Activities in Port Salut- Month of April/May

Pastor Jean Edert Pierre shared this report on the recent and upcoming activities in the Port Salut Church.  Please continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they continue to serve the Lord.

April 18^th to 26^th we had an Easter Conference in our church and we showed the film, The Passion of the Christ”.  During the week of Easter we had a prayer service every day at 5am.

The church really enjoyed the Annual Convention and we sent the ladies group to sing some special music for one of the services.  The week after convention we had a seminar for all the ladies of the church.   Madame Pastor Edert, a pastor’s wife from another district, was present and she is going to take the information back to her church and do the same seminar for the ladies of her district.

All the churches in the district meet every 3 months to plan for church activities, to strengthen relationships and to help one another with projects.  We meet in a different church each time so that we can help and encourage one another.  The next meeting is planned for May 23 and we will meet in the Kapantye Church.

Thanks to God everything is going well in the church and in the school.  For the month of May, we do not plan children’s activities because of the rain.  It makes it difficult for the children to come so the last Sunday in May the we dedicate the service to the children and call the service, “Children’s Day”. The children are responsible to take part in the music for service.

We are also making plans to start a Professional School here in the area as a place the youth can come and further their education.

We go forward in our plans but, thanks to God we are making a lot of progress.

Please pray that the mission continue to grow for the gospel of the Lord. Also pray for construction of the church Parsonage.

With all our hearts and love through Jesus Christ!

Our Team in Haiti helping…

We have a team from Mainstreet UMC and Erskine College in South Carolina in Haiti. This medical team came to do a medical clinic at their Sister Church in Port Salut. They didn’t realize they came for more!

They are “stranded” for the moment (we are working to find a route back home for them). In the meantime, they are serving in the midst of the earthquake aftermath.

Yesterday, our team, joined forces with other short term teams with other missionary organizations, to do a medical clinic in downtown Cayes. Quake victims are making their way out of PAP down to the Cayes area. Today they will be serving right at the medical clinic on the mission center where are missionaries live.

Here are some pictures…

Enews Update

As you are aware, the unimaginable happened on January 12 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A 7.0 earthquake hit the capital shortly before 5 p.m. There have been more than 30 aftershocks. What little infrastructure that was there has been destroyed: many government buildings, hospitals, businesses, hotels, homes, schools and churches have been turned to dust. Roads have cracked, fallen away or are blocked with rubble from fallen buildings. CNN has reported that the human toll could be up to 100,000 people! We are deeply saddened and heavy hearted as we watch the news and see the scenes of places that we once knew, but are rubble today.

We wanted you to know that all of RMI’s missionaries & Haitian staff are fine. We have a team in-country (Main St. United Methodist, Abbeyville, SC) right now; they are at RMI’s Guesthouse at the mission center in Cayes and are fine as well. RMI’s ministries, missionaries and Sister Churches are in the southern peninsula, 120 miles from the capital, in the city of Les Cayes. They felt the earthquake and a number of aftershocks. It shook buildings and rocked parked vehicles, but there was very little damage, and only a few people were injured when they fell running out of buildings.

A big challenge that we face is getting the team out of Haiti and back home. Port-au-Prince’s airport is operational, but only relief aid is being allowed to take off and land. There is only one runway and no place to put planes. There is no aviation fuel. As I write this there are 10 planes circling Port waiting to land. The FAA has grounded all flights to Haiti because of the bottleneck, at least until tomorrow.

We are working hard, through as many avenues as possible, to make arrangements for the team to leave. In the meantime, they are safe and sound at the mission center. Today they joined another short term team that is also stranded at the mission center. They are both medical teams, so they ministered together, holding a medical clinic in a nearby community.

How can YOU help this desperate situation? As in any disaster, giving financially is the best way to help right now. We are partnering with MEBSH (the Haitian church association with whom we’ve partnered with for over 25 years) to determine how we can best help their churches that were devastated in Port-a-Prince. You can contribute online here (choose the “relief” category) or send a check to RMI at the address below. We anticipate sending a team in to help in the rebuilding efforts, but are not sure when that will be.

