One of the organizations that 410 partners with in Haiti is Mission of Hope. They have been instrumental in our efforts to relocate a community of deaf Haitians displaced and left homeless by the 2010 earthquake, to the community of Leveque. Last week, thanks to their consistent communication with the Clinton Foundation, the former president Bill Clinton (husband to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton), was able to visit the community of Laveque and even meet with several members of the deaf community last week. Here is an abbreviation of the report we received from MOH:
MOH has been talking to the Clinton Foundation for a while now, and they asked for a visit last week. Clinton was in-country during the 3-year anniversary and fit in a visit to Leveque! He came for a mid-day visit in a 6 car, 8 moto caravan and literal clouds of dust! Visited the soccer field, water filtration system, and two houses!
He met with a few people from the community: Berthide, Diana, Mackenson, Pastor Beau, Roosevelt, Menorce, Thimagene, and Pierre Richard – each representing a different aspect of the community. Everyone except Mack, Berthide, and Roosevelt (who communicate through sign language) completely lost their words. 🙂 But those three did a great job introducing themselves and talking about their role and life in Leveque. There wasn’t a lot of time for each one, but they did great with what they had!
Most of Clinton’s discussion ended up being with Brad, Mr. Marc, and Manasse (MOH agronomist). He is really interested in seeing if some of the drip agriculture programs that they do in East Africa would work here. Lots of water-related ag. discussion. He’s also very interested in solar lighting for the school and community center. No official commitments yet, but we’re following up…
If we’ve spent any time together, you’ve probably heard me this before: pay attention to who walks through the front door.
That was some early advice from my friend, Lanny, and it held the test of time. It’s important to keep a lookout for people suddenly crossing your path – God just might be introducing you to someone special. So, when Chris Joiner walked through our front door, I paid attention.
In 2021, Chris reached out just to have a conversation. Over a few breakfasts, Chris and I discussed our shared passion for changing the way the West church engages the poor. At the time, Chris was working for another non-profit organization, but it quickly became clear that we both sought to create a lasting, meaningful impact on the lives of the poor.
Friends, what a wonderful season of growth we are experiencing here at The 410 Bridge!
For those I haven’t had yet had the pleasure of meeting, my name is Chris Joiner.
I’ve had the privilege of working at The 410 Bridge for the past two years, first as Director of International Programs, then transitioning to President in 2023. Today, I am incredibly blessed to step into the role of CEO.
As we begin this exciting journey as an organization, I want to share more about who I am, my heart for our mission, and where we are headed this year.
We are pleased to announce Chris Joiner as the new CEO of The 410 Bridge!
Chris has served our organization for more than two years, initially as Director of International Programs and most recently as President. In both roles, Chris has demonstrated a commitment to servant-leadership and a deep passion for Christ-centered community development. As President, Chris pioneered our expansion into three new countries this year: Indonesia, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.
