Celebrating the Life of Herb Shoemaker

At this time we are uncertain if we'll be able to live stream the service.

The Tluceks Are Moving

The Tlucek family is changing their address.

As you can imagine, the past three months have been exhilarating, especially with the addition of two little ones. However, that isn’t the only excitement they’ve experienced.

 

Andrew shared recently, "We always imagined Haiti would be our home as a missionary couple, where we could serve for the long haul. However, over the past four months, we've felt a strong nudge from God, guiding us toward a new chapter in the Dominican Republic. Our family and the Ezra Institute will have the excellent opportunity to continue ministry among the vibrant Haitian people while sharing our hearts with the Dominican people.  This wasn’t an easy choice for us; we have spent much time praying, reflecting on scripture, seeking advice from trusted counsel, and meeting with our leadership at RMI. We genuinely believe this new direction holds great promise for the school and our family.

We want to express that our goal is to bring glory to our Lord and Savior! Even if that means walking in obedience in a direction we never imagined." 

The move will occur after they raise additional family support and support for the Ezra Institute. If you want to participate in supporting them, contact them personally.

RMI Haiti Activities

One food container has reached RMI's facilities in Cayes! It was unloaded into our storage depot and will soon be distributed to our schools for Hot Lunches. Food scarcity is an urgent need right now. Please pray for the safety of this food as it sits in the depot and during its transportation to the schools.

Also, please pray for our Haiti staff; we have a lot going on. Some of the projects are... 

• the construction of food storage and a kitchen in Source Baptiste
• a trip to Rousseau to paint the school
• two teams from HFKz  are going to Boyer and Ducis for picture-taking and deworming
• we traveled to Boyer to mount the doors and windows for the two classrooms we had just built
• welders are working on creating the doors and windows for the Chardoniere Church
  

It is like a busy bee hive with staff going here and there.  We are thankful for the faithful men and women who serve the Lord with us!

RMI Leadership Summit

At the end of January, RMI hosted the first annual RMI Leadership Summit to strategize and plan for RMI's future activities and direction.  Those present were from the US: Dan Shoemaker, Kim Rose, Rob Thompson, Andrew Tlucek, Mariah Blanco, and Julie Fuller as our secretary; from Haiti, Benjamin Altema and Benson Joseph (via Zoom); from the Dominican Republic, Jim Starkey and representing the RMI Board, Board Chairman John Peterson.

RMI has met periodically with our field leadership as needed, but as we grow, we are implementing an annual leadership retreat for prayer and fellowship, discussing current situations, and strategizing for the future. Much is going on in the US and the Caribbean that is or could soon impact RMI, which could hinder some areas and help grow the ministry in others. As a result of these issues affecting our work in Haiti and the opportunities of our new work in the DR, we felt it was a good time to come together to discuss topics, focus, and opportunities for both countries and RMI in general.  It was refreshing to see one another in person and catch up throughout the time together.

We started with a good time of devotion, prayer, and worship. The Haitians have a saying that “Man proposes, but God disposes.” It was a good time to remind ourselves that the Lord controls the good, the bad, and the impossible.

From there, we jumped into discussions concerning Haiti and the challenges RMI faces there, especially with the capital still controlled by the gangs, with little hope for this to change any time soon. This has hurt the whole country in terms of out-of-control inflation, scarcity of goods, difficulty in travel, security issues, etc. The Haitian people continue to suffer in myriad ways, impacting our staff, Sister Churches, and ministry in every area of life.

We are so blessed that the law and order officials have kept the gangs out of southern Haiti. This has enabled us to be able to continue to accomplish the vast majority of our ministry in the area of our Hope For Kidz Child Sponsorship Program (2900+), Hot Lunch Program (15,000+ kids), construction projects, our solar design and installation program, and much more in the 200+ communities that we impact.

Our biggest concern about Haiti has been our inability to have teams come to minister to their Sister Churches. This lack of face-to-face contact going on for 5 years now has been a strain on the partnerships. However, due to the lack of progress on the security situation in the capital, we have had to cancel teams again until there is a significant change. We have also had to put off several growth projects for the ministry until we see real change. It has also resulted in the need to pause the opening of the Ezra Institute of Leadership Development until there is straightforward and easy travel to and around Haiti.