We’ve received many, many phone calls from all over the US, all wanting to know how they can help make a difference, as well as if the team, RMI’s missionaries and their Sister Churches are ok. We have appreciated the outpouring of concern, thoughts and prayers on behalf of the Haitian people and RMI.

Regular updates are being posted to RMI’s Facebook page as well as this blog. Again, thank you for your prayers for Haiti.

Dan Shoemaker
Reciprocal Ministries International
5475 Lee St. Suite 301
Lehigh Acres, FL 33971
239-368-8390

Haiti Update

As a result of the earthquake, Dan & Kim have cancelled their trip to Haiti. Rob Thompson, his dad & uncle were going in to work on Rob's house as well, but they've cancelled their trip also. The team from Main St. United Methodist (Due West, SC) is now at the mission center and are fine. They've felt the aftershocks, but there is no damage in the southern area. Port's airport is operational and we are working to get the team home.

Pray for Haiti – people who have so little now have even less. It is amazing to see the devastation. Our hearts are breaking at what we hear and see on CNN and via phone calls and internet contact.

At this time, we are working with the MEBSH leadership (MEBSH is the Haitian church association that we work with. All of our Sister Churches are members of MEBSH.) who have quite a few large congregations in the affected areas. Money sent to RMI for relief will go toward helping MEBSH help their people in Port. At this point we are not sure just what the help will look like but know that they will have many needs in many areas.

The relief efforts will be focused on the Port-au-Prince area.

As with all disasters, the best way to help is financially. Also, sending money to Haiti is a simple matter of transferring funds and gives our in-country missionaries tremendous ability to help. Those who would like to help can contribute electronically by going here. Choose “relief” as the category to give to for earthquake relief.

Besides this blog, you’ll also find updates on RMI’s Facebook page here.

You can’t go around hugging missionaries!

Dan and I are at our daughter’s college (Trinity College of Florida) missionary conference.  We set up our booth yesterday a.m. and were prepared when classes were dismissed.  Dawn walked by our booth with a group of her friends.  When she got to the end of the table, I was standing there and she gave me a big hug.  One of her classmates gave a gasp, her hand flew to her mouth and she said, “Dawn you can’t go around hugging the missionaries!”  Dawn turned around and “She’s my mom!”.  Her friend’s eyes flew open wide and the look of chagrin on her face was priceless.  Everyone around had a great laugh about it.  She knew Dawn was an MK, missionary kid, so she figured that due to that Dawn felt a real affinity toward missionaries and was going around hugging the missionaries.  She didn’t know we were her parents.  It really was hilarious!

As the students were milling around, perusing the booths, the school’s 4 Haitians found our booth.  One of them picked up the Creole hymnal that we have out and found her favorite hymn.  She started singing and the others joined in.  They stood there and sang all the verses.  A crowd formed and listened to the impromptu concert in a foreign language.  It was cool.  Each one of them have made an effort to find us from time to time during the day to say hi and talk about Haiti.

Yesterday, the first day of the conference, also found me having an interesting conversation with the Child Evangelism Fellowship missionary at his booth.  He is what I call a ripple effect.  He quit the military to become a missionary because of the ministry and influence of my dad who was a CEF missionary to the US military in Germany.  When he got to the US for CEF’s training institute, my dad was one of his teachers.  One can never tell how far out your ministry will ripple!  It brought tears to my eyes.  I wish my dad knew how far his ripples have reached!  (My dad died of ALS in 2002.)

Today has been a good day of interaction with the students at our booth, at meals and in chapel.  It’s been fun to meet Dawn’s friends, too, and to see her going through “the college experience”.  Tonight Dan will have 7 minutes to share with the student body.

Tomorrow we will have a 45 minute workshop (one of several offered).  The conference ends at lunch time.

Rob is in Haiti

One more update:  Rob is in Haiti this week, Sept. 21 – 25, 2009.  He is working on RMI’s finances there and taking care of other administrative details.  Pray that the electricity stays on and the internet is stable so that he and the missionary staff will be able to accomplish all that needs to be done during this time.  Pray for Becky as she is home alone with the kids.

We have power and other updates!

