“What a pity, was there nothing worth fighting for!”

 

“No one has ever made a contribution of any real worth without self sacrifice, personal suffering and sometimes even death... The Irish tell a story of a man who came to the gates of heaven and asked to be let in, St. Peter said "Of course just show us your scars", the man said " I have no scars", St. Peter said " What a pity, WAS THERE NOTHING WORTH FIGHTING FOR"

Martin Sheen addressed the 18,000 youth attending We Day Vancouver 2011

“My fondest wish for each and everyone of you young people here today is that you will find something in your life worth fighting for, because when you do you will have discover a way to unite the will of the spirit with the work of the flesh and all of humanity will have discovered fire for the second time”

It is my profound wish that the light from that fire ill illuminate your path to that place where the heart is without fear, the head is held high, where knowledge is free, where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls, where the words come out from the depths of truth, and tireless thriving stretches its arms towards perfection, where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way…. into that heaven of freedom, let us all awake!”

Watch the We Day Clip of Martin Sheen’s speech- INCREDIBLE! His words speech to elegantly to my passion, my drive and my inspiration to do what I do!

http://watch.ctv.ca/we-day-2010/vancouver/we-day-2010---vancouver/#clip360241

Something always brings me back to you, it never takes too long…

5 years ago this time I was preparing for my first trip to Haiti, this foreign island I didn’t know much about but that fascinated for me. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw, what I experienced and how it would change me.

I met friends that would last a lifetime, and mentors that continue to guide me in all of my important decisions.

5 years later, those same mentors will be guiding me as a I embark on a totally new journey Co-Leading a trip to Haiti!

This time I am a little bit more prepared, I know the island, I love the culture and I have a feel for the language. I am knowledgeable about Haiti’s complexities and I have an interest in its future but yet there are so many new things ahead of me…

Sharing “my” Haiti with a fresh new set of eyes! I am over the moon excited.

A mere 5 months away! Ayiti Cherie, M’ap Sonje Ou!

ABC Thankfuls

A- Abundance of just about everything in my life.

B- Brothers- I have been blessed with 5 little ones and they mean the world to me!

C- Committed Friends- friends protect the silver lining and make the good days even BETTER!

D- Dogs- Trouper, Byron and Pepsi all those little pups that show me unconditional love every time I make the trip home <3

E- Education- so often I grumble about the stress and trouble school  brought me  but I am incredibly thankful to have the opportunity to complete not only elementary school, no only high school but a university degree. Hundreds of students didn’t start school this September simply because they couldn’t afford it.

F- Food! So often I forget how incredibly lucky I am to eat what I do when I do,never have I had to worry about the supply of food or my nutrition. I continually challenge myself to be thankful everyday for its abundance!

G- Gatherings- of friends, family and soon to be friends, I am constantly surrounded by such awesome people who bring such light to my life :) Growth- everyday my life grows in a million different directions!

H- Haiti, its beauty, its culture, its resiliency and its strength and its babies

I- Ice cream- whoever invented lactose intolerance was crazy! Ice cream can heal any wound ;)

J- JRobert, Ti J and all of those beautiful Haitian babes who are on my mind EVERYDAY- on this beautiful thanksgiving eve I pray that someone gives them an extra squeeze and hug for me! A JOB- that challenges, and pushes me to new levels!

K-Kindness- simple- a smile, a hug, a caring ear!

L- Love- all kinds shown in all ways!

M- Mothers, I have two and both bring such a unique component to my life, I wouldn't be the person I am today without either one of them!

N- Nothing more beautiful than the fall colours and gorgeous tress. I LOVE FALL!

O-

P- Passion- I have found my passion and I continue to find fuel for that passion- so many go their entire life just going through the motions- I am thankful for direction.

Q-

R-Rayjon Sharecare- awareness, mentors, love, commitment

S- spaghetti and meatballs- my favourite meal! SOCCER- kicking a ball and running full speed is good for the soul!

T- Travel- a map on my wall marks where I have and where I wish to go someday soon- I crave the adventure, the culture and the thrill!

U- Unrelenting squeezes- I am a sucker for a good HUG!

V-

W- Water- so often we take it for granted, Wislande- my beautiful babe who brings me sunshine everyday from across the ocean!

X-Y-Zed- thats for all my American buddies! I love you all, even if you talk funny ;)

Leading the Way and I need YOUR help!

As you all know Haiti is a HUGE passion of mine, returning post quake I witnessed incredible disaster, I experienced resiliency first hand and grew in my personal committment to this beautiful, unfortunate country.

