Meet RMI’s new Hope for Kidz Coordinator

Barbara Rose, wife of RMI’s VP of Operations Kim Rose, has joined the RMI Family. Since Kim joined RMI 2 1/2 years ago the Lord has been putting a growing desire in their hearts for Barb to be able to join Kim in the ministry. They saw that RMI values teamwork, highly encouraging spouses to minister together as much as possible. RMI even asks spouses to be involved with Board members as much as they can. They weren’t sure when or how God would work it out. Then Barb was unexpectedly laid off from her job in May. As tough as it was, it was a clear open door from the Lord. She joined the RMI Family at the end of May.

It is exciting to see God at work! He orchestrated Barb’s arrival at the time that we needed to replace Amanda Biser (who is leaving to begin the ministry of being a stay-at-home mom in late July) in the Hope for Kidz Program. Barb’s strong organizational skills, meticulous work with details and pleasant personality will be a real asset in the office. She will also be helping out in a number of other areas in the administration.

She and Kim have 2 adult sons and 1 granddaughter. Her loves include riding motorcycles with Kim, sewing, reading and living near the water (which started as a young child growing up near Lake Michigan and then living the last 22 years in Southwest Florida near the Gulf). She enjoys serving in the nursery at church and held a teaching assistant position in the 2 yr. old class for several years. She is currently serving in the 1 yr. old class.

She can be reached at Barbara.Rose@rminet.org. Feel free to drop her a note and welcome her to the family!

Amanda is having a baby!

Yes, it’s true. July 24, or thereabouts, Amanda and Chris Biser will welcome Aster into their family. We are very happy for them. Her pregnancy has gone well so far. With the good news comes some unfortunate news. I’ll let Amanda tell you herself:

It is with mixed emotions, yet with firm conviction that I am writing to let you know of my decision to leave full time service with RMI to pursue a new ministry to which God is calling me. After much prayer and deliberation, my husband Chris and I feel strongly that God is calling me to full time motherhood at home.

This decision is not one that we arrived at lightly. My association over the past 10 years with RMI and its many wonderful missionaries and staff has been a significant part of my professional, as well as personal, life. The past year and a half that I have been on staff has been absolutely fantastic. I have been blessed with amazing opportunities to serve the Kingdom of God in ways I never even imagined possible. Getting to be a part of the Hope for Kidz child sponsorship program has been absolutely life changing. Although I am still unsure why God brought me to RMI only to have me leave after such a short period of time (this is something I may never completely understand this side of heaven), I don't regret for a minute my choice to minister to the children of Haiti.

My mother used to tell me growing up that she always viewed her children as "on loan to her from God". We were His, even before we were hers. As I have been in preparation to become a mother for the first time, I have reflected much on my mother's council. God is graciously entrusting me with one of His precious daughters that I might raise her to grow up loving and trusting in Him. In contemplating how we might best raise her to that end, Chris and I decided that the best person to care for our precious daughter, Aster McKinley Biser, during her early childhood years is her mother. As difficult as it is to leave my 2000+ Hope for Kidz "children", I know that I will never look back on my life and regret spending additional time with the special little one He is entrusting to our parental care.

In the year and a half that she was here, she helped RMI gain local exposure, networking with a number of groups. She took over the Hope for Kidz Program and gave it a new look using her talents to create new brochures, posters, profiles, etc. She gave the coordinators new tools to promote the program in their church and held several webinars to train them and answer questions. She also helped significantly in the Communications Department by updating several brochures and creating new ones. She was instrumental in helping with the several of the new RMI videos we now have. She’s encouraged all of us in the office by bringing fresh new ideas, enthusiasm, the skills to help make some of these new things happen and the perspective of a younger generation. We have enjoyed having her sparkling personality in the office and will miss her in many ways.

God has provided someone to take over the Hope for Kidz portion of Amanda’s job – but more of that in our next post!

RMI Welcomes 2 new family members

We are proud to introduce Greg and Star Harvie, RMI’s newest missionary appointees. Greg visited Haiti on a Sister Church team in January and went home to Nebraska with a conviction that God wanted he and Star to serve Him in Haiti. Since Star had never been to Haiti, they made a trip together in April. Star came away with the same conviction – that God could use them in Haiti.