The RMI office finally has power!  It was turned on at 6 p.m. Friday.  We started the work with in the 20th century….there was power, but no internet and no phones.  Dan had to work all day on that.  After a frustrating day, he was finally able to resolve it and bring us into the 21st century.  Wow.  We are very thankful that we can get down to business now.

Debbie sent out 4 orders of orientation materials today!  Teams are preparing for their upcoming visit to their Sister Churches.  We are really excited about the updated Orientation Training that we now have available.  Our goal is to make sure that a team member is well prepared when they arrive and ready to minister and be ministered to.

Dan and Debbie had a great time in Ft. Lauderdale.  The team there did a fantastic job of sharing their how their visit with their Sister Church impacted their lives.  They had a great video and photo collection, shared a Creole song and testimonies.  The pastor worked his message around the team, challenging the church to get out of their comfort zone (as each person on the team had done) and minister locally and globally.  We were there for all 3 services and had 2 meals with the team.  Dan had gone to Haiti with this team, so it was good to re-connect with them and see how their trip had impacted their lives.

RMI Impacts Lives Forever!

Moses News!

From the Moses' blog:

Yes, we have closed! Hooray! Yipee! Yes! and any other words that you can think of to describe our joy.

After 8 long weeks we finally closed last Wednesday August 26th. We were in Texas during the first part of June and put together a contract to close on June 28th. The Moses family returned to Haiti and packed all of our things and headed to Port-au-Prince. In Port we boarded a DC-3 to Ft. Pierce, FL with our 3 dogs and 2 cats. We spent the night in Ft. Pierce and woke up the next morning to life in America. We loaded up all of our belongs and animals with the help of Rob Thompson and Dan Shoemaker into a 16 foot Penske Truck and headed to Texas. This was on a Friday morning. By Saturday evening we were in Texas. Welcome home to the Lone Star State! We were tired, but very excited to be with family and to be moving into our new home on the following Tuesday.

Oh but wait! The mortgage company and the US department of agriculture got involved. We had worked out our loan through the USDA because they were offering a $0 down program aimed at developing rural areas. This is a great deal except for one thing. Everybody in America it seems, that is purchasing a home is doing it through USDA. As a result, every day we would ask…today? And every day we would get the response, “no, maybe tomorrow”.

Finally everything was approved and we were able to close last Wednesday. We were so excited, we started moving in that night and slept there. By 10am the next morning, our storage room was empty and most of our stuff was at least in the garage.

We are very grateful to God and are enjoying setting up our new home. The animals are beginning to settle down and feel like they are home too.

Now if we can only figure out where to put everything!!!!

Read about Rob and Becky's adventures in Haiti

Rob and Becky had a great time in Haiti.  They were able to accomplish quite a bit, experience a lot and came back glowing with excitement about their impending move there.

Here is the beginning of their blog entry when they got back:

"It was truly phenomenal.  We are excited, and want to go tomorrow.  But, funds must be raised first and cross cultural training must be acquired.  Our plan is to go in March.  Help us get there!

For those who are interested, here is an overview of what we did… "

You'll find the rest of the entry, a day by day account of their adventure, at Rob and Becky's blog.  We share their joy and excitement!

Tropical Storm Ana moves north

Rob and Becky Thompson go to Haiti tomorrow, Tuesday, August 18 for 6 days.  They are praying that Tropical Storm Ana will not be an issue.  It will be in the vicinity but so far, will looks like it will be north of Port-au-Prince and the Cayes area, thus enabling them to reach the mission center.  A good site to use to follow hurricanes and other tropical systems is, http://www.stormpulse.com/.  It provides good graphics, projected paths, timelines, etc. 

Pray for Rob and Becky.   Their time there is limited and they have a lot to accomplish during their stay.  Pray that the 3 kids do well with their host families. 

A personal letter from Jules!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Good morning dear brothers and sisters.  I greet you with Philippians 1:2-4  "Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ (with the daily guidance of the Holy Spirit).  I thank God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy."  It is good to have brothers and sisters in the faith to support each other with prayers.

I know you have heard from Dan Shoemaker - I am very sick and I am here in the United States for treatment since the spring.  I want to thank you so much for your prayers for me, my wife Martha who is with me, and my two sons:  Jeremy and his wife Kizzy, and Joshua, during this difficult time.  The young men live in the Atlanta area.  We have sensed people are praying for us.  It says in II Corinthians 1: 3 and 4, "...God of all comfort who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."  Yes, I am going through some great and painful difficulties at the moment but I have sensed His comfort and strength, and comfort from you, my brothers and sisters.

