Creating a Legacy of Faith

4 minutes ago
7 min read

Sunday, July 12, 2026 - [click here to support the continuing work at MOHI]

Today's update is from Jonathan and Taran

One of the greatest gifts we can give the next generation isn't something we can wrap or place in a box.

It's the opportunity to experience God's love firsthand.

Whether it's serving others, worshiping together, building friendships across cultures, or simply spending intentional time as a family, these experiences shape hearts in ways that last a lifetime.

This week, we celebrate several moments that remind us how God is using Mission of Hope International to invest in the next generation—both in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Family HOPE Encounter

This past week, we had the privilege of hosting our very first Family HOPE Encounter in the Dominican Republic.

Throughout the week, families experienced a unique blend of ministry, service, and meaningful time together. They worshiped alongside local churches, served at our children's programs, and built friendships that crossed both cultures and languages.

One of the highlights of the week was watching the children serve meals during our daily feeding programs. It was also incredibly special to have the children of several local pastors and ministry leaders join in the activities, creating opportunities for friendships that reached far beyond language barriers.

These trips are designed with a purpose. While families come to serve others, we also want to intentionally invest in the children who participate—helping them build a legacy of faith, compassion, and a lifelong relationship with Jesus.

Sometimes the greatest impact of a mission trip isn't only the lives we touch, but the people we become along the way.

Celebrating and Equipping Leaders

This past weekend was an exciting one in Haiti.

Our Annual Leadership Conference brought pastors and ministry leaders together for a time of worship, encouragement, and biblical teaching. The weekend also included a powerful concert as believers gathered to celebrate what God is doing throughout Haiti.

It was a blessing to have Pastor Lex in Haiti helping lead the conference and invest in leaders who will continue serving their churches and communities for years to come.

Meanwhile, another important milestone took place at our school. Teachers met with our NS4 students to share the results of their final exams as they officially completed their high school education.

Reaching this point is a tremendous accomplishment, and we are incredibly proud of each student and the perseverance they have shown throughout their educational journey.

Caring for Communities

In the Dominican Republic, our Community Health Promoter, Marlouse, has been busy visiting families throughout the villages.

This week, she spent much of her time caring for adults and children experiencing seasonal colds while continuing to provide encouragement, education, and follow-up care to those she visits regularly.

Her ministry reminds us that healthcare is about more than treating illness—it's about building relationships and walking alongside families through every season of life.

A special thank you to Bless Back Worldwide for faithfully partnering with us to make this important ministry possible.

Staff Spotlight: Nurse Cadet

This week, we would like to recognize Nurse Cadet.

For many years, Nurse Cadet has faithfully served as a leader within our medical clinic in Haiti. Her compassion, dedication, and commitment to every patient help create an environment where people feel genuinely cared for.

Even during some of Haiti's most challenging seasons, she has remained a steady source of encouragement for both our patients and our staff.

Thank you, Nurse Cadet, for the countless ways you serve our community with excellence and the love of Christ.

Thoughts from Jonathan

As adults, we often look back on our childhood and remember the moments that shaped us—not because they were extravagant or expensive, but because they were meaningful. The places, the people, and the experiences we shared with those closest to us become the stories we tell for the rest of our lives.

For me, many of those memories were made on the shores of Lake Champlain in Point au Roche, New York. I remember long summer days spent with family, swimming, exploring, laughing, and simply enjoying being together. Looking back now, I realize those weren't just vacations or afternoons by the lake. They were formative experiences that helped shape my values, my appreciation for the outdoors, and my understanding of what it means to be present with the people you love.

This week in Luperón, Dominican Republic, I found myself thinking about those childhood summers as I watched families participating in Mission of Hope International's Family HOPE Encounter. It struck me that these parents and children weren't simply taking a mission trip—they were creating the kinds of memories that will stay with them for a lifetime. Years from now, these children won't just remember that they traveled to another country. They'll remember the friends they made, the laughter they shared, the communities they visited, and the moments that forever changed how they see the world.

