An AWESOME Visit to a very REMOTE Church…

We were really “out there” in Chardonette, Haiti.  Crossroads Community Church, of Doylestown, OH, came for their very first C3 Partnership visit a few weeks back.  I had the privilege of going with them.  We changed lives.  We were changed.

From the moment we arrived, the marriage between Crossroads Community Church, Chardonette Church, and RMI was real.  It is hard to put my finger on it, but there was something different, something special in the air.  There was such warmth and joy.  There was a true collaborative humble spirit.  There was an immediate mutual desire to reach out to the community with the Gospel.  There was a quick bond, only possible by the mutual love of Christ, and therefore a love of one another.  It was truly special to have experienced it.

Chardonette is a church that is stuck.  To be honest, they are on the bottom rung of the development ladder.  Injustices were everywhere.  Clean water is an issue.  There is no school building.  The parsonage walls are mud and the roof is rusted and full of holes.  The one room church is crumbling.  There is no electricity.  They are off the beaten path and therefore have little hope of external support.  They are full of the Spirit, but empty of resources. To be honest, they were only considered as a next Sister Church since RMI saw their situation, stepped in and added them.  This church is pretty much forgotten. No special treatment for them. We roughed it a bit.  But the people of Chardonette who hosted us, the 15 US team members, and the 8 RMI staff members all took it in stride since it was all for Jesus.

What did we do?  As we say so often, our partnership visits are much about presence.  When a friend or family member is sick in the hospital, what do you do?  You go and stand by their side.  Surely, you look for opportunities to do something tangible as those opportunities arise, but the visit is most about presence.  It is about standing together, encouraging and praying with one another.  Even being silent…. simply being present.  This was realized.

Having said that, Crossroads Community Church did some very tangible things that clearly made a difference.  Together, we walked far and visited homes of believers and unbelievers alike.  We visited the homes (each strategically chosen by the local church) of widows, of the desperately poor, the blind and broken, of the unsaved.  Each received a bucket of food, prayer, and the Gospel.  Out of about 25 homes that we visited, we saw about 5 people submit to the Lordship of Christ and pray to receive Him as their savior. We traveled to another even more remote church to encourage and bless them with some food, 1 hour UP a hand-made mountain road that was only accessible by low 4 wheel drive.  Truly, this is what God called us to do as believers.

We played games with kids and adults like I have never seen before.  We worshipped.  We prayed.  We ate.  We talked.  We dreamed.  We hiked.  We shared.  We cried.  We sweated. We laughed.  We lived the life that Jesus called us to.

Many more pictures are available here.

Rob

Greg and Star Have Their Tickets!

It’s final, August 19 Greg and Star Harvie will be flying to Haiti!

They have worked hard, visiting churches, traveling and meeting with people and God has answered and provided their funds in amazing, sometimes unexpected and exciting way.  He has used many people to make it possible for them to set their date and buy those tickets.

They attended 4 weeks of missionary training school in Colorado.  This training was designed to help them develop the practical skills and attitudes that will successfully take them through the challenging and rewarding process of being interwoven with another culture.  They learned a lot, made life-long friends and had fun doing it too. 

In June Greg and Star were busy with the business of packing and moving.  They sorted through their belongings, packed what they wanted to keep and held an auction for the things they needed to get rid of.  They sold their house – in record time, especially for a small town.  The container was packed June 22 with the help of friends.  (And in the allotted tiny window of 2 hours.)  It was an adventure – the first of many!  Not many people move internationally when they move.  There was extra room, so they were able to take down equipment and supplies for RMI’s ministry. 

The container traveled by truck to a rail yard that transported it to a New York ship yard.  It was loaded on a ship and set sail July 11.  Pray for it’s safe arrival, a speedy pathway through customs and all of that red tape then safe travels as it is trucked to Cayes.  This is usually a 2-3 month process.

Since then they’ve made their last visits with their 2 girls as well as other family and their many friends.  They stopped by Camp Joy, where they’d been the Camp Director before coming with RMI.  They were blessed to have the camp say a prayer of dedication over them.

Greg will be wearing several hats: Project supervisor, garage supervisor and maintenance supervisor.  He’ll be a very busy man and his many talents will be well used.

Star will be working with the RMI Field Director and RMI’s national Director in the office.  She’ll help in many other ways in the RMI Cayes office.  Her many talents are badly needed and she’ll be kept very busy too.

God’s provision of Greg and Star for RMI’s ministry in Haiti is very timely.  When Gary and Marilyn McLaughlin left in May, they left a very big hole.  Greg and Star aren’t taking over everything that the McLaughlin’s were doing, but they’ll help fill that hole.  They actually will be living in the McLaughlin’s house, though!  It’s been painted, repaired and is ready for them to move in.