I want to thank each of you who have sent monies to RMI for my support during these difficult days.  Martha and I do appreciate the financial support so much as neither of us are able to work at this time.  I also want to thank those who have sent cards to encourage me and the family.  There are not enough words to say thank you for these encouragements of financial gifts, cards and prayers.

We do not know how long we will be here in the United States but we are relying on God and the doctor's council.  We are following the treatments they recommend and trusting God.

If anyone wished the address of my niece-in-law's apartment where we are staying while going for medical treatments and doctors appointments:

150 Sammett St., Malden, MA  02148

The cell phone where you can reach me or Martha is 321-217-4165.

In closing, it says in Galations 6:9 and 10, "and let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith."  We (Martha and I) remember you and give thanks to God for each of you and pray for you always.

Your brother,

Jules Gedna

Dan is in Haiti

Dan is in Haiti for 2 weeks.  He landed yesterday and is joining the Florida Bible Church as they visit their Sister Church and establish forever relationships for the first time.  It should be a fun time!  Can you imagine finding brothers and sisters in Haiti that you never knew you had?!  What a thought!

 

After they leave on Friday,  he will have administrative meetings with RMI missionaries, Gary and Marilyn McLaughlin and Amy Long, and the RMI Haitian staff.  He'll also be meeting with all the Haitian Sister Church pastors and School Directors to share with them the recent updates in the Hope for Kidz Program. 

 

During the last part of his visit, Rob and Becky Thompson will arrive and spend several days.  When they move there, they will be living in the Moses' house (which had been ours before that).  They will be able to see the house first hand, Becky can take measurements of the rooms and windows and they can make realistic plans on what they need to bring to set up house.  They'll tour the area where they'll be living and meet some of the other missionaries on the mission center.  There are several families with young children.  Rob will participate in some of the meetings with Dan.  He is also going to speak at the missionary prayer meeting.  In other words, they are establishing some forever relationships for the first time for themselves AND their kids.  What an exciting time for them!  Over the years we made many forever relationships with our fellow missionaries.  Some are still there and some are scattered around the world.  Our kids regard the kids they grew up with as siblings, not just childhood buddies. 

 

We are really excited about having the Thompsons on the field.  Pray that God will bring in their support quickly so they can get to Haiti by their March target date. 

 

Pray for Dan as he shares his heart and does  vision casting for the future of RMI  in Haiti.  He has a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time and all in the hottest time of the year.  Pray that God will have His Hand on all the various meetings, formal and informal.  Pray for the Thompsons that they'll have a good, positive and encouraging time in Haiti.

The Moses' are in Texas

Saturday Debbie Moses sent this update:  "left Ft Pierce, FL yesterday at 1:30pm. Arrived in Sanger,Texas at 5:00pm today. Whew! Fast trip with 5 animals, 2 kids and almost 4000 lbs of cargo.  GOD is so good!"

They are currently staying with Debbie's dad.  What a great dad to take them, the 2 cats, 3 dogs and all that cargo in!  Pray for them as they look for a place to live and get settled into their new life.  It's hard to make an international move and start all over again from scratch.  Pray that all the pieces will fall into place as they rebuild their household, the girls get into school and they all adjust to living with full time electricity, running water and Walmart again.  :)

On the road to Texas

Dan and Rob met the Moses family in Ft. Pierce, FL yesterday, Friday, and helped them load their stuff into their rental van and truck.  Leaving Haiti was hard and bittersweet, but they were in good spirits and excited about starting a new chapter of their lives and continued ministry with RMI.  They hope to arrive in Texas Sunday evening. 

The Moses family is on the plane

And so are all of their belongings, their animals, and their suitcases.  Today they fly out of Haiti on MFI's DC 3 (Missionary Flights International).  A tropical wave has been going through the area, which has resulted in their last 2-3 days being very rainy. 