We see the Lord's purpose in RMI opening the Dominican Republic as a new field last year. There are opportunities for our current C3 partner churches and new churches. We are actively looking for church leadership, medical, and sports teams. Of course, there are teams to encourage Haitian and Dominican churches.

If your church is interested, please let us know. We will be glad to contact them and share more information. 

These were some of the conclusions we reached together, along with many others. We left feeling excited about the time together and the goals ahead of us. Pray for Haiti. Pray for the security of the country, the people, and the RMI staff. Pray for continued safety and openness for ministry in the south of Haiti. Pray for new teams and churches for the Dominican Republic ministry. It is wide open for ministry. Pray the Lord will encourage churches to get involved. This involves funds, so pray for RMI as we share the needs with churches and friends for God’s continued provision. 

More Than Education

In America, when you get sick, you go to the doctor.  When you cut your finger, you put on a band-aid.  Broken bones are put in a cast to heal correctly.   

What happens when there is no doctor, transportation, or way to pay for services?  The need for medical care is an ongoing issue, no matter where you live.  But in Haiti, trying to see a doctor is a challenge.  

Hope for Kidz offers assistance for medical issues, from ringworm to broken bones, hernia repairs, and eye exams. As part of our sponsorship program, our kids get a helping hand.   

We shared a story a few years ago about a young man who needed a prosthetic leg. The medical fund helped him get the leg and keep it updated as he grows. He has grown quite a bit and is still doing very well in school.

Three students saw the eye doctor during the school year, and two now have glasses to help them see better. This will improve their everyday lives.

RMI Co-Founder Has Passed Away

It is with great sadness that we inform you that Rev. Herb Shoemaker, RMI's co-founder, passed away on Thursday morning, Feb. 13, 2025. He, his wife Shirley, his son Dan, and his wife Debbie co-founded RMI (Reciprocal Ministries International) in 1988. He and his wife were married for 68 years and were in full-time ministry for 60+ years until their retirement in 2010. They have three sons, 11 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.

He attended King's College, where he met his wife.  Shirley had served as a summer missionary in Haiti twice and had developed a significant burden for the Haitian people.  Herb proposed to Shirley, saying, "Don't you think that the Lord could use us both in Haiti?"  They were married in 1956.  Before going to Haiti as missionaries, he served as pastor of Second Cape May Baptist Church, Marmora, NJ, for a year.  

They joined the West Indies Mission, which became World Team, and arrived in Haiti in 1960.  After serving in a variety of capacities, Herb became the Director of the MEBSH (The Evangelical Baptist Mission of South Haiti or Mission Evangelique Baptiste du Sud d'Haiti) Bible Institute and started the Theological Education by Extension Program for the Bible Institute.  They lived in Haiti until 1972 when they moved to the U.S. for their children to attend high school.  He became the area-campus representative for World Team (Chicago area), and in 1982, they moved to Miami, where Herb worked with World Team as Director of the Southeastern Caribbean.

In 1988, he co-founded RMI and served as president until 2005, when his son, Dan, became the president.  He continued to minister with RMI until 2010.

Herb was hospitalized in Naples, FL, near their home, on Saturday, February 8, 2025, with a severe infection.  Dan and his mom had a good, positive day with Herb on Wednesday, and the doctors were looking forward to releasing him into a rehabilitation facility the next day, Thursday.  However, his heart stopped Thursday morning, and they could not resuscitate him.

It was a shock for Shirley and the family since they thought he was on the mend.  Pray especially for Shirley.  Her eyesight is failing to the point that she can't read, and she relied heavily on Herb to take care of the day-to-day details of running the house.  He even read books out loud to her every evening.  He and Shirley were real soulmates.  They were a rare example of marital oneness.

Herb was a visionary; he was instrumental in establishing RMI's foundational program, the Sister Church Program (currently called the C3 Partnership Program). He left a legacy in Haiti; he trained many pastors all over southern Haiti.  He touched many lives everywhere he served in the US.  His spiritual legacy within his family extends four generations.  His steadfast love for the Lord was a great example to all those who knew him.  He was a faithful man of God and a man of prayer.

