RMI’s 2009 Christmas Party

Kim and Barb Rose were gracious hosts for RMI’s 2009 Christmas Party. Thanks, Kim & Barb, for the use of your home, the good food and the even better fellowship.

Rob & Becky Thompson, Dan & Debbie Shoemaker, Charlotte & Mel Zegers (Charlotte is one of RMI’s faithful volunteers!).

Herb & Shirley Shoemaker, Mary Anne Cosper (Deb’s mom who is living with us for several months) and Barb & Kim Rose.

Barb & Kim Rose and their son, Mason.

Dan & Debbie Shoemaker

Dawn Shoemaker (a freshman at Trinity College of Florida) and her PopPop, Herb Shoemaker.

Goodbye Rob & Becky! Their container is packed and gone. They left for New Jersey (and 2 feet of snow) the next day. Their time in the RMI office is finished and their departure for Haiti is fast approaching!

The end of an era! Bittersweet but exciting at the time time.

Merry Christmas from RMI!

Food for the Widows

Recently RMI was able to obtain 600 cases of pre-mixed food from Food for the Poor. Five Sister Churches participated in covering the cost. Pastor Jim Bry, the pastor of one of those churches, Second Cape May Baptist Church, Marmora, NJ asked Dan to go with him to help hand out the 150 cases of food aid that his church covered.

He and Dan were in Haiti last week Dec. 16-18 (yes, it was a very quick trip!) to do this.

Pastor Jim, Dan and all the guys unloading were all smiles.

Each widow & widower received enough for 108 well-balanced, nutritional meals.

Pastor Jim was excited to be there in person to show his church’s love and care for these widows and widowers.

Going home happy!

Pastors Jim Bry and Yvon, Dan Shoemaker, 3 RMI Haiti staff men and 3 district pastors in the church yard after the Port-a-Piment distribution. The rest of the cases of food (130 cases) will be distributed in the district with some of their most needy families.

If you want to see more pictures, click here.

The other 4 churches’ food was delivered this week. These Haitian Sister churches felt God’s love to them in a very real, tangible way through this food!

Dan is in Haiti

Pray for Dan as he is in Haiti for 3 days. He went in with Pastor Jim Bry of 2nd Cape May Baptist Church, Marmora, NJ. They went to hand out food aid that Pastor Jim's church bought for their Sister Church. It should be an exciting day! Photos will be forthcoming once they get back. It’s special to be a part of helping our Haitian brothers and sisters where they hurt.

Jules & a bone marrow transplant

Dan talked with Jules today and learned that he has started the process for his bone marrow transplant. The first phase is for him to receive some heavy chemo therapy. This past Thursday (Dec 3) he underwent a procedure that placed a valve in a vein in his neck that will be there for 2 months. He stayed overnight in the hospital for observation and went home on Friday the 4^th. They are now giving him heavy doses, much heavier than before evidently, of chemo that is causing him much more side effect issues.

He goes to the hospital now 3 days a week for a couple of hours a day for his chemo treatment and then goes back to their efficiency apartment. This will go on until his transplant. They have not given him a date yet but we are guessing they will probably do it in January sometime.

He takes 42 pills a day. Dan joked with him that he doesn’t need meat now that he gets to eat all these pills! (Jules really loves meat!) With the stronger chemo now he is finding it more difficult to eat regular food as he has a tougher time with nausea, etc.

He sounded encouraged though. Please pray for God’s intervention and healing for him. What a great testimony this would be. Thank you for your participation with him in this.

Excellent Board Meetings!

Thank you for your prayers for RMI’s semi-annual board meetings last week. Thursday and Friday RMI’s Board came together here in Ft. Myers. Our board members are encouraged to include their spouses in the meetings and we were happy that all but one were able to attend. They add a great dimension to the meetings, asking insightful questions and participating in the discussions. We welcomed a new Board member, Tim (and Trish) Osborne (Trinity Bible Church, Lafayette, LA). They have been friends of RMI for about 20 years (ever since their kids and our kids were very small), so they have the perspective of many years of history of being on teams and involvement through their local church. Tim is Trinity’s missions pastor, so he comes with a worldwide perspective. They jumped right in with a real desire to understand RMI further and be an active member of the board. They are a great addition!

Another new item was Kim Rose’s participation. He was there with Rob, learning the ropes of presenting the financial reports, answering questions, discussing budgets, etc, as our new VP of Ops. Again, another excellent addition to RMI’s administration.

And it was Rob’s last board meeting as VP of Ops. I’m not sure, but I think I heard a big sigh of relief from him when the final closing prayer was said Friday afternoon! We will miss him and his valuable input. Yet at the same time we look forward to having he and his family on the field in Haiti.

