Martha & Al
Wedding Party
Martha Ruth Morse
Bride
Martha is a pediatric pulmonologist with Baylor College of Medicine at the Children's Hospital of San Antonio. Growing up as the daughter of medical missionaries to Barranquilla, Colombia and the granddaughter of missionaries to Brazil, where her mother was thus born, and her relatives continue to serve as missionaries have greatly influenced her world view both politically and theologically. She serves as a deacon at Woodland Baptist Church. Her passions are advocating for her patients, the poor, the disadvantaged as well as reading, music and her family.
Alfred "Al" Eugene Staggs
Groom
Al is an ordained minister and chaplain who besides serving as a parish minister for more than twenty years is a performing artist. He has presented his highly acclaimed, original one-person dramatization entitled A View From the Underside: The Legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer to churches, synagogues, colleges and organizations throughout the world. His repertoire also includes original interpretations of the lives of Clarence Jordan, Walter Rauschenbusch, Oscar Romero, Martin Luther, Roger Williams, Martin Luther King, Jr., Thomas Merton, William Sloane Coffin and William Stringfellow. Al also continues to perform his comedy program, Laughter for Life, for churches, college and conferences. He is an author of many books, a poet, a singer and lover of music and devoted to his family.
Dr. James "Jim" Morse
Father of the Bride
Jim lives in Starkville, Mississippi. Jim is a retired physician who specialized in adult pulmonary medicine. He served with the foreign missionary two terms in Colombia with Martha's mother, Esther Cowsert Morse. He then was on the faculty of medical schools in Arizona, Oklahoma, and Texas as well as served in the Armed Forces. He and Esther had two daughters, Martha and Robin They also raised their granddaughter, Callie. After Esther's passing, he reconnected with Dr. Alfalene Vardaman, the widow of Dr. Jerry Vardaman profesor of middle east archeology at Mississippi State University and previously at Southern Seminary. Alfalene was a professor of English. She and Jerry had two daughters, Dr. Carol Tingle, and Dr. Celeste Vardaman,
Andrew Nathan Powell-Morse
son of the bride
Andrew is a technical solutions software engineer in San Francisco for Mighty Hive, He is a graduate of Clark High School and attended University of North Texas. He was an avid athlete in middle school and high school preferring football to all other sports and yet excelling in track, particularly hurdles. His mother attended most of his sporting events albeit enjoying more his piano recitals and band concerts where he played the trombone.
Callie Morse Stewart
Niece of the bride
Callie is a nurse in Waco, Texas where she works as a case manager. She also works part time as a nurse for a hospice. She is the mother of two beautiful young adults, Seagann who is a freshman at Texas State University and Bria who will be a senior in high school next year. Callie is a passionate animal lover who finds it very difficult to not rescue every animal in need in the area. Callie has the dubious distinction of the first person to call Martha, "Mimi." The name stuck.
Rebekah Shoffner Schack
Daughter of the bride
Rebekah lives in Brooklyn, New York and is the principal of Lamplighter's Yeshivah a lab school community of educators, parents, children and change-agents who are on a journey of customized Jewish education for every child. Rebekah is married to the world's greatest son-in-law, Mitch (Moshe) in Martha's opinion and is mother to four one of kind, gifted children, Malkah a history major in City University of New York, Dave, an aspiring aerospace engineer, also in college, Meir who is a one-of-a-kind-always-keep-you-entertained kind of a guy finishing his senior year in high school, and then Filey, aka Refoel, who is the "little guy" but no longer little. And as his mommy and principal say, "her best student." He is 15. The "Schack Pack" indeed pack a lot of love into their Mimi's heart.
Ryan Staggs
Son of the Groom
Ryan is a 22 year veteran of the U.S. Army and the First Sergeant of the Army School of Music in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Wife, Jenn, is also a First Sergeant and an Army musician who does double duty as a flutist and vocal soloist. They are proud parents of Liana, age 12, and Maya, age 11, who are following in the footsteps of their parents by their active participation in music. In his sophomore year in high school, Ryan had the distinction of making All-State in violin for the New Mexico State Orchestra as well as earning All-State honors in trumpet for the New Mexico All-State Band. Ryan is an avid runner having participated in the Boston Marathon as well as having completed the Massanutten 100 mile run on three occasions.
Rebekah Staggs Wright
Daughter of the groom
Rebekah is an attorney having completed her law degree at the University of Houston Law Center following her undergraduate studies at Baylor University. She is an outstanding and passionate photographer who greatly enjoys photography of family, friends and nature. Rebekah played flugelhorn and trumpet in high school band and also plays the piano. She is also fluent in Spanish. Rebekah’s greatest love is Matty, a Rocket Scientist, who is an avid climber having climbed Aconcagua Mountain in Argentina in March. Their children are Jakob, age 18, and Miah, age 15. Jakob, an avid basketball player, is completing high school in May at Albuquerque Academy. Miah runs both cross-country and track. Matt and Rebekah enjoy traveling to places like Argentina, Panama and Mexico.