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.

A Visit from Feed My Starving Children Leaders

Last week, we were very thankful to have representatives from Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) visit us in our Haiti office. FMSC is the organization that we partner with for our Hot Lunch Program and other food case gifts. Benjamin, Perguens, and Patrick had the pleasure of sitting with the Vice President, Junior Obrand, the Regional Director, Isaac Exalus, and Haiti agent, Maillard. They were here to touch base and check on long-term partners. While here, they visited our depot to see where we store the food and a local school where we provide food. Benjamin shares that it was a very successful visit. We have a positive relationship with FMSC and are grateful that we are partners.

Feed My Starving Children Vice President Junior Obrand

RMI Field Leader, Benjamin Altema and Perguens Hyppolite, an RMI senior Partnership Facilitator and Assistant Administrator.

Inspecting the cases of food and the required secure room where it is kept.

Greeting the school staff before visiting the classrooms.

The end goal...feeding hungry children, meeting their nutritional needs.

Fall Food Fundraiser - We Have Food Available!

We do have food available! Despite the gangs’ stranglehold on Port-au-Prince, we have found a way to get our containers of food to our depot in Cayes. This involves shipping them on a barge to a closer port and trucking them the rest of the way. It increases our costs quite a bit, but it gets the food to us. We’ve supplied the Hot Lunch Program with the food it needs and have food available for our fall food fundraiser.

Haiti’s food crisis is worse than it has ever been.  Your brothers and sisters need your help!  Please consider how you, your family, and your church can be involved.

Here are the price breakdowns:

• Each case is $45 and comes with one bottle of cooking oil.

• Buy 25 cases,  get 1 case free.

• Buy 110 cases, get 10 free.

Scan the QR code to be taken right to the donation page or 

go to www.RMIbridge.org/donate

Be a part of what God is doing in Haiti!

Three C3 partner churches from the Gainesville, FL, area visited Haiti last month.  The trip enabled 2 churches to check on major projects they are involved in.  The third church attended the dedication of their new church building and school, which was just finished - and the dedication of the new cistern under the sanctuary!  We shared about this in the August 2023 issue of the Ministry Highlights.  They built the church on top of a 13,000-gallon cistern.  The water would be accessed by a solar pump.

RMI President, Dan Shoemaker, joined the team.  They met the RMI Haiti staff, several pastors from the district, and the president of MEBSH at the new sanctuary to cut the ribbon and for a service of dedication.  

What a celebration! Many dignitaries delivered special messages and prayers, and different choirs sang special songs. After the service, they shared a meal together. The church really rolled out the red carpet.

The church, school, and especially the cistern will minister to the entire community for many years!

Team leader Tom and Dan Shoemaker

Field Updates

 Dominican Republic Update:

The Starkey family has been in Santiago, Dominican Republic, for a month. They are officially all moved into their home except for one last shipment from their house in Haiti, which will arrive shortly. They have been working hard on moving in, getting all their accounts set up, phone numbers, and such there in the DR and starting to learn the area. They found a car and will be able to purchase it this week. 

Now that they have moved into their home and are settled, Jim and April spend a few hours each day working on their language lessons. April has also started homeschooling the three oldest boys. Zeke’s school situation is still uncertain and a cause for much prayer.

Please also pray for them as they focus on this part of the ministry now, learning the language to be more effective in ministry there. 

In the coming days, they will have their first meeting with the national church committee that RMI is partnering with and will head out into the country to specific areas to assess the needs and determine how RMI can help.

They are still short on monthly support. RMI sent them down on faith! Pray that God will supply the last bit that they lack. You can give at www.rmibridge/donate.

Haiti Update:

Tessa Andrews took a quick furlough trip to visit family and supporting churches this past summer.  It was a whirlwind trip but refreshing and well worth the time.  She is home now and enjoying being back with her Haitian co-workers and family.  Pray for Tessa as she works in the Hope for Kidz Department.

