Brennon Bloemendaal Support
by Help One Now 1 Lives Impacted Port-au-Prince, Ouest, Haiti
Hello Help One Now tribe….my name is Brennon Bloemendaal! I grew up in sunny southern California and moved to Austin, TX when I was 19 to help ...
Hello Help One Now tribe….my name is Brennon Bloemendaal! I grew up in sunny southern California and moved to Austin, TX when I was 19 to help plant a church downtown. Since then, I have worked for churches and non-profit organizations both in the U.S. and abroad. In 2010, I was able to live in the beautiful country of Uganda where I worked alongside victims of human trafficking, poverty and war. It was there that God gave me a desire to fight injustice around the world.
I have always felt something of a pull toward Haiti. When I was in high school, one of our alumni was a missionary to Haiti. She came to our class several times to tell us stories of the people there, and had it not been for my involvement with the work in Uganda, I would have set my graduation plans to move there and serve with them. The pull came again, in 2010, when the earthquake hit. I had just landed in Uganda the week before and I remember when the story came on the news. I struggled for days trying to decide if I should give up my plans in Uganda and go to Haiti instead. Haiti stayed with me through the years. I studied its history and learned of tragedies both past and present, and I knew without a doubt that I wanted to be a part of its story of renewal and healing–I just didn’t know how. Haiti finally re-entered my life again when I began leading worship for New City Church here in Austin. New City was deeply involved in the story of Haiti, and it was through them that I went on my first Help One Now pilgrimage. The work of Help One Now in Haiti immediately drew me in. After going to Haiti twice, I was confident that God was calling me to stand by these people and do what I could to bring others into their story of hope and healing. The work and values of Help One Now, and their vision for sustainable and responsible development beat close to my heart. I absolutely love their model of local partnership. Beginning in 2014, I will be acting as Help One Now’s Haiti Operations Director, living on the ground in the Port-Au-Prince area. Here are some of things I will be doing:
I truly believe that the work God is doing through Help One Now will bring about lasting change for generations to come, and I am incredibly grateful and excited to be part of the Help One Now team!
Port-au-Prince, Ouest, Haiti
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