...I have someone I'd like you to meet...
The other day Carrie said I needed to come and visit a new burn patient at the clinic. I stop by the clinic once or twice a week, I'm not the squeamish type but it does break my heart to see so many people suffering, especially the kids. This new patient was one of the kids. His name is Kevins and he has 3rd degree burns that cover most of his back. The reason she wanted me to visit is because he had seen me before and knew me from one of our Sport Disciple camps. Kevins wanted to make sure I knew he wanted to play in our leagues.
The way we treat 3rd degree burns in our clinic is soaking the area with an antibacterial soapy cloth to make it soft and once it is soft they scrape the bad stuff off (my non-doctor terminology). It is an extremely painful process. When I came into see Kevins he was laying on his stomach with his Mama soaking his back, although not as painful as the scraping process I could still see he was in excruciating pain. As I got closer he saw me and tried to stop crying from the pain, too put his tough face on. I knelt down next to him and told him he was very brave and that I could see he had a strong heart. I told him I knew it hurt and that I had a lot of injures growing up but our bodies are resilient and he would heal and be playing soccer with us in no time. I asked him if he'd like to drive down with me and see the fields after his treatment and his eyes lit up, I knew the answer without him saying a word. I told him I'd be back in awhile, stay strong and brave. He nodded again and smiled though his mouth started to tremble with the pain. I walked away and as I left the clinic my eyes just filled up, I said to myself keep it together but then I realized it was a gift. After seeing so much hardship, pain and suffering over the past couple years, the tears meant I wasn't getting calloused to it. I prayed right then and thanked God for breaking my heart, I needed it.
After his treatment I picked Kevins up and brought him down to the fields. Just riding with me he was on top of the world and I think for a moment he forgot about his injuries. We came down and I introduced my new friend to my guys working on the cistern and fields. They loved on him and prayed for healing of his injuries. Its fun to watch a kid put on the tough act, he is indeed a tough little kid but when I brought him back up to his Mama, and no one was looking, he gave her a smile so big and bright I'll never forget it. I am so thankful we've been blessed to be here and do this work, I'm so thankful that we have friends and family that come alongside of us and support us, and I am so thankful for kids like Kevins that can make this big man's heart break in a second then make it explode with joy in the next.
God Bless!
Barrett
Liftin' up & Lovin' on this little man!
Update
We are one month away from our inaugural soccer season! So much to do still and it kind of has our heads spinning. I wanted to give everyone a detailed update so I included it below, items already accomplished, current and future projects/goals. I also have a personal request for help. We have a huge goal of raising $27,000 over the next couple weeks. If you can donate $10 or $10,000 every penny would be considered a blessing. We are also asking for you to share our fundraising goal and program with your local churches, businesses, friends and families. Together we can make it all happen.
The $27,000 is for:
- feeding the 500+ kids for the 6 week season, for many this will be their only meal of the day
- coaches and construction salaries for our Haitian employees
- team jerseys
- materials (cement, blocks, rebar, etc) for finishing water cistern and toilets
- shipping of equipment and final field preparation
Thank you for your prayers and support! God Bless!
Barrett
the 30,000 gallon cistern is almost finished!
Love these guys! Bob & Cherbun come after school each day to help with the fields. They cant wait to get their Sport Disciple jerseys...check out Bob's hat...he's making his own SD gear...super excited!
Your partnership will
help us:
·
Provide a safe environment for thousands of kids to participate in
organized sports, an opportunity most of them will never have otherwise.
·
Feed hundreds of kids every day. Most
kids here, especially in our area, can go days without a nutritious meal.
·
Provide leadership, character, life skills and health/hygiene
classes. Developing a new generation of
quality, selfless leaders.
·
Provide jobs for approximately 20 local people. Unemployment is roughly 80-90% in the area we
live. Most Haitians that do have a job
support another 10 family members.
·
Complete construction on the sports complex here in Titanyen and develop
satellite programs around the country.