We are looking forward to having them in the RMI Office for a couple of days before they have a day or two of R & R before they board the plane.

Pray for them in these final days.  There’s always a lot of details to take care of, more family and friends to visit – one always wishes there were just a few more days to get things done. 

Thanks to everyone who has had a part of praying for and giving to the Harpies' ministry.  You can keep up to date with them on Facebook and their blog HERE.

Video communicates it better

It’s difficult to communicate what being on a team to Haiti is like, what kinds of things you see and experience as well as how it affects your life.  It’s hard to show all of that in pictures because you can’t capture the sounds and “feel” of the moment. 
Video is much more effective.  Recently Kristopher King of E Video Productions went with a group from Calvary Baptist Church (Pemberton, NJ) when they visited their Sister Church in Dame Marie.  He spent the week documenting the trip.   Upon returning home he faced the challenge of editing 25 hours of footage and 600 photos. 
Kris has done a great job putting these videos together.  They are broken down into 6 parts, 1 for each day.  Be warned, though…they are not short, but they are worthwhile to watch.  If you want to know what a trip with RMI to Haiti is like, if you want to know what you’ll see, hear and experience or if you have gone on a trip and want to be reminded of the things you went through and what God taught you while you were there – then set aside some time and watch as this team from New Jersey goes to their Sister Church to transform lives ---- and finds themselves transformed in the process.
This is part 1 (10 minutes).

Credit: Kristopher King, E Video Productions

Part 2 can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6o6Hd4gPHg.  21 minutes
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVOQrflp2ts.  15 minutes
Part 4:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BYVUzCTWfg.  9 minutes
Part 5:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGKt1K8G5KU.  19 minutes
Part 6:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHI6USC7oL0.  10 minutes
Thank Kris, for this labor of love and your willingness to be used of God.
(We’re going to be featuring this again so those who miss it can have a chance to see it.)

Pastors Meeting 2013

For several weeks now, the Florida office has been unveiling the new RMI strategic plan and marketing materials to the public in order to communicate more effectively who we are and what we are working towards in Haiti. 
Last week here on the field in Haiti, we met with the pastors of our Sister Churches, a couple of the pastors wives, and even pastors from some of the satellite churches in order to do the same unveiling for them.  Forty-five people crowded under our back porch to hear about all the new and exciting ways RMI is growing and the strategic plan we have to lead us into the future. 
It was a great time of sharing with them ; the new plan and strategies were received with much excitement. 
Pastors were introduced to our new staff, Mannou, Frantz, Pierre Rony and Patrick (a former Hope for Kidz staff). These men are being trained as team facilitators and will eventually be leading teams on their own, just as Benjamin, Benson and Perguens do now.  Rob shared a devotion with the group.  He also revealed the new strategic plan to them.  Benjamin talked to the pastors about sister church visits, the good job they’ve been doing, as well as ways they can improve for the future as we work together as a team.  Benson shared with them about the Hope for Kidz program.  Pastors were given a chance to share, ask questions and give feedback.  It was a great time of collaboration as we talked about RMI’s vision for the future and about all God is doing in and through our C3 Partnerships. 

The meeting was closed with a great meal prepared by the Guest House Staff, Madame Ti Jean, Didine, and contract staff Emilye.  (There are no pictures of the meal- we were all too busy eating!)
it was a great day of sharing, listening, and uniting our hearts and minds together, motivating one another towards the future; a future with more partnerships, more kids in school, more hungry folks fed, more houses built, more people serving their community, giving sacrificially, and living out the gospel in tangible and practical ways and most importantly more lives transformed by the power of Christ. 
More pictures from the meeting can be seen here (Do you see your Sister Church Pastor in the crowd?!)

Discipling the Nations

A few months back, the young adults at Crossroad studied the habits of a disciple of Christ.  When they begin planning for the trip to Tiburon, Haiti and for the Youth Conference that would take place, they decided on the same theme; Habits (Abitid in Creole). 
 Monday morning before the team could even finish breakfast youth were already lining up outside the church!  Excitement was in the air.  The team put last minute details in place and opened the doors to the waiting youth; and in they flooded!  Upon registering each attendee was presented a bible.  Over the two days, close to 300 bibles were given out! 
Participants came mostly from the area, including youth from the local Church of God.  When given their bible, they were given the choice of a French or Creole Bible and through out the conference, anytime a scripture was read, volunteers were asked to stand and read out loud, reading from both the French and Creole Bibles.  It was all about getting them into the habit of using the word of God as a tool.  The young folks loved the chance to participate and sometimes raced to be first to the mic.

