I’ve trekked all over the globe documenting our rapidly changing world through photography, but nothing had prepared me for what to expect in Haiti after a devastating earthquake shook the country to it’s core.

They were calling it the worst natural disaster on the planet, ever. But I was pleasantly surprised with what I had encountered there.

Let me transport you to a place where something extraordinary is happening: over a million people are living in rubble and rubbish, and as aid pours in after this catastrophe the band-aid applied to this situation will have to come off, sooner or later. Who will answer the challenge of taking leadership and giving Haitians the opportunity to start over and rebuild, on their own terms?

The photographs in Faces of Hope were taken almost exclusively in and around Fond des Blancs, a small rural community situated 90 miles from Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince.

When I arrived in March 2010, I was enlightened and inspired by the warmth and spirit of the people of Haiti and their stunning tropical surroundings, even with the grim situation they faced. After my first smile I had fallen in love with a place that had been through so much turmoil, yet seemingly expected nothing in return.

Although we have been bombarded with horrific images and stories coming out of Haiti, it’s the expressions of the people that have left memorable impressions with me, and transformed my world. I realized that little things will make the difference in a time of despair.

It really is incredible what a simple smile can do.