A New Year - What Are We Looking Forward To?

2023 is a new year...what are we looking forward to?  Last year was a doozy.  Not a technical term, but it sure describes what we’ve been through.  From civil unrest in Haiti to hurricanes in Ft. Myers and from canceled teams to the US and the Haiti staff being hit hard by illness.

But, yes, we do have quite a bit to look forward to.

~This is the year that RMI enhances its educational programs by starting a post-high school, young adult discipleship and leadership school.  The school is aimed at those young adults who have finished Haitian high school.  It will prepare young people for jobs by teaching basic management, administrative and leadership skills.  Being taught in English will help them hone their language skills.  Courses in Biblical ethics will be required as well as basic Biblical knowledge and discipleship.  We want to give young people, particularly those from C3 partner churches, the skills to get good jobs and be outstanding witnesses for our Lord in the workplace.

~In our Hope for Kidz Program, we are looking forward to over 3,000 kids being sponsored in school, getting a Christian education, and having their uniforms, shoes, and other essential school supplies provided.  We are looking forward to helping schools develop their administrative capabilities and well as help repair or build new facilities through our partnerships.

~In the Hot Lunch Program, over 12,000 kids will be fed a hot, nutritious meal each school day.  It may be their only meal during the day.  Being fed will enable the kids to think and study as well as retain information.  Teachers and administrators have seen the effects these meals have had on the kids and are excited to see them really learn.  Their overall health improves and the kids have fewer sick days.

~This year we will welcome two new RMI family members: baby Starkey (due in April) and baby Tlucek (due in July).  How exciting is that?!

~Jim Starkey has already sunk his teeth into his new position as C3 Partnerships Manager.  He is working hard to improve communications between Haitian and US partner churches and between RMI and the US partner churches.  He is also working with RMI president, Dan Shoemaker, in developing new C3 partnership churches.

~SunTech is growing by leaps and bounds as they are getting known around the Cayes area.  They look forward to installing a number of big projects in addition to projects for schools, churches, and parsonages.

~Food for Health continues to meet the need of many hungry families in our partner churches and communities through the sponsorship of cases of food.  The UN has said that Haiti is facing the worst food insecurity that they have ever seen.  We look forward to helping with this need through our partner churches and donors.

~We really look forward to the teams returning.  We love being able to facilitate the C3 relationships!  We love enabling ministry to flow between the churches and out into the communities.

~We look forward to increasing RMI’s ministry through water filters, goat projects, construction of homes, schools, and churches, evangelism, yard-to-yard ministry, pastor conferences, couples retreats, and in ways we don’t even know yet.  Each year brings new ways to minister to our brothers and sisters.  We are excited to see what God has in store for us!