Posts written by Adam Sarbin

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Day 2 -The Road Most Traveled

Last night we were treated to hotel rooms with…wait for it…Air Conditioning! For the first time in all my trips, I was actually COLD. That’s right, not just cool or chilled but downright cold. I got under the sheet and used my towel as a blanket and was quickly fast asleep. I think the rest of the team had a similar experience and slept rather well. We awoke to a nice breakfast and then departed to visit the Brooks family at Much Ministries where Kez works. We enjoyed visiting and hearing more about their mission as well as their big plans for a future marketplace in Gonaives…very exciting!! Much of the team also bought beautiful items created by local artisans, which is a large part of the ministry’s economic development mission‎.

Once all “spent” we departed for the road to Jolivert, and those of us who have made the trip repeatedly steeled ourselves for the gut wrenching bouncing and twisting over the next 3-4 hours. In very few places the road had improved…there was a nice new bridge over a river crossing and the paver road in Gros Morne has been extended‎. This may have accounted for about 10 minutes of the eventual three and a half hour journey. As for the other 200 minutes, the roads have not changed…or become much worse. We had to stop 3 times…once for a dragging muffler (big surprise on these roads, huh?) and twice for a broken brake caliper on the luggage truck. Good old fashioned Haitian ingenuity solved both problems and remarkably we arrived at Clinic Jolivert in just under 4 hours.

We were greeted immediately by our friends Blaud and Christophe. Blaud is now married and expecting their first child…a boy he announced, beaming from ear to ear. Christophe has not changed a bit but he is here without his daughter now, who is in the States…not sure who will entertain us after clinic this week??? Once bags were unloaded, we were treated to a delicious afternoon meal, followed by the tedious task of unloading bags, sorting items and then bagging meds. It is now 8pm and we are done for the evening. Nets are hung; cold…I mean, refreshing showers are being taken; late evening snacks are being eaten and even a little craft work is being done to surprise our patients and school children this week.

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Some will travel to our first outreach clinic in the morning and the rest will work in the on-site clinic here. We will need to rise early for breakfast, additional sorting of meds and then travel time to the clinic.

For now we will hope for a reasonably quiet night where the bears sleep soundly, the donkeys and roosters sleep late, the dogs get along ‎and the drums stop beating down the hill. Tomorrow we have hiking and exploring plans after the patients have all been seen…after all we have new members to introduce to our hill and tree. I am sure the sunset will be beautiful as always! After that, who knows…a beverage, some cards, stories…just another day in paradise.

That’s all for now. Sleep well and Love to All,

The Team

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5 Years Later and Going Strong

I am thrilled to report we are 11 strong this year, some repeaters and some new to the family as always, and we are all together, safely at our destination. The weatherman again threatened to make our travel “interesting”, with the possibility of icing right at the time of our departure…but alas, aside from a brief de-icing procedure, our flight left nearly on time with an on time arrival in Atlanta. We quickly united with Chelsea, who had arrived from Boston shortly before us. We had time at the gate for food, card games, charging of electronics and even some last calls to loved ones before boarding for our final destination. I must say, not flying out of Miami felt a bit awkward…lacking tradition, however, the process through Atlanta was so smooth, I think we could definitely get used to this new approach. That said, anything can happen at any given time, especially when Haiti is in the equation, so we will not get too comfortable.

Once in the Port au Prince airport, we gathered our bags, united with Vanessa and ran the Customs gauntlet…without a doubt, my least favorite aspect of our experiences, however it went more smoothly than ever. Once all bags and people were loaded in the van and truck we were right on the road to Gonaives and made it easily in 3 hrs…and we were entertained by our little buddy Charlie…cuter than ever!!! The time really flew by…by Haitian standards!! We pulled into the parking lot of our hotel, a true oasis. We got nets hung and then enjoyed a wonderful Haitian dinner! You will never guess our dinner guests…Kez, Christine and all her children. What a great night!!

