Resilience

This past week at Be Like Brit was in many ways similar to weeks before.  We have been fortunate enough to have had three consecutive groups of Britsionarys with us, and in that time have built two homes, made another home safe and secure for a family of 7, provided food to several families, and given 5 goats to families who will use them to breed more goats so that they might have a sustainable source of meat and milk - opportunities they might not otherwise have ever had if not for our amazing volunteers.

In other ways, this week was very different.  While we welcomed a group of Britsionarys who came to build a house, this time, it was different.  The family of Brendan Scott Beck, a young American professional who died at the Hotel Montana just one floor below where Britney was staying, came to Haiti to build a house in his honor and in his memory.  While I'm not normally involved in the physical and manual labor parts of these trips, the time I got to spend visiting with and getting to know Brendan's family and friends was so very precious to me.  I feel so honored to have been even just a small part of their experience, and continue to be amazed at the ability of the human spirit to rise above tragedy and channel that grief and that energy in to something larger, something bigger than themselves.

Resilience.  I see such strength in people like Brendan's family and friends, in Len and Cherylann, and in all of the children we have brought in to Be Like Brit.  Just when you expect that the difficulties people experience in life might be insurmountable, the human spirit perseveres.  No matter how upset or discouraged I may get at times when I see the things that I see in Haiti, I am forever reminded of the amazing ability at people to press on and come together for each other.  I am thankful that this group reminded me of that reality.

While Brendan's family and friends were busy building this house just outside the walls of Be Like Brit, within them, things continue to be busy!  We are now home to 31 children, having brought 3 more girls in this past week.  We were fortunate enough to have among the Britsionary group our new friend Tom, a RN who volunteered a week of his time to come down and treat staff and children alike here at Brit's Orphanage.  While he performed wellness exams for all of our children, Tom was present for the intake of the newest 3 girls, and was able to conduct the necessary physical exams and tests to be sure we are meeting every child's need here.  He also was on hand when one of our volunteers needed an IV after working long hours in the unforgiving sun, and was able to suture a nasty cut one of our cooks sustained while working in the kitchen.
Tom and I also ventured out into the community and gave medicines and ran tests for some people I have come to know in my time here who were in grave need of his help.  We want to be sure we acknowledge and thank Tom for his efforts! Keeping 31 children and the 30+ staff healthy is no easy feat!  We are so grateful for your time and your knowledge!

We also celebrated Haiti's 210th Flag Day!  Flag Day, it appears, is quite the celebration in Haiti - as well it should be!  The children came home from school on Friday, May 17 each proudly waving their own Haitian flag and most wearing red and blue!  On Saturday, we celebrated the holiday here at Be Like Brit by having the children each draw and color in their own flags and in presenting them with a large flag which will be mounted outside the entrance to Brit's Orphanage.  The children sang and the afternoon was filled with singing, dancing, coloring, and just having a good time!  This is what I love the most - seeing the children celebrating with pride something so important like Flag Day - a holiday many of us back in the States might let pass by without much fanfare.  I was proud of my staff and proud of my kids for making this event as significant and important as it should be.

I'm especially excited this week to welcome our friend and Program Committee member Debbie Pallatto-Fontaine back to Brit's Orphanage! Debbie flew in today and will spend some time here helping me to develop a summer school curriculum for the children.  Debbie's expertise in curriculum development and early childhood education is invaluable and we are so blessed to have her back!

In the meantime, be sure to watch for exciting updates on what is happening here at Brit's Orphanage!

Have a great week everybody!  Here's a few more pics from the week for you to enjoy!

Jonathan