Andrew, Dawn, and Layton Tlucek are staying in the Ft. Myers, FL area while Dawn grows their twins.  While her pregnancy is high-risk, Dawn and the babies are doing well.  They are fundraising for the Ezra Institute, visiting their supporters, and working remotely while they await the twins’ arrival sometime in December.  Pray for Andrew and Dawn as they work to establish the Ezra Institute.

Continue to pray for Haiti.  The gangs are firmly entrenched, and the Kenyan forces have been ineffective thus far.  We need God to move mountains and break Satan's hold on the country!

A New Team Member for RMI!

It is our pleasure to announce that we have a new RMI Team Member.

We want to welcome Rob Thompson! It's great to welcome a new team member who already means so much to each of us and to RMI. As a bonus, he won't need a lot of training.

Rob is joining RMI as the Director of Ministry Development.  He will be working with our existing C3 partners to encourage them to stay engaged even with the issues in Haiti and will be encouraging them to continue with projects and even to begin planning team trips.  He'll also be working on growing our C3 partnerships in Haiti and our new field, the Dominican Republic.  He will also be working on fundraising and possibly using his field knowledge to assist with development in both Haiti and the DR. He has his work cut out for him, but we know he is up for the task.

In his words…"Although I'm incredibly sad to be stepping away from pastoral ministry at Beacon Church, I'm also ecstatic about my return to RMI. These last 5 years at Beacon Church have been wonderful. As I reflect upon this move, I'm reminded of my love for the church; it is God's chosen instrument to bring glory to himself. I've been serving the church in a variety of ways for the last 28 years. My return to RMI is simply a continuation of my work for the church. I truly believe that God has incredible things in store for us as we partner together for the gospel and for the building and strengthening of the church. Together, the church, His hands, and feet, we are witnesses here in Galloway, NJ, and throughout the United States, and to the ends of the earth."

You can contact Rob through his email at rob.thompson@rmibridge.org.

Introducing the Ezra Institute

The Ezra Institute School of Leadership is RMI’s newest initiative.  We have been committed to child education for years through our Hope for Kidz Child Sponsorship Program.  The Ezra Institute is aimed at high school graduates who have demonstrated leadership potential and been vetted by their spiritual leadership.  The goal is to equip and empower students to lead in their church, workplace, and community through a Biblical worldview.

The Ezra Institute desires for students to Learn It, Live It, and Lead It (Ezra 7:10). First (Learn It), they will get a relevant and quality education that elevates their walk with Christ, leadership skills, and vocational skills. Secondly (Live It), students will be mentored by mature local leaders. This will provide the opportunity to practice what they are learning as they engage with their local communities.  Finally (Lead It), after completing the program, students will be equipped to be godly disciple-makers, trained leaders, and skilled employees. The Ezra Institute’s foundational curriculum emphasizes multiplying and empowering others through Christ to bring transformative change.

Ezra will be located at RMI’s headquarters in Cayes, Haiti.  During the 2-year course, students will participate in courses such as The Person of Christ, early church history, New Testament Survey, and Old Testament Survey to help them develop Biblical Christ-centered living. 

Students will also take courses such as Biblical Leadership, Leading like Christ, Biblical Ethics, and Modern Leadership from a Christian Worldview to help them become impactful leaders of integrity. 

Lastly, students will learn vocational skills from courses such as Administration, Management, Business, Ethics, English, Computing, and many others.

We are very excited about the opening of the Ezra Institute.  RMI’s Director of Adult Education, Dr. Andrew Tlucek, will be the chief “driver” of the Institute.  God has been preparing him for many years for this and he’s eagerly anticipating the start of the school year.

The Ezra Institute will be funded by generous donations from individuals and churches alike! If you would like to be a part of this incredible opportunity to develop Biblical leaders who will impact Haitian society, please join us in this endeavor. There are several ways to do so through

Student sponsorship

School projects

General fund

​​We need your prayerful support! 

If you feel God is leading you to help with funding the preparation of Haiti’s next generation of leaders and the Ezra Institute, you can do so at www.RMIbridge.org/donate.  Feel free to share the Ezra Institute’s new video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdtvwmlZPZY.