The youth from TIbruon lead the worship and got the crowd motivated everyday and then the team members led the sessions, each leading one; each talking about how to grow as a Christian and the different aspects of what it means to be a disciple of Christ. 
During the two day conference, the youth were taught six ways to grow as a Christian: Hear God, Read the Bible, Fast and Abstain, Meet with Other Believers, Tithe, and Serve One Another.  They were also given some practical applications for each of the six habits. 

As part of the conference, Crossroad Church provided lunch to every participant so that all three hundred (plus) young folks had a good meal to keep them strong and energized.

Before the conference started on Monday, the team spent the weekend hanging out with their Sister Church Family, meeting with the Pastor, visiting some of the kids they sponsor in the area, and visiting a satellite church not far from the church itself.  For Pastor Lance, Crossroad’s Pursue/Go {Missions} Pastor, as well as some of the other team members who had never been to Haiti with RMI, it was a chance to better understand the partnership, to see the ministry in action, and to fall in love with their Haitian brothers and sisters in Tiburon. 

The rest of the pictures from the week can be seen here.

RMI 2.0, part 3

Like the boy throwing starfish back into the ocean, we know we can't help all of Haiti, but we can make a difference in a specific church and community.  However, to be effective, there has to be a plan set forth - a strategy.  RMI's Starfish Strategy is that strategic, long range plan. 

The Starfish Strategy provides a structure for long term planning and evaluation.  In it's entirety it is a comprehensive strategy to make maximum impact on a church and community.  This  strategy comes in 3 parts.

Part 1 -  The Process

Connect - Connect with your Sister Church and the community it is in.
Assess - Together with RMI, the Haitian church’s needs are assessed through the grid of five Strategic Impact Points.
Equip - Together with RMI, your church or team is equipped with all that is needed for the assessed project or ministry.
Implement - Together with your Sister Church, the ministry or  project is implemented either through a team activity or facilitated directly via RMI.
Transform - The desired end result of the ministry or project is to see lives transformed spiritually, physically, socially,  and/or economically.

Part 2 - Strategic Impact Point Grid

The Strategic Impact Point Grid is the foundation of the Starfish Strategy.  Everything revolves around these points. Our Process assesses the needs in each point.  And our phases make sure we are engaged in each point in a progressing manner.  We want to make sure that a C3 Partnership is engaged in all 5 of these areas:
Evangelism
Discipleship
Social Compassion
Education
Community Development
It is through this they are able to preach “the whole Gospel”.  They are impacting not just the spiritual but also the emotional, physical, social, and economic needs of those in the church and community.  All the while preaching Christ by being the voice, hands, and feet of Jesus through every aspect of their partnership together.

Part 3 - Implementation Pathway

There are 5 phases in the Implementation Pathway. 

Encourage

Enable

Engage

Envision

Empower

Each of these phases build on the one before.  A significant new emphasis is on reaching out into the community.  The first 2 1/2 phases are aimed at strengthening the church itself.  The last 2 1/2 are aimed at reaching out as the hands and feet of Jesus into the community.

__________________________________

As you can see, RMI’s Starfish strategy will become the driving force for our C3 Partnerships.  This will enable our partnerships to have measureable and effective goals and strategies to enable them to have long-term strategic impact in their churches and communities.

Do you know of a church that is looking for this type of strategic impact in their missions program?  We would be glad to contact them to share how a C3 Partnership along with the Starfish Strategy could energize their missions impact.  Contact RMI at 239-368-8390, or via email at rmioffice.florida@rminet.org. 

RMI 2.0, part 2

Connected Church to Church Partnerships
RMI is Connecting Churches Cross-culturally

The Sister Church Program has a new name!  Another sign of growth and a result of the re-branding process is the changing of the Sister Church Program name to C3 Partnerships.  The name change will enable us to better connect with today's church leaders.  It also aptly describes what our anchor program does: it connects church to church partnerships.  We enable churches from different cultures to connect with one another in a long-term strategic partnership.  A church becomes a "C3 partner" with a Sister Church in Haiti.  Once a church becomes a C3 Partner, then we begin to refer to their relationship using our normal "Sister Church" terminology.  It'll take some conscious re-training of our minds to make this change, especially for all of you who have been with RMI for a while.

Believe it or not, this is the first time our foundational program actually has it's own logo.  We are very happy to introduce it to you here.  We would be glad for you to use the new logo in your church, for publicizing your Sister Church, in your videos or other presentations.  Please email Debbie Shoemaker at debbie.shoemaker@rminet.org to ask for the appropriate format file for your purposes.

