Christmas morning, 2013. Be Like Brit, home to 38 children.
We were so blessed to have an amazing group of Britsionarys down here with us for the week, not only to help us with the massive amount of work it takes to pull of a Christmas celebration like the one we had, but also to use this time of year to give back to those less fortunate than ourselves ~ to truly embrace what this time of year is all about. Indeed, our group demonstrated the epitome of bringing joy, hope, love, laughter, and family to Brit's Orphanage this holiday season.
Aside from decorating, dressing up like elves and stuffing stockings for the children (scary elves, I might add!), the group also ventured out in to the community for various projects. The group identified some 12 families near to where our site is in Grand-Goâve, and so with their funds, purchased basic necessities like oil, beans, tomato paste, garlic,and rice to distribute to each of these homes. They also identified two families who were sleeping on the ground or on planks precariously perched between two cinder blocks, and so decided to build beds for these families.
They bought mattresses, and even built the tables and benches which will be used at Be Like Brit in our new computer/media room which is almost completely finished! The amount of work and the diversity of the work this group did was unlike any other group! We knew being Christmas and with the children on vacation that there would be plenty of time with the kiddos ~ more so than most any other group! This allowed for a real authentic bond to develop between the children and our friends, many of whom were returning Britsionarys to Haiti - two of them former long-term Britsionarys, Keely and Amanda!
The group even decided to use some additional funds and visit a hospital in the next town over to see the 3 newborns and their mothers in the maternity ward, as well as 7 children who were admitted to the pediatric ward for various reasons. They came bearing gifts, sundry items mostly, but invaluable items that people hospitalized in Haiti don't get automatically. Yes, in Haiti, when you're in the hospital, you have to have someone bring you all those things: Food, blankets, pillows, soap, you name it. Nothing at all like home, and so this gesture, while seemingly simple, made a huge impact on those lives of the people they met during their short visit to the hospital.
Our Children had a memorable Christmas, to be sure. From the decorations that our sponsors and donors so generously either hand-made or sent down to us were overwhelming to see, and so much fun to hang around Brit's Orphanage with the children. Even more amazing was the chance to bear witness to the children as they scoured the ornaments to look for their own names, things made especially just for them. How sweet, how curious, and how genuine the joy on their faces was! I know most parents have experienced this with their own children, but I think it's safe to say that for me and for our Britsionary Group, including our USA Director Kristin, this Christmas was unique. To be a part of something so amazing for so many people was truly remarkable.
Yes, Kristin will likely be a tad bit upset with me for posting this picture - but the look on her face is just priceless!
The Children had been hard at work practicing and rehearsing for the Christmas concert they put on for the staff and their guests on Christmas Eve, and on a smaller, shorter program for our Britsionarys on Christmas Day. To watch them sing classic Christmas songs in both French and English, to recite poems and to make mistakes, fall off the side of the stage, maybe even get in to a bit of a tussle on stage was hilarious - it was just like watching younger cousins, nieces or nephews back home at the school play. The disorder was perfectly...perfect. And it made everything feel so genuine and so real.
Pictures can do far more than any words I can say. I'll let them do the talking. We are so very blessed here at Be Like Brit, and we wish you all the best for a Happy New Year.
Yes, there was dancing!
The children all looked so beautiful in their new Sunday bests!
Christmas Day, just us Blan and the Timoun - perfect!
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Christmas Morning - Team Be Like Brit: Gilbert, Jonathan, Kristin, Gama, and Rosenie with the Timoun!
Giving our older toys to the children in the community who have nothing...
We asked the children to pick out one toy each that they would be willing to give to a child who didn't have any...they did so very generously. We had one child even cry when she handed her toy over. I asked her if she was sad to give away her toy. Her simple response was, "No. I'm crying because I made him so happy."
Oh so proud and oh so grown up looking in their suits!
Peterson looks like the Grinch!
Ornaments all over Be Like Brit!
Christmas Day performance!
So pretty!
More ornaments sent from friends back in the States.
Angry Santa? Haha!
Happy New Year. Here's to 2014 being even half as blessed as 2013. Our best to you and yours.