Important Information and Field Updates

*Important Information*

RMI is NOT leaving Haiti; however, we are expanding into the Dominican Republic (DR).  This means that RMI will be in both countries, covering the island of Hispaniola.  We’ve received word of some confusion on this, so we wanted to ensure everyone understands what is happening.  The Starkeys were ministering in Haiti, but RMI has asked them to move to the DR to pioneer RMI’s work there.  They have embraced this move and are very excited about this new opportunity.  Ministry in the DR will be unique.  Over 1 million Haitians live there, providing opportunities to minister to Haitians and Dominican Christians.

Dominican Republic Update

Last month’s Ministry Highlights shared many of the steps the Starkeys are going through to move from Haiti and the US to the DR.  God has gone before them, and things are coming together in a timely manner.

Pioneering a new work is a challenging yet rewarding endeavor. The Starkeys have intimate knowledge of how RMI operates in Haiti, giving them a framework from which to work. However, we know that only some things will work exactly as they do in Haiti. The DR is a very different culture with a different standard of living.  

RMI already has top-notch partners in Nelson Paulino of Casa Misionera Mission House and the Baptist Convention of the Dominican (BCD).  Both will give us invaluable insights into the culture and what will work and what won’t.  They can point us in the right direction regarding congregations with which to start C3 partnerships.  They will be able to help with some of the nitty-gritty details of establishing RMI in the country, such as renting an office, providing translation help, setting up the office (furniture and equipment), helping RMI understand any legal issues that we need to know about, finding staff and translators, figuring out which guesthouses to use for housing teams -- and so many other issues.

The Starkeys have been working hard to raise the additional support they need.  As of the beginning of June, they have  47% of their monthly support needs and 63% of their one-time needs. They urgently need to raise the rest of those funds. Would you please consider helping them with a monthly gift and/or a gift toward their moving expenses?  You can give to their ministry here: www.rmibridge.org/donate.  They are praying that they’ll be able to get to Santiago in August so they can get settled by the beginning of school around the first of September.

Please pray with us for their support so they can get to the DR in a timely manner!

Haiti Update

This month, Tessa Andrews is on furlough in her home area of northern Florida.  Pray that she’ll be able to relax and recharge as she is with her family.  Also, pray that she’ll have good visits with her supporters and supporting churches.

Andrew and Dawn Tlucek are on furlough and plan on visiting supporters in Washington state, Idaho, Chicago, New Jersey, and Florida.  They celebrated Layton’s first birthday.  Their travel schedule isn’t set yet because they just discovered they are pregnant with TWINS!  Morning sickness is getting better, however, multiple births are now regarded high risk.  Thus, their plans are being adjusted.  We also want to congratulate Andrew for finishing his PhD!  He’s now Dr. Andrew Tlucek.

Jim Starkey had a successful trip to their home in Haiti and was able to pack and close up their house there. When the Starkeys arrive in Santiago, they will be able to fly the things they need in the DR via Agape Flights directly to Santiago.

Airlines, both international and domestic, are flying again.  Everyone is breathing a sigh of relief about this positive development.  The new government is in place, but the gang activity has not changed. The police are out-gunned and out-manned. A lot of hope and expectations are being put on the Peacekeeping Force that has just begun to arrive.   Pray that their presence will make a difference.  Haiti needs desperately needs peace.  The country needs to be opened back up.

Several months ago, we had 6 containers of food delivered to the port in the capital.  This food was to be used for our Hot Lunch Program and food aid for needy families.  They were unable to leave the wharf due to the roads being blocked by not one but several gangs.  Unfortunately, at one point, gangs overran the wharf, and one container was looted.  A few weeks later, arrangements were made to put 2 containers on a barge, take them around to a port closer to Cayes, and then truck them to our facilities.  The final 3 also came by barge several weeks after that.  We are very thankful for God’s protection for those 5 containers.  It increased the cost significantly, but enough food is available to provide those hot lunches and finish the school year.

Hope for Kidz Haiti Update and Dominican Republic Update

 Hope for Kidz Haiti Update

Frantz Desire, RMI’s Hope for Kidz Supervisor, writes, “We thank God for His grace and mercy upon the HFKz ministry. It is great because God allowed us to help many kids go to a hospital and get medical care this year.”

