Hi, I'm Brittany and God has called me to Haiti.
I'll be honest- I'm freaking out. Don't get me wrong, I've wanted to do this for three years. But packing up my life, leaving my family and friends... it's a little overwhelming. Or a lot overwhelming, depending on the day. Let me back up and explain.
My heart for Haiti was first developed in 2010 when God sent me on my first mission trip ever. I went with my high school youth group to Northwest Haiti Christian Mission over spring break my senior year of high school. What I saw there changed my life forever. Children living in complete and absolute poverty, in huts with dirt floors and straw walls and, if they're lucky, tin roofs. Yet, these people never stopped smiling and waving at us 'blancs', or white people. I was amazed by their hospitality and willingness to open their doors to complete strangers. In a world where we send the dog out when we see people walking around sharing their faith, it was stunning to me that in Haiti, they would make sure everyone had a plastic white chair to sit in before allowing us to begin sharing with them. That was just the beginning.
When I returned back to America, I knew I would see Haiti again. It made a permanent impact on my heart. During the middle of my freshman year of college, I decided that I would like to return to Haiti for a longer period of time. That summer, God allowed me to spend a month in the city of Chambrun. He broke me down even more this time. I wondered why I was born into a country like America while there were people suffering every day in Haiti? Why was I allowed to have a family who loved me, a solid education, material things that I took for granted? During this month, God worked in my heart and called me to become His hands and feet. When I came back to America, I told my mom- I'm going to teach in Haiti someday.
Turns out, someday came three years later. It was during a sermon at church in which I realized that God was calling me back to the country I had been yearning for. God spoke to me, telling me this was the perfect opportunity for me to serve Him in Haiti. I was young, I was single, and most importantly this was where He wanted me. After much prayer and thought, and several conversations with my Bible study leader, I finally said yes to the Lord's call. I would teach in Haiti. Now, for finding a school. I had always wanted to teach Haitian students instead of American children of missionary families. My amazing Bible Study Leader, Brittany Norris, was helping me look up schools and found the perfect one for me- Christian Light Schools.
I applied at the beginning of June and received an acceptance letter at the beginning of July! Holy. Moly. I cannot believe it. I am going to be a teacher in Haiti! God has blessed me beyond belief by allowing this dream to come true! I now realize the answer to my questions I raised in the previous paragraphs. I was blessed to live in America and have parents who love me, and have material things because God wanted me to use those blessings to bless others who are in need. I cannot wait to begin my adventure in Haiti!
So, now what?
That, my friend, is an excellent question. I'm still trying to figure that out myself. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions:
1. What will you be doing?
I will be teaching reading to the students that attend Christian Light Schools in Port-au-Prince Haiti. Here's their website-Christian Light . For the younger students, I will be working on phonics and word recognition, and with the older students I will work on reading comprehension. I will not have my own classroom, rather I will come into the classrooms of the other teachers, Haitian and American alike, and co-teach. I will take a group of students and teach reading in English, while the other teacher continues on in their regular lesson. At school, the Haitian children will learn in both English and French. They are taught both American and Haitian curriculum, and receive 30 minutes of Bible study daily.
2. Where will you live?
We're still trying to figure that out. I know I have a roommate, her name is Ashleigh. You can check out her blog here- Ashleigh's Blog. There are two other women I'll probably be living with, their names are Cathy and Tammy. We have two options for living in Haiti. We can live above the children's home in a dorm style room. Ashleigh and I would share a room and be connected by a bathroom to Tammy and Cathy's room. The other option is to get a 3 bedroom apartment three blocks away from the school. We would have our own living room and kitchen there. I'm still not sure which option we'll choose yet.
3. Are you getting paid?
Nope!
4. What, you're not getting paid?? How are you supporting yourself down there then?
I am asking my friends and family to help me. I need to raise about $9,000- $10,000 to live in Haiti for the year. This covers my room and board, food, transportation, and medical expenses. I'm asking you to please prayerfully consider becoming my partner and supporting me with monthly payments of $25, $50, or $100. Of course, I would gladly accept ANY amount that you feel led to give. This could mean one lump sum right now, smaller monthly payments, or if God has blessed you financially this year and you would like to donate more than $100 a month, that's great too! If you can't donate right now, don't stress! Donations can be made at any point throughout the year that I'm there. Please know that this money is going to support me, but this is not about me. It's about God. By partnering with me, you're taking part in sending the Gospel to Haiti. Children will hear about and experience the love of God that they might not have ever seen or felt before.
5. I want to donate- how can I? Is it tax deductible?
Thank you, friend! To donate, follow this link- Donate Now! At the bottom of the page are the instructions for donating. Also, on the right side of my blog is a link that will take you to the donation page as well. The school has set up a PayPal account for people to donate. If you donate using PayPal, it is important to let them know that you are donating specifically for me. This will make sure your money is getting to the right place. Just click the PayPal button and on the second page of the process, it will ask you to 'please provide any special instructions'. Please, please, please remember to designate your donation to me- Brittany Gilbreath. If you don't want to donate online, you could also make a check payable to Christian Light School, Inc with a note that says it should go towards Gilbreath support. Please don't forget this! It is the only way to make sure your money goes directly to me. You can mail the check to:
Christian Light School, Inc.
PO Box 2190
St. Augustine, FL
32085-2190
And guess what? When you donate through Christian Light Schools, Inc. it's all tax deductible! Yay!
6. Is Haiti safe?
Haiti is safe as long as you're safe. I like to relate it to New York City. Pretend you are a young female. You wouldn't go walking down roads in parts of the city you've never been. You wouldn't ride the subway alone. You wouldn't flash everyone your stash of money before putting it away. It's the same thing in Haiti. There are dangerous parts in Haiti but if you're smart, you can avoid them and keep yourself safe.
There are some other, more unpredictable events that I really have no control over and just have to trust my safety to God. Think things having to do with nature. There is a chance, being in the middle of the ocean, of a hurricane hitting Haiti. But, a hurricane hit New York City a few years ago.... there's no way to predict an event like that. I prefer to acknowledge that things like this might happen, but I don't dwell on them. God protects me daily in America, I know He will do the same in Haiti.
7. Do you know anyone down there?
Nope! I'm going down there blind. I have skyped with the director of the school, Sherrie Fausey. I've talked a few times to my roommate Ashleigh, but I have never met either of these women in person. As you can imagine, I'm pretty nervous about this. Please be in prayer for me and for the other missionaries that are living in Port-au-Prince. Pray that we will work together well and be able to successfully teach the students the curriculum, but even more so about the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Okay, I think that's it for now! Shew! That was a lot to type! Thanks for making it through all the way to the end! I hope I answered the majority of the questions that you might have. If you have more, please ask in the comment section; I would be more than happy to answer them! I am so blessed to have people like you in my life to encourage me and pray for me on this journey. I plan on updating this blog as much as I can while I'm in Haiti. Follow my every update by clicking on the link on the right :)
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.... You are serving the Lord Christ." ~ Colossians 3:23-24
