Wait and Pray

It was just over two months ago that Haiti exploded into a mass of manifestations, protests and the burning of public property and government buildings. It was because the results of the recent election had been announced and the people weren’t satisfied with the results. On the tail of an earthquake, a cholera outbreak, and a tropical storm, the news of the final candidates did not bode well, especially in light of all the rumors and accusations of election fraud coupled with a country very dissatisfied with their current administration. Haiti, with an already very sordid past would add 2010 as another chapter in a worn out tale of despair.

Today, there is a nervous energy in the air. Run off election results, which were recounted, are slated to be announced this afternoon. Its anyone’s guess as to what things will look like on Thursday morning. It is hopeful but unknown what the local and national reaction will be. It will solely depend on whether the majority likes who is put on the ballot. Baby Doc is still in the country, Aristide, another exiled dictator, is rumored to be trying to enter the country, and the sting of an already tumultuous year hang heavy on everyone’s minds.

At times, when we look at the surface and only see the problems in Haiti, the solution seems to elude us. For as many NGO’s and Humanitarian agencies there are at work in Haiti, there are as many opinions as to whose fault this is and what it will take to fix this broken place. RMI has been on the ground in Haiti for over 25 years. Collectively we have seen first hand ill-fated elections, coups, embargos, hurricanes, earthquakes, starvation, sickness and death. Despite it’s beautiful tropical setting, Haiti is not always an easy place to live. Quite often it’s anything but easy. Yet we continue to do what we do, to live as we live, and serve as we serve in this broken place because we believe there is a solution to this brokenness. That solution is the reason we exist. We believe that in Jesus Christ old things become new. We believe that what was broken can be restored. We know that what often feels forgotten is eternally loved and treasured. That is why we do what we do.

On this day, February 2, 2011, please join us in praying for Haiti. As we all await the election news and what may follow, let us hold fast to what we know. We know that we serve a sovereign God who is not interested in politics nor limited by our human need to have control. We know that God is a loving God full of wisdom and goodness who longs to save His children. Please pray that God, above all, would have His way. Pray for those of us on the ground, that we would be strengthened and encouraged as we face long days. Pray for our Sister Churches, that they would remain committed to the cause of Christ and fervent in their love for the Haitian people. Pray for the team that we have in country, that they would be protected and arrive home safely. Pray for Haiti’s leaders, for wisdom and direction. Pray for her suffering, that relief would come. Pray for her lost, that they would be found.

This is real life

January 12, 2010 changed life as Haiti knew it forever. It has been a defining moment for Haitians around the world just as 9/11 has been for Americans. How can a nation so desperately poor endure the loss of 250,000 people, all of it’s infrastructure, government buildings, businesses and countless schools, churches and homes all in less than 30 seconds?

How can it rebuild? Rebuilding implies that there was something there of worth in the first place. In many instances this wasn’t the case.

A late season hurricane hit the southern peninsula hard, severely affecting crops.

Cholera has reared its ugly head and killed over 3,600.

Life was hard before. Agonizing more often describes it now. But this is real life. It is inescapable and unforgettable.

The world has forgotten for the most part. There have been other happenings that have grabbed the headlines.

We here at RMI have not forgotten, and never will!! It was a “game changer” for us. It brought about a paradigm shift within RMI. One day we were solely involved in the Sister Church Program and Hope for Kidz. The next we were thrust into disaster recovery: organizing and delivering medical and relief supplies, flying in medical personnel, and organizing and delivering relief food aid. Our missionaries and national staff worked tirelessly for months trying to meet the needs of the earthquake survivors.

In response to the ongoing needs for transitional housing, RMI started the Homes for Haiti Program. To date, 28 homes have been built and the material for 24 more homes are in customs. Monies are still needed for homes. There are so many families that need them!!

In response to the ongoing hunger issue, RMI started the Food for Haiti Program. Since this program began 6 months ago, we’ve been able to distribute 540,000 meals – just think about that! God has been at work.

The Hope for Kidz Program is now providing a hot meal for over 1,300 kids every school day. Not only is it meeting nutritional needs of kids, it has become an evangelistic tool. Once people heard that the schools were providing a free hot lunch, they flocked to the school, transferring their kids so they could be a part of it. Those additional families are now exposed to the Gospel on a daily basis!

In response to the cholera issue, we have a cholera handout in creole for each Sister Church to pass out to their congregation and people in their community. This will go hand in hand with a seminar for the people in the community on how to prevent, recognize and treat cholera as well as how to properly treat water for drinking and cooking.

