Topics: LiveBeyond's general mission, Kingdom building, biblical service, tropical diseases, medical care in the developing world, trauma medicine in disaster relief, malnutrition in the developing world
Topics: LiveBeyond's general mission, Preparing the Bride for the Return of the King, care of at-risk individuals in the developing world, caring for the disabled in the developing world
Topics: LiveBeyond's general mission, mission trips biblical service, agricultural development, international development, development economics, water enhancement projects, disaster relief
Topics: LiveBeyond's general mission, biblical service, evangelism and discipleship training, mission trips
Topics: LiveBeyond's general mission, mission trips, biblical service, child sponsorship, education in the developing world, English as a Second Language in the developing world
REQUEST A SPEAKERThe International Day for Rural Women on Oct. 15 was established to acknowledge "the critical role and contribution of rural women, including indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty."
In the rural community of Thomazeau, we are proud to work with many rural Haitian women who are working to make their families and communities better.
The recent mass shootings in Odessa, El Paso and Dayton are horrific and should be widely condemned. The pain and suffering that these shooters caused are unconscionable and require an immediate and overwhelming response.
Read MoreShiloh Road Church of Christ is partnering with a global ministry to give school supplies to children far beyond the borders of Texas to Haiti. “[We want to] instill whatever we can with Jesus Christ into them, just to show them that we're here and we care,” organizer Carol Lemon said.
Read MoreThere is a plumeria tree planted at the LiveBeyond base in Thomazeau, Haiti. Many of the trees planted on our base have been dedicated in the name of a friend or family member of someone who is connected to our ministry – but this one is a little different, a little more special.
Read MoreIn a little more than four months, the United Nations is set to depart from Haiti, capping a 15-year presence that has not been without warts, but that has helped bring a measure of stability to a nation that has faced its share of woes.
Read MoreWe are all too aware of the disheartening statistics about fatherlessness here in the U.S. According to the Census Bureau, more than 1 in 4 children live without a father in the home. The National Fatherhood Initiative has studied the impact of that absence and discovered that it’s a primary factor in nearly all of the societal ills facing our nation.
Read MoreWhen the 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, Dr. David Vanderpool, St. Mark’s School of Texas Class of 1978, became a first-responder for the suffering Haitians whose lives were devastated by the natural disaster. Within three years, he would sell everything he owned in the United States, including a comfortable home and a thriving medical practice, to move to Haiti full time.
Read MoreHaiti has had a Level 4: Do Not Travel Advisory from the US State Department since mid-February due to civil unrest in Port-au-Prince and other high-population areas. Thomazeau has been largely untouched by the civil unrest, but, because of the travel advisory, LiveBeyond has evacuated all American personnel to the United States until the advisory lowers to a level 3.
Read MoreMany people would agree that there are a few wrong attitudes that can lead to negative outcomes for short-term missions: the “great white savior” complex; assuming that you understand a culture better than the people inside of it; mission trips with no follow up; or bequeathing gifts that have no value or require maintenance beyond the capacity of the local population.
Read MoreLiveBeyond, a humanitarian organization based in Thomazeau, Haiti, is excited to celebrate the improved health of the children it serves as we approach World Health Day April 7. LiveBeyond recently announced the success of its meal-provision program, which has proven effective in increasing BMI and academic improvement for the local malnourished children.
Read MoreWhile Haiti is still in a state of upheaval, while it's government is trying to repair from the current uprisings, 100's of thousands are suffering from the lack of food, medical supplies and every day necessities that you and I enjoy and take for granted.
I speak with Dr. David Vanderpool, the founder of LiveBeyond, a humanitarian and ministry group that is working, boots on the ground in Haiti helping in so many ways to help the impoverished people there.
When a devastating earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, Dr. David Vanderpool ’78, a vascular surgeon and missionary, was one of the first responders to provide care on the ground. David felt called to continue helping the people of Haiti and, after selling his home and medical practice, moved to the country with his wife Laurie.
Read MoreViolent protests have rocked Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince since February 7th. That was the second anniversary of President Jovenel Moise’s election.
