Haiti

My children and I volunteered for 6 years in the northern part of the Dominican Republic. And while we had crossed the border and traveled into Haiti, we wanted to see more of the country. In 2014, we flew into Port Au Prince and then traveled overland from there to Monte Cristi in the Dominican Republic.

Port Au Prince is an exciting place to travel – alive with commerce! It seems that everyone there is an entrepreneur selling goods and services on the city’s bustling streets.

Yes, the country is one of the poorest in the region and world, however pigeon holing this country into that narrative is doing it a disservice. Sure, it’s poor but it has heart.

This is a country of artists and ingenuity … check out this cool bus. These are all over the city. I’m telling you … this country is a photographer’s paradise!

We rode horses in northern Haiti, to the top of the Citadelle, the largest fortress in the Western Hemisphere. When Haiti was seeking its independence in the 1800s, it was designed to withstand an attack from France.

Nepal

  Country Information: The capital of Nepal is Kathmandu. There are approximately 30,000,000 people living here. The official language of Nepal is Nepali, but Nepalis speak an approximated 123 indigenous languages as well. The majority of Nepali practice...

Dominican Republic

6 summers of volunteering at Outreach 360 in Monte Cristi, near the Haitian border Outreach360 has been working in Latin America since 1994, and our family began volunteering in 2013 through 2018 in the Dominican Republic.  Outreach is such a wonderful program that...

Finland

Helsinki, Finland: Jim and Susan in 1992, sitting at the statue & flowers in front of the White Cathedral Country Information: Finland gained independence in 1917. The capital is Helsinki. About 5.5 million people live here and the official language is Finnish...