Their long, steep driveway partially washed away and they had to rebuild it so the truck loaded with their stuff could get out and on the road to meet them at the plane.  Even so, the truck almost tipped over and it took 2 tries for it to get up the rebuilt, muddy, slick driveway.  Their stuff got wet, but we're not sure to what extent.

A DC 3 trip is quite an experience.  Cargo of all sizes and shapes as well as the animal crates are strapped securely down.  Only enough seats are added for the exact number of passengers that are on the plane.  It is not known for its amenities!  There's a port-a-potty in the back tail area.  It's loud and the trip is over 5 hours long.  But God uses MFI and these DC 3s in such a vital way!  They provide mail, purchasing, cargo, shipping and transporting services for over 300 missionaries. 

[We personally used MFI's services for over 20 years.  We received mail, packages, cargo and even Thanksgiving turkeys via MFI.  We flew into Haiti with them numerous times and were evacuated from Haiti twice on MFI.  Our final flight out of Haiti was when we moved 3 years ago...all our belongings, animals and suitcases!  We appreciate them and their ministry so much!!]

Once they land at MFI's base in Ft. Pierce, Florida, they will spend the night there.  Tomorrow their belongings will have to clear customs before they can claim it, load it up and hit to road to Texas.  RMI President, Dan Shoemaker, and RMI's VP of US Operations, Rob Thompson, will be meeting them there in Ft. Pierce to help them load their stuff and touch base with them before they leave.  They hope to arrive in Texas Sunday.

Pray for them.  They will be bone-tired!  Pray for them also as they start down this new path that God has laid out for them.  Billy will still be doing his US Sister Church Partnership Coordinator job with RMI.  They will still need your support!!

RMI in Haiti Interactive Map

I have been working on this map for a little while.  This is a map that contains the approximate location of RMI’s Sister Churches in Haiti as well as some other points of interest.

This map needs the collaboration of others for locations and pictures. Some locations are quite accurate, others are not.  Some pictures have been added, but many more can be added.

You will want to click here to truly view the map and make edits.  Have at it…

Rob

View RMI in Haiti in a larger map

Change is in the air: The Moses Family is moving to the US!

RMI Family,
As part of a restructuring for the good of RMI and the Sister Church Program, the RMI Board of Directors is excited to announce that Billy and Debbie Moses will be moving up to the United States so that Billy can continue to serve with RMI as the US Sister Church Partnership Coordinator from here in the United States.  Among other responsibilities with RMI, he will continue to remain your main point of contact related to your Sister Church Partnerships.  Gary McLaughlin will continue to serve in Haiti as the Haiti Sister Church Partnership Coordinator.  Please join with us in prayer as we continue to work out all the details with the Moses (timeline, raising of finances, home location, job descriptions, etc.).

This is not a decision that has been easy.  RMI has appreciated the ministry of the Moses in Haiti immensely.  However, after much thought about the needs of RMI and examination of many variables, as well as considering what would be best for the Moses family, this decision has been made for the good of all involved.  The Moses are excited about this new path the Lord is placing in front of them.  Continue to pray for them as there are many decisions to be made as shared above that will impact them as a family.  

(A note from Billy: All though we are sad to be leaving Haiti, Debbie and I are very excited about the new chapter that God is opening in our lives. Please continue to pray for us as the next couple of weeks will be very stressful and taxing as we tell the RMI Haiti staff goodbye, try to sell house hold items, pack, and travel back to and through the U.S. There are exciting times ahead as well as many challenges. Thanks for all your support in prayer, finances, and friendships. Please continue with that support.  We are going on faith that God will provide funds for our move.  One time gifts would be a huge help in this endeavor and we would appreciate your prayerful consideration in giving to this financial need.  Should you be able to help, please send your gift to RMI designated, “Moses Move”.  Thanks so much.  Please feel free to contact us if you have any question, or comments.)

Rob Thompson
VP of Operations
Reciprocal Ministries International

Jules Update #3

Dan and Jules during Dan's June 2009 visit.

Pastor Steve Buerer of Schuylkill Valley Bible Chapel, Schuylkill, Penn. drove over 7 hours one way to visit Jules this week for a couple of days.  He sent this update to us:

I arrived in Malden, MA in the early afternoon on Monday but Jules and Martha were not home. I finally made contact with them and learned that Jules had been taken to the emergency room that morning.  I found him lying in the hallway of the emergency room in severe pain.  For the past four days he has not been able to keep any food and has basically stopped eating.  I believe that his situation is very serious.