We really feel that with these additional personnel and new initiatives that were introduced and approved at the meetings, we are poised to surge forward into the New Year. The one thing lacking is finances! Yes, it’s a big “thing”, one that was the subject of much discussion at the meetings since giving is down significantly. We really need you to partner with us in asking the Lord to bring the funds in in the next 3 weeks, before the year’s end, to reach the matching grant challenge. It is so important to enable RMI to not only finish the year in the black, but with some reserve to jumpstart things in the New Year.

Can you do something now toward this need? RMI's Ways to Give will help you do this right here!

Double your Investment: Matching Gift Given to RMI!

RMI has been in the business of making an eternal impact on Americans’ and Haitians’ lives for over 20 years. That translates to thousands of people on both sides who have been ministered to and encouraged through the ministries of RMI. We literally could not be doing this without YOU! Your faithful, consistent prayers and your faithful, consistent financial support. Since RMI is a faith-based mission, we count on individuals and churches to support our missionaries, ministries and the RMI International Office.

Plainly put, the recession has been difficult for RMI. We have cut back our operations back to the bare bones. Each of our staff wear several hats. But we still are falling short financially.

God has placed this need on a group of donors’ hearts. They want to see RMI finish this year strongly. They have given us a $10,000 matching gift challenge! In other words, if we can raise $10,000, they will match it with an equal amount. We need your help to accomplish this! Would you prayerfully consider how God would have you respond to this?

Just think, whatever you give, your money will be doubled! There are few investments that will not only double your money but result in an eternal impact! This gift of $10,000 can become $20,000.

Giving to RMI has been made easier. You can donate online or set up a monthly bill pay with your bank. Go to RMI's Ways to Give to set that up.

Help us meet this challenge by the deadline of Dec. 31, 2009. RMI wants to finish this year well; heIp us to continue making an eternal impact on lives.

Giving Suggestions:

The past year has been one of tremendous challenge for everyone. Economic conditions have made it necessary for most to make careful choices about how to spend, save, and give their resources. For many, the final month of the year is a time to share with others. Now, more than ever, you may find that time spent considering how to make your gifts can help you be a better steward of your charitable dollars. By giving in the most effective manner, you may discover you can help others in ways you never thought possible. Here are some ideas that may be beneficial as you consider your charitable plans this fall.

Enjoy tax savings

Those who make charitable gifts may wish to structure the amount and timing of their gifts to make the best use of tax incentives that remain available this year. With proposed changes in federal tax laws, giving this year may never save you more.

The higher your tax rate, the more your gifts will save you. If you are subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT), you may be surprised to learn that charitable deductions serve to reduce the amount of both the regular income tax and the AMT. Remember that only gifts made by December 31 can help reduce the amount of taxes you owe next April.

Deciding what to give

* Cash. Charitable gifts are most often made in the form of cash and checks. When you itemize your tax deductions, gifts of cash may be used to eliminate federal income tax on up to half of your adjusted gross income (AGI). You may enjoy state income tax savings as well.

* Securities. Giving securities (individual stocks, bonds or mutual fund shares) that are worth more than they cost can bring additional tax savings. Gifts of such property are generally deductible from income tax at full current value if owned for longer than one year, and can be used to offset tax on up to 30% of your AGI. In addition, no tax is due on any gain, as could be the case in the event of a sale. Giving securities also frees up cash for other purposes or to diversity investments.

10 Noteworthy things about my life

RMI missionary, Amy Long, has a great blog that you should check on a regular basis! She gives a fantastic view into her life as a missionary. Some of it is lighthearted, some of it is moving but all of it is insightful. In addition to being an artful writer, she is an accomplished photographer. You will see some great pictures that she has taken. Her blog can be found here. Her Nov. 10 blog was about 10 noteworthy things concerning the current status of her life
in Haiti:

10. I’m wearing a sweater, because its chilly, in Haiti.

9. My head comes to a slight point on top, making it difficult to fulfill my dream of carrying things on my head, in Haiti.

8. I used to refuse to eat leftovers but now I eat them almost every single day, in Haiti.

7. For the first three months I lived here, I had fresh tomatoes straight out of the garden pretty much
every single day. For the last two months, its been avocado,
straight from the tree in the yard, pretty much every single day.
I guess that's one of the benefits of having someone else
responsible for growing things in your garden, in Haiti.

6. I have been waking up with out an alarm clock almost everyday
for the last few weeks at 6:48am. Strange things such as
this happen in these parts. This gives credence to the
statement, only…in Haiti.

5. I have been sharing my space with mice. I found evidence that
they had eaten some of my crackers; and they had a party in my
closet. So I set a trap and caught one. Suzanne set out another
trap, and we caught another. And she caught one in her room as
well. Another trap is set for tonight. This is the most disgusting thing that has happened to me (SO FAR), in Haiti.

4. I officially have internet access at my house. This will help me
stay in touch with friends and family. It will also make it easier
for you to keep in touch with me, in Haiti.

