Father’s Day: Providers, the Personal Power and ResponsibilityFisherman Years ago we spent days in the fishing village near Aux Cayes, on the southern coast of Haiti. We hiked along the mountain’s edge and looked out over the bay. We followed a trail down to where the fishermen kept their brightly painted wooden boats, huge oars propped inside. We stopped and chatted with one gentleman who was mending his net in the morning sun. We had lots of questions about the life of fishing in this area of the country. And he was generous with his sharing. It ...
The Importance of HopeOver the next few weeks we want to share some words on Hope. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become easy to lose hope and struggle to see how things will get better. We, as an organization operating in a developing country, have seen our fair share of hard times. Here, at 2nd Story Goods, we have learned to lean into our community during difficulties to share hope with one another. Today, we have MK’s take on the true value of hope: The importance of HOPE. I dare say Hope...
the rosette storySomething about being with the deaf. It’s like entering another country ... again. First of all, the class is full of students, all ages 12 year old boys to 20 year old men and 15 year old girls. Everyone is engaged in figuring out the best way to make the pieces we are working on , most folks are talking , some shouting … and yet... it is silent in the room… (except for a few outburst of laughter and beating on the desk to get the white lady’s attention.) Eeerie, but I kind of like it. ...
so I was thinking about a tattooDON'T FREAK OUT. A, “Learn Love”, tattoo, but I can’t decide where to put it… This phrase comes from lyrics by Shawn McDonald, “What are you man, if you do not learn love?”. And I though I’ve known it for years, lately it’s been stuck in my head. Because the truth is, no matter how hard we work or how many jobs we create or how successful 2nd Story Goods becomes…it matters not, if we don’t learn love. At the end of the day, Love is the matter that shifts things. Not jobs, not food, ...
DECEMBER 15, 2014 12-13-14 CRASHING CARS AND TAP-TAPS IN THE NIGHT Dec. 13 2014 Some things need to written as a therapy of sorts. This is that. Yesterday , dec 13 started as I woke up around 4, made a cup of coffee and started packing up the boxes that we would take to Port for the Artisans Market. 5 am everyone was up and by 5:45, our wonderful little car was loaded and hilarious conversations began as we had Kevs, Bess and the visiting Barnabus Furth crammed in the back seat. Bessie had made the unfortuna...
10 Minuet Essays 1Theme - Live like you mean it. Author - Kathy Brooks Live like you mean it We can. That is the astonishing thing. We absolutely CAN. For me, it is in the smallest decisions of every day life that this truth plays out .It is rarely about the big things. Those seem to take care of themselves when I get the small things right. Live like you mean it means …be the boss over my thoughts. Some are beautiful and welcome guests…other are loud mouth bullies , live like you mean it means ..be t...
DECEMBER 8, 2014 NEW HOSPITAL This is the beautiful new black top road that leads to the new hospital in Gonaives. We had the honor of touring the the newly opened facility last week. IT is amazing. I love the way so much construction is done in the Carribean, open air. The hallways are walkways every room has fresh air circulating through except the temp controlled surgery units. We were walking through the facility with the director of Health. THis man is a friend, a fellow believer and a pe...
10 Minuet Essays - 2Theme - 2nd Story Goods Author - Brandon Brooks To Me; 2nd Story goods is action. It is movement, it is a foolhardy challenge to the status quo. It/we are not always wise, not always efficient and not always right, but we are trying. None of us are professional anything. All of us are learning as we go. 2nd Story Goods is being a bit scared. A bit further out of the comfort zone than we’ve gone before. Its a bit past crazy = exciting and fun and bit into crazy = what the heck are you doing...
JANUARY 11, 2015 THE NAMING OF A COUNTRY Everyone that knows Haiti through the words of the Press knows that this country comes with a last name: Haiti. A very long last name. Rarely do you ever see “Haiti” in print with out its full moniker. it’s maddening really. For the world to give her a label that sticks like that one has. I’m such a stickler for words. what we call something matters.ONce you are called a name, no matter how confidant you are, you start to believe it is true. That is why my kids ...
Big Question Monday: Corporal Punishment and Parenting SkillsToday the topic of conversation began as “Is it ok for school teachers to whip, slap or grab and twist the ears of our kids? One of our moms came in wrestling with this problem. So i said, lets talk about it. Is this common practice? How do you feel about this form of discipline? Out came the stories! Parents afraid for their children. Adults with stories of being afraid of school every day, lest they answer a question wrong or forget a homework assignment and get the back of their han...
Sons, Not Thugs.sons, not thugs.Last week we closed on the property! The Marketplace Gonaives is in our hands. After almost 3 years of work, process, doubt, fear, more work, more help from much smarter people than we… we now have the document that says it is ours. Problem is, the property has sat empty for 12 years. Not empty exactly. Lack of formal activity invites a world of the “informal”. It had become a passageway of sorts from the neighborhood behind to the main road in front. And there were folks livi...
