A Family Christmas Reflection

Happy New Year! Each year at Christmas,we hold a huge employee appreciation party for our staff and their families. Since Len started the tradition, it's been the big day of the year that everyone looks forward to. As we grew from a construction site in to a home with 66 children, we shifted a bit more towards having the children work the event as much as possible so that our staff could enjoy it! This has been made possible by the inclusion of a Britsionary Group over the Christmas week. A week designated only for returning Britsionarys, it's become our most popular week of the year by far! 

This year, the incredible Britsionary Group built a home for a single mother of 4 children, who had sadly just buried her youngest just a day before we started work on her home. The experience, we believe, truly represents what giving back should look like, and we're so proud of our Britsionarys for taking on this task - building a home in just 3 days - and then jumping on board to help with Christmas at Be Like Brit!

We asked our friends, the Rezuke Family, if they would consider offering a reflection on their experience. The Rezukes have all been to Haiti and BLB separately several times. Mike and Len actually are old childhood best friends (Grafton Hill), and have been wonderful to BLB. Read about their experience here! 

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Mike

Before we left for Haiti, we were excited to find out we were going to build a house during the Christmas trip.  The fact that we even arrived in Haiti is a story in itself, which included holding two planes, arriving early in Miami to only sit on the runway for an hour and 15 minutes, 11 adults in yellow shirts running through the airport, some faster than others, and of course Len speaking or “threatening” the highest level of authority that would speak to him to hold the already boarded plane so we could continue our journey to Haiti!  When we did finally arrive, we heard about the family we would be building a house for; a homeless mother with, at the time we thought, two small children. We were saddened to hear and learn that she had already lost one child and recently lost her youngest child the day before Christmas Eve, which only increased our passion to build her a safe home. 

Working along with the local Haitian workers, we worked hard the next three days to build the house.  Many of us still have the blue paint on our bodies to prove it.  We then went out to the marketplace to purchase a mattress and various items for the house, including somehow bags of Cheetos, an American staple!  So on the day before Christmas Eve, we met the family and dedicated the house.  To our surprise, there was a mom and four small children!  For each of us in the group, it was a very rewarding experience, and with the help of BLB and its mission, to give this family a home at this very special time of the year.  For many of us who have made their way to Haiti through BLB, we are blessed and have much.  

The spirit of Christmas is about giving and there’s nothing better than giving to people who could use a helping hand.  Our lives are a journey that we somewhat control and shape, filled with a collection of experiences and events, both good and bad.  Some things we remember more than others.  For me, our family trip to Brit’s Home in Haiti during Christmas week in 2016, is an everlasting memory that I will always be thankful for.  

Janice

As the song goes, “All You Need Is Love.”  We found this to be true when we walked through the doors at Be Like Brit. It is the foundation of the building and home of the 66 beautiful children and phenomenal staff.  It permeates through the walls and land of this wonderful place in Grand Goave.  You are wrapped in love as soon as you arrive.   As we know, it started with a parent’s love for their daughter and their desire to fulfill her last wish. Through God’s mercy and grace, it has grown into a place of hope, laughter and futures being dreamed by children who, not long ago, lived day to day.  God’s love is evident everywhere you look.  

Smiles and singing abound. Homes are being built while friendships are growing and hope is being spread through the community.  The world needs love like this.  John 15:12 proclaims the greatest commandment, “Love one another as I have loved you.”  This verse is one that we’ve heard time and again, but do we heed it? Do we really live it?  If we could harness the love at BLB, and send it out into the world, wars and strife would cease and peace would reign.  Jesus’s love for us and our love for each other would be a treasure found and one to keep close to our hearts.  Britney is wrapped in the love of the Lord.  She has already found it.  

Kathryn

Breaking from a routine or a tradition is hard as we are after all creatures of habit. Going to Haiti to Brit’s Home instead of keeping with my family’s normal tradition was different, but it wasn’t a difficult decision to make. When I think about all of the traditions the Gengels have had to change because of Brit’s death in order to create such a loving and safe home for 66 children and over 100 staff members, the opportunity was welcomed. We all have our rituals of traveling to this person’s house, eating this food, traveling again, opening presents we probably don’t need. In retrospect, before learning about Be Like Brit, this all was fine to me. It was the way we celebrated holidays. 

My family is blessed and we already have so much. Now knowing how much joy and fulfillment I can have from stringing lights up with the kids, separating out 66 presents, and throwing a party for a very well deserved staff, shows me that this is the kind of Christmas that I want to have and the new tradition I want to start. In Brit’s Home there is a verse that reads “To whom much is given, much is expected” from Luke 12:48. My family and I lived this verse this past week, and we will continue to live it, as Brit did. 

Kristen

A part of growing up is losing the magic that one has in their holidays. Although when blatantly said, it’s sad, but it’s natural. One learns more and grows older to believe in new things. When putting the religious implications of holidays aside, children begin to lose their belief in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. So what then? The Christmas holiday shifts to children receiving presents from their family members. Nothing wrong with that, but after a while I began to ask myself what’s the point? Where’s the meaning? Is it just something that we do like asking someone about the weather when stuck in an elevator together. A habitual human action year after year. 

The magic comes back alive when the children grow into adults and have kids of their own giving them the happiness of seeing their children experiencing the magic of Christmas. But what about the in between? While spending Christmas with the 66 beautiful children at Brit’s home in Haiti, I found the meaning of Christmas for me. As a child, you grow up running down the stairs to get all your presents. You are only focused on receiving, but everyone’s heard the phrase “it’s better to give than to receive,” however it’s easy to forget. That’s what Christmas should be about. Giving. Not necessarily a physical present, but one’s time, one’s energy, one’s presence. The kids in Brit’s home reminded me of this. When giving the presents, the children were ecstatic to receive their gift, and I was just as overjoyed to be giving them. They were even happy to give toys to the children beyond the walls of their home.  

Christmas is the day and season for giving. It’s easy to forget that with all the holiday advertisements, Christmas deals, and pressure to purchase the right gift. Make your present your presence. 

Joe

This trip with my family has been amazing and looking back at it makes me wish I did more. The goal with every Britsionary trip is to “make a difference,” and six days isn't enough to have an effect.  We aim to change the lives of the people in Haiti for the better; however, what the children and staff do without knowing it, is change our lives even more. One part of the trip that I enjoyed was on Christmas day, outside the walls of Brit’s Home. The children are asked to gather their toys that they have already enjoyed and give them to the children surrounding the orphanage. They would then grab a toy, run into someone's home, give it to a child and scream Merry Christmas in their face. It sounds weird but it was very thoughtful. The neighborhood families were so appreciative of the toys they received, and the children were more than happy to give it away. 

Everyone was laughing and smiling during the Advent excursion. It was their way of giving back to the community that made them what they are. I believe that the this week that I have spent in Haiti has made me more humble, grateful, compassionate, and I hope that others can see this in me. Like the children with their community, we should give back to the people who make us who we are. That's why I am honored to be raising money and participating in the 2017 Boston Marathon with Britsionary Jennifer Foley to give back to Brit’s Home and the ones who live in it.  

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Of course, we would be remiss if we didn't thank Charlie, Molly, Cassie, Courtney, Haley, and Francesca for their giving of themselves over this week, too. It was an absolute pleasure to be able to spend the Holiday with this amazing group, and we're so grateful for their sacrifice! 

Bon fet Nwel ak Bon Ane!