A memorial service will be held; time, date, and place will be announced.  In place of flowers, please donate to the Herb Shoemaker Haiti Memorial Fund, c/o Reciprocal Ministries International, 5475 Lee St., Suite 301, Lehigh Acres, FL  33971.

Ministry Impact Report for 2024

One would think that nothing is happening in Haiti with everything at a standstill.  We are pleased to share that God has enabled RMI to still impact thousands of lives.  Here is our 2024 Ministry Impact Report.

Ministry in Haiti has been quite a challenge!  Never before has the situation been as bad as it is right now.  Gang activity in the capital resulted in the need to cancel teams again.  We are thankful that our headquarters and most areas where we minister in southern Haiti remain quiet and safe.  The local police have taken a very tough stance against any gang influence.  The only way to get to Cayes is to fly into Cape Haitian, spend the night, and then catch a domestic flight to Cayes.  Luggage weight is strictly enforced, with even carry-on luggage sometimes not making it with the passengers. However!  As you read the following Impact Report, you can see that through God’s grace, we are still impacting thousands of lives, and ministry is taking place!  Here is how 2024 went.

C3 Partnerships

243 salvations in our C3 Haitian Sister Churches

210 baptisms in our C3 Haitian Sister Churches

82 rededications

280 Bible/songbooks distributed

1 church construction

1.3 million meals distributed to needy people (this is 5 containers containing 6,300 cases)

Hope for Kidz, School Education, and Hot Lunch Program

2,954 children sponsored in the first trimester of the 2024 school year

14,706 kids fed a hot lunch each school day

72 soccer balls for kids

579 kids Bibles

27 Hope for Kidz sponsored children given medical assistance

120 backpacks distributed

1 school construction

2 school repairs

1 school bathroom built

Haiti Operations

38 national staff

1 missionary family and 1 single woman

47 attendees at the RMI Annual Pastor and School Directors Meeting

91 goats distributed

15 farmer kits

8 water truck deliveries

3 cisterns built

45 family water filters (including training on its care and operation)

8 Homes for Haiti homes built

15 SunTech solar systems installed (these are large systems for schools, churches, and offices)

5 SunTech home solar systems installed (small, basic 1 battery systems)

45 SunTech portable solar lamps distributed

1 parsonage built

65 doors and windows for churches and schools

220 tin sheets (3’ x 6’) for roof repairs

Finish Strong Fund Raising Campaign

“Grateful” doesn’t even begin to express how we feel. An incredible team of supporters gave as the Lord moved their hearts, and together, we raised $107,377! While we came in just shy of our goal, there’s no disappointment here at RMI—only overwhelming joy. These funds will position us strongly as we enter 2025, trusting God has amazing plans for us in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the U.S.

Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for helping us Finish 2024 Strong.

Thank You Letters

Have you ever wondered about the thank you letter process? Each year, our students write a thank you letter to their sponsor. How does it work?

In August of each year, our US office prepares a tuition report for our Haiti team, itemizing each student who has been sponsored for the year, and a thank you letter is created for each student.  Once created, it is emailed to Haiti for printing.  Our Haiti staff then delivers the letters to the head of the school, usually the principal (or pastor), along with the list of students receiving sponsorships.  Student funds that arrive after August are sent on a separate report later in the year.

From there, the principal sorts the letters by classroom, and the teachers help the students fill them out.  When our Haiti staff arrives for the first school year visit, the letters are collected and brought back to the office.  Our staff then catalogs the letters to mark them received and begins the translation process.   

Each letter must be translated from Creole to English. Thanks to our partnership with Agape Flights International, once our translators complete all the letters from one school, they are sent to our US office. Upon arrival, we verify that each letter has been received by cataloging it again. We have also started scanning each letter to add a digital copy to each sponsored child's online profile.

After scanning is complete, letters are finally ready to begin making their way into the hands of our sponsors.  Some are hand-delivered by our church coordinators, while others are mailed.  It's quite a process, but anticipating a thank you letter from your sponsored child is always a worthwhile wait, regardless of how it arrives.

The information comes directly from your child!  Many people put it on their refrigerator or someplace prominent in their home to use as a reminder to pray for them.

Two Significant Milestone

Haiti recently passed two significant milestones, one of celebration and one of solemn remembrance.

