I do not know much about your cause or your missionary work. Sometimes being a leader isn't as easy as it seems. It is very often that I look back on that situation and that day and wish I would have done more.

Of the guys that knew their blood type, none were a match for the woman. Others did not know their blood type. However, several of those that did not know all tried contacting their families to see if they knew. It being late at night, no one could get a hold of their families….the doctor said she would make it through the next day if one of us had the same blood type. She died sometime during the night. She also had complications from a C-Section.

While I do admit the article did not portray the situation in the best of light, it should be noted that there was effort from these "Frat Guys." I am not sure why I am even trying to explain this situation to you. I guess sometimes the good in us (fraternity guys) is often overlooked. Maybe you have not been in a situation where you have been stereotyped; this is what we are trying to change. Please understand I am not portraying myself or any of these guys as perfect…we are merely trying to help others.

And yes, there was hesitation with several of the guys regarding the situation, but as the leader, I could not put any of my guys who did not know their blood type in the position to make that type of decision. Ultimately, until we were sure about blood types, that was the decision that was made.

As far as having any experience, I will be leading a third trip to Haiti with 15 SAE's in December. I have been to this same location 8 different times, starting since I was a kid. Not only am I trying to help make a difference in the lives of the Haitian's we are helping, but also in the lives of these young men. Most all of them would probably not have gone on a mission trip in their entire lives if it wasn't for this trip. When they get back to the US, the impact it has on them is lasting….most are eager to go back. This alone makes it worthwhile to continue taking 'Frat Guys' down there.

The men of Sigma Alpha Epsilon are very excited in the strides that are being made to help others in need and focusing on philanthropy rather than just 'partying.' Just like anything in life, it will take a few more trips to perfect this project. I hope I have shed some light on this situation. Also, our trips are never 'tagged' as a 'christian' mission trip. I have never deemed it necessary to make the trip a faith based trip. Just one of those grey areas that you have to be careful with when combining a school and mission trip. Yes, however, we are assosiated with a christian organization when coordinating the details. It was a disappointment to come across your site and read that this is how others felt about our trip. Thank you for your time. Best of luck in all of your mission efforts.

Will Smith

Anyone interested in how good works in Haiti are done should simply google "Paul Farmer" and be amazed.

char – you right about having just this info provided. But I still think its curious that this was in the information this group, reporter, magazine thought should be provided in this way. The whole tone of the article grated at me, but that what they wanted to report. I should say there were aspects from the testimonies from the Haiti Banquet that made me feel the same way. I think I'm just really opposed to the whole "great white savior" mentality that sees our presence in places like Haiti as a gift to the people there. Learning to respect and learn from other cultures seems like a primary part of such cross-cultural exchanges, but I'm not seeing that happening. I don't know about the SAE trips, but with NLFH there is no cultural or spiritual training of the teams whatsoever. They go in blind and often the leaders don't even know much about Haitian culture. I have a big problem with that.

This has provoked a flurry of discussion between Matt and I – mostly centered around if it's right to judge the situation based on the information provided… But, the point of a story is the question it poses "who will save the life of a poor Haitian woman" and the answer it offers "no one was going to volunteer…Haiti needed our help in more ways than we could give." I find it very disheartening that the answer was phrased as "could" when in reality it really was a "would" and bypassed the "should."

Statistically, Christians as a group in the US are barely different than the larger culture. Would we have acted differently? I doubt it – I have trouble believing that I would have…given the fear and situation. Yet, I *could* choose to respond differently and I know I *should* choose differently. That I think, is what Christianity offers to anyone who will hear. That the Samaritan stops for his enemy. That I should stop for someone I want to claim as my friend…

Is a poor Haitian woman worth the risk? Christianity says "yes," she is worth risk. How much risk? I don't know and Matt commented that we don't know what risks they felt they were weighing. But is *she* worth it? Yes, life is precious and mercy calls us to give the best that we can out of the blessings we have received…