When I started leading trips to Brit’s Home I knew I was going to meet some incredible human beings. What I didn’t know is I would form some of my most valuable friendships with my colleagues in Haiti. There are so many individuals who contribute to our Britsionary Program, like our Program Director Melissa, our Haiti Administrator Love, our Facilities Coordinator Davidson, our Security Officer Bijou, and our fabulous construction team. But there are two people in particular I’d like you to meet today. If you’ve visited Brit’s Home lately you’ve been lucky enough to meet our Britsionary Coordinators, Francky Janvier and Joenelson Joseph. They are constantly working behind the scenes to keep our program up and running. For those of you who haven’t met them my descriptions will hardly do them justice, but I hope you will have a better sense of who they are after reading this.

When I first met Francky in 2014 he was the official driver for BLB and had been with Len since the beginning. He took Britsionary teams all over Grand-Goâve and always had a smile for you getting on or off the bus. I quickly found out Francky knows almost everyone in the community as he was constantly waving, smiling, honking, or talking to those passing by. I started leading trips to Brit’s Home in 2015 and discovered Francky not only spoke amazing English, but he had a heart of gold and a sense of humor to go with it. In 2016 Francky became the Britsionary Coordinator and has been my metaphorical partner in crime ever since.

Francky still drives the Britsionarys to and from worksites and excursions (while still chatting, beeping, and waving to everyone in Grand-Goâve) but he does so much more than that. He makes sure all the supplies are at the worksite for us each morning. He decides which excursions would be best based on the team, the weather, and other unique factors. He sits with the Britsionarys during all their meals to build relationships with them. He is the first to ask how everyone is feeling and can easily crack a joke when “it’s Haiti” moments come around. He truly cares about giving everyone the best experience they can have while staying at Brit’s Home.

It’s hard to pick one memory with Francky that truly captures his essence. But one of my favorites revolves around this picture below. I landed with a Britsionary team in Port Au Prince and Francky was waiting for us at baggage claim with his big smile. After introductions, hugs, and a bathroom break, it was time to find the hockey bags. We had a fairly large team and I knew finding the hockey bags would be a process. Francky also anticipated this and traveled to the airport an hour early so he could grab the bags before we even walked through the terminal. I told him how thankful I was but how I felt guilty with him doing all the work. He shrugged and said, “You all had a long day. I wanted to make it better.”

We walk out of the airport and loaded ourselves plus the hockey bags into two vans. Because there were so many of us and so much luggage there wasn’t enough room to fit everyone. Without hesitation Francky and Bijou hopped on the back of the van and said, “let’s go!” The ride to BLB can take anywhere from 2-5 hours, then add in the sweltering heat, the traffic, and the general organized chaos of getting through Port Au Prince. I would not be a happy camper riding on the back of a van through all of that. But what does Francky do? He decides this is a perfect time for a photoshoot and starts sending me selfies from the back of the van.

Francky’s constant positivity, encouragement, and laughter has gotten me through some of my hardest days in Haiti. Whether it’s a flat tire, an unexpected rain shower, a last-minute prestige run, or chasing a goat around a field, Francky keeps me grounded. He is an amazing co-worker, a wonderful coordinator, and an even better friend.

Joenelson, who likes when the Britsionarys call him Joe, started working for BLB as our depot organizer in 2016. He kept track of all the tools we used at the worksite and occasionally jumped in to help build if we were down a carpenter. He eventually became a caregiver and worked with our youngest boys, who adore his musical talents. You can always find Joe either behind a keyboard or a microphone at Brit’s Home. On top of building, singing, and disciplining our children, Joe is currently finishing his senior year of high school while studying advanced English (which he learned from listening to Youtube I might add).

This past summer Joe was asked to step into the role of Britsionary Coordinator. From the moment we started working together I knew we’d found a perfect addition to our team. Joe has this bubbly energy about him and is always making people smile. He is well known for checking in on the Britsionarys and requesting water breaks every 10 minutes to keep us hydrated on the worksite. I asked him how he likes working in the Britsionary program he said, “It makes me feel good. I love to joke with the Britsionarys and teach the them different tasks at the worksite. This job has made me so proud of myself for who I am today. Since I feel comfortable and enjoy what I do, it does not even feel like work. It has been so much fun.”

To paint a better picture of Joe, I'll share a story from my most recent trip with him. We were on the worksite for framing day and one of the Britsionarys decided to take a time laps video documenting our work. She wanted to find a place to set up her phone with a slightly higher angle and thought of tying her phone to a tree. She asked Joe for help thinking he would hold the phone while she tied it in place. Joe took this video request to a whole new level, suggesting he put the phone up at the top of the tree. Mind you, this is a completely dead tree, with only two branches coming off the top. Before anyone could stop him, Joe slipped off his shoes and quite literally scaled the tree (if anyone has seen the Disney movie Mulan where she wraps the weights around the post and climbs, it was identical to that) to set up the phone.

Naturally, everyone was speechless until he got to the top. He assured us he was fine no matter how many times we asked him to come down. He spent 10 minutes making sure the phone was at the right angle, and he asked a few of the carpenters to find him bits of rope and string to secure it to the branch. He genuinely wanted this Britsionarys to have the best video of our build and didn’t think twice about himself in the process. Unfortunately, the video ended up not capturing any footage and he was so disappointed he asked if he could try it again the next day (to which we reassured him we could find a less dangerous spot to put the phone).

Because Joe and I are a few months apart in age, and just about the same height, the children like to joke that we are siblings. Joe has certainly taken on this role as my big brother and is always watching out for me. Whether it’s helping with my creole or making sure I don’t forget the first aid kit, he has become the perfect third musketeer for Francky and I.

I could write another 10 pages with stories about the unexcepted and hilarious adventures I’ve had with these men, but I still don’t think it would capture how incredible they are. They each bring a special spark to our program. From teaching sing-a-longs at dinner, to fixing every nail we bend on the worksite, to simply listening and answering all our questions about Haiti, the Britsionarys get a one of a kind experience spending a week with Francky and Joe. I am so thankful to have met them and for all they’ve done for our Britsionary family. So, when are you coming to Brit’s Home to see/meet them?!

-Shelby