Well, many of you already know it, but if you didn’t…let me present…My wife, Ruth-Cher.

Ruth-Cher and one happy dude!

We got married at a ceremony at her cousin’s house and had a reception at a place that we rented in our neighborhood.  It was a wonderful ceremony performed by her pastor, Pastor Ronald Theophile.  It was in French, but I understood what what happening.  I couldn’t be more excited.

I met Ruth-Cher soon after I arrived in Haiti…in February 2012.  I was volunteering at a friend’s English school where she was a student.  When I first arrived, I did not know any Creole.  One day after class, I thought her and a friend were asking for a ride home from school…they were giving me directions from the back of the motorcycle and we ended up at my house!

So, we hung out at my house for a while and I walked her home.  She didn’t know it then, but I did.  Our friendship grew and we spent a lot of time together working on her English lessons, working in my garden, she even helped me build some things in my yard.  We also spent time vising her family in and around Gonaives.

So, my life is changing!  We are currently looking for a place to call our own and getting ready for our first child.  I have spoken with many of you personally about these changes in my life, if you want to discuss any of this with me, feel free to send me an email and your phone number and we can talk person to person.

Culture

Haitian culture has been giving me many surprises.  When my parents came down in January, we had a big meeting of the families to discuss our marriage plans.  There was her parents, a spokesperson for her parents – the best man from their wedding, and several other family members along with me and my parents in a living room of a family friend.  The meeting lasted almost three hours and was filled with emotion.  The end result was a blessing from everyone present to proceed with the wedding plans.

This culture demands different things from different parties in the marriage…one surprising requirement was the furniture.  I am expected to provide a bed, dresser with mirror, armoire, night stands, china cabinet and dining room set prior to our moving in together.  I have been working feverishly on the list with my carpenter friend Jean Philippe.  We are done with the bed, the chairs for the dining room table are in progress, I have a dresser – just need a mirror…and we will see how the rest goes!

The headboard is being clamped while the glue dries, there is a matching but shorter footboard.

This is my prototype chair.  I think I will pad the seat.

Here is a stack of six chair backs…after the jig saw, before the router.

Future Plans

The family I am about to have does not drastically change my goals here.  Ruth-Cher and I have discussed my dreams of starting a professional school here.  She is all aboard to help me with those dreams.  One of my long term goals is to have several professional schools around the country.  I would like to mentor one or several of my students to manage and run the school without my constant supervision, leaving me free to start another school in another area.  I would improve each new school with lessons I learn from the previous school…build on what works, quit trying what doesn’t!

My future plans do require help from friends and family in the rest of the world.  I have spoken to many of my supporters about the changes in my life…some supporters felt that I am no longer doing what I said I was going to do down here and they withdrew their support.  Other supporters pledged to continue helping me reach my goals down here.  As I said in the previous post, my funding now comes through my corporation in Nebraska that my sister manages or through Much Ministries in Georgia. Here is a link to Much Ministries donation page – just include my name in special instructions to the seller before you confirm everything.  To donate through my corporation, use the buttons at the top of this blog.

Thanks for following my activities, may God bless you as He has blessed me.  This is THE opportunity of my lifetime and I thank you for helping me live this dream.

WHOA – I almost forgot…

I also got a puppy!  She was a gift from a doctor friend in Port.  She is mostly Mastiff…she’s gonna be big.  Her parents and a sister from a previous litter all have a great temperament, so she shouldn’t kill any goats like another dog I know.  Her sheer size will be a deterrent for any unwelcome visitors to our yard.

Lucy at 8 weeks old.

Scott