BATON ROUGE – LSU soccer stars Courtney Alexander and Natalie Ieyoub visited the Caribbean nation of Haiti for the first time in December on a mission trip with the organization Lespwa Worldwide, and the group recently made its return to assist in the cleanup that is ongoing in the wake of a devastating earthquake that rocked the country earlier this year.
Both Alexander and Ieyoub returned to Haiti for the first time since the catastrophic earthquake struck on Jan. 12. They were also joined by LSU women’s golfer Mary Michael Maggio.
The trio traveled with Lespwa Worldwide to its Mission of Hope headquarters in the village of Titayen to help with the reconstruction of the campus. They helped construct the roof of a new school cafeteria, paint some of the new orphanage buildings and organize medical supplies for the on-site clinic. They also served as runners in the medical clinic and assistants in the prosthetic lab.
They were also fortunate to visit orphanages in the surrounding villages and spend time with the children, playing soccer and making arts and crafts during their stay.
“It was great to go back and work alongside Haitians who also have hope that their country can be rebuilt and who have an unwavering love and joy in Jesus when they literally have nothing,” Alexander said. “Mission of Hope has given them the opportunity to be equipped to help change their nation. You can see how the children now have a sense of responsibility and pride in their country like never had before.”
“I didn’t know you could fall in love with a place more than you already were, but it happened with me. It captured my heart in December, and it continues to hold a tight grip on me.”