Back with Mom and Dad for a bit!
On the fourth of July, I was feeling a little homesick and my wife noticed. We talked about it for a while and she suggested that I take a trip and see my family and friends in the US. Her visa is expired, so she can't currently travel to the US. This was a very generous gesture that she made.
I packed a few things, grabbed Abby and Victoria and we headed to Omaha! Our daughters have US passports, so getting them out of Haiti and into the US was a breeze. The travel was not too bad either. On July 12, we left Gonaives around 10am, drove to Port au Prince as a family and said our good byes at the airport. I put Abby in a front pack and Victoria used my rolling laptop bag as her stroller. They did well in the airplanes, immigration and customs at Atlanta is a piece of cake. We arrived in Omaha at 11pm. My father met us in the airport.
Before we left, I was starting to lose sight of my mission through the daily routine of life. I now have a family to support and care for. My obligations to my immediate and extended family were overwhelming me and I was just trying to survive. I really needed this time to focus on my goals and make a plan for them to happen.
For those of you who have followed me from the start, you saw what I can do! Our English language institute was something amazing. Chris and I started the school with the help of Valmy. We grew it from afternoon only in some rented classrooms to having classes at all times of the day in a building that was ours to use. I taught for nearly three years. The school was great for me because I was constantly surrounded by people that were striving to improve themselves through education. They all wanted to be there and they wanted my knowledge.
I am in a position now where it feels like I am surrounded by people that don't have the same motivation for self improvement...I need to change that and get back to being around high achievers.
I believe I can get back to that through a carpentry school. I have been supplementing my donated income with small carpentry contracts. If you look back on the past posts, you will see that I have built beds, school furniture, beautiful cabinets and even drums! I am constantly approached by people that want to learn to build like I do. They want to know how to use the specialty tools and how to make a consistent product again and again. I would love to do this.
This dream is not too far away. I have all of the tools I would need for now (but you can always use more tools!) I have a piece of land for my shop. I have a good line of existing products that would work well for instruction. I have a large number of young men and women that would love to learn the trade.
To get the shop going, I need to get the land ready. It is a piece of land with no improvements yet. I would need to hook up to grid power, build a wall around the property, build a covered work area and get a generator that can run the tools when the grid is down. This will cost around $18,000 US.
Once the shop is built, I will be able to fulfill my existing contracts from there. I will also do some marketing and advertising to find new customers. All of my current work is from word of mouth and repeat customers, there is a huge untapped market for what I can do. My carpentry school would be project based. Simple projects are prerequisite classes for the more complex projects. The simple projects will focus on the fundamentals - reading plans, measuring accurately, tool and shop safety.
As students pass through the project classes, they will earn shop time and they will be able to come in and build things of their own with the tools that they have learned to use. I would incorporate some business training as well to help turn their new skill into a means of supporting their family.
So, I would like to follow this dream, but I can't do it by myself. If you would like to hear more about it, lets meet up while I am back here. Send me an email with your contact information and we can sit and talk about it.
blueteamleader@gmail.com is my email address, https://www.facebook.com/scott.peters.501 is my facebook page.
Thanks,
Scott
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Yep, its been over a year...
My last update was May 26, 2016 and here it is almost to the end of June!
Since my last update...we have been pretty busy with life. I have had a few contracts to fill with furniture and cabinets. My girls are a year older - and that makes a lot of difference at this age! I bought some land for our future house and shop. We have grabbed some stuff from the container for the house and shop.
The Girls -
They are growing up so fast! Victoria will be three this August and Abby is almost a year and a half. Here, they start school at three years old, the school that Victoria will be attending also has a program for the younger siblings of the students. They will both be off to school this fall!
The Dream -
The dream seems a little cloudy these days. It is sometimes difficult to make it through a day which makes it hard to focus on work and on the future plans I have. I still want to make it all happen, but my progress has been slowed to a crawl. Taking care of my family has proven to be a lot more work than I expected. I struggle to find time to work on the carpentry projects and preparations for the carpentry school and beyond.
Help please!