Read MoreThe political unrest in Haiti is making things more difficult for missionaries there. Dr. David Vanderpool, a trauma surgeon and founder of Live Beyond medical missions, has been working in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake and living in the country full-time for the past seven years.
Read MoreDr. Clint Spencer says teeth have taken him all over the world to fulfill a calling to be of service to others. The Paris dentist's latest week-long adventure, with a group of about 15 other Paris residents, took him to Thomazeau, Haiti to assist LiveBeyond in a health clinic there.
Read more (Subscribers only)LiveBeyond announced today that it has received a donation of health care products under a grant from the Henry Schein Cares Global Product Donation Program. Through this program, Henry Schein, Inc., the world’s largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical practitioners, provides recipient organizations with several health care product donations valued between $5,000 and $25,000 over the course of two years.
Read more (Subscribers only)A young girl recently brought an 8 day-old baby boy into our clinic that was not her own, because the baby’s mother had not breastfed him since birth. When I asked the young girl what the baby had been eating, she pointed to her water bottle, and my heart sank.
Read moreDavid S. Vanderpool joins me to inform and educate us about what is happening in Haiti with LiveBeyond in 2019.
Read moreAs we begin 2019, with so many people resolving to be more civil — both in person and online — I thought it might be helpful to consider the example of the Palaver tree. During my time working with various African tribes, I learned many things about their ancient cultures, and one of the more instructive concepts was that of the Palaver tree.
Read moreEvery year around October, I begin preparing myself for the onslaught. The increase in number of emails I receive from businesses, the increase in mail, the increase in money slipping away from my bank account.
Read MoreWhat You'll Hear:
The Guys Like Us is joined with Dr.David Vanderpool who is a surgeon, missionary, and founder and CEO of Live Beyond. David joins us today from Haiti, but was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. David started in disaster relief assistance, through natural and man-made conflict and then shifted to become a development organization providing long-term care in infrastructure to administer basic needs in developing countries.
Listen#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. Following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this year’s #GivingTuesday will take place on November 27th and will kick off the giving season by inspiring people to collaborate and give back.
Read moreI have the unique privilege to visit the people of Thomazeau, Haiti on a regular basis. Thomazeau is one of the poorest regions in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. And yet, as I approach Thanksgiving each year, I ponder over all that I’ve learned from my Haitian brothers and sisters in Christ.
Read moreAs we hear of the issues facing teachers in our public school system today – pay issues; student testing; school safety – I take my hat off to them. They are true heroes in my book, and I am so glad the United Nations has set aside a day to honor them. That day is today.
Read MoreLiveBeyond, a faith-based humanitarian organization, will host its Second Annual Golf Tournament and Benefit Banquet in Kerrville today. The event will raise funds for its programs and provide supporters with an update on its efforts.
Read MoreLiveBeyond, a faith-based humanitarian organization, will host its Second Annual Golf Tournament and Benefit Banquet in Kerrville on Oct. 5. The event will raise funds for its programs and provide supporters with an update on its efforts.
Read MoreWhile Haiti is trying to move forward from its most recent round of violence, ongoing turmoil here is at once as predictable as it is tragic. Why is it that Haiti stays mired in the past and out of the headlines, with less hope for improvement than far more war-torn nations?
Read MoreYou leave the Port-au-Prince airport squeezed in a van and it hits you. The sights. The smells. The sounds.
Read MoreA year ago, I was sitting at home watching the Weather Channel as the behemoth Hurricane Harvey approached the Gulf Coast. It quickly became obvious that disaster relief efforts would be necessary very soon.
Read More“If we’re Christians like Christ, then our life has to be a sacrifice,” said Dr. David Vanderpool in an interview with The Stream. “We weren’t living a life of sacrifice."
Read MoreIn the U.S., we celebrate Parents Day on the fourth Sunday of every July – July 22 this year – as a way to support and strengthen our nation’s moral fiber in its most essential place, the home.
Scripture agrees that parents have a vital role in raising their children in the training and instruction of the Lord, according to Ephesians 6:4.
Tyler natives, Dr. Jared and Holly Shultz work with LiveBeyond to bring help to oppressed people in Thomazeau, Haiti.
