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.