Bon Fet Noel!

Here is an update from our new place!

I ended up renting the place that I blogged about over a year ago.  I am renting the main floor of the house.  There is enough room that I can can start my carpentry shop inside!  I have to make some cabinets for the bathroom and completely build out the kitchen, all stuff that I can do and I enjoy doing.

Today I am waiting for a "boss" to finish a couple of things - sink in the bathroom and rewire a couple of outlets.  When this place is finished, it will be top notch.  It has power (when the rest of the town has power), it has a reservoir on the roof for the modern bathroom (shower, sink and flush toilet), it is on a paved road and it has a big back yard.

This will be the kitchen area

This is the dining area, I will build a raised floor over the well head.

This is the front of the house that faces Route Basin (the road to the new hospital)

This is looking to the back door, my shop area.

This will be our home for the next year at least while we look for land to build on.  As you walk in the front door, everything in on your left.  Dining area, kitchen, bathroom, master bedroom, second bedroom.  The right side is completely open from the front to the back and is around 18 feet wide.  The majority of this space will be my carpentry shop and the back bedroom will be my office and work area for repairing computers and other electronic projects.

24 Desanm

The 24th of December is when the Haitians celebrate Christmas.  All of the streets are cleaned up, yards are organized, lots of food is prepared.  This evening just before sunset, the festivities will begin.  Some people call this a night of no sleep.  The parties will be going well into the morning at most houses.

Family news

Victoria is so much fun.  She is starting to talk and she speaks a mixture of Creole and English.  She loves animals, she misses the kitten from the other house...but she has a new friend for now.  We are watching the Brooks' new puppy until they get back in January.  They got a female Rott.  Ruthcher's pregnancy is going well, she is 7 months now and everything appears to be normal with her.  Hoping for a February delivery.

All dressed up for church!

People watching and playing her little piano at the new house.

Victoria playing with the new puppy

Tile Project

I took on what I thought was going to be a quick project at Jan Thompson's orphanage.  We were to remove all the old tile and replace it with something pretty and pink, pink toilet and rebuild some closets.  Tile is very difficult to remove from a concrete block wall, plumbing fixtures don't work the same with gravity pressure as opposed to pressure from city water, trips to get plumbing supplies involve three or four different stores, thin set does not go very far on a rough surface - and it is only available in Port!  All of those problems, but we managed to get the tile done and Jean Philippe is working on the closets as we speak!

Jean Philippe removing the old tile

The old white toilet

Removing the old fixture involves a demolition hammer!

Starting up the wall with the new tile

And a pretty border tile on top

Nearly finished with the tile

Installing the pink toilet!

My investment

I would not ask my friends and family to do anything that I was not willing to do myself.  I have decided to invest in myself here as much as I can - I am going to sell my house in the US.  I would like to get a vehicle with four wheels for our growing family, I would like to purchase a generator so that my carpentry shop can still function at times like right now (running on batteries) and I would like to have a decent down payment for the land we will buy.  I am "All in" on this project and I am asking for your help as well.  The not profit corporation "Tools for Success," has been formed and it has federal 501(c)3 status.  Small monthly donations or one time contributions of money are appreciated.  

We can also receive supplies for a short time.  We have a shipping container in Council Bluffs that we will ship down here when it gets full.  Medical supplies, school supplies, books...some ideas.  Contact me if you have any questions about that - blueteamleader@gmail.com.  We are not looking for someone to go out and buy things for the container that are available for purchase here.  It makes more sense to invest in Gonaives with that money.  If you would like your money to do something specific, don't hesitate to let me know.

Thanks for reading this and following our lives.  Have a Merry Christmas and may God bless you and your families!

Scott, Ruthcher and Victoria.

Good news and bad news - C'est la vie!

Feels like home again

We have been back for nearly two months and I definitely feel like I am home again.  I have been reconnecting with friends, students and businesses.  I think people are actually glad to see that we came back!  Hardware stores, food vendors, the lady I go to for diapers...it was great to be able to tell everyone that I'm back.