The initial program:
·
Develop a prototype, easily duplicated, multi-faceted sports program in
Titanyen, Haiti
·
Will consist of approx.. 500 kids ages 6-16, boys and girls. (sadly, we
will have to also turn away hundreds.)
·
6 week, intensive teaching and training season followed by year round
league play.
·
Feeding of 500+ kids a day
·
Program is free for kids but they must participate in our community give
back program. Coaches will lead teams on
a weekly basis in community service projects.
·
Each team will also “adopt” an elderly person or a family in greatest
need and with our resources will provide assistance to them.
·
Scholarships will be available based on total participation.
·
Leadership, educational, character development and health hygiene
classes on regular basis.
·
This is a Christian program and we will be focusing on teachings such as
“Love your Neighbor as yourself” “The
Golden Rule” etc. Our goal is to raise
up selfless leaders that will put others before self, to always lift up and to
always emulate the love of Christ.
What we have
accomplished to date: (specifically for Sport Disciple, not including the multifaceted
programs we have as part of Global Outreach)
·
Graded and leveled 2 regulation size soccer fields &have access to
another existing field
·
Constructed a 400ft x 2ft stonewall to divert flash flooding of fields,
doubles as seating.
·
Built several soccer goals
·
Received hundreds of pairs of cleats, soccer balls and additional needed
equipment
·
Trademarked “Sport Disciple” and have partnered with a local non-profit
to begin producing our own brand of athletic wear, performance clothing and
team uniforms.
·
Built a partnership with the organizers of the International Olympic
Committee here in Haiti. We have been
invited to bring our kids to play at the Olympic facilities on a monthly basis.
We also have a powerlifting program that is unique to Haiti and they are
especially excited about that.
·
A large fitness company in the US has donated all of the equipment to
outfit a full size powerlifting gym.
·
We have received a few hundred pounds of Transcontinental Bermuda grass
seed for the soccer fields.
·
Our donated underground irrigation system for the fields is almost
complete
·
We have a 30,000 gallon cistern under construction and should be
finished this month
·
We have a brand new 250 ft well that is producing over 10 gallons a
minute, huge win since we are in a desert climate. It will provide water for the fields but also
drinking water for thousands of kids.
·
Purchased over 3,000lbs of rice and beans.
·
Partnered with Feed My Starving Children and have begun receiving free
manna packets from them this month.
·
We have held multiple on site camps and have visited many schools with
our traveling sport camp.
·
Hired our Haitian Sport Disciple Director. He was a school teacher for the last 10yrs. Amazing guy with many talents and has a gift
for organizing children.
·
Interviewed over 12 coaches and other staff
What still needs to
be done before the season starts
·
Raise approximately $25,000 to finish needed construction, feeding
program, payroll, shipping equipment and team uniforms.
·
Finish the cistern and irrigation system
·
Finish our toilets
·
Order Team Uniforms for approximately 500 kids. Sport Disciple Brand.
·
Build shade over our bench areas for our players, summer temperatures
reach 115 degrees.
·
Hire 8 to 10 coaches, each coach will coach several teams.
·
Hold training camp for coaches.
We have established a friendship with a former professional soccer
player with over 20 yrs. experience in coaching. The first week in June he will be coming to
Haiti and training our coaches how to coach.
·
Multi-location sign up/registration days.
·
Hire cooks for the feeding program
In the near future:
·
Finish construction of the field house.
It will house an office, team area, weight room, kitchen, equipment
room/laundry room and locker rooms. Side
facing the fields will be bleachers and side facing away will be a covered
seating area for feeding and meetings.
·
Marketing and selling Sport Disciple brand clothing and uniforms in the
United States. Our goal is to become as self-funded as
possible.
In the not too
distant future:
·
Strengthen existing and develop new relationships with other communities
in Haiti.
·
Construct smaller satellite fields and develop programs, basically a
Little League in Haiti.