I am asking for some help. My goal is to be self sufficient, so if you have any contacts in Haiti that need furniture or cabinets built - I would love to get busy on that! I am also asking for your help in the form of donations. The girl's tuition is just under $900 US each for the year. I would like to get started working on our new property, I will need to build a fence, hook up to grid power and start construction on the house. I would like to upgrade my solar power system, the batteries are at the end of their life span and I only have about 300 watts of solar panel capacity right now. I would greatly appreciate any help you can send my way. There are donation buttons on this blog page for one time donations and monthly support. I am doing this through a 501(c)3 set up for my work down here.
As always, if you can't support me financially, I understand and I ask for your prayers as well. Pray for His guidance for us and all will be well!
Thanks,
Scott, Ruthcher, Victoria, Abbigaelle
Since my last update...we have been pretty busy with life. I have had a few contracts to fill with furniture and cabinets. My girls are a year older - and that makes a lot of difference at this age! I bought some land for our future house and shop. We have grabbed some stuff from the container for the house and shop.
The Girls -
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| A piano that I found for free in Omaha, recently arrived at our house from the container! |
They are growing up so fast! Victoria will be three this August and Abby is almost a year and a half. Here, they start school at three years old, the school that Victoria will be attending also has a program for the younger siblings of the students. They will both be off to school this fall!
The Dream -
The dream seems a little cloudy these days. It is sometimes difficult to make it through a day which makes it hard to focus on work and on the future plans I have. I still want to make it all happen, but my progress has been slowed to a crawl. Taking care of my family has proven to be a lot more work than I expected. I struggle to find time to work on the carpentry projects and preparations for the carpentry school and beyond.
Help please!
I am asking for some help. My goal is to be self sufficient, so if you have any contacts in Haiti that need furniture or cabinets built - I would love to get busy on that! I am also asking for your help in the form of donations. The girl's tuition is just under $900 US each for the year. I would like to get started working on our new property, I will need to build a fence, hook up to grid power and start construction on the house. I would like to upgrade my solar power system, the batteries are at the end of their life span and I only have about 300 watts of solar panel capacity right now. I would greatly appreciate any help you can send my way. There are donation buttons on this blog page for one time donations and monthly support. I am doing this through a 501(c)3 set up for my work down here.
As always, if you can't support me financially, I understand and I ask for your prayers as well. Pray for His guidance for us and all will be well!
Thanks,
Scott, Ruthcher, Victoria, Abbigaelle
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Challenges and Opportunities
Lavi byen pa fasil - A good life is not easy
Many of you that read my blog on a regular basis might just think that everything is sunshine and palm trees down here. Yes, I do try to focus on the good stuff and fun things that I get to do, but life does have its challenges.
Marriage takes a lot of work! I am sure that my friends that are married will just shake their heads and say "Duh!" I am finding that out. I am happy to have some great friends down here that I can talk to and that can give me advice.
The girls -
Victoria absolutely loves her little sister. When Abby cries, Victoria will put her pacifier back in her mouth or even hold the bottle for her. Victoria loves to hold and tickle her too! Abby is growing so fast. She is a little over three months and she can roll over and she turns her head and follows me around as I walk by. She has a great head of hair that can be combed.
Victoria does not like to have her hair done. Down here it is unacceptable for a girl to leave her hair in the natural state. It has to be braided with barrettes. I really don't understand why we can't just let her hair be, but that is a minor cultural thing that I don't understand...not one worth worrying about too much!
Projects -
My kitchen is a little further along than it was on my last blog update, but I have been busy trying to finish the first room for CoreLuv, so the kitchen has to wait. I hope to install the cabinets this week in the medical clinic. Then I can start on the next room! I also just landed a contract to build some more beds. The Salvation Army has a training center in Port au Prince and they are going to have me build 4 bunk beds and 32 regular beds! I am going to be very busy trying to manage all of these projects at once. I am grateful for the opportunities.
The Salvation Army contract came from someone that had spent a few nights on my bunk beds at the House of Hope - Jim and Debbie Hambrick. We have been trying for over a year to figure out exactly what they want and a schedule to do everything. The contact at the Salvation Army would not settle for anyone else making their beds! She was impressed with the quality and simple beauty of my "Standard Bunk Bed." It pays to do quality work every time.