After going through the application process, they were invited to attend M.A.C.E., RMI’s Mutual Assessment and Candidate Evaluation, June 12 and 13. We enjoyed learning about them and they in turn learned everything possible about RMI. We were happy to invite them to join the RMI family.

Greg will eventually serve as the Project Manager for the Sister Church Program, as well as the head of maintenance for RMI Haiti. Star will be working with the Hope for Kidz program and as administrative assistant to the Field Director in Haiti.

God has uniquely equipped them to serve with RMI in Haiti. To say that we need them on the field as soon as possible is an understatement! It’s exciting to see God growing the ministry with staff that love Him and have a servant heart.

Greg and Star are up for the challenge of raising support during these difficult economic times and are confident that God will supply their support in His time. Pray for them as they begin the process of deputation and getting their affairs in order so they can leave when it does come in.

You can find both on Facebook (Look for “Greg Harvie” and “SStar Harvie”, yes, that’s 2 “SS”.). Greg’s email is gregory.harvie@rminet.org and Star’s is star.harvie@rminet.org. Please feel free to contact them to welcome them to the RMI family. Would you consider becoming a part of their support team?

RMI Board Meeting June 2012

Our June 6 Facebook post read:

Degaje (Creole for "make do"). That's what we're doing here at the RMI office. Board meetings are tomorrow, Thursday & Friday. A local church usually kindly lets us use one of their meeting rooms & their cafeteria provides the coffee, snacks & food. However, this week is their VBS & every single room is booked. So...our landlord is allowing us to use one of the empty office suites in the complex (thankfully the water & power are still on!). After some needed cleaning, we carted over tables, chairs and other items we need to set up a meeting area and food service area. This may work out after all!

It was cozy, but it did indeed work. RMI’s Semi-Annual Board Meeting took place June 7 and 8 here at the RMI Office in Lehigh Acres, FL. Since Rob & Becky had arrived in the area for the start of their 3 month deputation, they stopped by and gave the Haiti Field Report.

RMI Founder, Herb Shoemaker Trish Osborne and Debbie Shoemaker

There were good discussions, reports were given, decisions made, steps of faith taken; there were some laughs and great fellowship, too. It is always good to look at where we’ve been and where we want to go. We can clearly see God guiding, moving and blessing. It is such a blessing to have a group of men and women who are committed to and love RMI. We could not do this without them!

Left to right:

John Garner (Ft. Lauderdale, FL), Herb and Shirley Shoemaker (Naples, FL), Tim and Trish Osborne, (Lafayette, LA), Kim Rose (Ft. Myers, FL), Debbie Shoemaker (Ft. Myers, FL), Billy Byrd (Ft. Lauderdale, FL), Dan Shoemaker (Ft. Myers, FL).

Stay tuned in the coming months as we implement decisions that were made. There are exciting days before us!

One more game for the road

Wednesday night, three of Gary and Marilyn’s favorite people, Ludna, Ludne, and Madoniu came over to their house for one last game of Farkle before the McLaughlin’s headed off for three months in the US.

Here Ludne holds the score sheet. Gary said he let her win.

Gary and Marilyn left EARLY Thursday morning (2:30 to be exact) and headed to Port au Prince, along with Benson who will spending almost three weeks in the States with them. Gary and Marilyn will spend most of their time at their cabin in Seattle and they will also be visiting some of their sponsoring churches along the way. They look forward to visits with lots of family and friends and are hopeful they will get to meet the newest addition to their family, Mirabai Grace McLaughlin, who was born on March 13 of this year. Joe and Elizabeth McLaughlin (Mirabai’s mom and dad) live in New York and traveling with such a little one is difficult though they are hoping to be able to plan a visit.

They can be reached in the US at their cabin at 360-496-0091 or on their cell at 253-737-6853.

Please pray for Gary and Marilyn as they travel and for their time in the US, that is will be productive and yet restful. We look forward to their return the beginning of September.