This change and the Starfish Strategy are meant to grow, enhance, strengthen and mature the C3 Partnerships.  We want to drive the relationships with a solid direction and purpose so they will have strategic and maximum impact on their Sister Churches.  This is why we've developed and defined the Starfish Strategy.  It will take a while to change our mindsets, and educate everyone familiar with the "old" Sister Church Program, but hopefully when all is said and done, the words "oh dear, our dates to go to Haiti are coming up -- what on earth are we going to do this time when we're there?" will not have to be uttered again.  RMI is working with our staff in Haiti to educate and shepherd our Haitian Sister Church Partners in this long term strategic planning for their churches as well.

Next week we will introduce you to the Starfish Strategy and it's 3 part logo.  Developing this has really added solid meat onto the "bones" of the  "old" Sister Church Program.  It has already been shared with several new and established Partnership churches.  It's been received with overwhelming enthusiasm.  One statement we heard from a new church prospect was that this was something the church could really "sink their teeth into". 

2013 Ladies’ Missionary Retreat

Last weekend we held the annual Ladies’ Missionary Retreat at RMI’s Retreat Center in Zanglais, Haiti.  This is the third year that Amy and I have organized this event, and RMI has been planning/sponsoring it for many, many years.  This is a weekend the missionary ladies look forward to every year, and it seems the excitement has grown each year since I have been here.  This year we had 40 missionary ladies in attendance: a record number for Amy and me!

Our theme was “Learning to Listen: An Invitation to Sacred Stillness.”  Our speakers, Pauline McLemore, MS, EdS and Jama White, PsyD, came from the Chattanooga, TN area.  The theme verse was Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.”  Throughout the weekend we were challenged to cease striving and be still before God, were given tools to aid us in listening to God during our quiet times, looked at Jesus’ example of engaging in ministry and relationships and then retreating for rest, and discussed the story of Mary and Martha.  These are just a few examples of the Biblical “meat” we had the opportunity to feast on during the weekend.  Just living life in Haiti is tiring and it’s easy to get caught up in ministry and doing.  A weekend to refresh and bask in God’s Word was just what we all needed. The worship times were very meaningful.  It is very enjoyable and refreshing to be able to worship and be taught from God’s Word in my heart language (English.)
Of course we all look forward to the fellowship!  We had a good amount of down time worked into the weekend.  We were able to spend that time with the Lord, relaxing alone or having fun with each other.  We watched a movie on the big screen, played a massive game of Catch Phrase as well as numerous other group games, enjoyed the beach and the amazing view of the Caribbean, and just had a great time together.  We had a planned craft time and decoupaged candle holders. 
As much as we like Haitian food, this was a weekend free of Haitian food!  Amy worked hard to create a special menu for us.  We enjoyed a more “American” fare and definitely ate well!  Amy also did a great job decorating for the retreat, making it feel like a very special event.

It’s weekends like this that make me thankful for this amazing community we have here in Haiti.  I so appreciate these relationships and the opportunity to strengthen them.
Overall, it was a great weekend to refresh and rest our souls, to be still with God and have a good time with each other!
~Becky

RMI 2.0, part 1

RMI is now 25 years old! A lot has happened in those 25 years. Ups…downs…growth…God’s hand of affirmation. Times have changed and it is time for our "brand" to reflect it. For the past year we have undergone a “vision clarification and re-branding” process. This has helped us think through who we are, how can we effectively state it in today's vernacular as well as show it via logos, etc. It has been an exciting and affirming process as we move into RMI 2.0.

It is important to note that we are not changing who we are - just how we look and how we are communicating! We have quite a bit of information to share with you, so we are going to be posting them in parts. Other changes you’ll see just in our look, colors, etc. And some changes will happen gradually.

We love our new Logo!

RMI is the bridge between 2 cultures. We are the "third party facilitator" that makes the Sister Church Partnerships possible. We are the ones that have a presence on the ground in Haiti and staff to make projects happen, provide accountability and give reports. We bridge the gap between the US and Haiti making culturally relevant partnerships possible. A bridge is reflected in our new logo. The bridge concept is something that you will see reflected in our graphics in a number of ways. There are 2 colors, showing 2 cultures. One color (blue) is helping the other one rise up, much like RMI's programs, ministries and partnerships do for our Haitian brothers and sisters.

...yes, all of that thinking and symbolism is in the new logo. We are excited to be able to communicate RMI in a more modern manner.

Did you see the tag line?

RMI's MISSION is to be Mobilizing Global Partnerships to Transform Lives in Christ. This is why we do what we do...because we want RMI to mobilize global partnerships...because we want to use these partnerships to transform lives both in the national church AND in the US church.