3. On November 21, I leave for the town of Picot to spend two
weeks living with a Pastor and his family. This is to immerse
myself in Creole. I hope to come away from the experience well
versed in the language. This will help me immensely, in Haiti.

2. Jesus might be coming soon. Because signs an wonders abound. I have found a supplier of Diet Coke, in Haiti.

1. I waited five long months for my four wheeler to arrive. It was
finally released from customs and was transported to Cayes on
Saturday. Now, if the keys were only here, in Haiti.

Pray for Amy. She is in Picot (#3 above) in 2 weeks of language immersion!

Incredible Video Testimony That Explains Why We Do What We Do.

This video is long, but totally worth the investment! This paints a great picture as to why we do what we do. It will be worth it to watch the whole thing, but I would especially encourage you to watch Alison @06:35, Dana @14:41, Scott @21:00, and Dan @32:02.

This is a video of a church service on Nov 3, 2009 at one of RMI's churches, CrossRoad Church UMC in Jacksonville, FL. They tell their story of the broad impact of the partnership they have with their Sister Church in Tiburon, Haiti, through RMI.

For your convenience, here are some timestamps…

• 00:00 – Pastor Scott Crawford (Community Life Pastor) gives an introduction to their Sister Church Partnership.
• 06:35 - Alison (Recent Team Member) shares her story, specifically related to RMI’s Hope for Kidz child sponsorship program.
• 14:41 - Dana (recent team member) shares her dramatic story of Kingdom impact, salvation, being a God Parent.
• 21:00 - Scott shares more Kingdom impact.
• 26:15 - Scott shares message from Haitian Pastor Lundy to the congregation at CrossRoad Church UMC.
• 32:02 - RMI President Dan Shoemaker thanks the congregation for their compassionate partnership and impact.
• 37:38 - Sr. Pastor Gee challenges his congregation to live below their means to make a difference.

Finally, here is the video…

Update on Jules

Jules has now moved to an efficiency apartment. He is quite happy there at this point. They are not having to share it with someone like his previous place. It will cost him $500 a month including utilities. He has the furniture he needs so far. He has no TV, but is hoping to be able to get cable installed and a TV soon. This is essential for him since he is not able to get out much. It provides some “distractions” for him as they would say in Creole.

The hospital is planning on providing, free of charge, a bone marrow transplant (as best we can ascertain). This will either heal him completely or at least extend his life, potentially, by several years. We will see what God does. We are trusting that he will have doctors that will give him straight info, not just what he wants to hear! We will see how it goes and will keep you posted.

He still needs prayer, company, and funds. The funds we have for him here will be gone in a month or so.

Continue to call him. He enjoys getting your calls!

Several people have been able to visit him and that has really encouraged him and Martha.

[Thank you to John and Cyndy Kopitsky of Second Cape May Baptist Church (Marmora, NJ) for the photo updates. They were able to visit him on his birthday at the end of October – he and Dawn share a birthday.]

His cell phone is: 321-217-4165. (Still the same as before.)

His NEW address is:

Jules Gedna

139 Francis Street

Everett MA - 02149

Keep praying for him. Thanks.

What does transition look like?

Kim, Rob and Dan in their transition meeting this morning. Rob wears so many hats that they had to map it out on the white board! He has cleared his office and Kim is installing his computer, books and other things. We had to give Rob a hard time this morning because Kim took his parking space. :)

Introducing RMI’s new VP of Operations!

We are very pleased to announce that God has provided a new VP of Operations! As you know, Rob Thompson and his family are raising support to go to Haiti as RMI missionaries. They anticipate leaving the office in December and leaving for Haiti in March, 2010. His leaving creates a huge “hole” in RMI’s international office operations staff.

Dan didn’t know when he asked a friend from our Sunday School class to join us in praying for God’s man to fill Rob’s shoes that God had been working in this friend’s heart, preparing him for a change in his life! He did pray about it, but not in the general, “Lord, help RMI find someone” type of prayer, but “Lord, could this be where you want me to serve you?” God answered that prayer….and now we are pleased to introduce Kim Rose as RMI’s new VP of Operations.

Kim was raised in western Michigan in a Christian family. He is no newcomer to missions and ministry. Between the ages of 13-16 he was involved in his family traveling ministry doing chalk art, ventriloquism and evangelistic outreach. He has served as a deacon, adult Sunday school teacher, and as a member of numerous church committees. His professional experience includes working as a sales manager, Human Resources Director, and general manager for a large building supply distribution in Southwest Florida. Most recently, he was president of Visions Millwork, Inc., his family owned and operated window and door supplier. He worked alongside his wife, Barbara, and their two sons, Brian and Mason. Kim and Barbara have been married for 33 years. They met while he was attending Grand Rapids Baptist College (now Cornerstone University) in Michigan. After they married, he continued his studies in human resource management at Spring Arbor College (Michigan).