Frantz shared, “There have been a lot of testimonies and gratefulness that have been received from the parents of the kids that we were helping. For example, I will pick up some names in the list to share some details with you. First, we have Marvens Joseph, this child is in Picot. The situation was very difficult for him and his family. He was hit by a car while he was going to school. His family was not able to take him to hospital. We sat down with his mother and arranged to send him to the hospital.  It took about three months for him to recuperate, and he came home using a cane to walk. Now he is well, and we say thanks to God for that.

For the second one, we have Bitchy Chery. This is a child in Beaumont school.  She was struggling with her vision and was not able to attend school classes so many times. We sent her to Brenda Eye Hospital here in Cayes, and after some treatments, her eyes are doing well. She was very excited and her mother was very happy for this opportunity that HFKz gave to them. They all say thank you very much to the sponsor and to the RMI staff.

For the third one, we have John Peter Vante. This child is in Les Anglais school. He was facing appendicitis issues that were very painful for him. Because of that, he had lost some school days. His mother was crying when she was talking to me because her family didn’t have any money to take John to the hospital. Hope For Kidz sent John Peter to the hospital in Cayes. He got the surgery, and now he is doing well and continuing with school. What a blessing to serve the Lord through this ministry. This family was very grateful to God first and to RMI.

For a fourth one, Judeson Dume. This child is in Barthe school in the district of Cance. According to the Pastor from that school, Judeson had fallen down from a tree. He broke his left arm, and he was having a very hard time. According to Pastor Fravien, Judeson’s family is very poor and couldn’t even take him to the hospital. The family testified if RMI wasn’t able to help them with Judeson, he wouldn’t be going to school. God made the provision, and they are very grateful. We have sent the child to the hospital, and he had surgery two times in that arm. Pastor Fravien was happy, Judeson and his parents were also happy, and they all said thank you very much to RMI.”

Your sponsorship and participation with kids in the Hope for Kidz program make a real, tangible difference in their lives - not only in educating them but in helping them with major health issues.  Now is the time to renew your sponsorship or start sponsoring a child!

Dominican Republic Update

Jim and April Starkey had a successful trip to the Dominican Republic (DR) in May. Nelson Paulino of Casa Misionera Mission House (one of RMI’s partners in the DR) was fantastic in giving them a tour of Santiago, finding a realtor, scoping out houses for them to look at, and providing translation help—so many things! Thank you, Nelson!!

Jim and April found a nice home in a good neighborhood and were able to sign the rental papers. After a week there, they feel like they have a rudimentary knowledge of the city. Knowing where they’ll shop for groceries, supplies, appliances, and furniture will be a big help.  

They were also able to visit and enroll their youngest, Zeke, in a local English Christian school.  April will homeschool the other 2 boys.

Jim will be going to Haiti this month to pack their house. They plan on only taking their personal belongings to the DR and buying the appliances and furniture they need locally, so they won’t have to send a container.

In the meantime, April is busy packing their belongings in the US for shipment to the DR.  It’s a challenge to anticipate what they will need as they set up a house and settle into their new lives there. But the unknown is quite a bit easier since the DR is quite developed—it’s a second-world country compared to Haiti, which is a fourth-world country.  

Agape Flights, the mission aviation ministry that brought the Starkeys their mail and some supplies in Haiti, also flies into Santiago. This means that if they need something from the US, Agape can fly it in for them. What a blessing.  

Jim and April have been studying Spanish online as well as having a Dominican to help tutor them in person.  By all accounts, it has been going very well!  They have also been teaching the kids Spanish.

The Starkeys have been working hard to raise the additional support that they need.  As of the beginning of June, they have  44% of their monthly support needs and 46% of their one-time needs. They urgently need to raise the rest of those funds. Would you please consider helping to support them with a monthly gift and/or a gift toward their moving expenses? You can give to their ministry here:  www.rmibridge.org/donate.  They are praying that they’ll be able to get to Santiago in August so they can get settled by the beginning of school around the first of September.