RMI’s MOTIVATION for ministry is…

* The Gospel that transforms – RMI considers the Gospel to be the unsurpassed agent of radical life change. (We want everything we do to proclaim Christ.)

* The Church as God’s instrument – RMI values the Church as God’s chosen agent to enable life change. (We mainly work in and through the local church, both here in the US and overseas.)

* Partnerships that are engaged – RMI mobilizes church to church partnerships to effectively engage in transforming and ministering to one another and into their communities as part of Christ’s body. (Sister Church Partnerships are our foundational ministry.)

* Service that is sacrificial – RMI believes that Christ is honored and pleased by service that requires sacrifice on the part of the server.

What are our MEASURES?  In other words, how do we know that we are accomplishing the goal of transforming lives on both the US and Haitian sides?

When the National Church is being transformed we will see:

• People reached
• Christians discipled
• Churches resourced
• Needs met
• Communities improved

When the US Church is being transformed we will see:

• Compassionate Christians
• More missionaries
• Generous givers
• Everyday evangelists
• Selfless servants

Stay tuned for The RMI 2.0, part 2 next week. We can't wait to show you what's coming up!

Please, We Need Your Help!

There is a Haitian Proverb that says “Men anpil, chay pa lou.”   It means “Many hands make the work light.”  I would be lost without this team.  I (and you) need them on so many levels.  We teach one another.  We serve one another.  We love one another.  We encourage one another.  We transform lives with one another.  We push the same plow.  God has blessed the RMI Family with a great national staff!
We are working hard to raise up our team by empowering them to do the work.  We believe in them as true team members.  Our goal is to train them up and release them as fellow workers so that we can together reap the harvest.  These are my fellow world changers.  These are my fellow missionaries. 
Here is where you come in…  You know them.  You love them.  You have served with them.  You know their potential.  Do you believe in them?  Will you invest in them?  You can now directly support our Haitian Staff.
Our salary budget is currently over $7000 USD per month.  They are more than worth it!  We can’t do what we do without them.  But, this is a huge burden to carry, and we need “many hands to make this burden lighter”.  Will you join us as financial and prayer supporters by praying and giving monthly, quarterly, or annually to our Haiti Staff Fund?  Will you give $50/$75/$100/$150 a month?  Some will be able to give less, and some more.  This will allow us to adequately care for them, as well as hire additional staff that we still so desperately need to do all that we believe God has in our future. 
Please Donate today and choose “Haiti Staff”! 
If you are unable to give today, but you would like to pledge your future support, please do so here.
Idea:  Print the picture below here and post it in your home to pray for them by name.
Rob

A Retirement, but not a Goodbye

RMI held a retirement party for missionaries, Gary and Marilyn McLaughlin, on May 11, 2013 in Lehigh Acres, FL.  We were happy they were able to stop by on their way home from the field.  It was a sweet time of fellowship and special to hear their stories of some of their most memorable, touching and funny stories.

Many people saw them off at the airport in Cayes, Haiti.  Here they are at Agape Flights in Venice, FL after that emotional send off.
They faithfully served in Haiti for 9 years.  Gary was a team facilitator, worked with the Homes for Haiti building teams, helped out in maintaining our vehicles and facilities and so many, many more things.  Marilyn served in the Hope for Kidz sponsorship program.  When she started, there were about 800 kids sponsored.  Now there are almost 2,000! 
We celebrated them with a yummy rib dinner at the home of RMI President, Dan Shoemaker. 
Left to right: Dan Shoemaker, Gary and Marilyn McLaughlin, Barb and Kim Rose, John and Linda Garner (RMI Board members from Ft. Lauderdale), Herb and Shirley Shoemaker and Frances and Craig Archer (RMI’s new graphic artist).  Also present was Debbie Shoemaker.














They were given a Garmin GPS – so they’d always know where they are going in life …. and a special plaque from RMI recognizing their sacrificial service in Haiti. 
They did an amazing job and many, many lives were transformed because of their willingness to be there during the tough times (earthquakes, included!) and the – well, it can’t really be said that there are “easy times” when one is a missionary in Haiti!  We are very grateful for them and the impact they had on RMI’s ministries in Haiti.
We aren’t saying goodbye, though.  After they settle in at their cabin in Packwood, WA (for those of you who don’t know, that’s in the shadow of Mt. St. Helens), Gary will continue to minister with RMI part time as RMI’s Northwest representative.  It will be great to have his experience with RMI in Haiti continue to be used for God’s glory.

New Staff in Haiti! I’m Very Excited!

