Imagine

Imagine for a moment….

As the sky darkens, “Marie” looked up to see the clouds coming together for yet another rainy season downpour. She sighed and started pulling the family’s still wet clothes off the rope that her husband had put up to hold her prized pink sheets that now served as their only shelter. If only it wouldn’t rain for one whole day, she’d have the chance to get them dry. The kids played on the mounds of rubble that used to be their house. Had it really been 6 months since the earth shook so terribly? She thanked God again for the fact that her family lived through it, although some of her neighbors hadn’t been so lucky. She was so tired of first the dust, then the rain and mud, of huddling together at night, trying to sleep and not feeling safe and secure, of trying to fix meals and live under the little bit of protection that those pink sheets offered. How on earth could they ever get back on their feet and even think of rebuilding with things the way they are she wondered. The sound of a truck making its way carefully down their tiny road made her look up. She watched in amazement as, in 3 hours, a team of Americans and the national staff from Reciprocal Ministries International put up a transitional home on the foundation where her previous home had stood. She and her husband were thrilled when they received the keys to their new home. They couldn’t stop smiling. Tonight they would listen to the rain on a tin roof. Tonight they would sleep safely locked in their new home.

Can you imagine for just a moment if this were you?!

Can you imagine what it would mean to you?

Can you imagine how life changing it would be?

This last week RMI President, Dan Shoemaker, and RMI Vice President, Kim Rose, led a Homes for Haiti team to southern Haiti. The long awaited windows and doors (which were stuck in customs) arrived, enabling the RMI national staff to be trained in their installation as they fitted them into the 4 homes that had already been built. The team was also able to put up 2 more homes. One was for a Baptist pastor and his family. Another (the one pictured above) was for a bookkeeper for Radio Lumiere, Haiti’s largest Christian radio station. These families AND the team were all smiles and moved to tears as each family was given the keys to their very own earthquake and hurricane resistant home. An interesting affirmation was received from townspeople who came to see the house. They said, “Of all the temporary houses being built, this is the one I want!” Wow. And this in a town where a number of organizations are building shelters. Which one would you choose?

The two on the left are made of a tarp type of material stretched over wood frames. RMI’s metal home is on the right, behind the truck. What is the difference? RMI’s home is a transitional home not a temporary shelter. It is made of metal anchored in a cement floor. Our homes provide security, safety and dignity. They are built to last years.

You can change a life! $4,400 is all it costs to set a Haitian family on the road to recovery.

How can you help spread the word?? We need more sponsors. You can be an agent for change. Actually you can be our real estate agents! What a great ministry: being a “real estate agent” of sorts, helping RMI find sponsors for more homes in Haiti. Can you promote or do a fund raiser for a home at your place of business? Can your Rotary club sponsor a home? Three different friends of RMI are donating 10% of their profits from their businesses for the next 6 months to building homes. What other creative idea can you come up with to help us raise these funds?

Be sure to keep up to date with RMI’s happenings on Facebook and the RMI website, here. Or feel free to call us toll free at 866-RMI-5439 or 239-368-8390.

You can see more pictures of the first homes being built here and here. From start to finish, one home took 3 hours to build. Let’s work together to get these homes built!

What does the Sister Church Program mean to you? (#2)

I asked John and Joanne Miner, from Florida Bible church, in Miramar, FL, to share with me what the Sister Church Program through Reciprocal Ministries International has meant to them. Here is their answer. For more information, visit http://www.rminet.org.

What does the Sister Church Program mean to you?

I asked Pete Prados, from Trinity Bible Church, in Lafayette, Louisiana, what the Sister Church Program with Reciprocal Ministries International has meant to him and his church. Here is his answer. For more info, visit http://www.rminet.org.

What’s the difference?

What is the difference between a temporary shelter and a transitional home?

Temporary shelters are just that, temporary…very, very temporary. Tarps and tents are what we here in North America use for a weekend or week long camping trip. These things are not meant for full time, long term, 10 person families LIVING in them. AND they were not meant for tropical rainy seasons. Thousands of tents and tarps were handed out in Haiti over the past months. They are not holding up! Holes get ripped in them, seams come apart, zippers quit zipping and waterproofing is nonexistent. AOL reporter Emily Troutman found this out when she recently visited Haiti to check up on the situation. Her article can be found here. Situations like this do nothing to help families get out of the endless cycle of barely existing day to day.

