Team Road Rage was a beautiful combination of a few first time Britsionarys, a few returnees, and a few familiar faces in the BLB Family. Our team name was born on the drive to Grand Goave, when one team member (who will remain nameless) told a story of an unexpected outburst he had while driving. This hilarious story mixed with the drive to Brit’s Home set the tone for the fabulous week we experienced.

On Sunday we met Madame Anole, who lives in a small neighborhood in downtown Grand Goave. We caught her while she was sweeping the ground where her new home would be. She hugged and kissed us all and was speaking so fast Francky had to ask her to slow down so he could translate for us. She waved her hands in the air while looking at the sky praising God for answering her prayers. What a powerful way to start off the week, right?

Our team was small in size, only 10 of us all together. But the cooperation and work ethic from every single member made construction as smooth as possible. Most days we finished working in record breaking time. From the assembly lines with buckets of concrete to the moral support while bending nails over and over again, I am beyond thankful for this teams’ motivation.

Along with building a house this week our team was lucky enough to work on unloading the container that finally arrived at BLB! Countless hours, more assembly lines, and lots of sweat went into this project. Thanks to the amazing staff and volunteers in Worcester and Haiti, the community of Grand Goave will receive food, clothing, toiletries, and more in the coming week!

The children at Brit’s Home are still enjoying their summer vacation, which allowed the Britsionarys to join them in lots of activities. We participated in their English classes (some of us even got to teach a lesson or two) and witnessed both an English spelling bee and a French reading competition. From worship services and basketball, to craft making and dance lessons, we were so fortunate to spend as much quality time with the children as we did.

What made the children most excited this week was a visit from Papi Len and Bernie! As soon as their truck came up the hill the children started running out the fronts doors to meet them in the driveway. It was a special treat to have them both in Haiti, not only for the children but for our team. They added to our already hilarious dynamic and joined in on our excursions and activites whenever they could.

As the week came to an end we finished the house and handed the keys over to Madame Anole. Father John Madden said a beautiful prayer to welcome her into her new space, and a few of us were teary eyed when Madame asked if she could sing us a song before unlocking her new door. She sang with all of her heart to thank Jesus for what he has done in her life. And to top it off she hugged each one of us saying “I love you, thank you” in English.

Thanks to Team Road Rage another member of the Grand Goave community can sleep with a secure roof over her head. They brought plenty of love, laughter, and heart into Haiti, and I am thankful I was there to witness it.