Expansion -
The lot next door has come up for sale. I would like to purchase it to build my workshop now and eventually some of the other things I have in my dreams. I made an offer on it earlier this week, but it was too low...the owner told me that he paid more for it than I had offered. The land could probably get the price he wants...it is a big piece of land, nothing on it yet, on a busy and paved road. Even if I had enough money for it, I don't know if I would try to buy it or maybe look for something less expensive in another location. I will pray about it for a while...hopefully it is still available when I figure out the solution. Or maybe the solution is some land a bit out of town.
In the mean time, I will build a covered area in my back yard to store lumber and for people to come and work. The masons are nearly finished raising the wall, when that is done, I will put up a tin roof over an area for shade and protection from the rain.
My challenges (prayer requests)
My wife and I need to communicate better, pray that we can understand each other and that we can empathize with each other. I need to be as productive as possible, pray that I find good help and that I am able to use my time wisely as I work on multiple contracts at once. I still come up a little short on money some times, pray that I am a good steward of my resources and that I am able to get the work and support that is necessary to grow down here.
As always, thanks for reading this and may God bless you as he has blessed us.
Scott, Ruthcher, Victoria, Abbigaelle
Many of you that read my blog on a regular basis might just think that everything is sunshine and palm trees down here. Yes, I do try to focus on the good stuff and fun things that I get to do, but life does have its challenges.
Marriage takes a lot of work! I am sure that my friends that are married will just shake their heads and say "Duh!" I am finding that out. I am happy to have some great friends down here that I can talk to and that can give me advice.
The girls -
Victoria absolutely loves her little sister. When Abby cries, Victoria will put her pacifier back in her mouth or even hold the bottle for her. Victoria loves to hold and tickle her too! Abby is growing so fast. She is a little over three months and she can roll over and she turns her head and follows me around as I walk by. She has a great head of hair that can be combed.
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| Abby sitting up in the bed |
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| Victoria and I getting ready to go for a walk |
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| That's a good big sister! |
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| Victoria is helping me with a project for shade on my tomatoes! |
Victoria does not like to have her hair done. Down here it is unacceptable for a girl to leave her hair in the natural state. It has to be braided with barrettes. I really don't understand why we can't just let her hair be, but that is a minor cultural thing that I don't understand...not one worth worrying about too much!
Projects -
My kitchen is a little further along than it was on my last blog update, but I have been busy trying to finish the first room for CoreLuv, so the kitchen has to wait. I hope to install the cabinets this week in the medical clinic. Then I can start on the next room! I also just landed a contract to build some more beds. The Salvation Army has a training center in Port au Prince and they are going to have me build 4 bunk beds and 32 regular beds! I am going to be very busy trying to manage all of these projects at once. I am grateful for the opportunities.
 |
| The kitchen cabinets in progress |
The Salvation Army contract came from someone that had spent a few nights on my bunk beds at the House of Hope - Jim and Debbie Hambrick. We have been trying for over a year to figure out exactly what they want and a schedule to do everything. The contact at the Salvation Army would not settle for anyone else making their beds! She was impressed with the quality and simple beauty of my "Standard Bunk Bed." It pays to do quality work every time.
 |
| Making a mobile with shapes and colors for the girls. |
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| Are these ladders OSHA approved? |
Expansion -
The lot next door has come up for sale. I would like to purchase it to build my workshop now and eventually some of the other things I have in my dreams. I made an offer on it earlier this week, but it was too low...the owner told me that he paid more for it than I had offered. The land could probably get the price he wants...it is a big piece of land, nothing on it yet, on a busy and paved road. Even if I had enough money for it, I don't know if I would try to buy it or maybe look for something less expensive in another location. I will pray about it for a while...hopefully it is still available when I figure out the solution. Or maybe the solution is some land a bit out of town.
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| The lot next door |
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| My back yard (from the apartment being built in back of the lot) |
In the mean time, I will build a covered area in my back yard to store lumber and for people to come and work. The masons are nearly finished raising the wall, when that is done, I will put up a tin roof over an area for shade and protection from the rain.
My challenges (prayer requests)
My wife and I need to communicate better, pray that we can understand each other and that we can empathize with each other. I need to be as productive as possible, pray that I find good help and that I am able to use my time wisely as I work on multiple contracts at once. I still come up a little short on money some times, pray that I am a good steward of my resources and that I am able to get the work and support that is necessary to grow down here.
