Finish Strong Thank You

"Grateful" doesn’t even begin to express it. An incredible team of supporters gave as the Lord moved their hearts, and together, we raised $107,377! While we came in just shy of our goal, there’s no disappointment here at RMI—only overwhelming joy. These funds will position us strongly as we enter 2025, trusting God has amazing plans for us in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the U.S.

Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for helping us Finish Strong. We are truly together for the Gospel!

Welcome Times Two!

RMI missionaries, Andrew and Dawn Tlucek, gave birth to their twins on Dec. 5.  Owen Elias Tlucek arrived first, weighing in at 6 lb. 10 oz.  Everett Joel Tlucek came next, weighing in at 5 lb. 15 oz.  Owen went directly into the NICU since he needed some help breathing.  He was there for 2 weeks.  Dawn and Everett went home 3 days after the birth.

It was hard going back and forth from home to the hospital to hold Owen and feed him every 3 hours!  They were very relieved when Owen was released, and they were able to bring the whole family together.  Layton stayed with his Nana and Pop Pop (Debbie and Dan Shoemaker) until Andrew's parents and youngest sister arrived two days after the birth.  Andrew's family had an active role in caring for Layton and Everett, then Owen, too, when he arrived.  What a blessing to have their help!

Five days after giving birth, they had quite a scare when it seemed that Dawn had a stroke.  The left side of her face was drooping, her speech was slurred, and her blood pressure was sky-high.  A rushed ambulance ride to the hospital and tests revealed that it was not a stroke but Bell's palsy, most likely a result of the pre-eclampsia that she had before the birth.  The scare continued in the hospital when she had a serious anaphylactic reaction to the contrast dye they used for one of the CAT scans.  Three units of epinephrine brought it under control, and she was hospitalized overnight for observation.  She was released the next day and went straight to the other hospital where Owen was so she could feed him.  Her case of Bell's palsy is not serious, and she was told that it would clear up in a couple of months.

Wow!  They have had some hectic, exciting days and look forward to having some "boring" maternity leave days.

[Owen is the twin in the dark outfit, and Everett is in the cream-colored one.  So far, it appears that they are not identical.]

HaitiConnect

When you can’t physically visit your Sister Church, how do you stay connected with them?  HaitiConnect is RMI’s answer to this and one of our newest initiatives.  To keep C3 Partnership relationships alive, we have developed HaitiConnect, a program by which we connect our Sister Churches virtually, via the internet.  One way is by bringing church leaders to our Cayes office to speak directly (via live translation) with their counterparts in the US via Zoom.  Another way is going to a Sister Church, setting up a portable StarLink system, and enabling various groups from the Haitian Sister Church to speak directly with the US church's leadership or a group in the church.  We anticipate connecting US Hope for Kidz child sponsors with their sponsored children via a school program broadcast live. We want to connect various groups (women's and men's groups and others) in the Haitian church to those groups of the US church.  This way, they can catch each other up with their latest news, events, and prayer requests. Eventually, we hope to have some live interaction during church services.

Our hope is that these virtual meetings will help invigorate the US C3 partners and that they will realize that their Haitian C3 partners haven't forgotten them and pray regularly for them.  We also hope the Haitian C3 partners will realize they are not forgotten either.

So far, about a dozen calls between church leaders have taken place.  Each one of them was very thankful to get the chance to connect with their C3 partner church.  Rob Thompson, RMI's Director of Ministry Development, reports:

"...[there were] Warm greetings from both sides on all of these calls!  It's incredible to watch these reunions happening!  Praise the Lord! God continues to work through our partnerships.

We've heard the same thing on every call...  The Gospel continues to spread in Haiti and the US. We've heard a few common themes. First, every partner in Haiti and the US has strongly communicated that they are 'thirsty, as they say in Haiti,' to be together again as soon as God opens that door. Secondly, every Haitian Church is receiving so many people who have been displaced from PAP.  Schools are busting at the seams.  People have arrived with very few resources, so it is the church that is doing all they can to care for the families and provide education to the kids...  many have arrived from PAP with only the clothes on their backs. Schools are out of space. Homes have many extra people living in them. Resources are spread very thin. The church and community are swollen with people from PAP. The church is doing all it can do to serve those from PAP, but it can't help everyone as its resources are limited. HFK sponsorships and the HFK Hot Lunch Program are having an even bigger impact than ever. As these resources are being provided, it allows the Haitian church to serve those who have arrived from PAP.

It seems all of our partnership schools in Haiti have increased by probably 25% or so. Probably even higher. That's just my guess on a number, but it seems to match with what I'm hearing from all of these pastors."