While we are still in transition (living at Kathy and Beaver's house), my wife and her aunt prepare the lunchtime meals at my mother in law's house.  It is a work in progress...I think that the earliest we have had lunch was around 2:30...I am lucky if it is before 3!

Victoria!

Man, I love being a dad.  This little girl can make me smile at any time.  She is nearly 15 months old now.  Walking around everywhere - falling less, playing with the kitten, giving kisses, working on a couple of words (banana and cracker), four teeth and loves to ride the motorcycle!

On our way to church!

Taking a van to L'estere

The babies playing together

Time for the lesson!

Projects

I have a bathroom to remodel at Jan's orphanage, that should start this week.  Replace all the tile, toilet and shower, then build a wardrobe in there for all of the clothes.  This bathroom is for the pastor and his wife that live at the orphanage...and it is a birthday present for Carline (the wife).  I also have a bid on all of the cabinets for a medical clinic.  I am pretty overwhelmed with the scope of this...and I don't have my shop yet...praying for a solution!

Good News

I have finally been granted 501(c)3 status for "Tools for Success."  I hope this will help with raising the funds necessary to do what I do down here...and to do the things I plan on doing!  My wonderful sister Renee Spicka has set up a non profit corporation in Nebraska to handle the finances of my mission down here.  The scope of what I am trying to do here could be called "Business as a Mission."  The idea is to teach a trade along with business basics and then unleash an entrepreneur on the city!  The federal non profit status will help with donated items also.

Information about Tools for Success can be found at the new website for Tools for Success at www.toolsforsuccesshaiti.com!  The website still needs a little fine tuning, but if I waited for it to be perfect, it would never go live.  Financial donations can be made there, checks can be mailed to:

Tools for Success
21025 Roundup Road
Elkhorn, NE 68022

Donations of Stuff

I would generally like to buy whatever I can here in Haiti.  If it is available here, I would be helping the local economy when I buy it from the guy down the street.  Some stuff is not available or is extremely expensive.  Some stuff people just have and want to donate.  What I want to avoid is people going out and buying stuff for me to ship here that I can purchase on the street.

Container that will be shipped down here when it fills up

But.....I do have a container sitting in Council Bluffs that is around half full.  I have some tools for my workshop, some stuff for my house and lots of books, school supplies and clothes.  I am still looking for some things, send me an email if you are interested.  blueteamleader@gmail.com

Bad News

Kathy and Beaver Brooks have decided that "Tools for Success" does not fit in with the master plan for "Market Place Gonaives" and they have rescinded their offer of a small parcel of land on the back of the Market Place property.  I have lived in Haiti long enough to understand that plans change...sometimes in an instant!  I have been looking at some land over the last few days and I think we have found a place that will work in an area that much of my wife's extended family lives.  I believe that we can stay in our current location long enough to get something built on the new land.  I still hope to work with Kathy and Beaver in the future, but it will not be the same without the proximity that we would have had.

I thank all of you that read these updates of ours and I appreciate any kind of support that you can give us.  Pray for us and our dreams, write to us and let us know that you are along for the ride, support us financially with a small monthly contribution.  Donations are tax deductible as Tools for Success is now recognized as a 501(c)3.

Thank you so much,

Scott, Ruthcher and Victoria

Settling back in...for now!

Well, we made it back to Gonaives safely on September 11th.  We flew from Omaha to Atlanta to Port au prince on the 10th, spent the night at CJ's Guest House and rode back to Gonaives with Beaver Brooks the next morning.

This is how she traveled between gates in Atlanta!

We arrived to my room full of stuff!  Before we left, I was cranking out lots of carpentry projects from my front yard workshop.  I was squatting in several rooms for lumber supply, tool storage, finished products and the like.  I managed to clear out all of the areas and put it all in my room during our stay in the US.  Even my scrap lumber and my motorcycle!

