungry children eat only a small portion of their bowl of rice, and then place the remaining rice in worn containers to take home to share with others in their family. Watching these children who possess little by United States standards, share almost ½ of their most precious resource; food, with others, revealed something profound to me.  The children may have little in terms of worldly possessions, but they possess a Christ like heart that most from more fortunate circumstances could only hope to possess.   

On another occasion, during snack time at the Orphanage at Croix du Bouquets, Haiti, a mission worker had two bags of goldfish crackers to share with two boys.  After she gave the bags crackers to the kids, there was a quick discussion between the two boys, and one boy quickly took off out of the church.   As the mission worker looked through the door to see where the boy had gone, she observed the boy giving his bag of crackers to a less fortunate boy from the village, who although had parents, had little to eat.  As sad as it was to observe, it was such a blessing to see children who have so little to spare, to share freely and generously, almost all they possess, with others.

These actions remind me of The Widow’s Offering, Mark 12: 41-44, 41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”  During my mission trip, I was humbled to realize that no matter how generously I gave of my time, talent or resources that my sacrifice could never compare to the children’s giving.   I found it profound that I had gone to Haiti to teach the children about Christ, and set an example of generosity and sharing, but I was the one who was taught a lesson in generosity and was truly blessed.  

By Todd Ewing

God working through “One More Child”

God working through “One More Child”

Meeting with a representative of One More Child to discuss loveBig’s current Feeding Program and School and the potential of them partnering with us in the future.

“One More Child” is a nonprofit organization based in Florida that provides funding for various ministries across the globe. They expressed an interest in our loveBig organization, holding the same mission and beliefs to empower families. A representative from One More Child requested to visit the loveBig feeding center and learn more about our program. The team met with this representative while we were in Haiti and excitedly shared what God is doing in Mina, Haiti and future goals and plans. Since our visit, One More Child has requested more information and we are currently still discussing possible opportunities for our ministries to partner together. Praying God guides both ministries to reach the most families we can in Haiti for Christ’s sake. Meeting with Caesar from One More child was very helpful and a good learning experience. From that meeting, we have started setting long term goals and spent some time in strategic planning for the future.

God has inspired us to make long-term goals for loveBig and see where He leads us in this ministry and how many lives He can touch through us.

Our 3-5 year goals:

  1. Build a dedicated K-6th grade school building fully funded
  2. Add a grade to the school each year
  3. Add a teacher to the school each year
  4. Increase the number of children in the feeding program and school
  5. Begin a widows program (currently aware of 15 widows in the church)

Our 5-10 year goals:

  1. Build a dedicated 7th-12th grade school building fully funded
  2. Establish a scholarship program for students wanting to pursue secondary education (college or trade school)
  3. The feeding program becoming partially or fully self sustaining by raising own chickens/goats and fresh fruit and vegetables

It’s so humbling and exciting to watch God work through loveBig as to make an impact and change live’s in Haiti. Thanks for being a part of the exciting things God has ahead!

loveBig Opens School in Mina

loveBig Opens School in Mina

For quite some time, loveBig has been praying about starting a school in Mina. When we gathered all the information on the children in the feeding program, we found out many of the children have never been to school. NEVER. Some of the children are 11 or 12 years old and have never been to school. In Haiti, school is not free. Every school costs money to attend and for so many families who are starving and just trying to feed their children, school is not even an option. After many hours of prayer and waiting on God’s timing, loveBig had some generous donors who paid for teacher salaries for the first year. We at loveBig just stood back in awe and watched God work and provide the funds for teachers, uniforms, supplies and curriculum. loveBig hired four teachers to teach grades Kindergarten through 6th grade. The first day of school was October 1, 2018 with many smiling faces and excitement!

While the team was in Haiti in September, they helped pass out school uniforms, took school supplies and backpacks. A great big thank you to all those who donated school supplies and a special thank you to AFCEA (Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association) for donating all the backpacks.

In Haiti, things are very culturally different. It is a privilege and honor to go to school and all children going to school wear a uniform. It sometimes seems strange to us that their education is not free and all schools require a uniform. The kids were so excited to receive their uniforms and backpacks, smiles were all around. It is very important that loveBig provided uniforms for the children in this school. It is the cultural norm and it will allow ALL children to have clothes to wear to school. Another very important reason is that uniforms are a symbol of value and meaning.

Unfortunately many Haitians in poverty also feel less than others and do not see their true value in being who they were created to be in Christ. It is the mission of loveBig to empower these sweet people to know their creator and their value and meaning is found in Christ alone.

However, many heads lifted, eyes lit up and shoulders were raised when the children put on that uniform. All praise and glory to God for providing generous donors who understand this and partner with us to improve the overall physical and spiritual well being of these precious image bearers of Christ.

“I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14

The sweet people of Mina continue to be appreciative of the generosity of donors who feel God leading them to live out Love God and Love Others. They asked us to thank everyone that has contributed to make this school possible whether by monetary donation or donation of school supplies.

“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1:15-16

loveBig Feeding Center

loveBig Feeding Center

loveBig’s Feeding Center in Mina has been feeding 61 children one meal a day Monday through Friday. loveBig employs 5 cooks to prepare the food for the children. While our team was in Haiti in September, Pastor Supreme informed them that he has 17 more children on a waiting list for the feeding program. The loveBig team approved to add the 17 children to the program. This would be an increase of $300 per month to add these children. The team agreed to step out on faith and approve the addition of these children. Praise God he is providing the funds! That increases our program to 78 children per day to feed!

We do praise God that he is continuing to provide funds for the feeding center and school! He has been faithful in providing monthly donors and one-time donors as well. If you feel God leading you to become one of the faithful, please go to “Our Kids” page and check out the children in our program that are awaiting a sponsor. The more sponsors we have the more children we can serve!