Follow-up E-mail one year later

"Posterity will serve Him; it will be told of the Lord to the coming generation. They will come and will declare His righteousness to a people who will be born..." Psalms 22: 30-31

The following letter was written by Dr. Cliff sheets after his 2008 trip to Haiti.

4 February 2008

Starfish Project Haiti Update

The Starfish project was birthed this time last year after I returned from a medical mission trip to the mountainous region high above Port-au-Prince Haiti. We had set up our clinic in a rural schoolhouse that was literally at the end of the road that leads away from the city. I had been to Haiti many times before over the previous 10 years and had seen deplorable conditions that broke my heart. However last year I was struck at the worsening degree of malnourishment I saw in the school children I treated. Bloated bellies and stunted growth, along with thin red hair and pale nail beds told a story of malnutrition that was as bad as I had ever seen. I asked what the children had to eat before they came to school and was told that the lucky ones got a crust of bread and some coffee, but most got nothing. Mothers complained that their children were eating dirt, not knowing that this is a medical condition called pica that is frequently brought on by iron deficiency anemia.

Convicted that we needed to do something to change the physical and nutritional condition of these children, the mission team asked the pastor of the church connected to the school to calculate what he would need to feed the children each day. We were told that for 25 cents per meal, we could feed a nutritious meal daily to each and every student who attended the school. With 200 students to feed, we would need $13,000 to provide the funds necessary to purchase a stove, flatware, dishes and cups, as well as pay for cooks and propane and food. At the time, the amount seemed unobtainable. We prayed for God’s wisdom and intervention to help solve this problem.

Shortly after I returned back to the States, I was purchasing a small item in the store and received some change. I looked in my hand and saw 2 quarters in the change. I sighed and thought “these quarters that I will most likely throw in a jar when I get home could have fed 2 children today.” After a little reflection it struck me- what if hundreds of people would save a few quarters each week? Perhaps then we could pull this off. A letter was composed and e-mailed to a few friends, and these friends were asked to email the letter to those they knew would be interested. The idea stuck and all around the country people started saving quarters. Last year we collected $14,000.

I am happy to report that the feeding program started with the current school year. The results have been amazing. I was on site and screened all of the children on Jan 31^st. I saw 2 that I felt were significantly malnourished, and I targeted them to receive vitamins daily and extra rations of food. I interviewed the principal of the school as well as the pastor and learned that they have been amazed at the improvement in the children. Last year, it was not uncommon for a child to faint at the blackboard. Sometimes they were too weak to walk to school. They rarely smiled and had no energy to play. This year they are happy, smiling and are improving in their test scores.

For all of you who contributed last year I thank you from the bottom of my heart. But I am haunted by a comment made by Pastor Spruill, who is on the board of International Allied Missions ministries. He said “How can we now tell these children we won’t feed them next year?” The simple answer for me is I can’t. So I am asking you once again to save your quarters. I for one can’t spend one. I get excited when I get them in change. I set them aside and when I have $10 or so I write a check to International Allied Missions, 350 Twin Oaks Drive, Kingston Springs, TN 37082. In the memo line, I write “Starfish”.

You will not get a letter or a photo from a child. You will get the satisfaction that you are making a huge difference in the health of these kids. And you can rest assured that 100% of the money received by IAM goes to feed these kids. All of the administrative overhead is donated by the members of International Allied Missions.

Please forward this e-mail to anyone you think may be willing to participate. Together we are making are difference.

Sincerely,

Clif Sheets, MD FAAEM

Click here to watch videos of the Starfish program in action.