Kim’s personal interests include art, reading and motorcycling. His favorite verse is II Cor. 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” The Lord’s teaching that the experiences we go through are God’s way of teaching us and equipping us with the tools we need to help others as they go through similar experiences is a very real inspiration to Kim.

He is excited about being involved in first hand ministry again. He feels that God has given him a vision for RMI’s particular programs, goals and mission. His faith journey up to this point and business experience has uniquely equipped him to serve in RMI as the Vice President of Operations.

Rob and Kim will be working together during the months of November and December as Rob orients Kim to RMI and his new position.

Pray for Kim

1. As he learns the ropes – there are a lot of details to learn!

2. He now needs to raise his support. He needs to raise a minimum of $2,000 a month within the next 4 months!

His email is kim.rose@rminet.org.

Look for the Fall 2009 issue of theBridge in the mail!

Hot off the press, theBridge will be in the mail first thing next week! Featured in this issue: a very unusual June wedding, updates on the Moses and Thompson families, an update on Jules Gedna, a missionary’s perspective and a challenge on not having a hole in your faith in Christ. There is a lot more, but we don’t want to spoil the surprize!

Multiple copies are sent the the Sister Church Coordinators to be shared with their churches. If you aren’t on RMI’s mailing list and want to receive theBridge, please let us know at rmioffice.florida@rminet.org. It is free and gives great info and ideas on keeping your Sister Church Partnership alive and vibrant and is a great way to keep up to date on the latest happenings on the field and in RMI. It’s an excellent tool to use in sharing the program with others, too!

Hospitality RMI style

RMI missionary, Amy Long, is here all week for hospitality training and field orientation. She has taken over RMI's Haiti hospitality, running RMI's Guesthouse & Retreat Center. We are so happy and pleased that she has jumped (willingly too!!) right in and has done a great job. Besides sharing RMI's philosophies, policies and practices this week, Debbie and Amy have had fun brainstorming and planning changes and improvements we want done to both places! We are thankful for Amy's gifts, positive can-do attitude and creativeness. It will be great for the Guesthouse and Retreat Center to have some updates and TLC.

Field Orientation for 3 please!

Rob and Becky Thompson joined Amy for a day of field orientation this week. It was great to have the 3 of them together to discuss everything from the inner workings of the mission center, Cite Lumiere, to how and where to shop, how to work with househelp and employees, hurricane plans, how to handle the poverty, how to live and work with your teammates, RMI policies & expectations of them, coping with the stresses of living in Haiti….there are so many areas to cover to help new missionaries settle in well. It helps to hear these things from seasoned, experienced missionaries who’s been there, done that! RMI does try to have an extensive field orientation to help set new missionaries up for success.

Pray for Amy as she is already there in Haiti, finishing up language lessons and in ministry. Besides the hospitality, she is also going out with teams and helping out with photojournalism. She’s wearing several hats (as most missionaries do!) so pray as she multi-tasks and works to fulfill all those responsibilities.

Rob and Becky are working hard at raising their support, paring down their household, making moving plans, and looking forward to their new life in Haiti.

You can’t go around hugging missionaries!

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

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

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

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

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

Rob is in Haiti

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

We have power and other updates!

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

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

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

The Stone Age, Travels and Hard Work

**The RMI has been thrown back to the stone age. We have all been working from home, Panera Bread and cell phones for more than a week now. Thieves stole the power cables (a LOT of thick, heavy cables!) that fed a transformer from the street and then from the transformer to the office building a week ago. This left the office with no power. It took a while to diagnose the problem since the cables were all underground, then a police investigation, then the power company and electricians had to re-install everything, then the county inspection…….and now we are waiting for the power company to come back and flip the switch to put us back on the grid. Wow! We are so reliant on electricity to power everything, even the phones. It’s been frustrating to say the least. If anyone has been waiting for orientation materials to be shipped, information or answers to your questions, or calls to be returned, please be patient with us just a little longer. We are praying that power will be restored today and we can start the new week back in the office.

**Dan and Debbie travel to Ft. Lauderdale this weekend to be with Florida Bible Church. They are a new Sister Church and their first team to go to Haiti is giving their report to the church this weekend in all of the church’s services. It’ll be great to see the team and hear how their lives have been impacted.

Dan and Debbie will travel to Trinity College of Florida (where their daughter, Dawn, is a freshman) this coming Wednesday to participate in the college’s 3 day missions conference. They’ll have a booth set up during that time, but will also have an opportunity to share in chapel and have a 45 minute workshop for the students. The workshop is entitled “I am Green, how about you?” It’s not the being green concept that is thought of today. Pray it’ll bring in the students that God wants to challenge for missions.