RMI is committed to coming alongside the Haitian people in meeting their needs and helping them as they travel the road to recovery. We are enabling people here in the US be a part of meeting those needs. Hands on ministry that makes a difference

Remember Haiti today. Don’t forget the Haitian people!

We will not forget!

RMI missionary, Amy Long, has many memories of that day and the long days that followed. Here is Amy Long's blog.

The Ft. Myers newspaper, The News-Press, has a reporter and photo journalist in Haiti this week. Besides their general reports, they are visiting several ministries from the Southwest Florida area who are ministering in Haiti. Thursday (tomorrow) they will be meeting with RMI President, Dan Shoemaker, and visiting some of the Homes for Haiti homes in Leogane. Look for links to those pictures and the report on this blog in the next couple of days. Once they return, there may also be a TV report on the local CBS affiliate. (Cool, huh?!)

Crosses mark the site of a mass grave Tuesday in Titanyen, just outside Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Bodies were brought to the spot after the devastating earthquake of one year ago today (Andrew West/news-press.com)

You can find more News-Press photos here. Reporter Rachel Revehl’s, article for today can be found here.

Additional resources:

Haitians rely on faith-based organizations (video from ABC News)

Haitians turn to God at quake anniversary (Yahoo.com article)

Franklin Graham's crusade in Port-au-Prince (BillyGraham.org)

US Ambassador: Progress in Haiti is slow but real (The Washington Post)

In Haiti, Hope is the last thing lost (Wall Street Journal article)

We know that Haiti’s hope and answer is in Jesus Christ. We are excited that God is using us and you to make an impact!

Meet Amanda Barnard, RMI’s newest employee!!

Amanda was born and raised in the heart of Gator Country, also known as Gainesville, Florida. The youngest of three children born to Christian parents, Amanda grew up both with a heart for Jesus and a heart for ministry. Shortly after she turned 16, Amanda joined her father in visiting their Sister Church in Baraderes, Haiti with RMI. This trip was transformational both in her life and her faith and served as the catalyst for getting her re-introduced to RMI through the modern miracle of Facebook in the summer of 2009.

Amanda attended the University of Florida and majored in Recreation, Parks and Tourism with a specialization in Event Management. After vowing to never work for a non-profit, she followed the Lord’s prompting to accept a job as a Community Director for the March of Dimes. For the past 3 years, Amanda has been planning events, educating the general public about the importance of maternal and infant health, and helping to raise money to further the organization’s mission. In addition to her work with the March of Dimes, she served as an active board member for Healthy Start of North Central Florida, was involved with the Non-Profit Business Council and Emerging Leaders of Ocala, and served as the RMI Sister Church Coordinator for her church.

Because of her great passion for RMI and the work they are doing in Haiti, it was only natural that Amanda would talk to her boyfriend, Chris, about how much she wanted to go work for them in Ft. Myers someday. Convinced that he didn't want to be the one to stand in the way of her dreams, Chris applied for and accepted a job that had just opened within his company in Ft. Myers...of all places. The weekend she returned home from a trip to Haiti, Chris popped "the question". They will be getting hitched on February 13 of this year.

In her spare time (what little is left after moving, changing jobs, and planning a wedding), Amanda enjoys running, playing Scrabble, eating sushi and cottage cheese, soaking up as much sunshine as humanly possible, smiling excessively, and taking power naps. One of her favorite passages of scripture is 2 Corinthians 4:7: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us”. Amanda’s life experiences serve as a constant reminder to her that she is merely a vessel to be used for her Master’s glory. Her heart's desire is to make finding pleasure in God the passionate pursuit of her earthly existence.

Amanda is THRILLED to be coming on board with RMI as the Ministry Development Coordinator. She is trusting God to ignite churches and individuals with a passion for uplifting believers in Haiti and the United States through Sister Church Partnerships.

Last chance!

Today is the last chance to make your donation to RMI count for your 2010 taxes. You can donate online here or get your donation to the post office before it closes today to get it postmarked by Dec. 31. (RMI, 5475 Lee St. Suite 301, Lehigh Acres, FL 33971)

RMI’s general operations budget has not been immune to the recession. Despite drastic cuts, we are experiencing a budget shortfall and need your help. Don’t delay – act today!!

There is still time!

There’s still time for your donations to count for 2010 taxes!

