The group was scheduled to arrive mid-day on Sunday last week. Our vehicle and driver, along with our security and interpreters sat and waited at the airport for the group. And they sat...and they sat...and they sat. Our group was held up with what we were told was mechanical problems in Miami. With the security issues and the policies we have in place around groups traveling in to Port-au-Prince at night, our USA Director Kristin was finally able to get the airline to move the group to a flight the following day. Complete with comped hotel rooms and food vouchers! (Nice job, Kristin!)
While waiting for the shuttle to get to the airport (a shuttle which would never come), Kristin decided to embrace our mantra of "It's Haiti" - even though it wasn't Haiti - it was Miami. In a moment of team building brilliance, Kristin paired the group members up and gave them their first challenge: Get us a ride to the hotel! In true Britsionary fashion, one group member eventually flagged down a tour bus at the airport and successfully negotiated a ride for the group! If that's not embracing the notion of being flexible and going with the flow, I don't know what is! At any rate, it is for this reason that the team would be called "Team Amazing Race" (though certainly not the only reason!)
We know that most times, group members really bond with each other during their mornings when they are working at building a home for a family. Those are experiences which I don't participate in, but am fortunate enough to hear about when the groups reflect each evening. I know that this Team Amazing Race has built lasting bonds with each other -- and strengthened existing relationships. We love seeing mother/daughter teams, sisters, cousins - and friends all come together for what is almost always a very rewarding yet very humbling experience!
As we roll through summer, nearing the end of July already, we're keeping the children busy! For two continuous weeks now, we've brought a group of approximately 15 children to the nearby beach to get the children to learn to love the water, to get acclimated, and to ultimately learn how to swim! It's great fun for both the children and our Britsionary members to spend some time in the sand and water each afternoon. It's been great fun learning which of our children already knew how to swim, and even more moving is the trusting relationships that develop between the children and the adults who are with them in the water. Every child has an adult assigned to them, and between life jackets and water wings, inner tubes and boogie boards, we're well covered in the flotation device department! It's a beautiful place to spend an afternoon, too!
Janice and Mackenson seem to be enjoying the water!
Jane and Marie Cassandre are happy, too!
Yes, we do take the safety and security of our Britsionarys and children very seriously. Understandably, having lost their daughter in Haiti, Len and Cherylann are more than vigilant when it comes to taking all of the measures necessary to keep everyone free from any potential harm or mishap. From the earthquake proof design of the building, to the security who accompanies us all to our work sites and our outings - and yes, even those life jackets (though Marie Cassandre above swims like a fish, having grown up by the water!) we do all that we can. We were reminded of some of those concerns and why we take the precautions we take this past week, when a group from the U.S. Embassy in Port came out to Grand-Goave for a Town Hall meeting.
Linda and Annie from the Consular Services Division of the Embassy came out to Grand-Goave, an event hosted graciously by Pastor Lex and Renee (who, I'm convinced, is the ultimate party host and cook!) Among the standard issues discussed, there were issues of security brought up. While the kidnapping rate in Port has almost fallen away to zero, there are still random crimes targeting people based on appearance, or assumptions of wealth.
While we know some prefer not to discuss the insecurities which exist, the reality is that they are present. Just as they are in any major city in any country anywhere in the world. We at Be Like Brit were happy to learn that of all the recommendations handed out by the Embassy, we had long been following them as standard procedure and protocols. In some instances, our own policies are more rigid and more rigorous than what even the Embassy recommends. That gives us a sense of comfort and reassurance. Indeed, their is peace in strength.
Rest assured: Each of our groups travels with an armed Haiti National Police officer. Our property is secured with walls and with armed, 24/7 security guards from a professional company run by a retired American armed forces veteran. A satellite phone on site is tested weekly with calls to the States to be sure that in the event of any kind of communications failure, we at Be Like Brit are in the best position possible to respond.
We know not everyone likes the idea of having armed security guards at an orphanage. I think it's fair to say that most of us would prefer a world where United Nations officers don't have to carry their weapons when going to visit an orphanage, a church, or a school - but they do. They do, and so we recognize that as a reality and we accept it. We post those photos and tell those stories not to frighten or deter anyone from coming to Haiti. As Linda from the Embassy said, for every one incident with a foreigner arriving in Port, thousands enter daily without incident. But we post those stories and photos because they are the reality here on the ground.
While the presence of UN Troops with their automatic weapons draped over their shoulders might be unsettling to our followers back in the States, it is a part of daily life here. It is a presence which has been in many ways internalized and normalized. Our children are not frightened by their presence, nor are our guests. Unfortunately, in a nation like Haiti, and in nations all over the world where fragile governments or disasters and conflict give rise to civil or political unrest, we must persevere - and that, we do. Personally, I feel much more reassured knowing the name and personal cell phone numbers for the UN Majors in our area, whom I know I could call on in a situation of urgency, rather than just feel frightened and uneasy around the weapons they carry on their backs.
That's why we are so blessed to have such a full Britsionary schedule. People willingly take the time out of their own lives to come to a new, unfamiliar place - not quite knowing what to expect. We've never once felt compromised in terms of our safety here, and I don't think you will find a Britsionary who has.
It speaks to our Mission Statement so well, I think. We've definitely created a safe place for children to grown, learn, and thrive. And that, without question, is what they are doing!
With Amanda on board full-time in Haiti, I will be headed out of Haiti in mid-August to take a month off. While I know I will miss the children greatly, I also recognize the value in some recuperative and a bit more extended time of rest and relaxation. We are hard at work getting her ready for the tasks at hand, and we know the children will be in great hands for my month in the States! I am excited to meet my 1 year old nephew for the first time and visit my sisters, nieces and nephews for the first time in years!
Thank you for helping us help the children of Haiti at Be Like Brit!
