In 2010, I was able to travel with Feed the Hunger to Haiti following the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that devastated much of country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and the surrounding region. As I am playing with the children from one of the homes that Feed the Hunger partners with, I pondered about how happy the children were after receiving their gifts. I have three children of my own and I understand the importance of having a healthy and happy child.
As for these little Haitian children, they are without parents and some are without any relatives because of the damage and massive loss of life the earthquake had caused. Looking into their eyes and seeing their facial expressions, you can tell that they are still enjoying life and that God has his camping angels surrounding them to protect them from both seen and unseen dangers.
As a designer, my main responsibility is to portray images and concepts in a way that people can visualize what is taking place. I see thousands of images on a regular basis, and by seeing these images every day I feel like I am already there. I absolutely love the opportunity of being a storyteller with images. There is nothing more satisfying than showing your design and letting God move through your heart.
But what I’ve learned from traveling on a mission trip is that there are parts of the trip that are bigger than just images and words. What your eyes see… What your nose smells… What your ears hear… You are able to take in far more than what a photo gives you. Now, I know that not everybody is able to travel, and that is why I try my best to bring a story to life through design. But if you can travel and you have the means to do so, I believe that it will be a life decision you will not regret.
Vincent Graves | Graphic Designer/IT