One of the greatest privileges of my work is getting to witness these experiences firsthand. Watching parents serve alongside their children is something special. You see families stepping away from the distractions of everyday life and discovering one another in a new way. They work together, worship together, laugh together, and process what they're seeing together. There is something powerful about shared experiences that challenge us, stretch us, and ultimately bring us closer together.

As I watched the week unfold, I couldn't help but think that I was seeing all of those inspirational Facebook memes play out in real life. We've all seen the posts encouraging parents to expose their children to different cultures, to teach them compassion, to help them understand that not everyone grows up with the same opportunities. Those messages are easy to "like" or share online. Watching them become reality is something entirely different.

Throughout the week, I listened as young children asked thoughtful questions that many adults might hesitate to ask. "Why is there so much trash?" one child wondered. Another asked, "Why are they running just to come for food?" These weren't questions rooted in judgment or criticism. They were sincere expressions of curiosity from children trying to make sense of a world that looked very different from their own.

Those conversations naturally led to deeper discussions about poverty, infrastructure, access to resources, and the inequalities that exist throughout the world. These are not always easy conversations to have, especially with young people. Yet I found myself thinking that perhaps they are exactly the conversations we should be having. If we hope to raise children who become compassionate, thoughtful, and engaged global citizens, we cannot pretend these realities don't exist. Instead, we have the opportunity to help them understand not only why these challenges exist, but also how they can respond with empathy, humility, and a desire to serve others.

What impressed me most wasn't simply that these children were asking meaningful questions. It was the maturity with which they received the answers. They weren't looking to assign blame or criticize circumstances they didn't yet understand. They simply wanted to learn. They wanted to know why life looked different here and what they could do to help. That kind of openness and compassion is remarkable, especially in children who are still so young.

Over the course of the week, I watched them notice people who might otherwise go unseen. They played soccer without needing a common language. They shared snacks and laughter. They offered hugs freely and accepted them just as naturally. In those moments, differences in nationality, language, or culture faded into the background. They simply saw other children who wanted to play, laugh, and belong.

Perhaps that's one of the greatest gifts of a Family HOPE Encounter. Families certainly come expecting to make a difference in the lives of others, and they do. They serve communities, encourage local families, and support the ongoing work of Mission of Hope International. But somewhere along the way, they discover that the experience is changing them just as much.

The children who return home will carry more than photographs and souvenirs. They'll carry a broader perspective, a deeper appreciation for what they have, and a greater understanding of both the beauty and the brokenness that exist in our world. Parents will return home with meaningful conversations to continue around the dinner table, and together they'll remember the week they stepped outside their comfort zones and encountered people who forever became part of their story.

As I reflected on my own childhood memories beside Lake Champlain, I realized that these children are creating memories every bit as meaningful as mine. Someday, years from now, they'll tell stories about their summers in the Dominican Republic with Mission of Hope International. They'll remember the people they met, the joy they experienced, and the lessons they learned. More importantly, they'll remember how those experiences shaped the people they became.

Those are the kinds of memories that last a lifetime. They remind us that some of life's greatest gifts aren't things we can buy or places we can visit, but experiences that open our hearts, deepen our compassion, and teach us that every person, no matter where they live, is worthy of dignity, love, and hope.

Watching those memories being made this week has been one of the greatest blessings of my own summer.

On an even more personal note: There was another moment this week that reminded me just how special this journey has been. I met Alexis when she was just fifteen years old in Haiti—a bright, resilient teenager with a contagious smile and a hopeful spirit. To stand here today and see her as the mother of three beautiful children is remarkable in itself. But what made the moment even more meaningful was watching Lex and Renee embrace their role as grandparents. Having known their family for so many years, it's impossible not to appreciate how full circle life has come.

Ministry is often measured in projects completed, buildings constructed, or people served, but sometimes its greatest blessing is simply having the privilege of walking alongside people through the different seasons of their lives. Watching a young girl grow into a loving mother, and seeing two people who have poured so much of their lives into serving others now delight in their grandchildren, is a beautiful reminder that the true fruit of ministry is found in relationships that endure and are carried over to the next generations.

Closing Thoughts

This week, we watched families serve together, celebrated students reaching an important milestone, encouraged church leaders, and saw faithful staff continuing to care for their communities.

Each story reminds us that ministry is never just about today.