Our greatest need within RMI is enabling our continued ability to provide for our staff and on-going ministry here in the States and in Haiti. This year has been great for our ministry toward our Haitian brothers and sisters. Due to the disasters Haiti has faced this year, we have been focused on relief efforts on many different levels. We have been thankful for all that God has enabled us to do through your assistance. However it has been a tough year on our normal operations income. We are heading into 2011 with great challenges ahead of us financially.

Would you consider a donation to enable RMI to continue to provide the same high level of ministry toward our Haitian brothers and sisters? A donation toward our general operations would be a tremendous help as we move into the New Year.

Your can donate online here or send a check to RMI, 5475 Lee St. Suite 301, Lehigh Acres, FL 33971. The postal date must be no later than Dec. 31, 2010.

What will I fix for dinner?

Standing in front of her well-stocked pantry, Lacy wondered what she should fix for supper…would it be chicken potpie, meatloaf, leftover turkey (no-they were all tired of that) or the pork steaks she’d just bought?

At the same time in Haiti, Rosemarie sat by the fire in her outdoor “kitchen” and pondered the same question, what would she fix for supper? They ate the last of the meat 3 days ago. Since then they’d finished off what little rice they had. With a sigh, she peeled the remaining patat (a root vegetable similar to a potato) to fry and began to fix some cornmeal gruel. Hopefully the younger children would find it filling enough and wouldn’t notice the absence of meat or other vegetables. The older kids and her husband would, but what were they to do? The floods last month wiped out their crops so there was not only no food, they had nothing to sell in the market to buy more food. The older 2 kids would have to quit school because there was no money to pay for it after the first of the year. She shook her head - that was the least of her worries. The next crop harvest was months away. Food was the immediate need. Some of her friends were feeding their children dirt cakes [Made of clay, water, a dollop of shortening and a pinch of salt, they have no nutritional value, exacerbate malnutrition and are used only to dull the pangs of hunger.] just to fill their stomachs. She’d considered it when she saw them in the market Saturday. But she didn’t want to resort to that. What was she going to do?

Meanwhile Lacy began to cut the vegetables, set the table and get the steaks ready for the grill. She would fix the meatloaf tomorrow and put the cauliflower with it then she’d save the potpie for the weekend after their shopping trip to the mall.

Two mothers fixing supper, caring for their families, but worlds apart. Can we here in the US even imagine what life is like for the Haitian people? Since January 12 they have gone through a devastating earthquake, a deadly cholera outbreak and a flood producing hurricane. Three strikes yet the Haitian people are not “out for the count”. They are a resilient people. Despite all they have gone through in this year alone, they continue to cling to the Lord, they continue to put their hope in Him and continue to smile and somehow carry on. Despite their circumstances, they still greet you with a smile and hearty handshake. Wow! What an example for us!

Could you? Could I?

RMI is responding to the overwhelming need for food by providing food packets. These pre-mixed packets are rice based, fortified with vitamins and nutrients and have been scientifically created to help those suffering from scabies, malnutrition and other life threatening illnesses. Each packet serves a family of 6.

We need your help to get this food into the hands of needy, hungry families! For $25, a case of these food packets will feed a family for a month. That is 216 hot nutritious meals, less than .12 cents a meal. What better way to have an immediate, practical effect on a Haitian family’s life!

This is a great project to involve your whole family. Most of us can handle $25 for a case of food. Challenge your family, prayer group, Bible study, your deacons, pastoral staff, Sunday school class or church. How about your workplace? Can you get your favorite restaurant to put out a collection jar? Do you spend that much on Starbucks coffee in a week? How about feeding an entire family for a month instead? Your local Christian school can take on this challenge…kids helping to feed other kids!

Just $25 a case. You can do that! How about several cases? The need is immediate. Please consider how God would have you respond. Haitian families need you now! Don’t delay – donate online (www.rminet.org) or send in your gift right away so these meals can get into the hands of people who desperately need it.

Together feeding the hungry,

Dan Shoemaker

RMI

5475 Lee St. Suite 301

Ft. Myers, FL 33971

239-368-8390

Weddings, weddings!

Two RMI national staff members were married in Haiti this month! We are very excited to say congratulations to Benjamin Altema, RMI’s national administrator and his new wife, Lucette.

They were married December 4 at RMI’s Retreat Center at Zanglais. You can see the pictures here.

We are also very happy to congratulate Benson and Denise Joseph. Benson works as a facilitator in Hope for Kidz and translates for teams. They were married in Simon (right next to the mission center at Cayes) on December 18 and the reception was held at the RMI Guesthouse.