As always, thanks for reading this and may God bless you as he has blessed us.
Scott, Ruthcher, Victoria, Abbigaelle
Saturday, April 16, 2016
I have been right here the whole time!
Well, this is the first post of 2016...sorry about that...we got busy.
As soon as we were a bit settled in the new house, I got to work on a big order of beds for a previous customer in Port au Prince. Now their entire mission house has my beds! Organizing my shop for production took some work and it is nowhere near finished. But my shop is functioning in the back section of our house. Because it is in our house, I don't bring many people over to work...just a few that I have experience with.
I have been building out the kitchen. From the previous post, you could see that I had an empty shell to work with. I have most of the base cabinets installed, still have to build the peninsula and the upper cabinets. Also waiting on the countertops until all of the base cabinets are done. I am going to try a cast in place concrete countertop. This kitchen will double as a showroom for potential customers. There might be a few dozen people in Gonaives that would be willing to pay for a custom kitchen like mine...all I need is one!
My current project in the shop is the first room for the CoreLuv Orphanage medical clinic. I believe that they want me to build cabinets for every room. Jacob Sangster is the man on the ground here in Haiti for the project. He stopped by yesterday and he really liked what he saw. I would like to get going in a shop soon so that I can hire some help for the next rooms.
Abbigaelle Lisa Peters
She was born on February 13...a day before Valentines day and two days after my sister Lisa. She was born at the hospital in Marchand Dessalines. This is where Victoria was born and where we were going for prenatal checkups. It is about an hour away from us to the South East. It was a pretty normal birth...no problems...but Victoria was getting a lot of laughs as she mocked her mother. Ruthcher was walking around the hospital Friday night, putting her hands on her knees and letting everyone know what she was feeling. Victoria proceeded to do the exact same gestures and noises...all of the nurses had to come out and watch the show!
Sold the house, bought a car!
Like I said in my last post, I am going "All in" here. I sold my house and I used a portion of the equity for a car and a generator. The balance will be saved for when I find the perfect property to buy for our permanent home - and shop, and school, and business, and garden, and whatever else I think I need to try! The search for land is ongoing, I have the word out with several friends, they know what I am looking for. I keep getting dragged to see property that I know I would not be interested in...but then I just patiently explain again exactly what I am looking for...it will come.
Getting close on the container
The container is nearly full, we are getting quotes on the different aspects of shipping it now. Putting it on a truck, taking it to the rail yard, train to Palm Beach, boat from there to St. Marc, drive it to Gonaives. Jan Thompson from Christopher's Hope has a bunch of stuff in there too. Some great people from Kansas drove a load up to throw in there. My church in the Omaha area - Journey Church in Gretna - is helping me ship it down here.
Thanks for your continued support
Things are not always easy, I paint a pretty rosy picture of life down here most of the time. The truth is, there are always challenges - but I don't want to complain or share my problems with just anyone who has a computer. Our family appreciates your prayers, all you have to do is ask God to look after us. We don't need you to pray for anything specific, He knows what is needed. We also appreciate the support of hearing our friend's voices. If you happen to see that we are both online at the same time, feel free to start up a conversation...I will make time for it.
We also appreciate the financial commitment that some of you have made. The small monthly contributions help with recurring bills like phone and internet, the larger one time gifts usually come in just when they are needed. I thank all of you that are making this possible here and I encourage some of you to click on the Subscribe or Donate button in the upper right of this blog to send some money this way. Tools for Success is now recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 not for profit corporation.
Thank you and may God bless you
Scott, Ruthcher, Victoria, Abbigaelle
As soon as we were a bit settled in the new house, I got to work on a big order of beds for a previous customer in Port au Prince. Now their entire mission house has my beds! Organizing my shop for production took some work and it is nowhere near finished. But my shop is functioning in the back section of our house. Because it is in our house, I don't bring many people over to work...just a few that I have experience with.