**Rob and Becky are hard at work raising their support. They are at 80% of their monthly need and 26% of their one time needs. These last funds are traditionally the hardest part to raise, so really uphold them in prayer as they face this challenge. Rob is also hard at work at the office trying to finish projects and get things ready for him to hand them over to someone else. No, we don’t know who that “someone else” is yet, but we are earnestly seeking God’s guidance as to who that “someone else” will be!! Pray with us – it is a very key part of running the day to day operations of RMI.

RMI Impacts Lives Forever!

Moses News!

From the Moses' blog:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read about Rob and Becky's adventures in Haiti

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

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

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

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

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

They've arrived!

Rob and Becky had a long trip today to Haiti, but they made it ok. Becky got right down to the essentials and has already learned to drive her 4 wheeler. They are actually staying in their new home while they are there! Pray for their physical strength and clarity of thought as they plan for the future, firm up their vision for what God has for them and establish friendships.

Watch their blog at http://www.robandbecky.com/blog.htm for a video of Becky on her 4 wheeler. They hope to post it Wednesday.

Tropical Storm Ana moves north

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

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

A personal letter from Jules!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

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

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

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

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

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

150 Sammett St., Malden, MA  02148

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

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

Your brother,

Jules Gedna

Dan is in Haiti

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

The Moses' are in Texas

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

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

On the road to Texas

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

The Moses family is on the plane

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

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

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

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

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

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

RMI in Haiti Interactive Map

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

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

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

Rob

View RMI in Haiti in a larger map

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

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

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

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

Rob Thompson
VP of Operations
Reciprocal Ministries International

Jules Update #3

Dan and Jules during Dan's June 2009 visit.

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

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

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

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

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

God Bless,

Steve

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

Jules needs 3 things:

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

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

His address is:

Jules Gedna
150 Sammett St
Malden MA 02148

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

His phone is:  321-217-4165

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jules Update

A report from Dan Shoemaker on his trip to visit Jules the third week of June. 
Jules is doing “ok” but is still very weak.  He can at least get up and walk around very slowly, very gingerly, and in some pain.  He has lost a lot of weight and is quite weak.  He is on very strong medication for the pain he still has with his back and the cancer so mentally he can’t concentrate on things for long periods of time. 
He would love to hear from you from time to time.  Feel free to call him as well as send him notes of encouragement, that you are praying for him, etc..  He can read English fairly well or have others translate them for him if needed. 
His cell phone is:  321-217-4165.
            His address for letters and cards is:         Jules Gedna
150 Sammett St
Malden MA 02148
            For financial gifts:  Send to RMI, with a note designated for RMI emergency fund.  Do not send him checks directly as it is very difficult for him to get them cashed.  There are many needs that the family has at this time and any donations for them will be greatly appreciated.  RMI is waiving any admin fees for this account at this time.  All funds will go toward his expenses and will be forwarded to the family.  Thanks in advance for your help for them. 
Resume of my understanding of his medical condition: 
            He has Myeloma, blood cell cancer.  He has had it for some time evidently.  His issues with his back from last summer on were brought on because of the cancer beginning to impact his bones, but it was not recognized as this at that time.  Because he has not had full physicals as they would do them here in the States, this was not caught until he came to the States in February.  During Feb and March, he underwent many blood tests, x-rays, and cat scans.  It was determined that the extreme pain in his back was caused by 2 vertebrae having fractured due to his bones becoming brittle and weak due to the cancer.  They wanted to get a biopsy done and start treatment for the cancer asap.  However, due to his extreme pain, and nobody available to get him to the hospital he missed a month or more of possible treatment.  He was finally admitted to a hospital due to his pain and inability to care for himself in late April or early May.  By that time, he had cracked a rib and several more vertebrae.  They were finally able to operate on his back and “glued” everything together.  He was also started on Chemotherapy.  He has improved quite a bit since that time already.  He is able to get up and walk around a little.  He can very gingerly climb steps, etc., but still under a lot of pain and verrrry slowly. 
            The Chemo is controlling the cancer.  After some time however, the cancer will adapt to the chemo and it will stop being very effective.  Then a decision will have to be made about a bone marrow transplant or new meds that now can take the place of the transplant.  Both options are VERY, VERY expensive.  Right now it seems the hospital is covering the cost of the chemo, but it won’t cover anything else.  His chemo has helped quite a bit.  He has the hope of continuing to see progress in his health for the next several months.  However, it tends to give false hope as it is only a stopgap measure as he is in the last stages of this cancer.  So unless God truly does a miracle, the long term outlook is not good for Jules. 
Here is a link about this type of cancer:   http://rarediseases.about.com/od/multiplemyeloma/a/multiplemyeloma.htm
His situation:
            He is staying at a friends apartment.  The woman is rarely home so it works out well.  It is very very small.  His and Martha’s bedroom, very small, is on the second story as is the bathroom.  Martha sleeps on an air mattress so that she can sleep as Jules moves around a lot as he is not able to get comfortable on the bed very easily.  She has to be there for him all the time as he cannot do much on his own.
My trip to visit him: 
I arrived in Boston Thursday night.  I went and visited with Jules later that evening.  As I arrived there, I had hoped to surprise him but he had suspected something was going on.  However, he was truly overjoyed to see me as I him.  He had tears flowing down his face.  It was great to see him and Martha his wife.  I spent about an hour with them and then went back to the hotel as it was late.  Pastor Guy Glass from Calvary Church of Pemberton had driven up (6+ hours) to accompany me to visit Jules. 
Friday morning Pastor Guy and I took him and Martha to the hospital for his chemo treatment.  It was the first time for them at this hospital so it was good that I was there to be able to translate for him and help fill out papers, etc.  After that, which took us from 8:30 to about 1:30, we went back to the small apartment they are staying in. 
Jules was quite wore out, so we left to go back to the hotel so they could rest some, etc.  Then we picked up a couple of buckets of chicken from KFC (one of Jules favorite) and took back to the house.  We were glad we did as it was packed with different friends from the area visiting Jules when we got there.  It didn’t’ take long for the chicken to disappear!  We had a good time hanging with them until late evening. 
Saturday we went to the house later in the morning so Jules could rest some.  After a while there, Pastor Guy had to head back home.  I went out with Martha to get some good Haitian food at a nearby Haitian restaurant as well as some other things for them.  I had a good chance to talk to her about many issues they need to be considering as a family.  Then back to the house, where Martha left with another friend to pick up her sister and husband that came in on a bus from NJ to visit for a couple of days.  At that time I had a good opportunity to talk to Jules about the “new” ministry that God has given him now, a ministry of encouragement to those around him.  We talked about the hope we have in Christ, etc and how he needs to be an example of that hope.  He seemed encouraged by our discussion together.  Then the others came back and we had a great time the rest of the afternoon and evening reminiscing about old times, especially all the jokes we played on each other.  It was great!  Martha made a big bowl of “Goat in sauce” and rice.  OH Yeah!  Awesome.  I left about 10:00.  Every evening as we left we would have a time of prayer together.  It was very special. 
Over all the trip was a great time of encouragement to Jules and I believe his family.  I was very glad to be there and have that time with him.