HaitiConnect has already shown positive results in the US and in Haiti.  Both have been encouraged and delighted to spend some time together.  It has also shown the new challenges that our churches are facing.  Dealing with displaced people is very difficult in a place where life is being stretched almost to the breaking point.  But they are doing their best.  Pray for our C3 churches that they will find the resources they need and that they won't become weary in their well-doing.

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed

Grateful, Thankful, Blessed

Looking back over the 2024 calendar year, our Hope for Kidz team can truly say that we are Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed!  We are Grateful for the opportunity to bring Hope to the children of Haiti with a biblically based education.  We are Thankful that our donors and sponsors understand the importance of education and providing a hot meal each school day.  And we are Blessed each time we hear of how the Lord has touched another life in His great plan.  

We continue forward into this new year with humble hearts and the desire to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  Please join us as we pray for peace and safety within Haiti, as we pray for strong leadership that will restore order, and as we pray that the Lord will touch the hearts of men, because through Him all things are possible.

RMI's First Dominican Republic Team

RMI's first team to the Dominican Republic (DR) came from southern New Jersey. They were ready to be Jesus' hands and feet.

Our ministry in the DR will be different from that in Haiti. We have the opportunity to work with Dominicans and Haitians, and their needs are also different.  This first team's goal was to visit both kinds of churches to experience their needs.

On the first day, Saturday, the team visited a Haitian church and found they had a medical clinic in progress. They met Dr. Milton, a Dominican doctor who holds a free medical clinic every Saturday. He gives so much of himself and his time. He keeps track of all the patients and all the medicines for the people; all they need to do is show up.

He does this for communities struggling and unable to find affordable medical care. His own family works so that he can provide this clinic to the people who need it most. He is a fantastic man with a big heart. The team learned quite a bit from the pastor about the challenges facing the Haitian community.  His heart for Jesus and his people could be clearly seen. They are facing desperate times, constantly facing prejudice and the threat of deportation.

That same day, the team visited another Haitian church located in the middle of what used to be a sugarcane plantation. Many Haitians lived in that area because they used to work in the sugarcane fields. A lot of these people were extremely poor and did not have much.

When the Haitians came over to work for the sugarcane company, the company said that they would provide housing, but what they provided was one single bedroom in a house with 3 to 4 bedrooms. And so, in essence, 3 to 4 families lived in one house. The pastor shared about some of his congregation's hardships, which included immigration rounding people up, people not being able to find jobs, and kids not being able to attend school. 

The third church the team visited was another Haitian church that has a school accredited by the Dominican government, which is exceedingly rare. The school only teaches in French and Creole. This is mainly because of all the mass deportations; people are concerned their children will be taken back to Haiti and not know the language, as they speak only Spanish from living in the DR. The biggest problem the school has is trying to find licensed teachers so that the school can remain accredited. 

On Sunday, they attended First Baptist Church in Puerto Plata. Rob Thompson preached, and they had a good time of fellowship. In the evening, the team went to Oasis Baptist Church, one of the outreach plant churches from First Baptist Church. Team member Mike gave the new pastor and the people an encouraging message about how God knows our names. 

On Monday, the team visited two churches, both Haitian. Seeing these churches being planted and generously supported by the church association RMI partners with was incredibly encouraging. It is thrilling to see healthy churches actively, generously, and selflessly plant other churches. In this context, to see Dominican churches planting Haitian churches… wow!

This is huge when you know even a tiny amount of the tension between the Dominicans and Haitians now and historically. Our Dominican partner, the Baptist Convention of the Dominican, is working on planting 15 “mission” churches.  Each of these is a fledgling church deeply in need of support.  Ten are Haitian, and five are Dominican. This is a beautiful thing, and RMI is excited to hopefully help support them as more teams come down. 

The team saw and experienced firsthand the threat that Haitians face. Haitians living here are under direct threat of being rounded up and immediately deported due to their paperwork issues. The issue is complex, to say the least. The team saw a truck with a cage in the back and about 15 Haitian men locked into the back like animals. It was exceedingly difficult for team members to see and process. Something you cannot easily forget. 

The rest of the morning was spent praying with pastors and the people of their congregation, encouraging them, hearing their stories, assessing their needs, and discussing how RMI and future teams can help. 

In the afternoon, the team was privileged to visit a remote Haitian church currently under construction. The church is transitioning from a rented space to its new, owned location, and the team helped with the building project.

While they recognized their contributions were small, it was rewarding to roll up their sleeves and join them in the hard work.

