Surrounded by the Greats

I must tell you the truth. I am frustrated that all our supplies for feeding kids are still held up in customs. We are pretty much ready to go otherwise... just waiting for a call. Lord, give me patience and do it quickly.

I have had SO many congratulations and kind words said about our launch event a couple of weeks ago. Everybody thought it was a great success and, while I agree with that, I do wish it would have been a bit longer...

For one, I missed connecting with tons of people! I am STILL learning of some of you who were there that I never got a chance to even say hi to. Yikes!

Secondly, I really would have liked to take some time and acknowledge some of the people that were there who had far greater credentials than I will ever have: heads of well-established non-profit organizations who have been moving heaven and earth in Haiti for years, career missionaries to Haiti, doctors and agriculturalists and pastors who have sacrificed more and have more experience and knowledge of Haiti in their pinky finger than I'll ever possess. Just moments before I took the stage, Dr. Kris Thede pressed into my hand a book she had written which JUST came off the press just a couple weeks earlier. It is a health and wellness book she wrote... IN CREOLE... for the Haitian people. Why wasn't the likes of Dr. Thede on stage instead of me?

In the very kind introductions given me that night, several commented that I was a humble man. Hmm. That's tricky. I mean, how do you respond to that one? If you "aw, shucks" it and shrug it off, well, that's just weird. But if you sit there and nod that you agree you're humble, well, that's just as weird.

But I've thought about it long enough to have formulated my answer: I agree. I am humble. There, I said it. But, please understand, it's only because I find myself (actually I'm placing myself) in the presence of giants. Giants in faith, giants in deeds. Giants in dedicated, sacrificial service. I guess I'm a groupie.

It's easy to be humble when you're surrounded by the greats.

Blessings,

Steve

PS Help me pray our feeding program cookware out of Port-au-Prince customs!

PSS Sorry, Kris, to single you out, but you and Cory are modern day heroes!

I am Thankful

I am thankful for water: running, clean, and close.

I am thankful for food: plentiful and safe.

I am thankful for shelter: I will stay warm and dry tonight, tomorrow too.

I am thankful for a loving family and good friends. I am blessed having people around me that love me in spite of my screw-ups, quirks, hang-ups and idiosyncrasies.

I am thankful for carpet and smooth roads. For lights in my home and a flush toilet. For measles shots and for mosquitos that don't carry germs that will kill me. For farmers markets and shoes that fit. For a mattress and a soft pillow.

LORD, God, teach me how to do more than just be thankful. Teach me how to pass along your blessing to those less blessed than me.

The Most Valuable Thing

Here are a few pics from launch night. As it usually goes, pictures don't do justice to how things looked and felt.

The most valuable thing in the room was not the multimillion dollar jet backdrop. It was my granddaughter, Sophie, apple of Grandpa's eye. What a night!

On Our Way

A couple nights ago about 385 (they say) friends of mine gathered at an airport hangar, of all places, to talk about what could be. It was fun and humbling. People asked if I was nervous. Yes, of course, but not as bad as I thought it would be.

I've heard it said that if you're nervous when you go up in front of a crowd, just imagine that everyone you're talking to is sitting out there in their underwear. This tactic did not work for me, for when I looked out over the crowd I saw many of my patients. And it occurred to me that I had, in fact, already seen them in their underwear.

I was not comforted.

I really do appreciate you who came out to "hang" out with me last Thursday. I am really blessed with great friends. I did start to get a little edgy about the kind words being said. I told someone afterward that I felt in a way like I had attended my own funeral. But there I was, sitting in a chair, sweating and fidgety, so I guess I wasn't dead after all.

It was, of course, in the script to have a few folks endorse me a bit. I felt like it was important for people to know that I was serious about this Haiti thing and that I had somewhat of a history of proactivity down there. But, friends, you have to admit it got a little soupy and long.

At any rate, do know that I so appreciate the kindness shown me, not just on launch night, but leading up to it, and since then too. I have a good life. I thank God for you all.

Well, it occurs to me as I sit here blogging that I don't have any pictures of the ordeal to post. It was one time I didn't think to have a camera on me! I've seen a few pics out there, but I don't yet have them. When I get a few, I'll post them.

Also, I want to thank a bunch of folks for things they've done for Starfysh on my behalf. I think thanks-giving will be my next post.

We are on our way!

Overwhelmed and humbled,

Steve

One in One Hundred

Every so often you get a great picture, and this is one of mine: this man and child enjoying a cold lemonade together. Wonder what they were thinking right at that moment?

I visited a small mountain village last week. They call it Fontina. They tell me 422 families live in Fontina. Where there is no working well, and where they have to walk 4 - 5 miles to get their water. To boot, water from that spring has tested contaminated. Fontina, where 22 people died last month. That's one percent. 1 out of every 100 people in that village died last month, many of them from diarrheal illness... from bad water.

I think if we band together, you and I, we could do something about this.

One week from tonight I am gathering with friends to talk about stuff like this and to formally and publicly launch Starfysh. If you're free, I'd love you to join me.

Blessings,

Steve

Picture Day

One of the very cool things that a couple members of our team (Stacy and his daughter, Hannah) did a couple weeks ago in Haiti was to take school pictures of every single student at this school of 900 students. They had NEVER had school pictures. After two days of all day picture taking, Stacy transmitted them via email up here to Michigan where his wife picked them up, sorted them, and shipped them, along with frames, down with my daughter Katie who had the fun of distributing them. So they each received a nice 4x6 portrait in a frame AND a sheet of 4 wallet-sized pics.

That, friends, is what I call "good stuff." Bringing smiles and pleasure to kids who are hungry and hot is not all a bad thing. Plus, as soon as our cookware and tableware gets released from customs in Port-au-Prince, we can take care of the hungry issue too. Hope the cameras are rollin' for those smiles! We're hoping soon (A.K.A. any day!). Everything is pretty much in place. Propane fuel tanks and fuel are there and waiting.

Thanks to you all who are sending your gifts. Remember every $15 feeds a kid for a school month.

It is so wrong that my heart nearly bursts with things to share... these experiences and reflections and mini-epiphanies... but that I let my busyness and urgencies crowd out my actually sharing. Somehow I have convinced myself that my rantings and ruminations must first pass the muster of proper grammar and coherence before I push the "publish post" button. Naw... who am I kidding? Who cares about that gobbledy gook? It's not as if I talk like that when I bump into you at the store. I hereby resolve, then, to share more often.

Next Thursday, exactly nine months to the day since we lifted off en-route to earthquake-devastated Haiti, I will be gathering with a room full of friends to share my vision of what could be for a tiny island in Haiti. And the cool thing? We'll be meeting on the very floor space in the very hangar where we staged our equipment supplies and personnel before loading up on the plane. You're all welcome. Come to the Amway Hangar at Gerald Ford International Airport in Kentwood, Michigan. Get there before 7 as parking could be tricky. Details / map / RSVP button at http://www.starfysh.org

Hope to see you there!

Steve