We have spent much time over the last couple of years building up our team here in Haiti.  We have been organizing and training.  We have been empowering, embracing, and releasing them for ministry. These aren’t empty words. We don’t have gophers, or even employees, but fellow team mates. RMI can only accomplish great things for the Lord because of these 29 servants (this number of course does not include our missionary staff, that I am also grateful for).  Our capacity here in Haiti has grown exponentially.  We are now able to handle multiple endeavors every day.  Vehicle maintenance, deliveries, financial oversight, SCP and HFK accountability visits by monitors, project facilitation, bank runs, tons of administration, US church team visits, communications, hospitality logistics, all being done well and happening concurrently every day.  Why can we do this?  Only because of our trusted team. I believe in them. Yet, we want to do more and we want to do it better.  I am always talking about quantity AND quality. I have no desire to do the first without the second. We deeply believe in what we do, so we want to do more of it and we want to do it right.  Of course, if we aren’t careful, we will kill ourselves in the process.  I and my current team are simply blitzed with the work.  We are fatigued and we need help.  We have gotten so much more efficient and effective, but we just can’t handle everything.  Therefore, we are bringing on more team members.  We are so excited for their arrival.  Here they are… Pierre Rony, Manno and Frantz (Left to Right). 

Rob

Mud, mud, I love Mud…

In the popular children’s song and book, the song goes, “Mud, Mud, I love Mud, I’m absolutely positively wild about Mud.”  I’ve read this book too many times and therefore I’ve been known to sing this to myself (Please don’t tell anyone).  But, the teachers and kids at the Lievre school were tired of the mud.  The school was built, a roof was put on, but the first step out of the classroom was often into mud.  Not now!
Petersburg Bible Church decided to change the reality of that school. Now, they have a very long and helpful sidewalk as they leave school.   You can see the water, but now they have a dry place to walk and get around the mud.

Celebrating Nine Years and Saying “See You Soon”.

There's a  song that says "every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. "

Ecclesiastes 3 tells us "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens..." 

However you put it, unless you're reading a good book or watching a movie, "endings" are quite often hard. Especially when it means saying goodbye to beloved friends. 

For almost nine years Gary and Marilyn McLaughlin have faithfully served with RMI on the field in Haiti;  Marilyn as the Hope for Kidz Coordinator and Gary as a team leader, project coordinator, and general Mr. fix-it.  When they retired from their stateside positions, instead of sitting around relaxing they came to Haiti to serve:  Marilyn always passionate in her work with the kids, and Gary always leading, always working, always serving.  But as with all good things, their time in Haiti is coming to an end.  May 9 (in just 6 days!) Gary and Marilyn will leave the field to return to their home and family and friends in Packwood, Washington.  They leave quite a legacy. They will be greatly missed.

Tuesday, we celebrated them and all they have accomplished in their time We had a great Haitian meal of chicken, rice and beans, beet salad, fried plantains, pizza and pineapple cake!  The Haitian staff put together a great program for them which even included jokes and riddles, and a few folks got up and shared memories and thanks and then the staff presented the McLaughlin's with a gift and a plaque of appreciation.  We missionary folk also shared; Rob a devotion and a reflection, Becky, Tessa and Braden did an awesome job singing “The Lord is my Shepherd” in both English and Creole and I shared some words (and cried a little).  The word bittersweet was used multiple times during the afternoon.  We are excited for Gary and Marilyn as they embark on this new chapter in their lives but as they leave, so leaves a part of our family.

So for now, we won't say goodbye. Rather, we'll say see you later and pray that God will cross our paths again, whether in the US or in Haiti.

Gary and Marilyn, we love you. Thank you. We'll see you soon, si dye vle (if God wills).

(Above and Below: Enjoying the Haitian Feast!)

Below Left: Becky and the kids singing “The Lord is my Shepherd”  Below Right:  Benson presenting the plaque to Gary and Marilyn

(Below: Praying over them as we send them off into the next chapter of their lives")

Goats Galore…

Thank you to Petersburg Bible for your generosity when it came to providing relief after Hurricane Sandy went through last fall.  The people of Lievre are very appreciative!
The pastor in Lievre wrote…  “We are very happy from the bottom of our heart to thank you for the important help and we want to express our gratitude to you for the goat project. This project was very necessary for us because Hurricane Sandy had destroyed our livestock and gardens. For many of us the church family, we received some goats to replace what we lost. As you know the goat is a source of income for us to help our kids with school and school supplies.”