RMI’s Homes for Haiti homes are not temporary shelters. They are meant to last. The homes are transitional homes. They are meant to get families started on the road to rebuilding their lives. This is a huge difference! A life changing difference!

We have homes in Haiti waiting for sponsors, waiting for you! For $4,400 you can make a life changing difference in a displaced family’s life. Where else can you effect such a dramatic change in not only 1 person’s life, but 6, 8 or maybe 10 people’s life?!

Act now! The need is urgent! Visit RMI’s website to donate online or get details about where to send a check.

One Minute House

You didn’t know that it could be done – but here’s proof that a house can be built in one minute.

Thank you, Fred Feiertag, from Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, WA, for putting this together. Their team was in Haiti last week and put together this model home in the RMI depot yard.

Fred was so excited when he heard about Homes for Haiti, that he took the artist’s drawing of the home and made a 1/12th scale model of it, complete with a goat on the porch. (It’s priceless, isn’t it?!)

Here is the real life picture, complete with a goat, taken last week!

The windows and doors are on another container that is in customs. The guys did a great job!

It’s so exciting to see these Homes take shape. We need more homes sponsored! Help us get these homes in the hands of displaced Haitian families!! Details on how to do that are at www.rminet.org.

RMI Container Arrives, A Sister Church Goes Outback & RMI Board Meetings Take Place

RMI container arrives at the mission center

Many hands like light work!

“A cheerful heart is good medicine” Proverbs 17:22

Some of the RMI national staff and an empty container!

Florida Bible Church heads outback

RMI Intern, Dawn Shoemaker, is on the front row, first one on the right.

A prayer before hitting the road, asking for God’s hands to be on them as they minister to their Sister Church, Maniche. They left Saturday, June 12 and will return to the mission center Wednesday, June 16. Pray for them…that they will affect lives and their lives will be affected for eternity.

RMI Board Meetings Took June 10 & 11

11 men and women met together here in Ft. Myers, FL Thursday and Friday. God has blessed us with a great group of men and women who not only love and care for RMI but they are willing to ask the hard questions and hold us accountable. We appreciate their wisdom and insight. Even though the meetings were long, they were good!

Calling Levi Video

Calling Levi band members Rob Leicher and Mark Lashay were invited to join a work team from Second Cape May Baptist Church (Marmora, NJ) who went to Haiti with RMI May 28 – June 4. This was the first work team for RMI’s Homes for Haiti Program. They were able to unload the first housing container and begin to build the model home in preparation for making the jigs for the other 29 homes.

Rob and Mark were touched by what they saw and experienced in Haiti and have put together this 5 minute video.

You’ll see the team and a little bit of the house work at the 2:30 mark. The song on the video, "More than Moved", is performed by Calling Levi.

Thanks for the video guys!!

RMI Board meetings today and tomorrow!

RMI Board meetings are today and tomorrow. We have a great group of men and women who love and care for RMI and God uses them to make decisions and guide us into the future. Pray for all of us as reports are given, finances are discussed and decisions are made. Pray for clarity, wisdom and vision.

Update from an intern and a prayer request

RMI intern, Dawn Shoemaker, has posted 2 new blog entries. You can find her blog here.

Some excerpts: “Wow what an amazing week. I went out with a team to a town called Cherette. It's a little north of Les Cayes. It wasn't a long drive but it sure gave my heart a leap when we drove through the very crowded streets of the small market. The trucks barely made it through. When we arrived at the church we were greeted with a huge group of kids singing with the pastor, his wife, and church members. They welcomed us with such gratitude, love, and happiness. I can't even express the overwhelming feeling I had to be already loved by people who had no idea who I was.”

"Sunday was so much fun. There was clapping, joyous singing, and love all around. The Haitians sing so beautifully. Just one night and morning and I could already see God in the peoples’ eyes and hearts. We had a service that night also. It was so much fun. We sang and danced! Out of the whole trip the singing and dancing, praising the Lord was my favorite.”

She spent her first week out in the country with a Sister Church team from Estero, FL. This week she is in Cayes helping Marilyn McLaughlin with the Hope For Kidz Program.

