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Welcome to Many Hands! We are so excited for your interest in coming on a Vision trip with us. Our hope is for a life-changing trip, so please read this packet very carefully. It has much information to digest and use to help ensure a great trip.

Many Hands was founded in 2008 by a group of people who wanted to make God real for the people of Haiti and Abaco.

The Abacos includes a chain of islands surrounded by calm seas, and reigns as one of the top sailing and boating destinations in the world. However, the entire island was devastated by a Category-5 hurricane in 2019.

Dozens were killed. Several hundred others remain missing and are presumed dead. Thousands of Abaconians lost their homes, schools, churches businesses and jobs. In the immediate aftermath of Dorian, many residents people were forced to leave Abaco. Unfortunately, recovery from Hurricane Dorian has been slow and was further hampered by the Covid-19 crisis.

Today, Many Hands is committed to helping those in Abaco rebuild their lives and communities through a number of in-country programs and the support of our Impact mission trip participants. Our stateside operations are based out of Pella, IA.

May God bless you and keep you on the journey as we transform together, to be love in action, in a broken world.

TO BE LOVE IN ACTION, IN A BROKEN WORLD

MISSION AND VISION

Transform Together Love Action Broken World

Romans 12 transformation, a whole person transforming mentally, physically, and spiritually

Vision

We do this in unity, giving our strengths and allowing others to help in our weakness

Ephesians 4:2 love to bear with one another in carrying burdens with humility, gentleness, and patience

Luke 4:18-19 action, proclaiming the Good News giving freedom to those held captive, physically healing people, and setting the oppressed free

Our world is moaning in brokenness. All are broken and in need of a Savior

Many Hands envisions a world where people transform together, through the presence of Jesus Christ, to be called people, living with purpose, unleashing God-given talents and resources to bring Good News in a broken world.

Core Values

We are Image-bearers of God.

We believe that all have a God-given identity and all have a purpose in God’s plan. All are called to serve their purpose, not have the purpose serve them. In relationships, we will help people understand their true calling and stand by them as they unleash their God-given talents to bring the Good News within their circles of influence.

We are the Sent People of God.

Just as God sent his son Jesus and Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, we are to be the sent people of God, bringing the Good News to people wherever we are called. Jesus is waiting for us when we get outside of ourselves in faith and will meet us to help us fulfill our purpose.

We believe in Saved Wholes, not just Saved Souls.

Jesus didn’t come to be an insurance policy after one dies. He came to bring life and life to the full. We are called to fulfill Jesus’s mission in Luke 4:18-19 to proclaim the Good News, to physically restore that which is broken, and to release people from oppression spiritually, relationally, and economically from that which binds.

We are Better Together.

As states in Romans 12:3, we are all broken and in need of a savior, we are just broken in different ways. As we enter into each other’s poverty with our riches, we are all transformed. Through this process, our image of God gets bigger, as it should, as God has a global heart for His people.

We go an Inch Wide, Mile Deep.

We believe in focused impact, not random activity. Breaking the chains of generational poverty, both physical and spiritual, is incredibly complicated. To work in this environment, we break it down into focused building blocks that stack on each other, moving towards a common goal. One person, one family, one community, one region, one country, one world.

We work in Integrity to create Sustainability.

We seek systematic God-sustaining change to fulfill Jesus Christ’s Kingdom purposes. We strive to honor God in a fiscally responsible way, making every effort to create transparency in our organization’s doings. We acknowledge and live in the tension of short-term giving while seeking long-term God-sustaining change. God is one of abundance and we will honor His generosity in the resources given to us.

FUNNELS AND PYRAMIDS

WHY GO TO ABACO?

In today’s fast paced life, it is extremely difficult for those in their “comfortable” settings to truly see God’s global heart and to slow down enough for God to speak to them and show them where He wants them to be part of the solution. As a mission, we take very seriously the opportunity to introduce you to the work God is doing in the areas in which we work. We are excited to share with you the vision God has presented to us and pray you continue to be part of the solution even after you return home.

Our hope is that both you and the local people you encounter are blessed by your time in-country. Together, we learn from each other and bring hope to one another. We are all the hands and feet of Christ. We trust God will work through all the planning, preparation, and prayer to make your trip a powerful experience to glorify God.

“We want to do this together. We believe that we are better together, that God has called us to live life in community, to be love and action.”

-Tim Brand | Founder & CEO, Many Hands

OUR FOCUS AREAS IN ABACO

Safe Structures

Rebuilding infrastructure in the Abacos is a critically important issue. Many communities do not have the resources or supplies to rebuild completely on their own, whether it be community centers, churches, businesses, or family homes. By walking alongside local organizations and families, we remake that which was broken, transforming the community in tangible ways. Providing cleaner living conditions can reduce illness by up to 90%. It also provides hope in what seems like a hopeless situation for many, as they have to rebuild their lives from scratch. This psychological relief restores dignity to a community.

Agriculture

Our programs are focused on bolstering food production in Abaco through like-minded partners and working directly with farmers. We provide farming resources, create scalable solutions, and further the agricultural education of local farmers. By focusing on sustainable farming solutions that meet the community’s needs, we tackle food insecurity, giving families and communities the power to feed themselves.

Leadership Development

Through Leadership Development, we want to equip and strengthen leaders who can transform their communities and bring unity, stability, and hope. Our programs encourage and challenge individuals to be servant-hearted, focusing on the needs of their communities. With programs designed for lay leaders, youth, and leaders-of-leaders, we aim to create a solid foundation for change by investing in all levels of leadership including local women and men who lead in love.

Youth Development

We bring youth together by engaging, enabling, and empowering them to thrive and flourish through developing a unified identity in Christ and positive activities. It is about being intentional to develop youth, growing their capacity, experiences, and love for self, God, and each other. These programs promote positive outcomes by providing opportunities, fostering positive relationships, and giving the support that is needed to develop young people’s assets.

Education

Educating the next generation can transform the mind and establish strong communities. Through our programs, we focus on partnering with the existing education system by providing resources and expertise in areas that are difficult for the existing schools to overcome. We create world-class learning environments with skilled teachers to provide intervention strategies to bring students to grade level and build character development programs in the school. By intentionally investing in these areas, we bring long-term sustainable change through the public education system.

First 1,000 Days

A major key to future success and productivity for children in The Bahamas is healthy physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Through the First 1,000 Days Program, we provide at-risk families access to better nutrition, health care, protection, stimulation, and spiritual development. Because of this program, we reduce childhood stunting, maternal mortality, and infant mortality, as well as increase health education, cognitive development, and overall well-being of mother and child.