As I close tonight I find myself reflecting about the months leading up to this 6th installment. I must say, I have been frustrated by my own personal feelings of being overwhelmed which resulted in a degree of malaise which in turn just piled on the frustration. After all, this experience is generally one of the highlights of my year and I could not justify my feelings. Intellectually, I think I knew what was at the root, but I struggled still. You see, it is times like this when I pick up the phone and call my friend and brother, Peter and we just yap for awhile…and invariably, there is understanding and encouragement. We lean on each other at times like these and life is better. So lately I have been listening harder to hear the comforting words of wisdom and encouragement, because I know they are there…have been there all along. And lo and behold, his voice came through loud and clear once again.

The other night as I was searching the website for a blog entry from last year’s trip, I stumbled on a Reply from Peter, sent from home as he was just starting his battle with cancer. His words rang true then and they were just the right medicine one year later. He ended his reply as follows:

My love and best wishes to all on this trip. Hike the hill and watch the sun set. Enjoy the company of those around you. Give a hug to a patient or child who needs it. Savor the taste of mango and perhaps some goat for breakfast. Let your cup runneth over…”
– Peter Whitehead, MD

Implied translation…just enjoy the experience and everything else will work itself out. Wise, wise words.

As you can imagine, I still remain a bit off this year and I have indeed realized it is because my brother is not with us anymore, but his spirit and wisdom lives on and inspires, and I feel certain this 6th installment is part of my healing. I believe we will all come out of this experience with an even stronger commitment to our mission. I now look forward to the work ahead, the new discoveries we are sure to make and the plans we will make for our future, which in no small measure will be to honor our great friend.

That is all I can muster tonight. Will write again tomorrow.

Love to All,
The Team

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A Great Loss Suffered

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You all may recall an entry from February 2014 calling for prayers in support of Dr. Peter Whitehead.   It saddens me greatly to inform you that after a yearlong courageous battle with cancer, Peter’s struggle ended Tuesday night, January 13th. He was surrounded by family and close friends and passed very peacefully. I am certain Peter is now resting comfortably in the embrace of his Heavenly Father. Peter Whitehead was a gift to this world. We will truly miss him, but his spirit lives on in all those he touched.   He represented the best of us and had a way of inspiring the best IN us.

He made his first mission trips to India and then joined Project Starfish Haiti in 2011. I believe he found a new passion for the work in Haiti in 2013 when he saw the impact the trip had on his oldest child, son Caleb.   I know he wanted to share the same experience with all his children and I hope we will be able to provide that experience for them some day.

Project Starfish Haiti is an organization still in its infancy, however our hope is to some day be able to honor Dr. Whitehead’s memory in a way that commemorates his passion for providing compassionate care to those in the greatest need.

In Sadness and Hope,

Adam

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Team 2015 -Ready for Action

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That’s right, we are now assembled and counting the days until we return to our oasis in the Caribbean . This will make our 6th trip, but our first as Project Starfish Haiti (non-profit), officially. We again have some return members in Dr Kitty (lovingly known as “Big Chief Black Cloud” as you may recall), Carey – NP extraordinaire and  daughter Lindsay (It was touch and go for a short time, but it just wouldn’t be the same without “Smiley” so I am relieved she will be with us again.); we also have 3 of the best nurses in 2 countries returning to their “second job” – Kiki, Chelsea and Sarah (we are so blessed with their compassion and spirit of giving).

We will be dearly missing some previous team members and hope for their return soon (you know who you are!), but once again we grow our team with new members – Dr. Kitty will be introducing her  daughter Ches to our “home away” (yeah…best way to spend a college Spring Break!); she will also bring good friend Tom Sparhawk (With Tom, we add a sociologist to our team – I believe this will be invaluable as we attempt to establish a permanent presence within a new culture….very exciting!). We add 2 more nurses to our corps this year as well – Heather Miller, another from the ranks of Radford University (can’t say enough about our Radford and JMU contingents – I believe it speaks volumes for the character of the individuals being educated at these fine Virginia institutions….also makes me feel even better personally since these are my daughter’s top 2 choices for next year!); finally, I am very excited to introduce Melila Hunter, a nurse who has lived in the US for many years but is a native from Haiti and has returned yearly to care for her fellow Haitians. We are so lucky she has chosen to return with our group this year (and hopefully we will all learn a little more Creole from her and her brother before we travel).

