Opening Weekend

“The truest help we can render an afflicted man is not to take his burden from him, but to call out his best energy, that he may be able to bear the burden.”

Len and Cherylann Gengel at the Be Like Brit Dedication Celebration

This weekend we celebrated the opening and dedication of the Be Like Brit Orphanage.   I feel a sense of obligation to do my best in describing what took place in this amazing structure atop a mountain along the coast in rural Haiti, though I fear no words could aptly describe the tone of these two days.  When I first sat down to write, the power went out (as it often does in Haiti).  My plans having been derailed, I opted instead to grab a much needed nap.

As I lay in my bed, my mind began to wander and wonder.  It’s funny how the most seemingly insignificant things can sometimes prompt a thought or consideration that might not otherwise be entertained.  Perhaps because I’ve just newly arrived in Haiti I am finding deeper meaning where there may be none.  Perhaps I am searching for something profound with which to engage you, the reader, in the hopes that something I communicate to you resonates.   Whatever the case may be, the everyday occurrence of a power outage sparked one of these contemplations.

If you didn’t already know, Be Like Brit is a 19,000 square foot facility; a combination of concrete and steel, built strong enough to withstand, God willing, the most formidable of natural disasters and events imaginable.  When the power goes out in this building, it’s immediately noticeable, even during the daytime.  A striking silence comes over the building as each of the lights goes out; as each of the ceiling fans slow down, and as the hum of the appliances comes to a stop.   One can’t help but be struck by how awesome this building is when it is without that which brings it to life: Energy.  Soon, that energy will be the children we bring in to Be Like Brit, as we transition from constructing a building to creating a home.

2nd floor

In my 10 days at Be Like Brit so far, there has been lots of different kinds of energy.  There has been nervous energy, as we worked fervently to finish Brit’s Orphanage in time for the arrival of our guests from the United States and Haiti.  There’s been a bit of panic on my part when things might have gone awry, and as my problem-solving abilities rely heavily on Gama and Gilbert, in their absence I sometimes feel at a loss.  That anxiety is eroding more and more with each day that passes. 

In the arrival of our 70+ guests, I have felt a sense of chaos and confusion; of excitement and of anticipation.  Even, quite frankly, of dread – as in, how on earth are we going to feed and entertain this many blan at once?  Perhaps that’s the energy of pressure – job performance pressure – and wanting to be sure that everything goes as smoothly as it can in a place like Haiti.

A very busy kitchen preparing for our 100+ guests

Most of all, I thought about the way the building becomes so different when the power goes out.  Silence and quiet, the time between the power loss and the generator kicking in is a second or two of absolute stillness.  I quite like when the power is out.  It’s a calm I can embrace.

This weekend, we at Be Like Brit celebrated the opening and dedication of Brit’s Orphanage.  A massive group of friends, family, and supporters made the trip to celebrate with us.  The energy was awesome.  The energy was of bittersweet pride.  As our guests arrived and toured the building, many of them for the first time, the energy was of overwhelming awe; a sort of disbelief at the accomplishment the Gengel family, along with their supporters, was able to make in the aftermath of such tragic loss.

A view from above

The Gengel’s family and friends gathered many times over the course of the 48 or so hours they descended upon Be Like Brit.  As I listened to them share memories and stories of Brit, I felt a new type of energy.  This massive building, until this point a construction site - a project – is at last a home.  It is now a place for family and friends to gather, to eat and to drink, to laugh, cry, pray.  It was as it will be.   It is as it was meant to be.

  So, here’s to Britney Gengel:  For her spirit, compassion, and energy.  In that energy, Brit was able to affect so many lives, and in doing so, live on in this glorious new home, atop a mountain, along the coast, in Grand Goâve, Haiti.  And to her amazing family.

Thanks for reading.

Jonathan