Day Seven, July 24th One Star Fish at a Time

For four days we held soccer and basketball camps. We held the basketball camp in the walled-in courtyard of a Catholic Church. The first one hundred children were allowed in because we had to have a controlled number of children. As we walked into the camp carrying basketballs that are as precious to these children as Ipods are to American kids, we had to pass by the tear-streaked faces of those children who were not allowed in. This seemed to be a recurring theme in Haiti, whether it is basketball camps, soccer camps, or handing out peanut butter sandwiches, we can’t help everyone.

After many of us had expressed concern about not being able to help enough people, Jody shared an illustration that changed our perspective. “There was a girl on the seashore with thousands of star fish that had been left behind by the receding tied. One at a time she picked them up and gave them a good toss back into the water. A man asked her why she was doing this when she could never save all of the star fish. The girl replied while throwing another star fish, “Yes but I saved that one.”
We learned that day that the point of us being there was not to help everyone in Haiti. It was to bring hope to one teenage mother with AIDs. It was to show love to one child who never feels affection. It was to show respect and appreciation for one elderly person. It was to save one star fish at a time.

Photos taken by NWHCM on July 24th