You can see the pictures here.

Welcome to the RMI family Madame Benjamin (Lucette) and Madame Benson (Denise)!!

Let your light shine–literally!

Let your light shine & your voice be heard!

RMI missionary, Gary McLaughlin, writes,

“The sounds of worshipping in a Haitian church near our retreat center. Thanks Sam for doing the video and Fred for posting it. Be careful, if you've been to Haiti you may tear up a little when you listen. I did. Close you eyes and enjoy. A small table, a kerosene lamp, a song book on the table and people singing in the dimly lit church.”

It’s touching to hear the simple sounds of praises to God. They didn’t need a fancy edifice, a pipe organ or band, oodles of electronics or bright spotlights. But two things are certain: God heard them loud and clear and their light shone brightly in the midst of the Haitian darkness!

What does the RMI Sister Church Program mean to you?

Mark, after visiting his Sister Church, wrote the following to me…

“Haiti was an eye-opening experience for me, and I don't plan to forget it. As I flew back into [the United States] Thursday evening and passed the time by reading the Sky Mall magazine, I was struck with the contrast of the life we live here and the life lived by many of those in Haiti. Here I am, hurtling through the air at 32,000 feet where I can buy an endless array of gadgets to make my life even more comfortable. Meanwhile the people of [my sister church] struggle to piece together a meal as a family of four huddle in a pitiful shack. But God loves us the same, and who is to say who is the most blessed? It was my experience that many of those who were so poor in material things were much richer in the spiritual things, and this is what I think our church stands to learn from the people of Haiti, and this is why I think this will truly be a reciprocal ministry. I am so glad that RMI is there to facilitate the partnership with our church, and I pray that God gives us wisdom in how best to minister to our brothers and sisters there.”

Powerful words. What has your partnership meant to you?

By the way, if you need a portable, floating, ipod speaker system, contact Sky Mall directly…

Rob

Jules is Home!!

Thursday, November 11, Jules and Marthe Gedna returned home to Haiti! Many of you have been praying for him and following his progress this past year and a half as he has made his journey through the bone cancer treatments and then a bone marrow transplant. It’s been a tough year in many ways. His health was precarious for most of those days. He and his wife didn’t know many people in Boston, not to mention it was very cold there! For several months they had to live with a future niece-in-law before they were able to move to a small basement apartment. Having no transportation, they had to rely on buses to get them to doctor appointments, grocery shopping, etc. Yet through it all, Jules always had a smile on his face and that same humble, sweet attitude that we all know and love. He was encouraged by visits from friends who traveled great distances just to be with him for a few hours, by the many cards and letters that he received and by phone calls from many people. His 2 sons were able to visit from Atlanta on several occasions.

He was declared cancer free by his doctors, but Hurricane Tomas delayed his return 2 weeks ago. All of the RMI staff and many missionaries that knew them were at the Cayes airport when the plane landed Thursday afternoon. They were surprised and overwhelmed to see so many people there to celebrate their homecoming. From there they were taken to the home of RMI missionary, Rob Thompson, where a welcome home dinner was held for them and the RMI staff. Once they finally got to their house, many more friends came by to greet them. You can see pictures of his return here.

Thank you for your prayers for this dear man of God! Thank you for your financial gifts to help Jules and Marthe. They could not have made it if it hadn’t been for these prayers and financial gifts. Many thanks to Greg Stritch (CrossRoad United Methodist Church, Jacksonville, FL) who flew back with them (since Dan was not able to go in with them due to other commitments). He made sure everything went smoothly as well as helped cover their flight expenses. Thanks Greg!

They are both so excited to be home after all this time. When they left they thought it was for Jules to get his back issue attended to, never dreaming that it was bone cancer. We are so thankful and praise God that Jules is doing so well. Continue to pray for him. He still has to deal with back pain and has a ways to go to recover his strength. Since his return almost a week ago, he’s had a steady stream of visitors coming to see him. He is not only a pillar of RMI’s ministry, but is well loved and known to many people in the Cayes area. What a testimony!

Video Testimony…

This is a video testimony by Pastor Jim and Emily folk directly after their very first visit with their new Sister Church in Fond Deron, Haiti.  Pastor Jim is the lead pastor at Christ Community Church in Ocala, FL.  Thanks Pastor Jim and Emily!