Calvary Bible Fellowship meets Vieux Bourg MEBSH Church

Calvary Bible Fellowship, from Sinking Spring, PA, sent a leadership team down last week to get vision, to scout the land, and ultimately to consider a long term partnership with the people of Vieux Bourg MEBSH Church, in Vieux Bourg d’Aquin, Haiti (pronounced Via Bou in Creole).  The team of 8 from Calvary, all Pastors, Elders, Deacons, and Stewards saw and experienced first hand, what a partnership looks like.  They were sent as scouts; I believe they returned as mobilizers for the Gospel. 

Pictures can be seen here.

Both of these churches tested the waters to consider the possibility of a long term partnership.  Unity and harmony of belief, practice and vision are key.  The cultures are certainly different, and both must be strongly considered, respected, and even honored, but mutual love for the same Lord, and the unified desire to extend his kingdom inside and outside the church brings the Church together as one, as God intended it to be.  One body, one purpose.
We worshipped with one another, a lot.  We prayed with one another, a lot.  We laughed with one another, a lot.  We cried with one another.  We danced with one another.  We served the poor and sick with one another.  We held hands with one another.  We shared the Gospel with one another.  We dreamed with one another.  We listened to one another.  We learned from one another. We ate with one another.  We served one another.  We loved one another.  We loved with one another.

We came together for the Gospel.  RMI mobilized people, into a partnership, in order to transform lives in Christ.  As one team member said, “I will never ever be the same person again.   God did some things this week in my life that I never expected, and these things will never allow me to be the same again”.  Not only was that obvious among the whole team from the US, but it was also obvious that many lives here in Haiti will truly never be the same again.  Lives were transformed. 

I myself, will never be the same, because I was a participant, and a recipient, of these reciprocal ministries…   Thank you Calvary Bible Fellowship.  Thank you Vieux Bourg MEBSH Church.  I can’t wait to see what God does in the future…

Rob

Picot 2013; More Than Choir Robes

Going to Picot is always like going home.  I wasn’t even in the country two weeks before I headed out to Picot with the team for the first time in 2009.  Then in the fall of 2009 I did a two week language emersion study in Picot.  So I’ve spent a lot of time there and every time I visit, it’s always a special time.  It is no different for the folks from Trinity Bible Church. They’ve been a Sister Church for over 20 years, and Pastor Calixte and his wife have visited Trinity Bible Church as well.  So when the two churches reunite, its always a special time. 
This year was no different.
When the Trinity Bible Team arrived in Picot, there was excitement in the air.  Team members could hardly wait for the trucks to stop rolling so they could get out and go hug their family!  And as the sound of the trucks were heard as they pulled into the yard, the Picot folks poured out of the building also anxious to reunite with their loved ones.  “I’ve been praying for you since last year!”, they exclaimed to one another over and over again.  It was a beautiful sight; especially because I knew it was true.  They HAD been thinking about, longing to see, and praying for one another since last year. 
Once the dust settled and the excitement of the arrival subdued, the team had something special they wanted to present the church.  They had ask Pastor to make sure all the choir members were present, because they had something special to give them.  Excitement buzzed as the team called the choir members up one at a time and presented them with a robe.  Each robe had been measured to fit the individual and had been marked inside with their name (they had gotten measurements from pastor a head of time).  They might as well has just been given gold.  The choir members were beyond excited.  Once all the robes had been distributed the choir gathered at the front of the church and sang for the team.  There were tears in the eyes of many of the team members as they began to realize just what a special gift they had given the Picot Church. Pastor Calixte shared with the team that the Annual MEBSH Convention was coming up in a few weeks and their choir was scheduled to sing at the opening service.  It was important for them to have some kind of robe or uniform and since they didn’t have their own, they would need to rent.  But they really didn’t have money to rent robes for everyone so they weren’t sure what they were going to do.  “But”, Pastor said, “We signed up for singing at the Convention, regardless, and trusted God would provide.”
Indeed he did provide!
The team was a mix of returning members as well as some who had never been.  One of the team members had flown all the way from Liberia to join the team.  He is a member of Trinity Bible but spends much of his time Liberia overseeing a ministry he started to help those in Liberia suffering in some of the same ways he had, himself having grown up in Liberia.  His parents had practiced voodoo.  He had grown up hungry and with no education.  He was a victim of the Civil War, had been captured by the Militia, rescued and put into a Refugee Camp, which is where he met Christ as his savior.  Sunday morning, Eric shared his testimony of suffering and rescue and it resonated in the hearts of many who heard it as it helped them to realize that its not just Haitians who experience suffering, but that it exists all over the world. 
The rest of the week was busy.  Busy with meetings, and church services, and visits to shut-ins among other things.   The ladies on the team met with a representative from the Domestic Center (located in Cayes) along with the Picot Ladies Leadership team to discuss the possibility of a partnership.  Team members (and spouses) Marie and Ralph, both long time educators themselves, met with the teachers at the Picot school to learn more about their needs and to find ways they could come along side the teachers and support them.  There was an open air service, a kids meeting, a men's meeting, a ladies meeting, a deacons meeting, and a satellite church visit.  On Wednesday before leaving the team visited with some of the churches widows and shut-ins where they prayed for the members and left them with a box of food. 