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| Bed parts ready for assembly |
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| Victoria helping me put the screws in |
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| Varnish drying on another order! |
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| Time to relax on the front porch! |
I have been building out the kitchen. From the previous post, you could see that I had an empty shell to work with. I have most of the base cabinets installed, still have to build the peninsula and the upper cabinets. Also waiting on the countertops until all of the base cabinets are done. I am going to try a cast in place concrete countertop. This kitchen will double as a showroom for potential customers. There might be a few dozen people in Gonaives that would be willing to pay for a custom kitchen like mine...all I need is one!
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| Kitchen plans |
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| Good start |
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| Sink works - no more doing dishes outside! |
My current project in the shop is the first room for the CoreLuv Orphanage medical clinic. I believe that they want me to build cabinets for every room. Jacob Sangster is the man on the ground here in Haiti for the project. He stopped by yesterday and he really liked what he saw. I would like to get going in a shop soon so that I can hire some help for the next rooms.
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| The drawer inspector |
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| Two drawer sections done |
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| Just half of the base cabinets for the first room |
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| I really enjoy when a customer wants a quality job! |
Abbigaelle Lisa Peters
She was born on February 13...a day before Valentines day and two days after my sister Lisa. She was born at the hospital in Marchand Dessalines. This is where Victoria was born and where we were going for prenatal checkups. It is about an hour away from us to the South East. It was a pretty normal birth...no problems...but Victoria was getting a lot of laughs as she mocked her mother. Ruthcher was walking around the hospital Friday night, putting her hands on her knees and letting everyone know what she was feeling. Victoria proceeded to do the exact same gestures and noises...all of the nurses had to come out and watch the show!
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| Daddy with baby |
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| Our whole family! |
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| Daddy built me a bed! |
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| Victoria can rock me to sleep! |
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| Such a good big sister. |
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| I think I am getting ready to go to Port. |
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| A day at the beach with my girls! |
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| Loves her sister |
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| Always wants to hold her |
Sold the house, bought a car!
Like I said in my last post, I am going "All in" here. I sold my house and I used a portion of the equity for a car and a generator. The balance will be saved for when I find the perfect property to buy for our permanent home - and shop, and school, and business, and garden, and whatever else I think I need to try! The search for land is ongoing, I have the word out with several friends, they know what I am looking for. I keep getting dragged to see property that I know I would not be interested in...but then I just patiently explain again exactly what I am looking for...it will come.
 |
| 2003 Rav4, going rate is twice blue book down here. |
Getting close on the container
The container is nearly full, we are getting quotes on the different aspects of shipping it now. Putting it on a truck, taking it to the rail yard, train to Palm Beach, boat from there to St. Marc, drive it to Gonaives. Jan Thompson from Christopher's Hope has a bunch of stuff in there too. Some great people from Kansas drove a load up to throw in there. My church in the Omaha area - Journey Church in Gretna - is helping me ship it down here.
Thanks for your continued support
Things are not always easy, I paint a pretty rosy picture of life down here most of the time. The truth is, there are always challenges - but I don't want to complain or share my problems with just anyone who has a computer. Our family appreciates your prayers, all you have to do is ask God to look after us. We don't need you to pray for anything specific, He knows what is needed. We also appreciate the support of hearing our friend's voices. If you happen to see that we are both online at the same time, feel free to start up a conversation...I will make time for it.
We also appreciate the financial commitment that some of you have made. The small monthly contributions help with recurring bills like phone and internet, the larger one time gifts usually come in just when they are needed. I thank all of you that are making this possible here and I encourage some of you to click on the Subscribe or Donate button in the upper right of this blog to send some money this way. Tools for Success is now recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 not for profit corporation.
Thank you and may God bless you
Scott, Ruthcher, Victoria, Abbigaelle
Thursday, December 24, 2015
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 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.
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!
My investment
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.
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| This will be the kitchen area |
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| This is the dining area, I will build a raised floor over the well head. |
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| This is the front of the house that faces Route Basin (the road to the new hospital) |
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| 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.
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| All dressed up for church! |
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| People watching and playing her little piano at the new house. |
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| 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!
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| Jean Philippe removing the old tile |
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| The old white toilet |
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| Removing the old fixture involves a demolition hammer! |
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| Starting up the wall with the new tile |
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| And a pretty border tile on top |
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| Nearly finished with the tile |
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| 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.
Monday, November 2, 2015
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!
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.
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
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
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