Blog

  Haiti just celebrated its 222nd anniversary as a country.  Jan. 1 is their Independence Day.  The whole country eats soup joumou, (pumpkin soup).  During slavery, this soup was reserved exclusively for colonial masters, even though slaves prepared it.  After independence, Haitians claimed soup joumou as their own.  It became a lasting symbol of freedom, emancipation, and national pride. Made from scratch, a squash-like vegetable called a pumpkin is cooked and pureed.  This puree is the base of the soup.  Chunks of beef, chicken, or goat are added, along with spaghetti or another noodle, vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, turnips, onions, and potatoes, and spices (garlic, celery, cloves, thyme, salt, pepper, and many others).  It takes a while to make the soup- a big pot is made, so the preparations start the night before.  It stews for quite a while.  When it is done, usually in the morning, family and friends

What are others saying about their recent trip to Haiti: “The translators were courteous and effective, friendly and fun 100% of the time. I would like to give special cudos to David who took it upon himself to come over where we were sitting any time there was worship at church…… and explain the words of the song, so that we could worship.” “Some of the conversations we had with the children, another cudo to David…… he sat down with us and the children so we could actually have real conversations ……gave us the opportunity to see that Hope4Kidz really is having the impact of hope for them, my sponsored child wants to be a dentist, another a nurse, another a doctor, another a lawyer….. that is powerful to tell our sponsors who get discouraged and ask what happens to the kids when they graduate. Inspires me to share these

What are others saying about their time on an RMI team in the Dominican Republic? “I feel so blessed that I was able to go on this medical mission trip and that we were able to help so many people. This was a dream come true for me as an RN who has been on other mission trips but never a medical one. Our team worked well together and it was exciting to see everyone step right in to whatever tasks needed to be accomplished. The RMI staff and interpreters were very friendly, helpful, and supportive. The orientation and debriefing was very informative and helpful. It was encouraging to hear others share their thoughts and experiences about our week together.”     Sherry S. “We were busy all week and each day was very different but I liked how Jim started and ended each day with a clear plan and a

  Andrew, Dawn, and the three boys made it to the Dominican Republic!  It’s a new era for them.  They are starting anew in a new country.  It’ll be a new language, a new culture, and a new (and old) ministry.  They will be living in the Santiago area, which is a large city…it even has an IKEA!   They are currently in an Airbnb while they buy appliances, beds, and furniture.  They are very grateful that Andrew’s parents and youngest sister flew in with them to help with childcare and get settled.  The house they’ve rented has good “bones” but is a bit rough around the edges.  They’ll need to deep-clean, install window screens throughout the house, and do much, much more to get it ready to live in. Once settled, they’ll work on completing their legal paperwork, finding a vehicle to buy, and beginning language study.  They will establish

How is Christmas celebrated in Haiti? Christmas is more of a religious holiday in Haiti.  It is celebrated by attending a special service at church.  This service begins on Christmas Eve and goes into the early morning.  In the last 30 years, people have started decorating the outside of their homes with lights and other Western-style decorations.  Village or town squares are decorated with lights, and Catholic churches may have a manger scene.  It is a low-key day spent eating rice and beans with fried pork or goat pieces and root vegetables as a family.  They also enjoy time spent with family. You will frequently see homes decorated with fanals, colorful paper lanterns shaped like churches, or Caribbean-style gingerbread houses.  You will hear Jwaye Nwèl (Creole) or Joyeux Noël (French) shouted out as a greeting.  Gifts are not usually given at Christmas.  They are given out on New Year’s Day as a

As one year ends and another begins, it always seems to be a time of reflection for most.  As December 31st approaches, we find ourselves thinking back on all we have done this year, gathering with family and friends, and making plans for the New Year. One of the greatest gifts we share during the holidays is LOVE. God loved us so much that he sent His son as a gift.  The example of God’s love is evident in our everyday world. We have to pause long enough to see it. One of our US Church families found a way to share and show LOVE to their sponsored children.  A personal note has been handwritten for each child to be given along with a beautiful crocheted heart.  Our US sponsors wanted to let each of these precious children know that they are loved and are being prayed for as well.