Video: 13 “Kidz” in Haiti got an education yesterday!

I (Rob) got a pie in my face. Becky and I (actually, not us, but 13 HFK kids) were the recipients of McGregor’s (our church) VBS offering this past week. There was a “Pie in the Face” contest between the girls and boys. Everyone told me all week that every year the girls win. They were right.

The cool part is that the $3433 that was donated will give 13 kids in Haiti an education this coming school year! That is awesome. Our kids here giving an education to the kids down there.

Each of the 13 kids will be provided with their school tuition, school entrance fee, school books, school uniform, pair of shoes, development of a Hot Lunch Program, a Christian education, and best of all…Hope! How cool.

To our readers, if you would like to sponsor a child for $250 for this coming school year, let us know. I have many more children you can choose from.

For more information on HFK, visit www.rminet.org/hfk

Here is the video of the pie…

Rob

The latest edition of theBridge is out!

Yes, it's been a busy week at RMI!! The latest edition of RMI's theBridge is in the mail, too. It is jam-packed with news items, useful information and touching stories. Please take time to read it - you'll find that it will be time well spent.

You can also find it at http://www.rminet.org/portal/publications.htm. If you are not on RMI's mailing list and wish to get theBridge to keep informed on the Sister Church Program, get ideas for your Sister Church Partnership and learn about the latest happenings in RMI, please call the RMI office toll-free at 877-RMI-5439.

Debbie

Hope for Kidz Packets are in the mail!

After much work, blood, sweat, tears, and the work of many volunteers, the Hope for Kidz packets for the upcoming 2009-2010 school year are now in the mail.

We are excited about the new look of the materials. We also think you'll be pleased at the new information that is enclosed with each child's packet.

Marilyn McLaughlin and her team in Haiti did a fantastic job of getting the pictures and all the needed info. Rob did a great job of re-designing the new look and all the information that now comes with the packets. There are 3,000 kids up for sponsorship! What a great opportunity to change a child's life forever. Let's pull together to see that each child gets sponsored!

And a special thank you to all of the Hope for Kidz Coordinators. We appreciate your efforts to get the word out and finding these kidz sponsors!

Debbie

Letter from the MEBSH church at Cherette

From: MEBXH Church at Cherette
To: Estero UMC
Subject: Thank you

My dear beloved,
May the grace and the peace of God be with you all! It is a privilege for me to greet you in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Your faces and your love are still shining in our faces and in the minds of all the kids, young people, men and women in Cherette. Our time together stays as memory for our church and the whole community.