To the end of the earth

This week RMI missionaries Rob Thompson and Gary McLaughlin and national staff, Benjamin and Wilfred, literally went over the mountains and through rivers on a tough 12 hour motorcycle trip to the end of the earth…well, it’s not the end of the earth, but you can see it from there! Their trip took them around the far western end of the southern peninsula. They visited several Sister Churches, took pictures and got reports of how the churches and surrounding areas fared during the hurricane.

They encountered mudslides, a washed out road and trees down (some on top of homes, schools & churches). They were told of complete crop loss, animals lost, roofs damaged or lost, flooding and lives lost.

Thanks to everyone who prayed that God would spare Haiti. At a critical time in it’s movement forward, it jogged to the west just enough to take the eye through the windward passage. This kept the damage to a minimum. Yet, for those people who have so very little in the first place, the losses that they experienced are significant. Losing a crop and/or animals means the loss of food to feed the family and the loss of cash to send the children to school, buy supplies, pay a debt or buy additional food for the family. They literally live day to day. Hunger is going to be a very real issue quickly. RMI is still raising funds for food aid! 1 case of pre-prepared food will feed a family for 1 month for only $25 a case. What better way to meet their needs immediately and practically! You can donate online here.

Rob’s full account and links to pictures can be found on his blog at http://www.robandbecky.com/blog.htm. This motorcycle ride was not for the faint of heart!

It’s good to read his report and see how God answered prayers and spared Haiti from a direct hit.

Map of RMI Related Things in Haiti…

Did you know there is a map online of all things RMI in Haiti (Churches, Missionary Homes, HFH Sites, Office and Depots)? Did you know that this is a public map that you can collaborate on? Check it out here.

I think this is a good visual of all that RMI is doing in Haiti.

Rob

Outback report to come soon

Becky Thompson shared this update this morning:

“Pray for Rob Thompson, Gary McLaughlin, Benjamin Altema, and Wilfred today as they travel by motorcycle to Les Irois to view hurricane damage at the church there. They are planning on stopping at many of our sister churches along the way (too many towns to list.) They left at 5:30 a.m. and hope to be back probably after 7 p.m..... It's going to be a long, hard day on the motorcycle.”

Les Irois is at the very far western tip of the island. We’ve always said that it’s not the end of the world, but you can see it from there! Though not far in miles, distances aren’t measured in miles or even kilometers in Haiti. It’s measured in “how long does it take to get there?”. They will have to go across the peninsula, up and over the mountains and then around the coast.

Look for a more complete report of the Sister Churches that they’ll be visiting, as well as photos, soon!

Update on Damage, Pray

The RMI team here in Haiti is working hard to get reports of damage. Reports are hard to get right now. Visiting these areas is impossible right now due to swollen rivers. Here is what we know so far…

Dame-Marie Church: The church members have lost their Gardens and some of people in the community have lost some sheet metal from their homes.

Dame Marie: Ti Riviere: At this satellite church, the area flooded and caused some homes to be damaged.

Dame Marie: Bariadel Church: Town flooding, Houses Damaged.

Les Irois: Three trees fell down on the school last night and a large part of the school has been damaged. The pastor tells us that 15% of the church member’s homes are damaged with parts of their roofs gone.

Les Irois: Mignon and Belais church… both of them lost the roof. The pastor has told us they will now have no place to worship.

Chambellan Church: The River was flooding last night in the town of Chambellan. A large amount of people from the town are now in the school and parsonage. Part of the church is damaged due to the loss of some sheet metal.

Abricot church: The pastor has lost the roof on his home. The community has lost all their gardens.

Tiburon Church: The church and the parsonage are safe but most of the church members have lost their gardens and some of the roofs on their homes.

Port-a-Piment: The pastor just reported that the town is flooding right now due to rain coming from the mountains causing many in the community to be at the church. The church members have lost all of their gardens.

Rob (for the team)

Updated photos of Jeremie

Missionaries Steve and Joline Moore (not RMI) sent the following pictures, taken from in front of their home. They live near Jeremie and Chambellan, across the mountains from Cayes. The effects of the hurricane seems to be worse in that area.

Hurricane Tomas Update

Hurricane Tomas is on its way through the Windward passage today. RMI missionaries report that they experienced high winds from 2 – 4 a.m. Rains have been heavy as well. They expect more wind and rain during the day today. Locally they have seen a lot of branches and crop damage. So far the at least one of the rivers is still inside its banks. They felt that areas to the west of Cayes will have much more damage since the hurricane was closer to that area. They are contacting as many Sister Churches as possible. Port-a-Piment and Tiburon report that they are ok, but the crops are destroyed. Here are a few pictures from the Cayes area:

Flooded garden in the valley below the mission center

We are thankful that God answered everyone’s prayers and kept the eye off the coast. Continue to pray as Tomas is not yet gone! We’ll post more updates when we receive more information.