Watch hereOn Friday, I was all set to go to Haiti, leading a team of American volunteers to work in the many programs at the LiveBeyond base in Thomazeau. I was especially looking forward to going since my husband and I lived there for two years, and I've been going down since the earthquake in 2010.
Read moreI’ve heard people on both sides of the aisle arguing about the issues at the border. Democrats and Republicans are shouting about the injustices, and the nation feels as divided as ever. And yet, we can all agree on one thing – something needs to change.
Read moreListen here under July 1, 2018
Watch the video here or here
It’s a rare occasion when you find me without a James Avery cross on my neck or a ring around my finger. As a kid growing up in Kerrville, home of the original James Avery store, I looked forward to each birthday and Christmas.
From helping with childbirth to caring for those in the hospital, each of us in some way has been impacted by a nurse. They are often the first point of contact and support the medical staff in hospitals and doctors’ offices.
Read moreMalaria is a terrible disease that kills more than 445,000 people per year. The World Health Organization has implemented amazing programs to reach their goal to cut down on 40% of malaria-related deaths by 2020. But this progress has been slow in low-income countries like Haiti.
Read moreShort-term missions have received a lot of flak in recent years. And we at LiveBeyond understand where the criticism is coming from, but we have some solutions. Here are some short-term missions best practices that will help you do them the right way.
Read moreFor former Alabama football coach Gene Stallings, World Down Syndrome Day is an important date on the calendar. The day, observed on March 21, draws attention to those with Down Syndrome.
Read moreWhen I was a senior in high school, the superlative I received was, "Most Likely to Punch a Vodou (Haitian Voodoo) Priest." While not the most flattering accolade—and I by no means resort to violence—it turned out to be quite foreshadowing of what was ahead for me.
Read more (reposted by Charisma News here)In Haiti, zombies are real. Their stiff-limbed walk is the result of poisoning with a neurotoxin by voodoo priests.
Read moreI’m coming up on my two year anniversary of living full time in Haiti, and I frequently get asked the same question: “How did you know you were called to the mission field?”
Read moreI'm coming up on my two-year anniversary of living full-time in Haiti, and I frequently get asked this question: "How did you know you were called to the mission field?" And it is almost always followed up with, "How did you prepare to go?"
Read more"Haiti is 30 percent Christian, but 100 percent Vodou (Haitian voodoo)." This is a statement I've heard several times through my years of working in Haiti. I've come to realize just how close to true this actually is. Because Christians in Haiti might not practice vodou, but they are certainly wary of the negative effects it can have on their communities. An example that comes to mind is a memory of my husband disposing of a snake as three (Christian) Haitian women screamed that he had killed a demon.
Read morePresident Donald Trump’s purported comments about people coming to the U.S. from “sh**hole countries” sent shockwaves throughout the world, sparking intense questions about the president’s immigration policies as well as his views on foreign nations.
Considering that Haiti was among the countries for which Trump purportedly used the aforementioned label, Faithwire decided to further explore the situation on the ground there, speaking with Dr. David Vanderpool, CEO of LiveBeyond, a faith-based humanitarian group that provides healthcare and other services to Haitians.
Human trafficking is defined by the United Nations Office of Drug and Crimes as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, or the abuse of power or a position of vulnerability, or the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person for the purpose of exploitation.
In developing countries such as Haiti, where, according to the World Bank, a quarter of people live on less than $1.23 per day, this type of activity happens frequently, often because parents are unable to provide their children with the education and food they need. In most cases, they are sent to live with other families or orphanages on the promise that they will be taken care of. In exchange, the children are required to perform domestic services.
"We are finding a lot of people down here who are needing help," LiveBeyond's James Woodroof told CP in a phone interview from the Houston area. "They are not getting a lot of relief. FEMA is helping out a little bit. They are providing money for people to go stay in different places but a lot of people down here who didn't have insurance. A lot of places were hit that didn't expect to get any flooding."
Read MoreIt's been over three years since Dr. David Vanderpool and his wife Laurie picked up their lives and moved to Haiti.
With a nearly 30-year medical career behind him, Dr. Vanderpool sold his private practice in Brentwood, Tennessee, to fulfill a promise he and his wife made years earlier: when their youngest child left for college, they would move to a third-world country, they told the Dallas News.