January 1 was both New Year's Day and Haitian Independence Day. In 1804, Haiti won independence from France and became the first black republic to achieve this feat. Haitians fought long and hard for their freedom and celebrated by eating soup joumou (pumpkin soup). This was a dish that the French would never allow the Haitians to have. Haitians all over Haiti and the world still eat soup joumou each year to celebrate their freedom as a country. These days, many areas of the country no longer feel free and liberated; we are praying that 2025 will bring peace to all of Haiti and that the spirit of soup joumou can live again.

January 12 "marks 15 years since the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti at 4:53 PM, claiming over 250,000 lives and leaving 1.5 million homeless. On this solemn day, we remember those we lost and stand with the survivors whose lives were forever changed. Your strength and resilience in the face of unimaginable tragedy continue to inspire us all.

This day powerfully reminds us of our nation's immense pain and enduring hope and spirit. Haiti’s strength lies in its people, who continue to rise despite all odds.

However, even as we honor this resilience, we must acknowledge our country's ongoing challenges. We wish the situation were different and that Haiti’s road to recovery had been smoother. The current instability and struggles within the country are heartbreaking, and our hearts go out to those still suffering. We stand together, hoping for a brighter future where the pain of the past no longer weighs on our people and where Haiti’s promise is fully realized.

We honor your courage, remember the lives lost, and pledge that Haiti's spirit will never be forgotten."

[Shared from www.lunionsuite.com]

New, Clean Bathrooms

These students were so excited to see the new bathroom their Sister Church, The Bayou (Lafayette, LA), provided for their school! A few weeks ago, it was a blessing to hand over the keys, as the students in Petit Trou got to see how their Sister Church cares for them. 

Clean, good-quality bathrooms are not always easy to find. This Sister Church came together to improve the quality of life and hygiene in Petit Trou. Pastor Solvat shared that this is the nicest bathroom in the entire area!

A C3 partnership is not only about teams or building benches. This time, it was about a seemingly mundane thing like bathrooms. But when you realize that all they had before were ancient outhouses, it is understandable why they were so excited about this building of modern toilets and places to wash their hands. It will affect the health of the students, teachers, and their families at home.

Thank you, Bayou Church!

SunTech at Work

During the recent holiday season, RMI's SunTech team installed this extensive solar system for another local ministry. We are excited to offer this service to churches, schools, parsonages, homes, and other local ministries. Harnessing the power of sunshine, one of Haiti's renewable resources makes so much sense! They can have electricity to run lights, fans, computers, other household appliances, refrigerators, and even air conditioners.

SunTech solar systems are in high demand since there hasn't been electricity locally for several years. The SunTech team provides efficient, clean, and professional installations. And they work with a smile on their faces! We are very thankful that each of them feels called to serve God by serving their own people.

Finish Strong Thank You

"Grateful" doesn’t even begin to express it. An incredible team of supporters gave as the Lord moved their hearts, and together, we raised $107,377! While we came in just shy of our goal, there’s no disappointment here at RMI—only overwhelming joy. These funds will position us strongly as we enter 2025, trusting God has amazing plans for us in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the U.S.

Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for helping us Finish Strong. We are truly together for the Gospel!

Welcome Times Two!

RMI missionaries, Andrew and Dawn Tlucek, gave birth to their twins on Dec. 5.  Owen Elias Tlucek arrived first, weighing in at 6 lb. 10 oz.  Everett Joel Tlucek came next, weighing in at 5 lb. 15 oz.  Owen went directly into the NICU since he needed some help breathing.  He was there for 2 weeks.  Dawn and Everett went home 3 days after the birth.

It was hard going back and forth from home to the hospital to hold Owen and feed him every 3 hours!  They were very relieved when Owen was released, and they were able to bring the whole family together.  Layton stayed with his Nana and Pop Pop (Debbie and Dan Shoemaker) until Andrew's parents and youngest sister arrived two days after the birth.  Andrew's family had an active role in caring for Layton and Everett, then Owen, too, when he arrived.  What a blessing to have their help!

