Benz the Builder Takes a Bride

Lucul Benz, Pastor Francois’ nephew and a builder by trade who has worked on several projects funded by Loving Haiti, finally tied
the wedding knot on June 30, 2018 . Apparently, the two most expensive things to do in Haiti are to get married and to get buried. Having
a traditional wedding or funeral in Haiti is cost prohibitive for many. Some are fortunate to find others to share the cost or to find a
sponsor (friend or relative). For many years Benz has lived with his wife and 3 children, but was never officially married. I had a
conversation with him earlier this year encouraging him to consider marrying the love of his life for the right reasons, and that this
could be achieved through a variety of means.

For example, Many Hands for Haiti (MH3), an organization working in the rural areas around Pignon, created a wedding format to
assist people like Benz who want to be married in a traditional way but can’t afford a traditional wedding. MH3 found sponsors who
provide wedding dresses for the brides to borrow at no cost, and financing for the men to buy suits and shoes. Ceremonies are held
at their outdoor event area with an officiating Pastor communicating the vows to several couples at once. Each couple is able to
invite ~5 people to the wedding and reception. Their first multi-couple ceremony was successfully celebrated December 2017, and
will be used as a model for future ceremonies as funding allows. The program wasn’t active at the time of Benz’s wedding, so Loving
Haiti was glad to help cover some of the cost. I believe the MH3 wedding format provides a great opportunity for people like Benz
and organizations like Loving Haiti! Loving Haiti will be working with Pastor Francois and MH3 for future ceremonies.