by Jonathan LaMare
By now, our most recent Britsionary group, Team Time and a Half is back safely in the USA after another productive week! We were also on guard for the first tropical system to threaten Haiti this past week, Tropical Storm Danny. As it appeared Danny would creep his way to our half of Hispaniola, the system dissipated and we breathed a sigh of relief! On the heels of Danny came Tropical Storm Erika, which brought high wind conditions to us in Grand Goâve, and more damaging weather to the areas north of Port au Prince. Tropical Storm Erika is responsible for at least 20 deaths on the island of Dominica, and an as of yet unknown number of deaths due to mudslides in the north of Haiti - a somber reminder at just how powerful mother nature is! Fortunately, Be Like Brit is arguably one of the strongest buildings in the country, and so we felt safe and secure as Erika came through...
Team Time and a Half earned their name in part because of those storms, Danny and Erika, which were positioned to be a disruptive presence during a Britsionary week. We discussed and weighed heavily the possibility that we wouldn't have enough time to finish building the house if, in fact, we were hit by any kind of significant weather related to these storms. It was decided that we would "pull a double" - that is, while groups normally work mornings on the job sites and spend afternoons doing various other activites and excursions, this week the group of 12 went back to the site to be sure to put themselves ahead of schedule! The group accepted the challenge, and despite being very hot and very humid because of the weather systems around us, a very tired group of Britsionarys made it through the day!
Thankfully, we have portable shade!
When you are building a house for a single mother and her child while at the same time knowing that two tropical systems are making their way towards you, the purpose and intent behind the Britsionary program really resonates - I was reminded of that this past week. Yes, the Britsionary program exists to allow people the opportunity to "Be Like Brit", travel to Haiti, and make a difference. It exists to allow others - to challenge others - to Continue the Compassion of Britney Gengel. More specifically, the Build-A-Home Britsionary program is so valuable on so many levels. While it may seem like the homes we build are small (certainly by comparison to our own!), people must remember that for those who are receiving these homes, most often the current structures they sleep in at night are scraps of metal and wood; old USAID tarps. The conditions that those who receive a home through our Britsionary program live in offer no protections against the elements. The homes our Britsionarys build are anchored in concrete and are braced on the inside walls to reinforce against strong winds.
Building this home this past week for this single mother and her child, while two storm systems threatened the country and the region - this is why we do what we do. And, this is why our Britsionarys do what they do! We take great peace in knowing that while Tropical Storm Erika lashed the country of Haiti, one more family was safer and likely opened up her home to friends and family to weather the storm...
Luck and grace were on our side, and so the group wasn't forced to work full days every day this week - just the one! This allowed for fun-filled afternoons with the children and staff, and getting out into the community to get a better sense of what the country and the culture are like. We were particularly grateful this past week to Wachusett Regional High School Art students, and to Cassandra for passing them out to our children! It was so much fun watching their reactions - and there were many laughs shared between us all!
Our staff was especially busy this week as well, preparing for the start of school on Tuesday, September 1st for some of our children, and then the following week for the rest! Imagine preparing school supplies, books, uniforms, shoes, socks, ribbons, and more for 66 children! Well, we do this, and we do it for other children in the community, too! Our own Madame Franck and Madame Finette have taken on the responsibility of making the uniforms: 168 of them to be exact! Our staff does an incredible job and we are so blessed to have them as part of our Be Like Brit family!!!
After a long week of hard work, our Britsionary group finally got to enjoy some time in the ocean! We were so happy that the weather held off long enough to allow for this to happen! Taino Beach is a popular spot for many missionaries, NGO workers, expats, and Haitians who maybe live in Port au Prince but need a weekend escape! Our own little slice of heaven on the shores of the Bay of Gonaive is definitely something for which we are grateful and lucky to have!!! Our children have made so much progress in just more than a year!!!
We celebrated several birthdays this week, too, including a big birthday for our new friend Karen! How great to come back from the work site to find 66 hand-made birthday cards from the children of Be Like Brit!? We hope that Karen had a great birthday - one that she will never forget!!!
If you have ever considered coming to Haiti to Be Like Brit, what are you waiting for!? Please visit our website at www.BeLikeBrit.org for more information on ways you can get involved in our Worcester office and local events, or right here in Haiti!
We hope you had a great week and as always, thank you for helping us help the children of Haiti at Be Like Brit!!!