Please pray with us that their support comes in and they will be able to get to the DR in a timely manner!

Hispaniola - A New Era for RMI

 

Haiti Update

Haiti’s capital has been mired in gang-fueled violence, kidnappings, and instability for several months.  Right now, there is cautious optimism for the country as they have actually been able to install a presidential commission to begin to try to bring order back to this chaotic situation. The task ahead of this 9-person commission is huge. They have to somehow curb the power of the gangs in the capital, help usher in an international security force to bring back long-term law and order so that they can organize elections to elect a new government which then would take over as the official government of Haiti.  They need our prayers.

RMI, in the midst of these things, continues to function normally for which we are very thankful. The south continues to enjoy overall peace and security. Our team is out every day going all over the peninsula as they carry out their responsibilities for Hope For Kidz, the Hot Lunch Program, construction projects, solar installations, church visits, and more. Our biggest challenge is acquiring the supplies we need for all the projects since it is quite a challenge for businesses to bring supplies into the country and get them to the south. The prices of these items continue to skyrocket due to the economics of supply and demand. 

At the beginning of the month, our biggest challenge was that we were running out of food for our Hot Lunch Program.  We had 5 containers of food stuck at the wharf in Port-au-Prince, the capital.  One of them was looted by gangs, which left us 4. Food for the Poor, a partner ministry that helps with the containers, was, by a miracle, able to get two of the containers on a barge, take it around Port-au-Prince to a port in the south and we were able to get them from there. This was a great PTL for us as it enabled us to finish out this school year’s feeding program. However, we need prayer that we will be able to get the other two quickly as there are many needs for food aid.  We thank the Lord that, after being stuck abroad for many weeks, Benjamin and Benson were finally able to make it back to their families through several different convoluted paths. Continue to pray for our staff as they minister to their people.  

Tessa Andrews continues to help oversee the Hope For Kidz Program along with Frantz.   It is that time of year to renew your sponsorship or if you are planning to start sponsoring a child, this is the time to do it.  Don’t delay.  Contact your church’s Hope for Kidz coordinator to get the process started.

Dominican Republic Update

Not only are we partnering with the Baptist Convention of the Dominican, (BCD) but we have been working with a Dominican mission called “Casa Misionera Mission House”, founded by Nelson Paulino. His ministry is to develop and mentor college students into biblically oriented leaders. He has been a friend of Dan Shoemaker, RMI’s president, for many years and has been the one who has helped RMI begin the process of establishing ministry in the DR. He is excited to see RMI moving in this direction as he is very aware of the many needs within the Haitian and Dominican communities and churches. He and his students have been an invaluable help by planning our exploratory trips, setting up interviews with Haitian and Dominican pastors, helping translate for our team, and introducing us to the BCD.  

 

The city of Santiago, in the north of the country, was determined to best fit us. It will be within a couple of hours from many potential ministry sites. It’s international airport has several flights to Miami daily.  Agape Flights also services ministries in that area. The cost of living is lower than in other cities.  As well as several good English-speaking schools meet the Starkey’s needs. Many other agencies are in the area, providing a good support base on many levels. 

 

Jim and April Starkey and their 4 kids are excited about moving to Santiago, hopefully in August.  April will homeschool a couple of the boys, with the third attending a local English-speaking school.  

 

The Starkeys face a higher cost of living. This, along with moving expenses, means that they need to raise more funds to be able to function well there. RMI has determined they need to raise $1800 more in monthly support and $14,500 in one-time expenses. This will include travel to the country, purchase and shipping of major items to set up a home, housing deposits, and more. This is an urgent need as it will not be possible for them to go without this funding. Would you please consider helping to support them with a monthly gift and/or a gift toward their moving expenses?  You can give to their ministry here: www.rmibridge.org/donate.

Would you and your church want to be a part of helping to pioneer this new ministry with RMI?  We are looking for several churches to send a team to help us begin our work with several Haitian churches in the fall of this year as well as the spring of 2025. Please contact Jim Starkey if you would like to consider this great opportunity.  His email is Jim.starkey@rmibridge.org.

