Barkley Family, Friends Work Alongside Trojans in Haiti

The USC Trojans were not alone on their recent deployment to build homes for the "Houses of Hope" project in Sous Savanne, Haiti. The sixteen football players who went on the trip were joined by the entire family of USC Quarterback, Matt Barkley and two of the Barkley's family friends. The Barkley clan includes Matt's mother and father, Bev and Les, as well as his younger siblings Sam and Lainy, who are both freshmen at USC.

Lainy's friend Sarah Bergstrom was also on the team, along with Barkley family friend Scott Steinle, who helped with team security. These additional team members worked alongside the Trojans as they built homes, delivered supplies and brought smiles to the faces of those they encountered.

Matt, who serves as the Trojans' quarterback, was the connection that brought his teammates and family together for this deployment. Despite mission trips to Nigeria, South Africa and Mexico, Matt said that Haiti's poverty is the worst he has seen. "There is trash everywhere," Matt commented. "There is no way to be clean or healthy in that environment. And yet they have found a way to be happy. It brings joy to your heart. I've done other humanitarian work, but this trip was the most rewarding."

Matt's brother Sam, who is a hurdler on the USC track team, also commented on the harsh conditions the team witnessed in Haiti. "This was physically the hardest trip I've done," Sam said. "And the rain was crazy -- it was like the sky was dumping buckets. People get soaked and have to live in the mud."

Sam was among those who helped build four "Houses of Hope" in Sous Savanne. The group was split into four teams and each was assigned a home to construct. "There was kind of a competition to see who could get their house up first," Sam said. "The team I was on did a really good job. Our house was the second fastest to go up."

Although assembly of the houses was supervised by Hope Force Construction Manager Craig Snow, Matt's father Les oversaw the team's general activities. According to Les, "Originally there was some concern about such a diverse team traveling to a place like Haiti. For these young men who live in a world of hype and glory to come here and work as a team -- it's quite amazing. I can't express adequately how well every team member did. The camaraderie and servant leadership was incredible."

Prior to the trip, Les told the Los Angeles Times, "I've found that for young men like this to go down and to work hard and leave something lasting is important. It's something that is bigger than themselves. My hope is they're fueled by it and that they feel empowered so when they get back they'll have even more sensitivity to the needs of people not only there but here."

In an LA Times follow-up article upon the team's return, Les commented that "There's a lot of stress when you walk into that environment ? and it's not just physical. When you see the poverty, and the devastation that is still apparent from the quake, it's shocking. I couldn't have been more proud of the work the team did."

The deployment took place from May 12-17, which meant that the team was in Haiti for Mother's Day. Matt's mother Bev was asked to give the morning devotional in honor of the occasion. Bev told the team, "God tells us that He is the only thing that satisfies that can't change. We all know the good feeling of winning a game and how fast it goes away. There are many things we look at to satisfy us. God wants to be right in it with something that can't break and can't be lost. God invited each of you here. We knew He was giving you a personal invitation to come and see Him. He has something to give each one of you."

Bev went on ask, "Can you imagine living in one of those tents every day-- Can you imagine crying out and nobody answering? It is a terrible privilege to help these people. You may not see the full impact of the lives you'll be touching here, but you can put it in God's hands."