We glorify the name of God for putting us together in one spirit through his son Jesus Christ How can I continue without saying thank you for your big sacrifices to come here and for all the projects you did for us. I would like to say thank you for the benches, the electrical project and for the different meetings with the groups in the church. Thank you again for the great sermon that your Pastor \shared with us and thank you for the film that the RMI staff from Cayes helped us to see. That movie was a blessing and comfort for all of us. Thank you for all the gifts that your church sent for us. Right after you left God sent his blessing to the community with some rain to water the soil. I want you to know that your Sister Church here in Cherette will always be praying for you.
We believe that God will send his blessings to each of you and your families and your church Estero United Methodist.
In Christ,
Pastor Jean Bientôt Salomon.

Update on Jules

The following was received from Dan Shoemaker

Dear Friends,
I talked to Jules today.  Let me bring you up to speed as to his situation.  I have been waiting for some things to be confirmed, which is why I have not shared much up to this point.
The situation is serious for our brother.  It is as follows: 

Jules has been diagnosed with some type of bone cancer.  He has just started some type of chemo-therapy.  The treatment will take quite a long time.  So far I cannot get any information about the severity of the cancer.  I am working on this.  When I find more info I will let you know. 

He has had many blood tests, and this week a MRI, CatScan, and a biopsy.  The Dr’s are concerned that he not walk very much.  Evidently his bones are brittle at this time.  His treatment will be done twice a week. 

He is at a hospital in Boston.  Soon he will be moved to a home in the area belonging to a family member.  His wife has come up from Haiti to be with him for at least a month. 

He could use some help financially.  RMI is setting up a fund to help cover some of his expenses.  Should you desire to help him in his situation, please send a check to RMI, with a note included that this is for RMI’s emergency fund. 

I am planning on visiting him the first part of June.  I hope to get good info at that time.  I also hope to get him a cellphone of some type so that he can be contacted easily.  (Anyone have a working phone with nationwide coverage that he could use for several months? Let me know.  239-222-9793) 

As you know bone cancer is serious stuff.  We need to pray for Jules for God’s intervention in his life if that is His will. 
Should you like to send him a note or card, please send it to us here at RMI and we will forward it on.  Once we have a stable address and phone number, we’ll pass that on. 

If you can help us in any way, please let me know. 

We covet your prayers for Jules.  Please pass this on to as many folks that know Jules as possible.  Thanks.

Dan Shoemaker

 

Thanks to everyone for your prayers!

Letter to Crossroad United Methodist Church

From: MEBSH Church at Tiburon

To: Crossroad Methodist Church, USA

Subject: Information and Thanks

May the Grace and the Peace of God be with all of you!  I am taking this opportunity to write you and to wish you Happy New year of 2009! May the Lord give you health, love, longevity, charity and wisdom and success in everything.

My dear brothers and sisters I want to take this advantage to let tell you how much I love you in the name of the Lord. You have shown us the love you have for us by leaving your country to travel many miles to come here and visit us in Haiti. You think about us often, you have helped us accomplish a lot of work; you have made plans for us, and the most important thing you keep us in your prayers. Here in Tiburon we are obliged to love and appreciate you. We pray for you everyday because you are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

I would like to say thank you for all you have done for our church through the years. Thank you for all the support you sent after our community was struggling because of the four hurricanes last year. I want you to know that was a great blessing for all the district churches. Thank you for how you always care about us and have enthusiasm to help us. If there were a bigger word than thank you I would prefer to use it just to express my gratitude to you.

We would like to inform you that the Sanctuary project is going very well even though we still have more to do. I know your prayer is a great help to us. We are looking forward to having a good time with you in May if God's willing.

The spiritual activities of the Church have been going very well for the past two years. We have had 100 people accept Jesus as their Savior. We had five conferences and seven members’ convention for the district.

Please pray for our church that we will continue to grow in numbers and we promise you that we will always keep you in prayer and ask God to fill you with his blessing.

May God bless you and protect you!

Did she?

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

Amy is on the plane!

Amy Long, RMI's new missionary, is on the plane to Haiti today!

Pray for the Lord to calm her nerves, have good connections, safe travel and strength to make it through the long day.  She is a Florida girl, coming from CrossRoad United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, FL  (Tiburon's Sister Church).  She will be going through field orientation, language study then will be working in a variety of areas including communications and photojournalism for RMI.  Pray for her as she settles in and adjusts to life in Haiti!

announcing...

 

 

 

RMI is pleased to announce the

completion of our new

Orientation Training Materials!

RMI firmly believes that in order to have a “Forever Relationship”, you must have adequate preparation. It is crucial to a successful visit. This Orientation Training is one of RMI’s distinctive features.

Our aim is to prepare you well for this spiritual adventure. To be effective, and to avoid some of the common pitfalls of short-term ministry, you will need comprehensive cross-cultural training, professional guidance and support before and after your trip.

