So, we were very excited to welcome Melissa back to Haiti this past week not just as a friend and as a guest, but as an employee! Melissa is now our USA Coordinator, and will be helping Kristin to lead in our amazing Britsionary groups in to Haiti each month! The children were so excited to learn that Melissa was not only coming back but coming back to stay (sort of!) that they insisted on welcome cards for her, which we strung across the dining room and proudly displayed for her upon the groups' arrival!
As someone who was for so long a volunteer with Be Like Brit, we were curious as to how Melissa might be experiencing her return to Haiti as a member of the Be Like Brit Team! We asked Melissa to share with us what this trip in particular has been like! We hope it serves not only as an introduction to Melissa, but also as a peak into the experience of being a Britsionary and of the work we do here in Haiti!
Melissa writes:
As I sit here and think about my involvement with Be Like Brit over the course of the past few years, I cannot help but smile. I honestly cannot even imagine what my life would be like if I was never given the opportunity to take part in my first Britsionary trip to Be Like Brit. A little over two years ago, in May 2012, my life changed forever. I boarded a plane with several of my classmates from Becker College, and got ready to spend a week in Haiti working on the construction of Be Like Brit. Little did I know, Haiti would fill my heart with immeasurable love and joy that I didn't even know I was missing!
The Britsionary program at Be Like Brit is so much more than just going somewhere, volunteering for a week, and going back home. It is a program that encourages cultural immersion and friendship, and is an experience that is truly unforgettable. Our Britsionary groups either take part in re-building a wooden home for a family in the community surrounding Be Like Brit, or building a new concrete home from the ground up. Each Britsionary team works tirelessly to build a new home for a family in need, while at the same time, getting to know the family they are helping.
After my first trip as a Britsionary at Be Like Brit, I knew I had found where I was meant to be, and I knew I was going to come back. I was captivated by Brit's story, inspired by her amazing family, and touched by her beautiful dream to help the children of Haiti. Five trips later, here I am, but this time as a part of the Be Like Brit team!!! Just a few weeks ago, I graduated from Becker College with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. I have always held a very strong interest in working with children through the fields of psychology, education, and international aid work, and I have never been more drawn to anything as I am to Be Like Brit. On May 7th, 2014, my wildest dream came true - I signed on to be the USA Coordinator for Be Like Brit! I will be leading Britsionary groups in and out of Haiti, and coordinating activities for them while they are here with us at Be Like Brit!
As someone who has been a Britsionary five times in the past, I know how exciting and wonderful Britsionary trips are. Since I am not solely part of the "hands-on" volunteer work anymore, I will be able to see how the Bristionarys in my groups are doing, and watch them experience Haiti and Be Like Brit the ways I have in the past. I am very excited to see their interactions with the children at Be Like Brit, and I hope to encourage them to return! I am looking forward to working with the Be Like Brit family, and I cannot wait to begin to get to know the Britsionary groups that I will be spending time with in Haiti!