RMI's Ministry is Expanding

RMI is pleased to announce that we are opening the Dominican Republic as our new field!  For a few years, the Lord has laid the Dominican Republic (DR) on our hearts.  Not only is ministry available to the Dominican people but also to the over one million Haitians that live there.  

Last year we began the process of inquiry as to the opportunities there for our C3 Partnership Program as well as our style of ministry. We found that working in the DR would be a natural extension of our ministry in Haiti due to the many Haitians living in the DR. We met with Haitian church leaders to see what the real needs were and whether RMI would be able to have a part in helping meet those needs. The needs shared were heartbreaking and varied. We came away knowing that RMI has great potential to bring hope and help to many there. We also met with Dominican church leaders and found that there is much need amongst their people as well, especially in the area of Biblical training, discipleship, and evangelism.

We also were looking for a church association as a ministry partner. The Lord brought us into contact with the Convención Bautista Dominicana (CBD), or the Baptist Convention of the Dominican Republic. They originally were founded by the International Mission Board efforts of the Southern Baptist Convention. They are now their own independent church association directed and led by Dominican nationals. They have 140 churches in their association. Forty of those are Haitian congregations. The CBD will be a great fit for RMI and provide RMI with a great diversity of ministry opportunities within both the Haitian and Dominican churches and communities in addition to providing recognition from the Dominican government. Recognizing the great needs within the Haitian community, the CBD Executive Committee was very desirous of RMI starting a ministry with their Haitian churches, due to our extensive ministry experience in Haiti.  They will also be invaluable in helping us navigate the Dominican culture.

Haiti will continue to be our main field of ministry. The need for our various ministries and programs is greater than ever and our goal of expanding our current 40+ partnerships to 100 partnerships in Haiti is still a huge priority for RMI. Haiti is a vital part of RMI’s DNA and will always be a major part of who we are. You will continue to interact with the Haiti staff and your Sister Church as you have been doing. Nothing will change for you and your partnership there.

Jim and April Starkey and their family plan to transfer from the Haiti field to the DR to help RMI start our ministry there. This could happen as early as this summer. The DR will match some health and family needs that they have much better than Haiti did, and they are very excited about taking their experience and training in Haiti to help RMI establish C3 partnerships in the DR, especially with the Haitians as they are dear to their heart.  They will need to raise additional monthly support funds as well as one-time funds before they can go.  They are already studying Spanish as a family and God is preparing their hearts to minister there.

Santiago (see the map above) is the city where they will be living and where RMI will be establishing their headquarters.  It meets the criteria needed by both RMI and the Starkey family.  Pray as they look for housing and begin to consider the many logistics of setting up a new ministry.

Much of our ministry in the DR will mirror what we do in Haiti as many of the expressed needs are much the same as in Haiti. Education will continue to be a great need, especially in Haitian communities. There is a great need for pastoral and church leadership training, in addition to opportunities for medical, relief, construction, and help with sustainable endeavors. Of course, there will be differences and new opportunities due to the different cultures and circumstances. Due to the modern society and well-developed infrastructure, it will be much easier to handle teams and develop the ministry there than in Haiti. We look forward to our Haiti leadership team being a part of helping with establishing the ministry in the DR. This will be in the areas of helping to provide training to Haitian leaders, helping receive teams that are working with Haitian churches, and helping to provide guidance and input on the types and how of ministry with the Haitian communities in the DR.

RMI is ready to promote the DR field, not only for C3 Partnerships but also for one-time work teams for the fall of this year. What does this mean for you or your church?  If you have a Haiti partnership but haven’t been able to visit Haiti for the past 4 years, how about considering sending a one-time work or ministry team to help us open this work in the DR? You would be ministering to a Haitian church to help them in various ways.  What a great way to keep a Haitian emphasis going in your church. We would love to see several teams starting in the fall of this year, especially if Haiti continues to be closed to teams.

Maybe your church would desire to add a partnership in the DR to your mission opportunities. We would love to see this happen as long as it doesn’t take away from your Haiti partnership. Plan to send a team to see if this would be of interest. This partnership could be with a Dominican or Haitian church.