The Training Manual is the core of our Team Orientation. It is written and edited by RMI founders, Herb and Shirley Shoemaker, who have over 100 years of missionary experience between them. It is jam-packed with practical, pertinent and up-to-date information that you will find essential in your preparations for cross-cultural ministry to your Sister Church in Haiti.

We have gathered additional resources that will be included. They also have practical and pertinent information that you will find very useful in your Partnership. They dovetail beautifully with the Training Manual.

We believe the training that you will receive by using these materials will uniquely prepare you for what you will experience as you go.  There will be a substantial return on investment.

The new manual and other resources are now available and will be sent to you free of charge.  But, we would be grateful if you are able to help us cover the cost of these materials.  We have included the costs for your convenience.

There are 2 groups of materials…

1.  “One Time Resources” - Each church will receive the following resources 1 time… (Total Donation $138)

Pimsleur Creole Language Training Audio Course - $51

Go Prepared DVD short-term missions preparation series (can be used on any missions trip!) - $80

Foreign to Familiar Excellent, short study to help team members understand other cultures - 1 copy, $7

2.  “Pre-Trip Consumables” - Each church will receive the following “consumable” materials approximately 6 months prior to each trip. You will need to order these so we know how many to send. (Sample Total Donation for a 10 member team… $210)

Team Leader’s Manual – 1 for the Team Leader - $9

Team Training Manual – 1 for each Team Member - $13 each

Before You Pack Your Bag... Devotional – 1 for each team member - $7 each

We care deeply about making sure you are trained and prepared to go.  Therefore, these materials are required. Each and every team member is to go through the training, no matter how many times he or she has been to Haiti.

To order, contact Debbie Shoemaker, RMI Director of Communications at 877-RMI-5439.

 

Another Jules Update!

I received the following update from Dan Shoemaker.

From Dan:

Friday Jules went and had the MRI done.  The Dr. also looked at the results of some blood tests and expressed some concern about some results and is having some blood work done again.  April 15 he sees a specialist and will get the results of the MRI. 

So it is just more waiting until then.  He keeps having quite the muscles spasms.  Pray for these to cease.

From Dan

By Billy Moses

Port a Piment 2009 visit

The town of Port a Piment, Haiti is blessed to have a sister church like Second Cape May Baptist from Marmora, New Jersey.

On March 7th, 2009 RMI pulled out of Les Cayes, Haiti with the Second Cape May team and headed for their sister church in Port a Piment. Our first stop was the beach in Port Salute for a quick coke and a chance for the new team members to get their first opportunity to stick their toes in a Haitian beach.

Upon arrival in Port a Piment we were greeted by the church brigade who marched through town announcing our arrival with the team following close behind. Many team members were touched by the greeting that their sister church gave them.

This was followed by a time of reacquainting with old friends and making new friends.

 

Sunday morning was a great time of worship and fellowship and the three hour service didn't seem like three hours.

Sunday evening was a time of sharing testimonies and showing a film called "The Solution".  This is a film about a man who starts having many problems in his life and goes to a witch doctor for solutions. After following the witch doctors advice, he loses his family. However his children are involved with a church and know Jesus. As a result of visiting their dad with a Christian friend the father comes to know Jesus. He then visits the witch doctor's residence and breaks the ceremonial bowl. The witch doctor tells him that he will not live through the night. The next morning, the man is fine and word comes that the witch doctor has died. The message of the movie is that Jesus is the solution.

 

Monday morning brought a trip to the satellite church of Dolian. We left Port a Piment and drove up a riverbed as far as we could and then began the climb up the mountain to Dolian.

At Dolian the U.S. team worked side by side with Haitian masons to build the walls of the church. There was even a missionary kid involved.

And everyone pitched in to help carry blocks.

Pastor Bry takes off his supervisor's hat!!!!

While some worked on the church, others worked with the children, teaching them songs and telling stories.

Debbie Moses got attached to a Haitian baby.

The people at Dolian were very excited and grateful for the progress made on their church.

The following day we made a trip up the riverbed to the church at Guilluame to see how they were getting along and what help is needed there.

Meanwhile back at the church the 2nd Cape May ladies had a tea time with the Port a Piment ladies. They had a time of fellowship and devotion. One of the ladies had her husband help her with the illustration of Jesus coming to get his bride the church.

The food was excellent and some of the team acted like pigs at meal time.

On the way out we had a reminder that the roads of Haiti are rough. They are very hard on a vehicle. Without planning and flexibility a team can get stranded on the road. It is a good reminder that without RMI there is no sister church. So remember to support RMI as well as your sister church.

One last thing to note is that even though Wendy Bry wasn't able to come along with Pastor Jim Bry, he reminded everyone that he missed her greatly by keep her memory close everywhere he went.

And I mean EVERYWHERE!

By Billy Moses