India's Mission Trip To Haiti

First it was my Mother. She's the one with the crazy ideas that turn out to be life-changing, and beautiful, and creative. You see, she's afraid of everything. Driving over 50 mph, loud noises, and certainly flying in an airplane to a far flung and completely different place. So in December of last year, when she said she wanted to go to Haiti, we thought maybe there was a new restaurant in town or something. We were quickly relieved of any misunderstanding. She meant HAITI Haiti... the small Caribbean country that shares a landmass with the Dominican Republic... NO WHERE NEAR WISCONSIN HAITI!! It made sense in a way because our family has been in an adoption process from Haiti for over a year now, but the "traveling to Haiti scary part" was always way off in the distance and there was plenty of time for her to mentally prepare it. Now she was committing to traveling on a certain day in the not too distant future. It was an eye opener for all of us. None of us knew what to expect, but she did it and she came back, safe and sound. For her it was life changing. She told us stories about the people, their language, their children, their struggle, and their strength. It was really cool to see her come out of her shell and for us to see her in this new light.Next it was my Dad. About a month after my mother came back, he decided to commit to the upcoming trip in June. Same deal. He prepped, he went, and he came back a new Dad. He spoke of having his eyes opened and seeing the wealth and power and privilege we all have in this country, as a great blessing and responsibility, and that our living these lives as if we're owed them or deserve them is a mistake. We have to be active in the world and seek to know the truth.While he was in Haiti, I was on my first-ever big trip to someplace far away, in Mexico. This was a big step for me to know I can go places and do things and navigate problems and get back home in one piece. It was great! I knew before my dad even got back home that it was my turn.I want to go on this trip to see. I have this idea that my life is the way it is, not because of anything I've done, or earned, or deserve. I know that my position in life is very fortunate and could have been otherwise, but I don't really know what that means. I haven't seen it or held it or touched it. I am a senior this year, and in my school every senior creates a project to showcase at the end of the year. My project is to make beauty products by hand with all organic ingredients. I want to sell my products and donate the proceeds to upstream international, the charity project that I will be taken on the mission trip through. I seek to know. And I can't do it alone. I need your help.This trip costs $1,500 and despite our family's great fortune living in this country and being relatively wealthy compared to average Haitians, I (and my parents) don't have that kind of money laying around. I would so appreciate your support in helping to make this happen. I need to come up with the sum total by the 1st of September, but I need to come up with a down payment of $200 by the 10th of August . Any amount you can contribute is greatly appreciated and I can commit to you that I will go there with eyes wide open, heart ready to know, and that when I return, I will take what I've learned and put it to good use in our world. I really appreciate you taking the time to read this and think about it.Thanks for your consideration!