(L: The Ladies of Picot Church meeting with the Ladies from Trinity.  R: Praying with one of the widows the team visited on Wednesday.)
But the highlight of the week just may have been Tuesday night.  The church was full and an excitement filled the air.  Outside the back door of the church a crowd was assembling.  As they gathered, they all had one thing in common.  They were all wearing their new cream colored choir robes.  When the time came for them to sing, they entered the church and the team was thrilled to see them so proudly adorning their new robes.  Each robe was a perfect fit.  They filled the stage and they began to sing and in the same way their bodies filled the stage, their voices filled the church, as though a heavenly choir was present, so said the team.  It was a beautiful, moving moment that I doubt those present will ever forget. 
All in a great visit with every activity encouraging and uplifting both the Haitian and American Churches, strengthening their partnerships and solidifying their lifelong commitment to one another. 

The Ministry of Presence: Second Cape May Baptist and Port a Piment

Last week we had a team from Second Cape May Baptist Church in Marmora, NJ here to visit their sister church in Port a Piment, Haiti.  These two churches have had a  partnership for over 30 years!  I (Becky Thompson) had the privilege of going out with this team along with team leader Benjamin Altema and 3 other Haitian staff.  It’s not often I get a chance to go out with the team while Rob stays home with our kids.  Since our sister-in-law was coming in the team, it was the perfect opportunity for me to go out.  I’m thankful that Rob is willing to give me these opportunities!  For a more personal account of this trip, read The Ministry of Presence: My Personal Testimony over at Rob and Becky’s blog.

During our week in Port a Piment, the idea that kept running through my mind was what RMI President Dan Shoemaker calls “the Ministry of Presence.”  God’s presence, in us, overflowing in ministry to others.  It’s the ministry of celebrating Christ together and our relationship as brothers and sisters in Christ.  It’s a ministry of encouragement. I felt like it was truly manifested that week in everything the US team did.  One thing this church does very well is recruit new members for each team every time they come.  They have seen the impact this makes on their church at home. When more and more church members are exposed to this long term partnership, more and more people are engaged in the ministry of presence, both in Haiti and back home in the US.

Unfortunately for this team, their flight from New York was delayed a long time and they didn’t arrive at our Guest House in Cayes until 10 pm!  They were all very tired from their journey but ready to visit with their brothers and sisters in Port a Piment!  After orientation, packing up and lunch on Saturday, we all gathered for our traditional prayer circle and off we went.  After a 2 hour drive we arrived on the outskirts of Port a Piment.  Waiting for us was the youth brigade and a band, and they welcomed the team with a parade through the town leading to the church.  Saturday afternoon and evening were spent getting settled in and preparing for ministry in the days ahead.

This team didn’t have any big “project” to do.  Their goal was encouragement; to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  They worshipped together during 2 services, and collaborated by having an open-air gospel service in the community.  Praise the Lord for a new brother-in-Christ in the Port a Piment area named Mackenson!  They planned special gatherings for the ladies and men’s groups and had a lot of fun during a gathering with the school kids.  We visited shut-ins and had the opportunity to pray with them.  Twice we visited 2 different churches in the district: Sentiment Church and Bosquette Church.  The goal for all these activities was to build relationships and share the love of Christ.

One highlight was our visit to Sentiment Church.  We were told we would drive and then get out and have to hike about 30 minutes to get there.  We followed a river bed, had to cross the river by foot 3 times.  We all had squishy shoes when we arrived!  The last 10 minutes we turned from walking along the riverbed to walking up the mountain.  When we arrived a the top of this small mountain, the small, crude church building was decorated beautifully and was full of people waiting to worship with us.   It was very humbling to worship with this body of believers.   Not long ago, the evangelism committee at the church in Port a Piment decided to go to this area and share the gospel.  Many came to Christ and from this, the Sentiment Church was born. This area was the church in Port a Piment’s “Judea” (Acts 1:8.)  It was exciting to see the fruit of the Great Commission in action.

This team was really impacted by how well the Haitian church received them.  They were humbled by the sacrifices made to provide beds and the sacrifice of time in preparing meals.  This wasn’t just a time for the American church to come down and serve the Haitian people.  The Haitian church took joy in serving their brothers and sisters who came to be with them.

Overall it was a very fruitful week for this team, living out the ministry of presence.