Dear our final group,
I still cannot believe that it has been almost 20 days since we all departed. Though I am sure that you’re enjoying your Starbucks coffees, air conditioning, and acai bowls, I know that somewhere inside each of you is a person longing for that Haiti heat and never-failing rooster alarm clock.
From cement mixing to bottling walls to painting to facilitating medical clinics to participating in nighty lectures and discussions, the list of things that you all accomplished on your trip is never-ending. We could not have been luckier to have had such an amazing group of human beings to finish off our summer. I may not have cried at the airport like many of you had wished (sorry Bridget), but it really was sad for me to watch all of you leave. While sad, though, watching everyone board the plane and leave is an exciting moment for me – it is a moment where we did become worth it because you each get to go home and share what you learned, what you saw, and what person you’ve become.
There are thousands of memories that I could recount from your trip, – some sad, some silly, some serious, and some beautiful – but there are a few in particular that I will forever hold near and dear to my heart:
-Watching all of you bond with Jacques
-Talking in depth about race and identity both in Haiti, in the US, and in the world as a whole (cough* cough* social justice)
-The Rooster
-Watching Jake and Ian (and others) improvise at the vocational school when we didn’t have enough ladders
-Having in depth discussions with you all about effective development and the repercussions of just giving hand-outs
-The clinic trip with Caroline and Kate
-Seeing all of the dietary restriction people show admirable patience with the chefs
-Mentor groups <3
-Mystery pooper
-The never ending clogged toilets
-Beating the Cap Haitian women’s soccer team
-Dancing on stage at Bookanye Restaurant
-Genuine hugs at the airport
Although I didn’t cry at the airport, Jacques shed a few tears on the car ride back home. He was overcome with sadness that you all were leaving and he said that he hoped you would come back someday. Hopefully Jacques’ wish will come true and I will see each of you back in Haiti some day in the future.
Love,
Sarah Stubbs
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