On December 28, Esther graduated from nursing school.

She became the final Grace Emmanuel School graduate—and the only female recipient—to complete a college degree through JiHM’s scholarship program, a program placed on hold in 2021 as ongoing instability across Haiti made higher education increasingly difficult to sustain.

But Esther does not speak of this triumphant moment as the culmination of her own endurance.

She speaks of it as evidence of God’s faithfulness.

Again and again, when asked how she endured the last five years of danger, uncertainty, and exhaustion, her answer is simple: God was with me.

Through the valley, not around it

Esther’s college years unfolded in Port-au-Prince during some of the most unstable seasons Haiti has known. Schools closed without warning. Gunfire disrupted daily life. Travel to and from campus carried real risk. At times, fear and fatigue made concentration nearly impossible.

“There were moments when everything seemed dark,” said Esther. “Gunfire in the area where I live, people breaking into homes, killing others, constant violence—it filled me with fear.”

Yet Esther does not speak of a God who removed the valley, but of a God who walked with her through it.

“There were times when I had nothing,” she said. “Sometimes I couldn’t even take care of myself. But God always provided. When there was shooting near my school, I would still return home safely. Even when fear came, He gave me strength.”

When exams, internships, and financial pressure piled up, Esther leaned into prayer.

“I would kneel and pray,” she shared. “Even when I couldn’t see where the solution would come from, faith helped me hold on to hope.”

The Shepherd’s voice—through a mother

One of the clearest ways Esther experienced God’s care was through her mom.

Though she lacked physical resources to help her daughter, she was rich in prayer and encouragement.

“She would tell me, ‘Don’t be discouraged. Keep moving forward. Study. Even if I can’t provide, trust Jesus—He will take care of you.’”

Those words anchored Esther during moments when quitting felt reasonable and the future uncertain.

A school that shaped her

The foundation Esther had received at Grace Emmanuel School also kept her anchored.

“GES helped me see my value,” she said. “It showed me that even if I come from far away, I can go far—with discipline, sacrifice, and time.”

At the school, Esther learned more than academics. She learned that her life had worth, that her dreams were not foolish, and that faith was her lifeline.

“When I reflected on where I came from, my dreams, and the people who believed in and supported me, I knew I couldn’t stop,” she said. “I cried, but I never stopped asking God for the strength to keep going.”

God’s provision through His people

Between 2017 and 2020, nine Grace Emmanuel School graduates received JiHM college or trade school scholarships. Of those students, seven—including Esther—have now completed their degrees. Two were forced to stop when their universities closed amid unrest.

“Knowing that I was the last scholarship recipient is a great blessing and also a heavy responsibility,” said Esther. “There are many other young people who could have benefited from this scholarship but didn’t have the opportunity. It is like carrying the final page of a beautiful story, and I want to live in a way that shows this scholarship was not wasted.”

A nurse formed by the valley

Esther sees her education as a calling to serve.

“My education is not only for me,” she said. “It’s so I can serve others with compassion, patience, and dignity.”

She hopes to care for people who feel unseen, unheard, or forgotten—those still walking through valleys of their own.

“I want to serve where there is no voice,” she said, “where people need someone—not just someone who knows medicine, but someone who knows how to love.”

If Esther could speak to her younger self, she would not promise ease. She would promise presence.

“I would say: Don’t be afraid. You are not alone. You have more strength inside you than you think. Every night and every day when you feel like you are not enough, God is using that time to shape you. Never be ashamed of where you come from—your experiences are what are making you into a courageous woman with vision and light. Don’t let fear send you backward. Don’t let loneliness make you give up. Hold on to faith, walk with dignity, and remember that God never left you alone—He was preparing you for this moment. You may fall asleep in tears, but you will rise with strength. This is not the end of your story.”

The God who walks with us

Esther’s graduation does not mark the triumph of human perseverance alone. It bears witness to a God who keeps His people, who provides daily bread, and who walks patiently beside His children through danger and delay.

“Today I see myself as someone capable of achieving great things,” said Esther. “Not because I am stronger than others, but because I learned to trust in Jesus Christ. Now I can serve my community, help others believe in their dreams, and build a future that has impact.”

The scholarship program may be on pause—but the Shepherd has not stopped working. And through Esther’s testimony, we are reminded that even in dark valleys, He is near.