Sunday Highlight: May 17, 2026

Until 2022, Waldo Charles and his wife, Meyjenne Nicolas, served the Haitian community on Virginia’s Eastern Shore with little outside support. That changed when Waldo completed a church planter assessment and was endorsed by Send Network Virginia.

Through this partnership, nearby Southern Baptist Convention of Virginia churches came alongside them, helping with a back-to-school outreach and renovating their church building. In 2024, Tabernacle Saved by Grace in Parksley, Virginia, celebrated 14 baptisms and grew to a weekly worship attendance of 75.

Growth came with challenges. Waldo continued working full-time while pastoring and planting, and Meyjenne faced health issues that limited her ability to serve. Waldo’s ministry extends far beyond the pulpit. He serves as a taxi driver, translator, and informal legal advocate, meeting practical needs in a community deeply affected by the cancellation of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) immigration program. Local chicken factories, which employed 85 percent of the Haitian community, laid off all TPS workers.

Pray they will not grow weary. Ask God to give them wisdom and provision as they guide their community through difficult transitions. Pray that their church members will live as missionaries wherever God sends them.

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