While I was gone, Second Story Goods has blossomed.  They are using lots of the space that I had been using and making amazing things.  Sad to lose my space, but happy for the growth in Kathy's business!

On our way back to Gonaives, Ruthcher surprised her father at work in St. Marc.  He knew we were coming back some time in September, but she never told anyone the exact date!  After we got to Gonaives, we did the rounds surprising all of her family members the first night.

Victoria - loving the climate and happy as can be!

I bought some potential hammock stands.  Now I wait!

 Market Place Gonaives

The dream project of Beaver and Kathy Brooks is finally making progress that you can see!  They closed on the property and the security walls were started a couple of weeks ago.  As soon as the security walls are complete, work on the existing structures can start.  For more information about the Marked Place, follow this link - MPG.  One very exciting thing about this project is that I am going to lease the back corner for my carpentry shop, carpentry school and my house!  Tools for Success has a home.

Wall going up behind the Market Place Gonaives

The man - Beaver Brooks - in the back corner of the property

My next step is to raise some money to build the structures necessary for Tools for Success to work.  I am putting together a web based fundraiser and I will be asking my friends and family to find a way to support this project.  I will need money for construction materials, labor, tools and infrastructure.

I believe that much like the Market Place idea, once the foundation is in place, Tools for Success will be able to support itself through classes and contracts.

Thanks again for following me...I will have another update very soon!  That will be when I invite you to the launch of the Tools for Success website!

Ready, Set...GO!!!

We have everything in place to be able to return to Haiti.  My wife's green card finally arrived, thanks to the help from Christian at Brad Ashford's office.  We used the green card to secure all of the other legal documents we need...social security, state ID, library card!  Now my wife can come and go without much hassle.

She speaks English!

During the time we have been back, my wife has completed three sessions of English as a Second Language (ESL) at Metropolitan Technical Community College.  My friends that saw us in December and again lately can attest to her awesome grasp of the language.  Every Saturday, 9 to 1...she went to class, and Victoria and I would hang out in the lobby.

Container is Here!

I did manage to get a container and it is sitting on the ground in Council Bluffs - a few miles from my parent's house, but a great location - secure and right off the interstate.  I have already started filling it with my tools and other stuff from home, donated tools, clothes, shoes, school supplies, even some appliances for our house!  I am still looking for donations to fill it up.  Kids clothes and shoes (used is OK!)  New socks and underwear for boys and girls - this stuff would most likely go to Jan's orphanage, Christopher's Hope.  Any other clothes and shoes in decent condition would be accepted as well - if we can't wear them, my wife and her cousins will sell them - a method of support for us.  I am also still looking for school supplies like paper, pencils, pens, erasers, notebooks and books to read.  For our house, we could still use a chest freezer, microwave and rugs.  For my carpentry school, I would still accept hand tools and power tools as well.  I have a pretty good collection, but if you have something sitting around that you could get rid of, I'll take it while I can.

Since I am leaving soon, donations will have to be routed through friends and family, so get a hold of me at my email - blueteamleader@gmail.com and we will set something up.  I will need a lot of help paying for the container to get to Haiti when the time comes, so please consider a special donation for that as well!

Haitian American Drums

I got a chance to build some of my Cajones here.  I think I built 14 or so while I was back.  I was able to get a logo created and a branding iron purchased, so now everything that I build in Haiti will be marked with my new carpentry business name.  Bon Bagay Chapant.  In Creole, if you see something cool, something unique, something you like...you say "Bon Bagay,"  That translates to "Good Stuff."  So my new business name will be Good Stuff Carpentry!

What will we miss?

My wife is ready to go back, she misses her family and friends - we have been here for nearly ten months!  But we will miss all of the food options.  There are so many restaurants with such variety of foods here in Omaha.  I like Haitian food, but it is not "on demand" like it is here.  If I am hungry at two in the afternoon, I will have to make something for myself because all of the vendors are finished serving lunch...if they do have something, it was cooked a couple of hours ago and has been sitting in the island sun since then!

