Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Two Stories of God at Work in Haiti

food and gospel given to tattoo guy feb. 2017RMI’s ministry is labor intensive.  Quite a bit goes into working in the field for the Lord.  The seed is planted.  It is faithfully watered.  And then comes the harvest.  [See the parable of the sower in Matthew 13.]  This principle was clearly seen and experienced by 2 different teams and one C3 partner church as God used each one of them in a different part of the process.  Early last year a team from Walloon Lake, MI went to visit their C3 partner church but were unable to reach the church due to political issues in the area.  So the RMI team took them to the Cote de Fer area.  While there, they delivered food to needy families, sharing the gospel at each home. 

On one particular visit they shared the food aid and the message of salvation with a young man who had just lost his leg as a result of being shot by the police.  [First picture]  food and gospel given to tattoo guy oct. 2017, man savedThis young gangster and his family listened as the seed was planted.  Afterwards, he and his friends were quick to say that they weren’t interested in accepting Christ.  After the team left, the pastor and the congregation ministered to him, and faithfully watered the seed.  In October, the Cote de Fer church received the first visit from their new official US C3 partner church from Ft. Myers, FL.  This Florida team spent time in yard to yard evangelism. The national pastor took them to see this same young man and his family.   [Second picture]  After sharing the gospel, he made the decision to accept the Lord!  Pray for Markenson as he cuts ties with the gang and grows in his faith in the Lord.  There’s no question that it is worth the effort!



Christian son, voodoo father 1In January 2017, a team from Lifehouse Church (Delaware) wanted to come to Haiti and simply serve God in whatever way they could.  RMI missionary, Lee Nunemaker was with them during their week in-country.  He shared that they visited the home of a young man, who was faithful in his service to God, and his family.  They gave them a box of food.  After talking with him for a while they realized that his father, Saint Clair (nicknamed “Ti Mayi” - little corn), in the green shirt,  was not a believer.  In fact, he was very involved in practicing voodoo.  He told them that he feels it is his responsibility to pay back his debts to the evil spirits on behalf of his family.  They shared the Truth with him, prayed for him, and left.  It broke his son’s heart that he knew his father would not spend eternity with him, if something would happen to his dad. 

Then in May or June of 2017, Lee had some vegetable seeds donated in his name that he needed to distribute. Perguens and Lee felt the need to take the seeds to this family.  They showed up, unannounced with a bag of seeds in hand.  Once again, they shared the message of the Gospel with him.  Then they went to see his fields where the seeds would be planted.  This is where God comes in. . . They noticed the field was already plowed.  When they inquired as to why, they said they plowed the fields, but didn’t have money to plant them.  When asked how much of the field the seeds would plant, they opened the bag, and after consideration, they said it would be perfect to do the entire field.  The other amazing thing is that when the guys were loading the seeds, they felt they should give him all the same seed instead of mixing it up.  And they felt like they should add an extra scoop.  God was working. . . .   They reminded them that this is the God that his son serves.  He knows your needs and provides for those needs in advance!  Again, they prayed for him.  Christian son, voodoo father 2But this time, he said he felt God tugging at his heart. 

This January, the team that came down to serve God in 2017, Lifehouse Church, who had become an official C3 Partner church was at their Sister Church for their first official team visit.  While they were there Perguens informed them that Ti Mayi, in the orange shirt,  willingly went to the special services the church had over the Christmas season.   As of today. . . we are told that he has been attending the church regularly for the last month or so!  Still not a believer, still has not accepted Christ, but God is at work!!  Please pray with us for his salvation.

Monday, February 05, 2018

Cross-Cultural Friendships

When you look at this picture, what do you see?  We see the joy of friendship.  It’s the pure delight and joy of 2 friends who haven’t seen each other for a year.  They do not speak the same language; they live over 2,100 miles, as the crow flies, apart – in fact, they don’t even live on the same continent and aren’t from the same culture.  Yet they have been friends for 4 years.reunion between old friends

Melanie is from Loomis, Nebraska and Madame Maxell is from Policard, Haiti.  They when Melanie’s church went to visit her Sister Church for the first time and put on a skit for the women’s group.  Each team member from the US church danced with one lady from the Haitian church and she happened to be paired up with Madame Maxell.  They’ve been friends ever since. 

Melanie shared, “I have been down to Haiti four times, three times to my Sister Church. I met her the first time we were down. Then her husband’s last name was Berendt. And last year when we were there she told me that he had passed away. This time when we went I found out she has been remarried.”  Upholding each other and praying for each other throughout these kinds of life’s ups and downs is a part of the types of relationships that are developed as a result of being in a C3 Partnership.

They are experiencing the oneness of the body of Christ.  The expression “brothers and sisters in Christ” really comes alive in the C3 Partnership Program.  This is what it is all about.  Developing relationships that endure through the years, relationships that weather storms, that bears one another’s burdens and prays faithfully for one another truly helps us exhibit Christlikeness.

If you are interested in life-changing relationships, consider an ongoing cross-cultural partnership with a church in Haiti.  Please contact us at info@rmibridge.org

If you are already a part of a C3 Partnership, could you share the program and your experiences with your friends and family?  There are so many churches who are desirous of hands-on ministry that will effect real change, but they don’t know where to go for it.  We need your help in getting the word out about RMI’s unique ministry.  We can equip you with materials and information to do that.  Contact us at info@rmibridge.org or call RMI at 239-368-8390.

Our staff are also happy to come talk to your church leaders or your contact from another church!