Five days after giving birth, they had quite a scare when it seemed that Dawn had a stroke.  The left side of her face was drooping, her speech was slurred, and her blood pressure was sky-high.  A rushed ambulance ride to the hospital and tests revealed that it was not a stroke but Bell's palsy, most likely a result of the pre-eclampsia that she had before the birth.  The scare continued in the hospital when she had a serious anaphylactic reaction to the contrast dye they used for one of the CAT scans.  Three units of epinephrine brought it under control, and she was hospitalized overnight for observation.  She was released the next day and went straight to the other hospital where Owen was so she could feed him.  Her case of Bell's palsy is not serious, and she was told that it would clear up in a couple of months.

Wow!  They have had some hectic, exciting days and look forward to having some "boring" maternity leave days.

[Owen is the twin in the dark outfit, and Everett is in the cream-colored one.  So far, it appears that they are not identical.]

HaitiConnect

When you can’t physically visit your Sister Church, how do you stay connected with them?  HaitiConnect is RMI’s answer to this and one of our newest initiatives.  To keep C3 Partnership relationships alive, we have developed HaitiConnect, a program by which we connect our Sister Churches virtually, via the internet.  One way is by bringing church leaders to our Cayes office to speak directly (via live translation) with their counterparts in the US via Zoom.  Another way is going to a Sister Church, setting up a portable StarLink system, and enabling various groups from the Haitian Sister Church to speak directly with the US church's leadership or a group in the church.  We anticipate connecting US Hope for Kidz child sponsors with their sponsored children via a school program broadcast live. We want to connect various groups (women's and men's groups and others) in the Haitian church to those groups of the US church.  This way, they can catch each other up with their latest news, events, and prayer requests. Eventually, we hope to have some live interaction during church services.

Our hope is that these virtual meetings will help invigorate the US C3 partners and that they will realize that their Haitian C3 partners haven't forgotten them and pray regularly for them.  We also hope the Haitian C3 partners will realize they are not forgotten either.

So far, about a dozen calls between church leaders have taken place.  Each one of them was very thankful to get the chance to connect with their C3 partner church.  Rob Thompson, RMI's Director of Ministry Development, reports:

"...[there were] Warm greetings from both sides on all of these calls!  It's incredible to watch these reunions happening!  Praise the Lord! God continues to work through our partnerships.

We've heard the same thing on every call...  The Gospel continues to spread in Haiti and the US. We've heard a few common themes. First, every partner in Haiti and the US has strongly communicated that they are 'thirsty, as they say in Haiti,' to be together again as soon as God opens that door. Secondly, every Haitian Church is receiving so many people who have been displaced from PAP.  Schools are busting at the seams.  People have arrived with very few resources, so it is the church that is doing all they can to care for the families and provide education to the kids...  many have arrived from PAP with only the clothes on their backs. Schools are out of space. Homes have many extra people living in them. Resources are spread very thin. The church and community are swollen with people from PAP. The church is doing all it can do to serve those from PAP, but it can't help everyone as its resources are limited. HFK sponsorships and the HFK Hot Lunch Program are having an even bigger impact than ever. As these resources are being provided, it allows the Haitian church to serve those who have arrived from PAP.

It seems all of our partnership schools in Haiti have increased by probably 25% or so. Probably even higher. That's just my guess on a number, but it seems to match with what I'm hearing from all of these pastors."

HaitiConnect has already shown positive results in the US and in Haiti.  Both have been encouraged and delighted to spend some time together.  It has also shown the new challenges that our churches are facing.  Dealing with displaced people is very difficult in a place where life is being stretched almost to the breaking point.  But they are doing their best.  Pray for our C3 churches that they will find the resources they need and that they won't become weary in their well-doing.

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed

Grateful, Thankful, Blessed

Looking back over the 2024 calendar year, our Hope for Kidz team can truly say that we are Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed!  We are Grateful for the opportunity to bring Hope to the children of Haiti with a biblically based education.  We are Thankful that our donors and sponsors understand the importance of education and providing a hot meal each school day.  And we are Blessed each time we hear of how the Lord has touched another life in His great plan.  

We continue forward into this new year with humble hearts and the desire to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  Please join us as we pray for peace and safety within Haiti, as we pray for strong leadership that will restore order, and as we pray that the Lord will touch the hearts of men, because through Him all things are possible.