Making a Difference: "One Soul at a Time"

International Child Care is unique from other organizations because we offer opportunities for our supporters to offer more than just their checkbooks. ICC staff members lead
Mission Education Encounter Trips to visit ICC programs- but they are not there strictly as observers. The members of the first MEET of 2009 recently returned from their trip, and Suzanne, a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Hackettstown, New Jersey wrote to share some of her experiences:

"I wanted to reach out and say hello and let you know that I arrived home safely on Saturday night from my trip to Haiti. I had the most amazing, life changing experience...in so many ways. I cried most of Sunday wishing it hadn't ended. There were so many components to this trip. There were so many happy and rewarding moments. There were so many overwhelming and sad moments. There was the love we gave to the children...giving them human touch, distraction, smiles, hugs, and love for a few hours. There was the ability to deliver $20,000 of collected supplies and $7,000 cash to various places...all collected from each of you. There was the exposure to the Haitian culture. To see so many people with so little, yet thankful to God even though they may eat only one meal a day, drink water that makes them sick and have a small house with only a dirt floor. There are the new Haitian friends that I met and who have already contacted me via email. Which has made me smile!

There was the bonding with the 12 members on my team, throughout the trip. I learned so much from each and every one of them. ...And then, the hardest place of all for me. Mother Teresa's Orphanage. We arrived on our last day and walked into a very simple, concrete building that housed 160 orphans. Mostly babies, but some young children as well. When we first walked in, I continued walking through the rooms, not sure what to do. I finally entered the last room. A room filled with 20 small, rusty cribs. Most cribs held a baby with outstretched arms, hoping to be picked up. I went to the first one, 15 month old Edmund.

I picked him up, realized he was wet and placed him back down to change him. He cried immediately and it took me some time to change him, his sheet etc. I again picked Edmund up and walked to a corner of the room. And then, all of a sudden, my head started to spin and I felt dizzy and weak. I thought that I might pass out and I told my team member Ginny, please help me, keep an eye on me. I don't think I can do this. I began to cry and cry because it was at that moment that I realized the suffering that was going on all around me, in this building. The endless children that lay in their cribs, day after day, lucky to have a home, meals and care. But they just exist. For the moment. And that is a powerful realization that so many of us are not exposed to. And I would not have felt the emotion that I felt that day, had I not stood in that room, and walked among the suffering. So I held Edmund for 2 hours, stepped out into the sunlight, showed him the sky, the trees, let him feel the fresh air. And I could tell that he loved every minute. It was important for me to send this email to all of you. Your love, support and interest in my trip to Haiti has meant so much to me. I couldn't help but share a little about the experience. So that each of you can think about how we really can make a difference...one soul at a time."

Suzanne's powerful words barely begin to relay the power of a Mission Education Encounter trip. If you would like to share this experience with others from your church, school or civic group, please contact ICC using the Contact Us form on our website, or by emailing iccusa@intlchildcare.org. Plans are being made now for trips in 2010.

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