Pray for the wife of Samuel Moise, one of RMI’s national staff. Last week she was in a motorcycle accident and broke her leg above the knee. Since there was no orthopedic doctor in Cayes, she was transported in an ambulance all the way to Port-au-Prince. She is in a hospital there awaiting an operation. Thankfully the company she works for is taking care of most of the expenses. Pray for wisdom for the doctors and patience & strength for Sam & his wife, Isman.

The House is Taking Shape

Noon update from Haiti: The house is taking shape.

3 sides up and installing the rafters.

How many people does it take to lift a roof panel?

This gives a new meaning to “raising the roof”!

Moving the panel into place.

Hold it right there!

Give those guys a hand! It’s up! Next thing is to secure it.

Dan checking on the progress. What we see so far is impressive!

To view the rest of the pictures, click here.

Stay tuned. More pictures are to follow with a finished house!!

Another prayer request: The RMI container may arrive at the mission center tonight or tomorrow. It would be wonderful for it to arrive before Dan, Kim and the team leaves on Friday. Pray for it’s swift arrival.

Also, the Estero, FL Sister Church team is back at Zanglais. Because the Guest House is full with another group’s team, both of our groups are staying at Zanglais (I know, it’s hardship duty…staying right on the Caribbean, but nobody said missions was a bed of roses!). That’s 27 people out there!! RMI missionary, Amy Long, is doing a “fantabulous” job feeding everyone.

Did we ask for prayer for our stretched thin missionaries?!

1st Day of Assembly

Kim Rose, RMI’s VP, and the team first set up the jigs. They then began assembling the first house. This house is being set up temporarily in the RMI storage yard to make sure that everyone understands how it should be done, especially RMI’s Haitian contractor, Wilfred, who will be supervising the construction.

Wilfred, in the blue hat, and Kim Rose.

With all the various parts precut, it was kind of like putting together a giant puzzle or erector set: part A fits into part B which then fits part C. Once D and E are together, attach them to C – you get the idea! It’s not as easy as it looks.

It’s coming along!

Raising the first finished wall.

A job well done!

Moving the first wall out of the way and bringing in the frame of the 2nd 20’ wall panel.

You can see the rest of the first day of assembly pictures here.

Today they will finish the assembly and be able to see what a finished home looks like. Stay tuned for more pictures and an update.

Seeing is believing

Pictures tell a thousand words, so here are some!

Here it comes! It arrived at 5 p.m. from Port-au-Prince after having cleared customs in record time…God’s timing!

Maneuvering into the RMI work & storage yard is a bit tricky.

Getting ready to cut the security seal. The workteam from 2nd Cape May Baptist Church, Marmora, NJ were anxious to get to work unloading the container. Drew Thompson is there in the back making sure they do it right.

A little load shift in route, but after stabilizing it, everything was fine.

RMI president, Dan Shoemaker.

This 20 ft. container holds the parts, pieces & components for 30 homes!

Many hands make light work – and did they need a lot of hands!

These things were not light!

They worked into the night. All of these components will make storm worthy homes, up to International Hurricane and Earthquake Codes.

Finally finished. What a job!!

To see all of the pictures, click here. The first pictures in the file show the team putting a tin covering over the 3 storage containers in the RMI yard. They were working hard on that all day while they waited for the container to arrive.

The work is starting!

The 1st Homes for Haiti container is unloaded, RMI VP, Kim Rose, has arrived in Haiti! The 1st Homes work team, Dan & Dawn are there. They will be making the jigs today & setting everything up to begin making the wall & roof panels. Pray that things will go smoothly, pray for the families who will be receiving the homes!

The container has arrived

Dan just called from Haiti to say that the housing container has arrived in Cayes and they were cutting the security seal then begin to unloading it.

It’s real folks!! It’s here! We urgently need sponsors for the remaining homes. $4,400 for each home. Help make it possible!

News Flash!!

The housing container has cleared customs….

RMI Intern, Dawn Shoemaker, flew to Haiti today….

Two teams flew to Haiti today….

The RMI container is in Port and will clear customs today….

RMI President, Dan Shoemaker, is in Haiti and Kim Rose, RMI Vice President, will be flying in on Sunday….

To say that there’s a lot happening in RMI today is an understatement!