For any questions, please feel free to email Dan Shoemaker at dan.shoemaker@rmibridge.org or Jim Starkey at jim.starkey@rmibridge.org. 

What Does "Reciprocal" Mean?

On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian hit just north of the barrier island of Sanibel, off the coast of Fort Myers, Florida.  One of the worst storms in Florida’s history, it packed winds of 155 miles per hour, just shy of Category 5 speeds, and propelled an

8–15-foot storm surge that “overwashed” Sanibel – that is, submerged it in seawater. Many homes and businesses were washed away while many others were heavily damaged.  The road to the island was even washed out.

Nothing escaped unscathed, not even Sanibel Community Church.  The church campus was heavily damaged.  Even though their homes were destroyed or heavily damaged too, the congregation came together to rip out the flooring, take out damaged pews and equipment, and sheetrock all over the campus.  Their property was used as a staging area for relief efforts on the island.  

They didn’t feel their pain alone, though.  Their Haitian Sister Church of 5 years, Formond Baptist Church, heard about Sanibel Church’s destruction.  Being near the ocean, they have been through many hurricanes.  They were also affected by the 2021 earthquake.  They are no strangers to disaster.

Their Sister Church’s plight touched their hearts deeply.  Out of their extreme poverty, they collected money for months, and in the fall of 2023, they sent a check of $1,000 US dollars to RMI for the Sanibel Church to help with their rebuilding efforts.  

A short time later RMI President, Dan Shoemaker, visited Sanibel Church during a Sunday morning service and presented Pastor Jeramie Rinne and the congregation with a $1,000 check.  As he announced the generous gift, there were audible gasps from the congregation.  They couldn’t believe that their Haitian Sister Church cared so much and had given so much. 

There wasn’t a dry eye as they clapped with appreciation.  It was very touching.  To experience this kind of reciprocal ministry was humbling.  He also presented Pastor Jeramie with a certificate of appreciation from the Formond church for all that Sanibel Community Church had done for them.

This is what RMI, Reciprocal Ministries International, is all about. This is the Body of Christ in action, ministering one to another. When one part of the Body is in need, the others come alongside and provide for the need as God enables.  Sanibel Community Church has ministered to the needs of their Haitian sister church at various times and now it was their turn to minister. God doesn’t look at the size of the gift but at the heart and capacity of the giver. What a great example of how a C3 partnership impacts both churches. This is how the Lord transforms lives by breaking down those things that divide us and make us one by His Spirit. 

Important Hope for Kidz News from the RMI President

Hope for Kidz is a program that has had a dramatic impact on the lives of not just kids by providing them hope through education but also their families, their churches, their communities, and their schools. It is a huge help in this time of unprecedented inflation and runaway costs in Haiti. However, because of the extreme situation RMI is facing, we must raise the cost of sponsorship by $5, from $35 to $40 a month. This decision was made after much deliberation, discussion, and prayer, and with the blessing of the RMI Board. 

Here is why.  Since the beginning of last year, RMI has recognized that we were facing an issue that needed a solution or we would have a serious financial deficit in the Haiti operations budget. RMI has been having to draw out of our very limited reserves thousands of dollars every month to subsidize their budget for several years now and our funds were drying up. We understood that the shortfall was because we lost the income teams provide when they visit. Due to having to cancel just about all teams for the past six years, this has caused a major shortage of income for the field as well as for RMI in general.

Teams bring in a significant amount of funding that helps pay for salaries and many administrative costs as well as provide significant cash flow for the field, enabling them to efficiently manage their finances and along with other sources of income cover their operating costs. Canceling teams since 2019 has caused the field to lose over $600,000 of administrative income. 

Another huge issue for the field has been the rate of inflation over the past several years. Currently, items that used to cost $10 are now $30 to $50+.  Food costs have absolutely skyrocketed. We have had to provide raises and multiple bonuses over the last several years to try to help our staff feed and care for their families. We have not wanted to lay anyone off as they are all needed, and they simply don’t have other choices for income for their families. Fuel costs, material costs, etc. have risen to exorbitant levels. 