In April 2013, they sold it all – Vanderpool's practice, their home, three cars and all their belongings to serve medical, educational and spiritual needs in Haiti.
Marie’s* contractions started early in the morning. As the contractions progressed, she did her best to get comfortable and prepare for her first child. She wished her mother or a midwife were with her, but her mother had trained her how to deliver alone. So many women do that in her country already. She instructed her husband to find cloth to wrap the child in and water to clean both her and the coming child.
Read more Reposted on San Antonio Express News on December 22, 2017 Reposted on Times Union on December 22, 2017David Vanderpool was 15 when he first questioned his privileged childhood.
At the time, he was a student at St. Mark's School of Texas in Dallas.
As Christmas gift-giving time approaches, a faith-based non-profit working to improve conditions in the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, has some unique gift suggestions in its annual Christmas catalog. Each year, LiveBeyond determines the greatest needs among the people it serves and invites Americans who really have no need of another thing to gift something desperately needed on behalf of their loved ones. This year’s list features a unique set of gifts that will provide great meaning to those who give it and those who receive it in Haiti, improving their way of life and expanding the Kingdom of God.
Read moreChristmas is a time of remembering the joy that Jesus brought to the world when he was born that starry night in a manger over 2,000 years ago. The best way we know how to celebrate that is to sing Christmas carols, watch Hallmark movies, drink hot chocolate, and spend hundreds of dollars (sometimes even going into debt) on presents for people that they won’t use for very long.
Does that seem right?
It ain't just dirt.
Playing in the dirt is typically reserved for young children and pigs. But getting down and dirty is more important than you might think. It is estimated that 95 percent of our food is directly or indirectly produced on our soils. This includes everything from grains such as wheat and rice to vegetables and fruits and even the meat and dairy animals that depend upon soil-grown plants for their food too. Healthy soils produce healthy plants which help feed healthier humans.
Soils serve many purposes.
When I first saw Chinyelo, he was covered in dirt and mud, walking on his hands through his village in Haiti. His T-shirt was ripped. He was hungry. He was not well-cared for. He had never been to school. We don’t know exactly why his legs have never worked, but our best guess is that he had some sort of traumatic injury at birth.
I am sharing Chinyelo’s remarkable story now because Sunday is International Day of Persons with Disabilities, created by the United Nations in 1992. It is a day to think about people who don’t get the attention they deserve.
HIV is a virus just like the common cold, influenza, or plantar warts. But ever since its discovery in the 1980s, a stigma has been attached to HIV/AIDS, classifying carriers of the disease as "unclean." This is primarily due to the nature of transmission: sexual transmission or infected fluids. Globally, close to 37 million are infected with AIDS, so this isn't an issue that will be going away any time soon.
Read moreOnly available to local subscribers here.
Thanksgiving is a time of family, food and fellowship. Whether you are cooking a homemade feast or eating out at your local Golden Corral, or even joining others at neighborhood soup kitchen, Thanksgiving has long been a time for Americans to remember the blessings of living in a land of freedom.
But in light of all of the recent natural disasters our nation has faced in Texas, Florida, California and Puerto Rico, this year might be the time to do things a little differently.
Give a Man a Fish - Radio Interview with David S. Vanderpool
The What's Up Radio Program, November 21, 2017 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3World Toilet Day seems like an excellent excuse for a plethora of bathroom humor memes. How can toilets, of all things, be an exciting topic worthy of its own day? But according to the United Nations, approximately "4.5 billion people worldwide do not have access to a household toilet that safely disposes of waste." That's 60 percent of the world's population. So perhaps toilets are more important than one might think.
Read MoreAccording to the World Health Organization, approximately 15 million babies are born prematurely each year. Among those that survive, many suffer from lifelong health problems like cerebral palsy, developmental delay or sensory loss. March of Dimes estimates that nearly 1 in 10 children in the United States is born prematurely. Thankfully, the creation and use of neonatal medical technology has significantly increased the potential for American babies to have a fighting chance. But what happens to babies in the developing world, who don't have access to such life-saving technology?