There is not a day that goes by that I am not thinking about those beautiful babies, everyday I speak to young people reliving my experiences striving to empower them to take action in their own community or within our communities throughout the world.


I have recently been granted the opportunity to lead a trip to Haiti through Rayjon Sharecare this coming March 2011. Rayjon is the charity that first lead me to Haiti 5 years ago. This opportunity is trully a dream come true, not only will I be able to share my love for this incredible country with a group of fresh eyes but I will be able to learn from two of my personal mentors and grow in my knowledge of Haiti and its complexities.

The purpose of this trip is AWARENESS, by showing trip participants Haiti, its beauty and its problems we hope to inspire the group to come home, share their story and evoke ACTION.

This trip will run approximately 10 days, we will be leading through Port Au Prince, the region hit hardest by the January 12th earthquake. We will also be visting the Kenscoff region in the mountains and the St. Marc area- the home of the Rayjon rural development project.


IT IS MY HOPE THAT I HAVE NOT NEXT EXHAUSTED BY SUPPORT NETWORK. Because Rayjon is a small grassroots charity all travel and expenses - even for trip leaders- come as a personal expense. AT THIS TIME I AM SEEKING MONETARY SUPPORT- PLEASE KNOW THAT ANY AND ALL DONATIONS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED. All donations are tax deductible, and the deadline of my submission is January 2011. Please know that if you are unable to make a monetary donation your love and support is always valued.


If you are interested in contributing please contact me at britt_berri@hotmail.com


I will be more than happy to update you in preparation and throughout the trip. Please help me make this dream a reality!


All the best in Haiti love,


Brittnei

Today like everyday….

Today like every day...

I miss the mountains and the island air

I miss the cuddles, the kisses and the smiling faces

I miss the laughter and the joking with the incredible nannies

I miss the familiarity and comfort of the walk down the mountain

I miss the friendships and the challenges

I miss the bumpy roads and the nightly sounds

I miss the messy faces and the dirty hands

 

I miss the random attacks and the crowded lap

I miss the simplicity of life and the regularity of laughter

I miss the humility and the gratitude

I miss the connection and wholeness I feel when I am doing what I was made for… when I am 100% in my element doing what I love.

I miss it all.

***The weather icon on my computer screen tonight tells me that Port Au Prince is suffering from thunderstorms tonight- as I sit in my comfy computer chair and contemplate bed I am thinking about all of those people sitting in makeshift tents tonight as the water seeps in coupled with dirt to make mud. As they contemplate sleep tonight they not only have to compete with the wetness and the dampness, they have to find hope, resiliency and determination to sustain them until the sun shines again. Please keep all of these people in your thoughts and prayers tonight, and be thankful for all that you have.

In the days and weeks to follow….

My heart aches, I sat in bed last night after an incredibly LONG and difficult day at work and I wept. I wept for the fact that I have been so busy these past couple weeks that I haven't properly “digested” my experiences in Haiti, I wept for my babies and how much I miss them- their smiles, their cuddles and just their presence. I wept for how quickly I can get thrown into the fast paced N. American life style- not having forgotten but having temporary displaced reality. It is so incredibly difficult, I am so in love with Haiti but also have a life here, it is simply impossible to have the best of both worlds.

Today as I go about my day I am thinking of W, E, JR, B and all those other babies who touched my heart so deeply during my stay. I hope and pray that someone hugs them today, that someone gives them a kiss and tells them how much everyone loves them, that all those volunteers at GLA right now grasp how incredibly lucky they are to be surrounded by all those angels (dirty diapers and all!).

It could be the exhaustion, it could be the confusion and frustration in a new job, but today I miss Haiti more and more.

Don't Cry Because Its Over, Smile Because It Happened

Wow it has been an emotional week, I am still struggling with being home- getting sucked into the fast paced North American culture with little time to just sit down, reflect and have some time to myself. I have surronded myself with family and friends but the hardest part is knowing that NO one knows what is in my heart and how much my heart is aching for those babies and those close friends I left behind in Haiti.
Yesterday I headed to Sarnia to be around some "Haiti" friends and I dont know if it was a good or bad decision. Although it was comforting to know that they are genuinely interested, they want to know what I saw and they are supportive during this transition- they were all eager to hear about everything I did and everything I experienced and I don't think I was ready to share... I havent had the time to gather my emotions and organize my thoughts.
Nevertheless, the Rayjon Youth Committee came together today and ran a successful fundraiser BBQ and raised some funds for our development projects- it was an amazing day weather wise and spirit wise! We had some great volunteers and I had some amazing company.
Tonight I will take time for myself, I hope to post some more pictures soon as I know many are eager to see :)
More soon!