I am very excited about this coming trip, as Project Starfish Haiti begins to explore options to establish a permanent presence in the land we have come to love. We started this journey nearly 5 yrs ago hoping to assist in a crisis and it has evolved to a deep seated desire to help provide a system of lasting health care to those in such incredible need. We have met so many wonderful people along the way, both in this tiny country as well as right here at home…our family grows with each passing year and we are so much the better for it.

I know I have grown personally in so many ways through this commitment….it can’t be avoided when surrounded by so many outstanding people….they are the best of the best. It is such a privilege to work along side them and count them as my friends. I am sad to say we will be missing one of the very best of us again this year, as Dr Peter continues his courageous battle against cancer. I know he will be with us all as we travel, as we are with him for every step of his fight. I pray for his speedy recovery and am hopeful that he will be able to  return with us someday to see our new destination in Leogane….hopefully the site of Project Starfish Haiti’s permanent roots in the country.

“Hopefully” yes….but not possible without support. This goal cannot be achieved with just the yearly journey of a single medical team, but rather, will require regular trips to explore possibilities, build necessary relationships within the community, determine the best possible location, assist in construction, recruit and train local health workers and establish a reliable process to regularly provision such an operation.

Whew! I am certain there are many more steps/details required to accomplish our goal and again, we NEED your help! As you read above, we are now designated as a 501(c)3 non profit and donations can be made directly to our organization. They are fully tax deductible. Please visit the Donate section of this site to see how easy this is. Thank you all for your support in the past and thank you in advance for any continued support towards reaching our goal.

From all of us at Project Starfish Haiti, have a very Happy Thanksgiving and a Blessed Holiday Season!

Love to All,

Adam

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Our Will, Sustained…Our Goal, Realized!!

Great news for our organization and exciting news for our supporters!!! Some of you may recall my last blog entry on our 2014 mission trip, but for those who may need a refresher, here is an important excerpt:

As we began our journey to Miami, I found myself reflecting on the words of a pastor in the small village of Di Croix. He shared a sermon of sorts at the inaugural clinic ceremony that I mentioned in an earlier post. He was imploring the residents and his congregants to be appreciative ‎and supportive of this new health clinic that was now available to serve them all. He spoke of successful development in general requiring 3 important elements: Existence, Will, and Resources. Their small village had accomplished the first by bringing the clinic into Existence and certainly their was a strong Will of some to make it happen, however there needed to be an even stronger collective Will to sustain it and then as always, the Resources to further develop and maintain it. I can’t help but think similarly about our fledgling organization, Project Starfish Haiti. As of the last year we actually formalized our group and incorporated – Existence. This would never have happened without the strong Will of many current and former team members.  Once we return from these week long excursions it is understandably easy to become caught up in our daily lives and have our enthusiasm wane until the next trip is planned, but if we are to achieve our next goal, that of our own non-profit status, on the path to even greater development, it will require the sustained Will of many…”

Well, it is now official.  As of July 25, 2014, Project Starfish Haiti is officially recognized as a Public Charity and exempt from federal income tax.  We are recognized as a non-profit organization by the IRS under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.  This is a big step for us and means we will be able to more independently plan future projects and trips.  That said, we realize we are still just infants at this with so much more to learn.  We thank our friends at Angel Missions Haiti, Clinic Jolivert, Missions of Love, Much Ministries, Gleaning for the World and so many others for their generosity with their time, patience and support.  This is truly an education and we hope…we need to learn so much more.

In the coming weeks, stay tuned for updated information in the donate section of the website to see how easy it will soon be to make your tax deductible donations directly to Project Starfish Haiti.  For the time being, please continue to support us as always…as we are always looking towards the next trip and ultimately our next goal…establishing a sustainable health clinic in an unserved community.  We realize we have many lessons still to learn before we will be able to achieve this goal, but rest assured our Will remains strong to do just that. I can’t help but recall that hot day in the tiny, remote village of Di Croix.  I can only hope we too will enjoy the celebration of such an inaugural event in the not too distant future…

Adam