Read MoreMore than two dozen residents of the greater Evansville area are currently spending the week in Thomazeau, Haiti, with the non-profit relief organization LiveBeyond.
The organization works to help with a variety of medical concerns, educational and nutritional needs in the Caribbean nation.
Zombies are a pop-culture phenomenon right now. Pretty much every popular television show out there has an episode about zombies. Millions of Americans are obsessed with Walking Dead. Zombies are a popular Halloween costume. But I just can't quite bring myself to share in the zombie fascination trend. Why?
Because I know one.
October 30, 2017 (recording unavailable)
KERV1230AM, October 20, 2017 (recording unavailable)
No one would disagree that the United States has faced its share of difficulty this year in the face of natural disaster. Hurricane Harvey brought devastation to the Texas coast; Hurricane Irma destroyed parts of Florida; Puerto Rico is reeling after Hurricane Maria.
Read moreThis article is also featured on a Philidelphia Christian radio station, WFIL AM560's website here and a Pittsburg Christian radio station, WPIT 96.5FM/730AM's website here.
Former Alabama football coach Gene Stallings teamed up with former Auburn football coach Pat Dye today to raise money for LiveBeyond, a ministry that focuses on assistance to Haiti.
"You can't imagine how poor people are in Haiti," said Stallings, who has been to Haiti twice.
Despite two recent strokes followed by a heart attack, Stallings insisted on speaking at the fundraising luncheon today at The Bright Star in Bessemer. Dye insisted on being there with him.
All across the Southern United States and in Puerto Rico, communities are dealing with the devastating loss caused by Hurricanes Harvey,
Irmaand Maria.
Since Hurricane Harvey hit, my team and I at LiveBeyond have been traveling to the Houston area delivering food, supplies and helping with construction. Every time I come back home, I get the same question from others who also want to help: what can do when I am so far away? Here are three ways you can help hurricane victims, from someone who has seen the need firsthand.
One year ago today, on Oct. 4, 2016, Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti, resulting in almost $2 billion U.S. worth of damage and the deaths of an estimated 546 people. This year, America has seen the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma along our coast. Then, Hurricane Maria devastated multiple Caribbean Island nations, including Puerto Rico. Lives have been lost, homes destroyed, plans ruined. But how much harder is it for people just an hour and a half flight off of our border to prepare for a hurricane like Matthew? Here's a look at how a Haitian family might prepare for a hurricane or a similar natural disaster and what the effects of that storm might be in the short and long term.
Read moreKTAB/KRBC, September 27, 2017
Hurricane Harvey hit Texas where it hurts. At least 70 lives have been lost. Thousands of animals have been separated from their owners. So many homes are now either leveled completely or infested with black mold. Debris piles from clean up teams are almost as high as the water levels have been. There are still some areas experiencing road closures due to prolonged flooding. Devastation is everywhere. Harvey's sucker punch will be felt for years to come.
Read moreOn LiveBeyond's relief response to Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Irma in Haiti.
Listen to the interviewTHE ESTIMATE OF 400,000 people needing some kind of relief in the Houston area is staggering, but Houston residents have not been left alone. The World View spoke to Devin Vanderpool, Director of Communications for LiveBeyond, a Christian disaster relief ministry, about what they are doing to help.
Read moreNOWHERE PERHAPS is the contrast between light and darkness so evident as in the tiny island country of Haiti. When David Vanderpool, M.D., (’82) arrived on Jan. 14, 2010, Haiti had just experienced a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that left the country enveloped in a literal darkness – no electricity for lights, no running water, an estimated 200,000 Haitians dead, and more than 1.5 million left homeless.
Read moreHUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS, many of them ACU alumni and students, have traveled to the LiveBeyond compound near Thomazeau
Haiti, since 2013 to help provide medical care, clean water, food, education and jobs, and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.,
Neither Brandi Jo nor Scott was expecting the dramatic moment they would witness at the medical clinic. Marigele, one of the women enrolled in the maternal health program, had walked five miles to the clinic while in labor. Her water broke at the clinic, and she gave birth to a healthy baby boy – but not before some harrowing seconds.
Read more