I will miss the availability of tools and supplies - a quick trip to Home Depot or Menards and I can grab nearly any tool or building material that I want.

We will miss family and friends.  We have had a great time living with my parents.  We have spent some time with friends.  I have had many good work experiences here doing little side jobs like tile and countertops and working with a general contractor on some small commercial projects.  Good experience all around to take back with me.

I won't miss the driving everywhere and the schedules.  I will be on my motorcycle soon and I will be on Island time.  Ready to slow down just a little...things down there happen when they happen, not on somebody's schedule.  I miss that a lot.


Oh yea, she is walking!

So our little girl was three months old when we arrived.  She is now a  year and a month and she is walking around everywhere...and pretty proud of herself for doing so!  She has a couple of teeth on the bottom and she is not really talking yet, but I think that will come soon enough.  I love being a dad, she can bring a smile to my face any time day or night!

At our going away party last weekend, we made up some plantain and pikliz...no charcoal here!  Borrowed a turkey fryer from a friend and make quick and clean work of frying them up.

Thanks for taking the time to check up on how we are doing.  The next blog will be from Haiti...and I promise it will not be very long before I write again!

If you would like to help support my efforts in Haiti, please consider a monthly or a one time contribution.  The buttons are at the top of this page.

Scott, Ruthcher and Victoria

Homesick from Home

For the last six months, and for my first 37 years, Nebraska has been my home.  From October of 2011 until November of 2014, Haiti has been my home.  I love being here and spending time with my family.  I love the opportunities that exist here for making a buck.  I appreciate the experiences that I am getting through school and work...But...I miss Haiti!

We are still waiting on some paperwork for my wife.  If you think that the DMV can be a little difficult now and then...try working through an immigration case!  I have been and I still am patient and understanding.  The person I speak with on the phone is not necessarily an incompetent fool, they just have an incomprehensible system to work within.

My wife is just finishing her second quarter taking English as a second language classes at Metro Community College.  I am very proud of her for that.  She loves to go to class and she studies during the week.  Her English is so great compared to when she arrived in Omaha (when it was seven degrees) at the end of November.

I can't wait to share my new skills with my friends in Haiti.  I just finished a class myself at Metro for repairing window air conditioners and refrigerators.  I have the tools and the knowledge to make the classrooms at "Pursuit of Happiness English Institute" nice and cool!  I also gained some experience setting tile.  I kind of knew how to do it, but I got a lot of practice over the last few months.  And for the last month or so, I have been working with a general contractor.  His knowledge and experience has been filling many gaps that I have had in general construction techniques.

First shower that I did when I got back

Record display stand I built for my friend Steve

Some tile work that I helped with

I helped build this!

My latest shower

Tuned up my friend's garage wall for him!

All of these skills will be put to work as soon as I hit the ground.  I have several beds to build for a friend in Port au Prince, (That's you Jim!)  I believe that some more benches are needed out in Myan, Jan Thompson is going to get to see my tile skills when we remodel the Pastor's bathroom at Christopher's Hope.  And then there is my place!  I will start construction on a place to live and a place to work alongside Much Ministries on the property of Market Place Gonaives.

We are making preparations for departure.  I am looking for a shipping container and chassis to buy.  I will park it at a friend's business in the Omaha area until it is full, then I will have it shipped to us down there.  I always have my eyes open for things that we will need eventually down there.  Used laptops for the IT classes, tools for the carpentry classes, materials and tools for other ventures as well.  We will also probably look to put some appliances and other things for our home on there too.

Please pray that all goes well for us regarding our return home to Haiti.  Many people down there miss us...my wife's family, our friends from America that live there, even the lady that sells me my fried pork has been asking about us!

Thanks for reading.

Scott

Living in Nebraska (for now)

That's right!  We are in Nebraska!

After finally crushing all of the obstacles in our path, we arrived in Nebraska on November 30, late at night.  Our final obstacle put us a day late, but we are here.  It was kind of funny seeing my wife's reaction to seeing her breath on the jetway...I think it was 2 degrees that night in Omaha.

