My Mission Trips to Haiti and Vietnam

Mission Trips to Haiti and Vietnam

I went on mission trips to Vietnam and Haiti the last couple of years, and a desire to share some of that experience has really weighed heavily on my heart. I have so many images that help tell that story, but I just didn't know where to even begin. The scenery and people were beautiful, but that's not why I want those images here on my site.

It's because those experiences are now part of who I am. The people and their stories have helped shape me into the person I am, and it's important to me to show you a little bit of that experience.

I haven't done it yet, because as a photographer, I want everything to be 'just right'. I want a perfect blog post that perfectly captures the importance and emotion of these mission trips. So the fear of not conveying that importance has kept those pictures tucked away on my hard drives. 

But I realize it's way more important to share some of what I saw rather than waiting on the 'perfect' blog post. I'm not perfect. This blog post won't be perfect. But it's a beginning, and I've decided I'm going to count that as a success.

First, a quick story about how I got into serving abroad. Like many people, I felt compelled to do mission work for years before I actually stepped out of my comfort zone to serve. One day the pastor said something that just clicked, and I hurriedly wrote a note and dropped it in the offering plate that just read, "Is it too late to join the mission team for Haiti?"

Within hours, I got a phone call back. It wasn't too late, but they only had one extra plane ticket and there was a deadline to get a refund on it should it not be needed. That deadline was in less than 24 hours. I quickly met with the church missions team and signed up. Best. Decision. Ever.

So these aren't necessarily the best photos from that trip or my favorites. They're just the first batch I got edited. It looks like most of this first batch are landscapes and portraits of folks we met while in Vietnam. Check back in with my blog for future posts with lots more pictures from SS3 Orphanage and the beautiful village in Haiti where we stayed and served. 

It's my hope that the images will convey what my words do not. I'd love to hear from you about them--feel free to comment after the images below!

Area 10 Vietnam Mission Team

So this was our awesome team for the trip to Vietnam! What an incredible group of people who all gave their time and talents to go love on orphans half a world away. It was completely humbling to go to a country where you don't speak the language, and trust that God will do the talking on your behalf! The kids in the SS3 orphanage are so loving and they immediately connected with us in a way that truly overwhelmed me.  

Sapaa, Vietnam

Sapaa, Vietnam

Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi, Vietnam

Sapaa, Vietnam

Hue, Vietnam

Sapaa, Vietnam

Do San Beach, Vietnam