After much cost-cutting and analysis of the situation by both our staff and the RMI Board, we determined that we needed a two-fold solution. At the end of this past year, 2023, we initiated the Stand in the Gap fundraising program led by Rob Thompson to help cover the costs for the field for this present year, 2024, and to help make up some of the deficit from years past. God raised up 160 donors who helped us meet this need. The second part of the solution has been to raise the Hope For Kidz sponsorship cost by $5.00 a month. As the Hope For Kidz program plays a major role in field administrative costs, this will be a great help in helping to cover the added costs on the field for 2025 and following. This will plug the deficit that they have been having every month, enable us to provide a modest raise to the staff, and not have to subsidize the field every month. This will provide much-needed relief for the field and their needs.

Thank you for your understanding, support for our staff on the ground in Haiti, and particularly your participation in sponsoring a child.  You are needed now more than ever!  

Dan Shoemaker, President of RMI

2023 Ministry Impact Report

There have been a lot of things that have hindered or postponed growth and ministry in Haiti.  Once again gang activity in the capital resulted in the need to cancel teams.  We are thankful that our headquarters and most of the areas where we minister in southern Haiti are located remain quiet and safe.  The local police have taken a very tough stance against any gang influence.  A domestic airline flies between the capital and the airport in Cayes, allowing safe travel in and out of the country.  Having dedicated staff has also helped ministry continue to take place.  Here is how 2023 went.

C3 Partnerships

• 185 salvations in our C3 Haitian Sister Churches
• 115 baptisms in our C3 Haitian Sister Churches
• 48 rededications
• 235 Bible/songbooks distributed
• 2 church constructions
• 325 Good News Bibles distributed

Hope for Kidz, School Education, and Hot Lunch Program

• 2,322 children sponsored in the first trimester of the 2023 school year
• 14,585 kids fed a hot lunch daily in school
• 6 containers - 8,540 cases - 1.8 million meals received and distributed
• 13 hot lunch food storage buildings and school kitchens built
• 68 soccer balls for kids
• 10 Hope for Kidz sponsored children given medical assistance
• 145 backpacks distributed

Haiti Operations

• 38 national staff
• 1 missionary family and 1 single woman
• 34 active partnerships
• 312 goats distributed
• 25 farmer kits
• 120 water filters were distributed and the families were trained on how to use them
• 10 water truck deliveries
• 2 wells drilled
• 7 Homes for Haiti homes built
• 15 SunTech solar systems installed (these are large systems for schools, churches, and offices)
• 6 SunTech home solar systems installed (small, basic 1 battery systems)
• 8 SunTech portable solar lamps distributed
• 3 motorcycles for pastors delivered
• 270 tin sheets (3’ x 6’) for roof repairs
• 2 vehicles purchased to replace decommissioned ones

Stand in the Gap Campaign - God Did It!

In only 5 weeks, 156+ donors stood up and generously gave $207,902!  We are beyond thankful for EACH and every one of you who stood up with us to donate and bring in the funds needed for our Haiti team! To God be the glory, great things He has done!!! 

As you know, RMI asked Rob Thompson, our former Haiti Field Director to champion our $200,000 “Stand in the Gap” fundraising campaign.  This campaign was to help RMI augment the Haiti field budget for the next year. Since 2019, churches have been unable to send teams to visit their Sister Churches in Haiti because of the political upheaval within the country. This has caused a major decrease in our income for the Haiti field needs. On top of this, the costs for goods and services have skyrocketed in Haiti, often 3 - 5 times what we used to pay a couple of years ago. This shortage has compelled RMI to subsidize the Haiti budget by thousands of dollars a month over these last 5 years from our very limited reserves. These reserves are just about exhausted now.  We had hoped that Haiti would have opened up to free-flowing teams by now, but that has not happened.  Thus this specific campaign where we asked you to “stand in the gap” with us to help us cover these needs. 

Thank you for your prayers and gifts toward this specific need.  We are awed to see how God used His people to meet this need.