Happy Easter Everyone!

I’m so happy to be back in Haiti for a month and spending the holiday here at Brit’s Home! Being here for Easter feels pretty special. This holiday is close to my heart since I grew up in a Catholic family with a very strong faith. I know that the Gengel family has a strong faith as well. Since the beginning of BLB, they have shared their values with the 66 children, and are raising the children as they did with Britney, Bernie, and Richie.

Faith is an enormous part of the people’s lives here in Haiti. Every Sunday, the streets are crowded with people walking to church. They are dressed to the nines; boys and men in suits and ties, and girls and women in dresses and heels. Sunday is a very important day to spend time with family and worship at church. But prayer and worship does not only happen on Sundays.

At Brit’s Home, we have worship every Tuesday and Thursday after dinner. This is a time for the children to sing songs they have learned at school or in church. About 4 or 5 children will stand in the front and lead the group, alone with Madame Carline and Mr. Woncico on piano. When we have Britsionary groups, they love to join in too. It is a great way to end the day!

Faith is also very present during mealtimes. Before each and every meal, our children take a minute to pray and thank God for the food they are about to eat. Since Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, many do not have the luxury to eat every day. At Brit’s Home, the children are able to eat 3 meals every single day. It is truly a blessing.

This past week has been eventful. The children had a week of school vacation so there was always an activity going on throughout the day! This past Friday was Good Friday, which I learned is a very important day in Haiti. I was told that Good Friday and Easter are two days that are just as big as Christmas.

I began Good Friday by going to the house blessing with the Britsionarys. As we drove down Brit’s Way, I noticed there were people everywhere. We soon realized that everyone was walking to church. They were starting the day off with prayer, like so many others around the world.

As we arrived at the house, I learned that the Britsionarys built a home for a mother and her 8 children. Yes, that’s right…8 children. That may seem like a big family, but it is the norm to have many children in your family in Haiti. Two minutes into the blessing, I could tell this family was special. The children were are all different ages and had completely different personalities, but one thing they all had in common was their wide, ear to ear smiles. During the blessing, everyone went around the circle to say something to the family, welcoming them to their new home. When it was the family’s turn to speak, one of the sons, who looked about 13 years old, said to us, “May God protect you. Thank you for helping my mom.” One of the sisters said “We will be praying for you.” It was powerful to hear those words and to know they had faith in God and in us.

At lunch time, the children and staff turned the tables into a large circle, and everyone prayed and ate together. It was a great way to start off the weekend.

This morning, Easter Sunday, I was anxious to start the day. I knew that it was going to be a great day. As I got ready I could hear the girls next door singing and getting ready as well. When I opened my door, I was greeted by a few of the youngest girls who were playing in the hall. They were all dressed up in their Sunday best and immediately asked me to take a picture of them. I grabbed my camera and snapped a few photos. A few minutes later, 2 of the older girls, Venitte and Germanie joined in and asked for a photo. I was happy to take them and they all looked so beautiful. I could tell everyone just had their hair done too.

While the children were at church, I worked on hiding a bunch of plastic eggs around Brit’s Home. When they came home a few hours later, there were shouts of joy and excitement. Everyone changed out of their Sunday best and met at the dining room area. A few moments later, everyone rushed outside to search for eggs. I couldn’t stop smiling watching the staff and children run around! It brought back many memories from my childhood. Spending a few hours hiding the eggs in the sweltering heat was definitely worth it. Helping little Shilove get an egg from somewhere she couldn’t reach, Andreline asking for my advice on where to look, everyone running by me with smiles from ear to ear. It made my heart so happy. I’m so glad they enjoyed it! I think they’ll remember this Easter for years to come. I certainly won’t forget it!

As the day comes to an end, I feel very thankful and grateful to be part of the Be Like Brit family. They have taught me so much about Faith, Hope, and Love!

-Danielle