Change The ShapeHave you noticed our #changetheshape hashtag? Wonder what it means? It is a reference to the Bottom of the Pyramid (or BOP). “The bottom of the pyramid… is the largest, but poorest socio-economic group. In global terms, this is the 2.7 billion people who live on less than $2.50 a day.”2ndSG exists to see this pyramid changed. It isn’t right that a mother should have to choose which child gets to eat that day or that people die from curable diseases due to poor nutrition or unclean drinking wa...
Woven TogetherYou wanna know one of the main reasons 2nd Goods Is able to do what we do? It’s because of YOU, the customer. You said yes to being involved in the conversation and because of it we’re changing the world together. It’s not about finding the cheapest most convenient thing anymore, it’s about making mindful purchases! When you buy a baby mobile, pillow, or rug from a company that has a high value for the humans making the product and their children (and their children’s’ children) your purchase...
FEBRUARY 22, 2011HAITI UPDATE..SO HAPPY TO HAVE MARTHA HANNA HERE. She is the Director of the Medical / Health aspect of the Haiti Trade School. This first week she has brought in Keziah Furth, our good friend, to teach on common medical problems to Haiti, and especially for women. Were thrilled to have 5 local nurses and 6 midwives attend, as well as about 30 folks from the community. Even in this one session Keziah gave them very practical information that can help improve their health and ...
MAY 3, 2011 BEAUTIFUL TO ME “This new plan I am making with my people isn’t going to be written on paper, isn’t going to be chiseled in stone. This time I’m writing out the plan in them, carving it on the lining of their hearts.” Hebrews 8 A wise person once asked the question, “What is beautiful to you?” The answer to that will tells us alot about the plans God has written on our hearts. Things Beautiful to me that bring tears of joy to my eyes and whirls of excitement in my belly: Handing the women...
JANUARY 3, 2011 THEY SPILL OUT AND MAKE HISTORY The word, ” Philemon” popped into my brain when i asked the speaking, teaching God where we should read today. Must confess, i had trouble finding this tiny book in my bible. It’s really not fair to call it a book. It’s a short letter…a quick email , sort of. This guy in prison ( Paul) has met up with this other guy ( Onesimus ) who happens to be a runaway slave. They become good friends and the runaway becomes a follower of God. The letter written by Paul...
Father’s Day: Providers, the Personal Power and Responsibility
Fisherman Years ago we spent days in the fishing village near Aux Cayes, on the southern coast of Haiti. We hiked along the mountain’s edge and looked out over the bay. We followed a trail down to where the fishermen kept their brightly painted wooden boats, huge oars propped inside. We stopped and chatted with one gentleman who was mending his net in the morning sun. We had lots of questions about the life of fishing in this area of the country. And he was generous with his sharing. It ...
The Importance of Hope
Over the next few weeks we want to share some words on Hope. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become easy to lose hope and struggle to see how things will get better. We, as an organization operating in a developing country, have seen our fair share of hard times. Here, at 2nd Story Goods, we have learned to lean into our community during difficulties to share hope with one another. Today, we have MK’s take on the true value of hope: The importance of HOPE. I dare say Hope...
the rosette story
Something about being with the deaf. It’s like entering another country ... again. First of all, the class is full of students, all ages 12 year old boys to 20 year old men and 15 year old girls. Everyone is engaged in figuring out the best way to make the pieces we are working on , most folks are talking , some shouting … and yet... it is silent in the room… (except for a few outburst of laughter and beating on the desk to get the white lady’s attention.) Eeerie, but I kind of like it. ...
so I was thinking about a tattoo
DON'T FREAK OUT. A, “Learn Love”, tattoo, but I can’t decide where to put it… This phrase comes from lyrics by Shawn McDonald, “What are you man, if you do not learn love?”. And I though I’ve known it for years, lately it’s been stuck in my head. Because the truth is, no matter how hard we work or how many jobs we create or how successful 2nd Story Goods becomes…it matters not, if we don’t learn love. At the end of the day, Love is the matter that shifts things. Not jobs, not food, ...
Big Question Monday: Corporal Punishment and Parenting Skills
Today the topic of conversation began as “Is it ok for school teachers to whip, slap or grab and twist the ears of our kids? One of our moms came in wrestling with this problem. So i said, lets talk about it. Is this common practice? How do you feel about this form of discipline? Out came the stories! Parents afraid for their children. Adults with stories of being afraid of school every day, lest they answer a question wrong or forget a homework assignment and get the back of their han...
Change The Shape
Have you noticed our #changetheshape hashtag? Wonder what it means? It is a reference to the Bottom of the Pyramid (or BOP). “The bottom of the pyramid… is the largest, but poorest socio-economic group. In global terms, this is the 2.7 billion people who live on less than $2.50 a day.”2ndSG exists to see this pyramid changed. It isn’t right that a mother should have to choose which child gets to eat that day or that people die from curable diseases due to poor nutrition or unclean drinking wa...
Woven Together
You wanna know one of the main reasons 2nd Goods Is able to do what we do? It’s because of YOU, the customer. You said yes to being involved in the conversation and because of it we’re changing the world together. It’s not about finding the cheapest most convenient thing anymore, it’s about making mindful purchases! When you buy a baby mobile, pillow, or rug from a company that has a high value for the humans making the product and their children (and their children’s’ children) your purchase...