My wife and baby ready to brave the elements!

We have been so very busy with life here, I have neglected my blog responsibilities...I know you all want to know how things are going.  I am in contact with many of my Omaha friends, but there are those of you who are not in "the loop."

Weather

My wife has never experienced temperatures below 65 degrees...seeing her breath on the jetway was just the first rude thing mother nature threw at her.  She got to experience a typical Nebraska winter...not a lot of snow this year, but we did have our cold spells.  There were stretches of time when she would rather not leave the house, she even spent some time indoors with her hat and gloves on!

Food

Thanks to Beaver Brooks, we already knew that she would like Mexican food.  Chinese - No, Italian - OK, Runza - YES, American - Yes.  Besides Runza, she is a big fan of Chik-fil-a.  She has cooked some Haitian meals at the house, my nieces and nephews are big fans of Haitian Spaghetti.  We have found some produce that she is familiar with at an Indian grocery.

All of our stuff an what we spend money on

My wife was not only surprised by the number of cars on the road, but also by the number of cars for sale everywhere.  For those of you in Omaha, imagine her surprise as we drive from 204 and Dodge to the east.  There are thousands of cars in many dealerships in a two mile stretch.  I took my wife to Goodwill and she was like a kid in a candy store...I told her that she could get as many of the weekly special one dollar items that she wanted.  The next day, we went to Sheels and looked at some of the clothes there...I was happy when she told me that the clothes there were too expensive.  She told me how many pairs of jeans she could get for the price of one sport top there!

Victoria!

Our daughter is now 8 months old and she is doing great!  Omaha has a good health care option through One World Clinics.  We have gone for vaccinations and checkups and we have one healthy baby!  She is sitting up and making lots of fun sounds...no teeth yet and not quite crawling.  We have been blessed by so many friends and family members with toys, chairs and clothes.

Me?

I have been doing some "side work" for friends and family to keep busy.  Setting tile, painting, carpentry, and other odd jobs.  I have also been building some of my drums stateside as well...right now I am actually behind on production.  I would like to do some fundraising soon too.  I am looking to raise money for the construction of my carpentry shop and school.

The Carpentry Shop and School

As many of you know, I have been very successful with my accidental carpentry business.  It started when I was trying to help an orphanage find a source for beds.  I ended up making the beds with a Haitian carpenter friend of mine, Jean Philippe.  The quality product started to sell itself and word soon got out that I was a decent carpenter.  My product line now includes beds, desks, benches, tables, drums and storage boxes.  With no shop, showroom, inventory or marketing - I am busier than I can handle.  I want to capitalize on this success by making it grow.

Some of my product line

With a building, I can actually have some people working with me every day.  I can build up some inventory of my commonly sold products and have a showroom for some of my more unique work.  Also, with a place of my own, I will be able to hold workshops on specific projects.  For example, I would have a stool workshop where the students would work and learn for two weeks about shop safety, general carpentry knowledge and some practical experience.  Their class fee would cover the cost of the finished product as well...they keep what they build.

I see this quickly moving to other disciplines.  Like I have said before, I have a lot of experience in many fields that I would like to share.  Electricity, Plumbing, Computer Skills, Painting, Tile...etc.

If you would like an email reminder when I post a blog, please send me an email at blueteamleader@gmail.com or post a comment to this blog with your email address.  I send out a quick email whenever I finish a blog with a link, just to give you a heads up that I have an update.

Also, if you would like to help me with this dream of a carpentry school and workshop, please use the donate buttons on the top right of this page.  The donations go to "Tools for Success" a Nebraska corporation.  I am working on the 501(c)3 status for it right now, but it does not yet have federally recognized nonprofit status.

I am also working on getting a shipping container for physical donations.  When I have that in place, I will let you know the kinds of things that we can put in there to ship down to Haiti.

Thanks for following my adventure,

God Bless You,

Scott, Ruthcher and Victoria.