RMI believes that Christ is honored and pleased by service that requires sacrifice on the part of the server. As we consider that the Gospel transforms lives… through the Church, which is God’s instrument of life change, and through engaged church-to-church partnerships, we arrive at RMI’s fourth motivation, “Service that is Sacrificial”. We like to say that ministry is service and service is sacrifice. When we minister to someone, we are serving them.  When we share the Gospel with someone, whether they are open to it or opposed to it, we are serving them by sharing the truth about how to spend eternity with Christ. If we are providing a hot meal to those in need, we are serving them. If we are cleaning up after someone has gotten sick, we are serving them.  Service can take on many forms. The reality is that no matter the type of service

Teams to Haiti may now resume…  Let’s Go! The Southern Peninsula of Haiti, where RMI is headquartered, and where all of our church and school partners are, is very stable.  The authorities have been highly effective in preventing gang activity in the South.  IBC airlines is now flying directly between Miami and Cayes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday!   Here are some important notes to consider regarding flying with IBC… IBC flights can be purchased at https://booknow.flyibcair.com/ IBC flights should be purchased BEFORE you purchase your domestic flights from your home to/from Miami. Due to high demand and limited seats and flight availability, flights fill up fast. Therefore, we recommend purchasing tickets about 3 months prior. We are told that IBC is working on adding additional flights. The flight from Miami to Cayes departs Miami at 7 AM. You will likely need to stay overnight in Miami since the flight to

It’s the end of the year, and we need your help to FINISH STRONG. We know that we’ve asked a lot recently — Nevertheless, we want to share with you, our valued ministry partners, that we are significantly behind budget and need an influx of generosity to fund our current ministry needs and put us on solid ground as we head into the new year. We are currently unable to fully fund our ministry expenses. Despite all of the challenges we’ve faced, it has truly been an incredible year of fruitful ministry. God has enabled us to do much together! Your generosity and our work have combined to accomplish much for the kingdom. Together, we’ve cared for the poor, opened a new field in the Dominican Republic, built multiple schools, and expanded and renovated others, installed solar systems, provided deworming medication and daily hot meals for 16,934 children (3,082,184 meals),

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of the Chairman of the RMI Board, John Peterson, 68, on November 7 due to an aggressive liver cancer.  John was a long-time friend of RMI.  His first trip to Haiti was in 1980, and it transformed his life.  He and RMI President Dan Shoemaker were personal friends before either was married.  He was a man of quiet strength and leadership, as well as a lifelong learner.  We appreciated his friendship and involvement with RMI.  It was a highlight to see him and Heather at the Board meetings.  RMI benefited from his love of all things RMI and all things Haiti.  He will be missed by those who called him a friend.  Pray for his wife, Heather, and their two adult children as they navigate the days and weeks ahead without their husband and father, John. His memorial service will

  It is so reassuring to know that God never fails, never changes, never leaves us.  We constantly plan for the future, schedule, and reschedule things in our daily lives.  Our Hope for Kidz team has been scheduling and rescheduling their school visits for weeks now, with one primary goal:  Checking on our students! With the abnormal weather caused by Hurricane Melissa this year, our team had to put an entire week of travel on hold.  Each of those missed schools had to be moved to a different time slot. However, no matter how many plans we make or remake, God is still in control.  He is our protector when we travel. Our calm in the storm.  It is always a blessing to spend time with our Pastors, Teachers, and students.  Our team has long days, and some not-so-long ones, but the Lord sustains them each and every time they

  When Dan was a kid growing up in Haiti, he used to have fun riding his motorcycle up and down the dirt runway.  Years later, when Dan and Debbie arrived (over 40 years ago), the Cayes “airport” still consisted of a rocky and not particularly flat airstrip and a tiny, tin-roofed shack.  It was only used by small private planes for emergency medical evacuations.  Planes had to buzz the field to alert people to remove their livestock so they could land safely.  Somewhere along in the late 1980s, it was named Antoine Simon Airport of Aux Cayes (after Haiti’s 18th president).  Again, it gave hope.  Over time, the airstrip was asphalted and then enlarged and lengthened – more hope.  A concrete building was built—more hope.  A domestic airline began making daily flights, and everyone thought it was that long-awaited hope finally fulfilled. Until yesterday, November 10, 2025, when IBC

THANK YOU We are grateful for all the churches and individuals who were able to participate. Although we fell short of our goals, and while donations are still potentially coming in, we remain truly appreciative of our partnerships. We can do more together than we can individually—we call this interdependence. Shared Impact One church shared: “Thank you to everyone who came out to our Hope for Hispaniola Walk | Run | Ride! We raised $1,200 with 33 people attending. We love seeing our church body come together to support our Global Outreach Partner, Reciprocal Ministries International (RMI). You can still donate below, and you can pray for RMI’s expansion into the Dominican Republic.” One individual shared: “I’m not an athlete, but I can walk, and I was so excited to participate in Hope for Hispaniola. It’s incredible how a simple, dedicated act like walking 50 miles over a month can