The team was genuinely inspired by Pastor Mirater’s dedication. Despite facing significant challenges—immigration issues, separation from his immediate family, and health struggles—he continues to lead with remarkable energy and determination.

On Tuesday, “It is the end of the world.  It’s hell on earth”.  The team heard this from a Haitian man today speaking of the lives of Haitians, whether in Haiti or the DR - and they've seen this daily.  It’s beyond comprehension.

This day started with touring a health clinic run by Dr. Milton, whom we first met on Saturday. He is a Christian Dominican doctor with more than audacious goals.  He provides care for various things (diabetes, hypertension, physical therapy, ob/gyn, dentistry, psychology) at his clinic.  He is also doing clinics, providing free care in a number of the churches we’ve visited.  If you meet this guy and hear about his accomplishments, you begin to think his goals are possible. It's exciting to consider how RMI can help his medical clinics in the Haitian and Dominican communities in the future. 

They visited one more Haitian church and found Pastor James was overwhelmed.  Everyone comes to him with their problems; clearly, all he has to give is Jesus.  He is separated from his own family, under constant fear of deportation, even though he has his paperwork in order. 

Due to their limited space, the church has significant people standing outside on Sunday mornings.  The room should hold around 20-25 people, but they have over 100 members, and they cram 60 into the building on Sundays, and the rest stand outside, including all the children. Of the 15 mission churches, this is the only one that doesn’t own their land yet.  They’ve had to move 7 times in recent years.  They are desperate for land and a building to set down roots to serve their people. 

RMI missionary April Starkey shared, "The team saw so many needs here, which was overwhelming. But seeing this through the teams' eyes helps change our perspectives and shift our eyes to what the Lord wants us to focus on. There is a lot of work to do, but we are ready. We are excited that the second team has now been booked. We hope to get a few more teams down to help us get started with all these needs between January and May of 2025!"

If you are interested in booking a team to go to the DR, contact Jim Starkey at jim.starkey@rmibridge.org.

Ezra Institute's Admission Process Has Started

The admissions process has begun for the inaugural class of the Ezra Institute. 

One of RMI’s Impact Points is education.  For years we have had the Hope for Kidz Program to address that point.  And for years we have wanted to expand our educational footprint to include those Hope for Kids (HFKz) graduates who have gone on in their studies, finished high school, and are showing leadership potential in their homes, churches, workplaces, and communities.  We want to sow into these young people’s lives to enable them to have even greater capacities in their communities.  This is what and who the Ezra Institute School of Leadership is for.

The current candidates came from the areas of Les Cayes, Ducis, Ti Biwon, Beaumont, Cance, and Les Angles. They were chosen by RMI HFKz staff, RMI Haiti staff, and their pastors. They came to the RMI Haiti Headquarters in Cayes for three days to be interviewed and take a competency exam. The goal of the exams was to ensure, to the best of our knowledge, that we find qualified, passionate, and character-filled students.

The entrance exam was a part of the admissions process to ensure students carried the academic and mental aptitude to succeed if they were admitted into the program.  

We want to be good stewards of students’ time and ours in the future. The exam covered 6 areas: mathematics, reading comprehension, writing competency, Bible knowledge, critical thinking, and language skills. The questions went from an elementary level to a sophomore level of high school. 

We will be sure to share this with those who are not academically capable and hopefully give them a road map to growth so they can apply it in the future.

A committee of RMI Haitian and American staff members interviewed every student. They were asked 28 questions that pertained to ascertaining a person’s walk of faith, drive, personal goals, character, and view of leadership. 

Food was also provided during those 3 days. We at RMI are firm believers in helping people succeed. By ensuring students are nourished during their time with us, they will have fueled brains and bodies.

The plans now are to have 14 men and women in the first class. Hopefully, this inaugural class will begin in October 2025, when Haiti’s academic year starts. Initially, it will be in Haitian Creole and French. After students have gone through intense English learning, all courses will be in English.

The projected cost per student will be around $12,000.  We will be looking for 4 sponsors per student.  Of course, the support options will be more flexible in the future. 

Once the final selection process is over, we will present the students’ portfolios and seek sponsors.

RMI’s goal is not to train professional ministers, but our goal is to train ministering professionals.

What Do You Want For Christmas?!

Your opportunities to give a gift to your Sister Church pastor or your supported Hope for Kidz child are here.  You could mark the gift (s) unspecified, and the gift would go to a needy Haitian family.

There are gifts for individuals or for families.  There are gifts for adults and kids.  You can't go wrong with any of these gifts.  They will meet the needs of hurting families.  

Remember Haiti as you do your holiday shopping!

Scan the QR code or donate HERE.