They did a CAT scan of his abdomen and didn't find anything unusual.  He was sent home with a prescription for pain and one for antibiotics.  I finally got them back to their apartment at 8:30 PM.  Jules was exhausted by then so I went to my motel.  I'll go back this morning for a couple of hours and then leave for home around noon.

Jules desperately needs prayer and encouragement.  We read scripture and prayed together, talked about old times, and laughed about some of our adventures (remember Jules and the donkey lady on the bridge?).

Both Jules and Martha are scared and alone.  They have no Christian friends in the area and no church to minister to them. Please encourage the RMI family, especially the Sister Churches, to reach out to them with prayer, phone calls, letters, and visits when possible.  This is a man who faithfully ministered to all of us for so many years. Now it's our turn to minister to him.

God Bless,

Steve

We appreciate Pastor Steve's thoughtfulness, helpfulness and ministry to Jules!!  I talked with Pastor Steve and Jules after receiving Pastor Steve's email.

Jules needs 3 things:

1.  Above all he needs your prayers.  He faces so much right now and feels very alone.  Pray that he will feel God's presence and comfort.  Pray for the doctors that are treating him, that they will be able to help help deal with the many issues that he has (the chemo, pain, diarrhea, not eating, the cancer, his back, etc.).  Pray that he will find fellow believers to visit and uplift him.  Pray as he decides about when to return to Haiti.  Pray about their financial situation.  Pray for Martha's visa issue.  They need an extension on it so she can stay with him.  Pray that Martha can keep her job in Haiti.

2.  He desperately needs your encouragement.  As Pastor Steve said, "This is a man who faithfully ministered to all of us for so many years. Now it's our turn to minister to him."  Cards are nice, but even more meaningful would be personal letters to him.  First tell him who you are, when you went to Haiti (or met him) and what sister church you visited so he has a reference point.  Express your appreciation to him for what he has done for you and what he means to you.  Share scripture with him.  Recall fun incidents and times you had together.  Pray with him through the letter.  He knows he is gravely ill, but don't pepper him with questions about his illness.  Please don't share "cures" or special diets with him.  It just wouldn't be helpful to him in his current circumstances.

His address is:

Jules Gedna
150 Sammett St
Malden MA 02148

You can also call him.  Remember that he tires quickly, so keep it to a minimum.  The guidelines listed above are the same for a phone call.  He really doesn't want to talk about his illness.  He would enjoy both - phone calls and letters.

His phone is:  321-217-4165

If you are thinking of going to visit him, be prepared to be helpful (driving them wherever they need to go, picking up food or medicine, etc.), to be upbeat and encouraging and to stay at a local hotel.  The townhouse where they are staying is very small!  Be sensitive to his level of fatigue.  He's so polite, he won't come out and say that he needs to rest.  Please call me before you go so I can give you additional advice and counsel.

Pastor Steve was able to make contact with former MEBSH President Chavannes Juene who has relatives in the Boston area.  His wife, Madame Chavannes, has arranged for a Haitian pastor to visit and they are working to help Haitian believers contact Jules and Martha (the folks where he is staying are Christians).  He does have Haitian friends come by from time to time.  We are thankful that this source of encouragement is in process so their local Haitian network can help uphold them!  They need it so much. 

3.  They need financial help.  Even though the hospital is covering his medical treatments, there are many, many expenses that they are incurring that they need help with.

For financial gifts:  Make your check out to RMI and include a note designating it for the RMI emergency fund, for Jules Gedna.  Do not send him checks directly as it is very difficult for him to get them cashed.   RMI is waiving any administration fees for this account at this time.  All funds will go toward his expenses and will be forwarded to the family. 

Feel free to share this with team members - anyone who may know Jules.  We need to flood him with appreciation letters!  Let him know that he is loved and cared for.

Thank you for your participation with Jules.  We are thankful that he has all of you as friends.

Did she?

Amy made it to Haiti with all her luggage!  Let the adventure begin!