Result of the LAIR Fund  |

Located in the middle of the Caribbean Sea the island of Haiti is far from the tropical paradise that many of its neighboring countries claim to be.  In fact the nation of Haiti is among the poorest in the world and the earthquake the rocked the nation in 2010 only deepened the poverty.
 
Both before and after that natural disaster that killed tens of thousands of people, outreach groups from the United States and around the world have done their part to help the people of this island nation.
 
Eastern Illinois men's soccer player Will Butler is one of those individuals that have been involved since first going to Haiti in 2010.
 
"I got involved with the missions going to Haiti in 2010 as part of the non-profit group Impact for Jesus," said Butler.  "Since then I have been back every year and have expanded my outreach by working with Respire Haiti and also a group founded by my father called Soccer Beyond Borders.  The trips happen two times a year and are spaced out over four week spans in the summer."
 
With his soccer background Butler has embraced the chance to bring the game he loves to a different part of the world but the experience itself is about more than just soccer.  These missions truly do effect the daily lives of individuals.
 
"The initial program focuses on feedings directed towards starving children in the cities and mountain regions of Haiti," said Butler.  "As part of our Soccer Beyond Borders program we provide food, clothing, soccer cleats, uniforms and anything else the players will need during the two soccer showcases.  In addition we feed any of the people who come out to watch our soccer events."
 
Providing assistance in a foreign country does have its drawbacks as Butler has experienced first hand during his four-plus years involved with these organizations.  Issues arising from the language barrier to cultural differences among the workers and Haitian people are just some of the items Butler has faced.
 
"The biggest obstacles we face while working in Haiti are the language barrier and cultural differences.  They speak Creole and I have tried to learn a few of the key words," said Butler.  "The language barrier can also be problematic when you are directing the feedings to groups and trying to keep them under control.  The concept of time is also vastly different to their culture where we have experienced entire groups showing up an hour late with out reason."
 
Despite all the drawbacks that Butler and his co-workers have faced over the years, there is a simple satisfaction that he has taken from these trips.
 
"It is nice to visit the same places year after year.  The kids run up to you and remember your name.  It really lets you know that you are making a difference," Butler added.  "I think the feedings are the most rewarding part of the experience for me.  I spoon fed a four-year old child one time that was too weak to walk.  During the meal he looked up at me and smiled which was reward enough."
 
A double major at Eastern Illinois in both psychology and sociology with a 3.8 GPA, Butler has been able to take these life lessons and apply them to his academic pursuits.
 
"My trips to Haiti have been an education in that they have given me first hand insight into the culture of an extremely poor nation and people," Butler stated.  "Their society has allowed me to have a more complete understanding of social stratification.  Through my work with the children at orphanages I have seen first hand the psychological indicators of trauma, attachment and depression."
 
As his mission work has impacted Butler as a person it has also allowed him to relish the opportunity he has as a college athlete and enjoy that success on the soccer pitch.  Butler has been awarded the EIU Soccer Alumni scholarship and is on track to be a four-year starter for the Panthers when they return to action in the fall, something he is looking forward to.
 
"My best memory of EIU soccer was when we beat Northwestern my freshman year.  I scored the winning goal in overtime and I was so happy to be able to contribute early in my college career," said the Bolingbrook, Ill., native.  "I'm looking forward to my senior season.  I am excited to play for coach Mark Hansen as he has done a great job preparing us for the fall.  We are playing some of the best soccer I have seen during my time at Eastern Illinois."
 
With one more season of competitive soccer to go, Butler unlike many of his college peers knows exactly what the next chapter in his life entails.
 
"I plan on working with Respire Haiti and provide psychological care for children that have been freed from slavery," said Butler.  "Early on I planned to study psychology and sociology at EIU because I want my degrees to help the children of Haiti."
 
So as you watch Butler running up and down the field during the 2014 season, know that he does it with a purpose much greater than himself.  He does it for the smiles of that four-year old child in Haiti and the thousands more in that same station in life.