Hoops for Haiti heading for the airport to fly home to the United States.

A great week! Many pictures to post and stories to tell when we return home.

Through Hoops!

We sent a shipment to Haiti from Bloomington, IL several weeks ago. It was supposed to have arrived last week.

However, it is now Wednesday and we’re sitting at the loading docks, waiting for the company to find our container so we can pick up the most recent shipment.

Another surprise was that when I went to pick up the shipment yesterday (Tuesday), the company told me I had to pay.

Happy Birthday to one of Hoops for Haiti’s Directors, Adam Provance. AP couldn’t make the trip, but he’s with us in spirit.

On Sunday afternoon we went for a walk in Cap-Haitien with a basketball.  Not far from the home of our hosts was a basketball court and hoop.  It continues to amaze us how basketball, somewhat like music, continues to be an almost universal language.  We were able to shoot with and play some games with several Haitian young men.

This morning, my daughter Danielle lost her tooth in America.

This morning, the pictured little boy lost his tooth in Haiti.

We spent the day separating uniforms, pumping up basketballs (with one bicycle pump because the other three broke), getting caught up with our Haitian friends and talking with many kids.

Thank you for all of your donations!

For those who know me well know that I have a tough time enjoying the moment; there is always something to do next.

Jason Sniff, my brother-in-law and the Team Leader for our Hoops for Haiti trip, has used the following phrase quite often over the last several months as we’ve prepared: “Let’s make sure that we keep two feet in the moment.”  I had never heard that phrase before.  In fact, the first time he said it, it went right by me.  I missed it (probably because I was thinking about what was next).  Oh, I heard it, but it took me until the third or fourth time to internalize it.

I don’t know about you, but as I go about my daily activities, I often forget to keep two feet in the moment with my family and the ones that matter most in my life.

As we travel to Northern Haiti, I am focused on our trip, the kids that we’re going to instruct, the shoes and clothes that we’re going to give out (thanks for your donations!), the lives that we are going to touch and the people who are going to touch our lives.  It will be relatively easy to keep two feet in the moment.

Our objective is to use basketball to bring a message of hope and love to the Haitians.   It is just as important – if not more important – to keep two feet in the moment when we get home.  It’s always toughest at home.

Through Hoops,

Mark

Hoops for Haiti – Two Feet In (x 6)

Team Hoops for Haiti on the plane to Haiti.