“So
many memories roll through me and I realize that this is who we are; memories
and shared experiences. This is what ties us all together.”
Words from Melissa
It’s not very often you meet a group of people
who barely know one another, who are willing to adapt the “plan z” mentality
without voicing a single word or complaint about it. However, our latest
Britsionary Team from High Point University – who were shortly given the team
name “Team Trial (and Error)” – did just that. Just three hours into their
trip, the High Point University students realized that they might not be able
to go to Haiti together on Saturday after all! This was of no fault of their
own, nor was it caused by anything other than long TSA lines and increased
airport traffic because of the ever popular, Spring Break travel day. Things
were about to get interesting, that’s for sure!
Early on Saturday morning, I flew down to North
Carolina from Massachusetts, accompanied by a Medical Britsionary Kristin, and
was very eager to meet the group of students we would be spending the upcoming
week with! Though I had had meetings with the students in the past via Skype
and email chains, it was so exciting to finally get to meet the team in person!
Kristin and I were waiting at the gate that would take the team from North
Carolina to Florida, when we realized that something might be a little “off.”
The terminal we were in seemed eerily quiet, especially for 9:30 in the
morning. Every once in awhile, we would see travelers running down the hallway
and hurrying to catch their planes, but we just assumed they were running late!
It was then when we never saw the “sea of yellow Britsionary t-shirts” coming
towards us; I knew we had a problem. A handful of phone calls were made, and I
quickly learned that the whole High Point University group was “stuck” in the
TSA security lines, and had been there for over 2 and a half hours! They were
finally close to the end, but our flight was almost ready to take off! Finally
we saw some yellow shirts coming towards us, and Kristin helped to muster up
the troops and bring them towards the gate. As soon as they came towards me,
all I said was “RUN,” and they boarded the plane. By the time the airplane
doors were closing, we had 9 High Point University students on board with
Kristin as their stand-in Group Leader, as I waited at the gate for Richie and
the last 3 students to arrive. You wouldn’t believe it, but just minutes after
closing the doors for boarding, Richie and the last 3 students arrived!
At that point, I worked the quickest I could
to get the 5 of us re-booked on a flight that would make it into Florida, then
we all were able to relax for a few minutes and have some lunch. We were
excited that we were going to be on the next plane out of North Carolina, and
we were finally able to unwind. Until… we realized that the flight we had been
re-booked on wouldn’t make it to Florida in time to catch our connecting flight
from Florida into Haiti. Long story short, the headache was about to start again,
and we were ready! I made a visit to the Customer Service desk again, and by
this point the woman working behind the counter knew me by name! Since we
weren’t going to be able to make our next connecting flight into Haiti, I had
to get the entire group re-booked on flights into Haiti for the next day. This
was no simple feat, but it was possible and we made it happen. Except, I missed
my flight into Florida in the process. Here is where “plan z” kicks in! With
the help of the amazing Customer Service representative from American Airlines
for re-booking us, our Travel Agent Kathy for booking us hotel rooms in
Florida, and Len for coming to meet the group in Florida, everything was going
perfectly!
Once the team was all in Florida, Len picked
everyone up from the airport and brought them to Lynn University so they would
be able to see the Memorial that is in place for those on the Journey of Hope.
They were able to spend some quality time together, get to know Len, and see
the mark Brit and the others she was traveling with have left, in Florida
alone.
I finally made it into Florida, met the team
for dinner, and finally was able to
meet and get to know everyone! It was one stressful day, but it was totally
worth it and I can’t imagine it happening any other way. Even though this life
can get tricky, stressful and chaotic sometimes, it’s with the help of our
amazing Britsionarys who embrace “plan z” that I can always find the beauty and
fun in it!
I have to say, this has been one of the most
beautiful and memorable trips to Haiti I have ever had. This was my 30th
trip (I can’t even believe that, by the way), and it was truly one for the
books. Even though Britsionary Trips are only one week long, the bonds and
friendships that form are unbelievable. It’s really hard for me to explain it
any other way than just simply saying that the things we experience together as
groups, will never be experienced the same by anyone else.
Not only did this group of students from all
different backgrounds, grades and majors come together as a family, but they
also changed the lives of the people around them – our children, staff, the
family they built a home for, and myself. They are an amazing and beautiful
group of people, and I feel so fortunate to know them.
Not only am I thankful for them, but I am
also thankful for Richie. Len, Cherylann and Richie have wanted a group from
High Point University to come down to Be Like Brit since Richie first started
school there! It was so exciting to be able to be alongside Richie with a group
from his school, but it was also beyond amazing to watch him grow alongside
them as well. Richie and I have been to Haiti three times together, and each
time he totally amazes me. I have been blessed with a “little brother,” co-worker
and amazing friend in him, and I am so thankful. Richie wrote about his
experience this week below :)
Words from Richie
You will have to forgive me; this is my first
time writing a blog so I hope I do not disappoint. When my Father and Mother
first started going to Haiti, I did not fully understand why they wanted to
travel to a place that has caused our family so much pain. After traveling to
Haiti in 2011 when I first went to Haiti myself, it was even more difficult to
understand because there was still so much devastation left by the earthquake.
However, when I arrived in Grand Goâve for the first time and I stood on the
mountain, I witnessed what my sister saw before she passed and I understood why
she wanted to help the people of Haiti.
Over these last few years I have gone to
Haiti several times and have helped Melissa as best as I can with Britsionary
teams. Growing up, Len had taught my older brother and I how to build and it
must have been genetic because we picked it up quite quickly. Now, just as my
Father taught me how to build, I get to teach the people who travel to our home
in Haiti how to build something that will change the lives of others.
That is precisely what we did this past week
with the help of our Britsionary Team from High Point University. I was able to
take the people from my home at High Point University in High Point, North
Carolina, and share with them my family in Grand Goâve, Haiti. Being able to
share the two parts of my life that are separated so drastically, and seeing
them come together was just truly a magical moment in my life.
Throughout the week, everyone from Team Trial (and Error) was always so enthusiastic and happy while building and going out on our excursions, when it could have been easy for them to complain or be feeling down about what they were seeing. It made me very proud to say they were from High Point University! All of the children in the orphanage loved every single one of them, and I couldn’t have imagined a better spring break! In the words of Dr. Qubein, one should always “choose to be extraordinary.” I can absolutely say that all of the students and staff on this trip showed that they truly are extraordinary! I am proud and happy to have shared this week with them and I cannot wait to have more experiences like this in my life.