Hot off the press: Calvary Baptist’s video of their recent trip to visit their Sister Church!

What a cool record of their trip and ministry in Dame Marie! You’ll enjoy seeing what kinds of things they did. Thank you, Pastor Guy Glass, for sharing it with us!

** Press Release **

This Press Release was just sent to local news outlets:

Reciprocal Ministries International, a nonprofit mission agency who works in Haiti, is preparing to meet the challenge of Tropical Storm / Hurricane Tomas. Based on its current track, the eye is projected to come ashore near southern Haiti’s largest town, Les Cayes, where RMI has its headquarters and where its staff and missionaries live. Les Cayes has a population of 75,000 and the South “Department” (equivalent of our states) has a population of over 1 million (pre-earthquake, this doesn’t include the tens of thousands who fled the capital after the earthquake and returned to their hometowns in the south).

RMI impacts over 150 churches and communities throughout the southern peninsula of Haiti. We have been working with many of these for over 30 years. Our experience in dealing with many hurricanes over this period of time tells us that there will be several major issues. The obvious one will be the wind factor as it pummels crops, animals and homes. This will result in great loss of crops as well as the loss of much livestock. These are the 2 main areas of sustenance for Haitians in the countryside. Right now, the crops at risk are coffee, beans, corn, oranges and grapefruit. Livestock includes cows, pigs, horses, donkeys, goats and chickens. There will be loss of many homes as well. Mud huts cannot withstand this kind of wind & rain! The second impact will be from tremendous flooding. This will further increase the loss of the crops and livestock, as well as human lives and homes. Roads will be washed away causing interruptions in transportation. A third issue will be the immediate need for Food Relief. Because of the interruptions in transportation and the great loss of their sources for cash (crops and animals), hunger will hit quickly and hit hard.

The country has already endured enormous loss of life from the Jan. 12 earthquake and the government is scrambling to get the upper hand on a cholera outbreak in the central part of northern Haiti. It’s hard to imagine how they can withstand yet another catastrophe of this magnitude.

In addition to our facilities, we have a staff of over 25 and 7 vehicles/trucks ready to respond with hurricane relief. We currently have 400 cases of pre-packaged relief food aid on site. This represents approximately 85,000 meals, or food for 2 weeks for 2 families per case (enough food for 800 families). We are also stocking up on rice and beans and other staples to be able to assist in providing food for several hundred more families. We have sent $15,000 to Haiti already to make this food aid ready and available. We are also sending a container of food next week to Haiti containing 1250 cases of food that will provide more than 270,000 meals for needy families. We need $25 a case to be able to provide this container of food to 1250 families. We are depending on donations to help us meet this great need!

Anyone interested in assisting in helping RMI provide food relief can donate online at RMI’s website, www.rminet.org. Click on the donate button and choose “Food for Haiti”. If you have any questions, please call Kim Rose or Dan Shoemaker at 239-368-8390.

Amy’s surgery update and Tomas’ arrival

Amy’s surgery on Nov. 1 went well. It took 1 1/2 hrs. and she was home by noon. She has an appt. with her doctor today (Tuesday) to find out the extent of the operation, what the future holds, her post operative recovery process and time frame for returning to Haiti. Some of her recovery instructions included the usual no bending, no lifting, and no driving, but also no computer work for 2 weeks! She can watch TV, though. She’ll post a blog as soon as she is allowed, but until then, check the RMI blog or Facebook for updates on her. Continue to pray that her eye heals well and she can keep her blood sugars under control.

Hurricane Tomas has set its sights on Haiti. At this time, it is churning its way across the Caribbean, but is expected to take an abrupt turn to the north and come ashore at Les Cayes, where RMI’s headquarters is as well as where our missionaries and staff live. It would also affect every single Sister Church. Its path then takes up north through the whole island hitting Port-au-Prince (all the earthquake areas, tent cities, etc.) and the Artibonite Valley (where the cholera outbreak is). One projection was that it could potentially stall over northern Haiti. Needless to say, Haiti cannot withstand such a severe storm. The winds and heavy rain could result in floods, landslides, loss of lives, homes, crops and livestock. A good site to keep track of the hurricane is stormpulse.com. Pray with us that some how God would calm the storm and spare Haiti.