**The housing container with 30 homes has cleared customs!! ….in record time!! It is being unloaded at the RMI depot/storage area tomorrow, Saturday. What an amazing answer to prayer! How great it will be to get these homes in place and assembled, providing a safe, secure place for Haitian families to re-start their lives.

Jigs will be built that will serve as a pattern for the assembly of the wall and roof panels. From there the panels will be trucked to the site where a team will assemble it. The family receiving the home will be involved in the site preparation and assist in the installation of the home. It will have a cement floor as well as 2 doors and 2 windows.

**RMI intern, Dawn Shoemaker, flew into Haiti today with a Sister Church team. She was able to raise her support and is very thankful for God’s provision. She’ll be there 5 weeks. It is the first time she has been back to the land of her birth since we moved to the US 4 years ago. She is very excited about helping with the Sister Church teams, Homes for Haiti teams and whatever else they need her to do. Pray for her. The mission center and Haiti has changed a lot in the intervening 4 years. She is returning as an adult who feels God is leading her into full time ministry. She wants to serve God and the Haitian people.

**Two teams flew into Haiti today. Estero United Methodist Church sent 12 people to visit their Sister Church. Since they are from the Southwest Florida area, Dawn was able to fly with them. Second Cape May Baptist Church, a Sister Church, sent 8 men as the first Homes for Haiti team. We’re thankful that God allowed the release of the Homes container in time for them to unload it and begin setting up the jigs. Pray that things will go smoothly.

**The RMI container will be released from customs Monday. It was loaded May 12 and contains generators, equipment, tools for the Homes Program and other badly needed things for the RMI Guest House, and the Retreat Center. Again, it’s God’s provision that it is being released in time for the team to unload and begin to use the tools immediately.

Will it all fit?!

Yes, it did – every single item. Dan, Kim and 9 young adults made short work of it. In less than 3 hours, they loaded the entire 20’ container, right up to the door.

**Dan is in Haiti and Kim will be flying in on Sunday. Dan went in last Friday to be with a Vision Team. 2 RMI Board members organized the team with men from southern California and south Florida. They handed out food aid in 2 communities and spent 2 days building benches and held an open air service in another community. They returned home today, just as the 2 new teams came in. Gary McLaughlin will be with the Sister Church team while Dan and Kim will be working on the containers and Homes with the work team. Wow!! Pray for them all. The RMI staff is stretched thin. Pray for their safety and health as they have worked so hard for so long.

Rainy season has started. While the country needs the rain, it greatly complicates the refugees lives as well as complicates RMI’s efforts. It has rained all week long, Monday through Friday!

Pray for the teams – that God would use this time in their lives in a mighty way.

Yes – a lot is happening in RMI! We are excited about what God is doing. Continue to pray for the provision of funds for the homes. Of the 30 homes on the container, 17 are sponsored. Can you, your church or other group sponsor a home? $4,400 is a small price to pay for changing a Haitian family’s life! We need you!!

35 Long Seconds

Palais from Morgan Freeman on Vimeo.

Absolutely the most incredible video! Your heart will not only be touched but gripped with a burning desire to help. RMI’s Home for Haiti is a tangible way you can help Haitian families rebuild with solid, well-built, long lasting homes. They are built to International Hurricane and Earthquake codes. After consulting with National Christian leaders, they are also culturally relevant – homes that Haitians would feel comfortable and secure in as well as gives them dignity.

While you go about your day today in security and stability, may you remember those in Haiti who also need this. Go to RMI’s website to find out how you can sponsor a home!

RMI container has arrived at RMI office

The RMI container has arrived at the office! Next week it will be loaded with tools & equipment for the Homes for Haiti Program, items for our RMI missionaries, and many things for the RMI guesthouse, the Zanglais Retreat Center, the RMI vehicles as well as things sent to several Sister Churches. It's exciting to see it here and things moving for the Homes for Haiti Program!

Pray that purchases can be made quickly and the container filled by Friday, May 14. It needs to be shipped quickly. The tools and equipment are needed to start building the transitional homes.

Visit to Les Rois Church School in the Picot District…

Here is a video I shot out at Les Irois.  If you want to see what this school looked like before, watch this video. 

In this video, you will see some Haitian scenery, the school construction progress, as well as me crossing the river to get to Les Rois Church/School.

Rob