Blog

We’re happy to let you know that RMI has launched its new website!  We believe this will help you—and many others—engage with and partner through RMI more effectively. Check out our website HERE. We continue to focus on bringing people together in cross-cultural partnerships.  We believe that, in partnership, we can be the hands and feet of Jesus more effectively.  Together, we are changing lives in the US, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. If you have any questions or would like to discuss how we can partner together, please send an email to info@rmibridge.org or call 239-368-8390.

You may not realize that a big part of the HFKz program is health. Of course, many know about our Hot Lunch Program, which provides a nutritious meal to children each school day. However, we also need to ensure that the food we provide is working to its fullest potential. Each year, we provide deworming medicine to children all over Southern Haiti. We take the time to ensure that the kidz, their parents, the teachers, and school leaders are adequately trained to give the medicine, its benefits, and the side effects to look out for. We strive to educate our students in many ways.  We teach from a school perspective to promote literacy.  We teach from a biblical perspective to

Hispaniola, the island comprising Haiti and the Dominican Republic, was first inhabited by the Taino before Christopher Columbus arrived in 1494. This led to Spanish colonization and the establishment of Santo Domingo as the first European settlement. He named it Hispaniola or Little Spanish Island. In 1697, the island was divided, with Spain controlling the eastern side and France controlling the western side. France enslaved the native population, and when they succumbed to European diseases (like smallpox) and French savagery, they imported slaves from Africa. French cruelty led to the Haitian Revolution and the creation of Haiti in 1804. Meanwhile, the eastern part remained under Spanish control. This part of Hispaniola had a brief period of independence in 1821, then

One distinctive feature of RMI’s Board is that spouses are invited to attend and participate in the Board meetings, having a voice but no vote. If the spouse is able and willing, they are invited. This is how we have operated since the beginning of RMI, and we’ve found that it has made a positive impact on our meetings. Board chair, John Peterson’s wife, Heather recently shared, “I have had the privilege of attending the RMI semi-annual board meetings with my husband for some time and wanted to share that although it is somewhat unusual to have board members’ spouses at meetings in most organizations, it has been a very positive experience for me. When I was first invited to

Just a few things that Jim and April have been up to in the Dominican Republic… They recently spent a few days in Santo Domingo, the capital, to meet with their lawyer about getting our residency visa. While there, they met with the leadership of Feed My Starving Children. RMI is working to build a working relationship with them similar to what we have in Haiti. (Pictured: R, Jim Starkey, L, JJ Slag, CEO of Feed My Starving Children) Jim has been communicating with the CBD (Convencion Bautista Dominicana) leadership we are working with to figure out what they will do with the two teams coming this fall. They are also meeting with them in a few weeks to create

This time of year is always exciting in our Hope for Kidz Program. In the spring, we visit each school to check in with our pastors, teachers, and students, collect monitor reports, review student attendance, deliver mail and gifts, and take more photos! All tuition payments have been completed for our current school year, 2024-2025, and we collectively sponsored 3,040 students. Praise the Lord! What a tremendous blessing this is to the students, teachers, and families in Haiti. Our 2025-26 school year sponsorships are now open for renewal. Our Sister Church Partners (C3P) receive their renewal packets in March each year. Be sure to connect with your church’s HFKz coordinator to pick up your updated profile for the fall term.

The Jim Kelly Memorial building in Source Baptiste was recently finished and dedicated in Source Baptiste, Haiti. The building houses a sealed storage room for the Hot Lunch Program food for the Source Baptiste School. It also houses a new cook room to prepare each school day’s food. As you can see from the before and after pictures, it was badly needed. The building will be used for many years to come. Dr. and Mrs. Bill Kelly and their church, First ARP Church, Gastonia, NC, funded this building in honor of the Kelly’s son, Dr. Jim Kelly, who unexpectedly passed away in the fall of 2024. He had been to Source Baptiste with his parents several times.  

We have some amazing men and women who work for RMI. Every Monday morning, one of them is featured on our Facebook page. Check it out, and you’ll meet Mesnel, Mariah, Boss Ti Louie, Jean Duvil, Rob, Dany, and many others. It’s encouraging to read what they think about serving God through RMI. Boss Ti Louie loves coming into a community, getting to know and working alongside the people who live there, and then leaving them with a project that he knows will continue to impact their lives for years. Dany’s favorite part of working at RMI is capturing the transformation brought by RMI in people’s lives. Jean Duvil shares that he loves his job because it keeps him young.

The Tlucek family is changing their address. As you can imagine, the past three months have been exhilarating, especially with the addition of two little ones.  However, that isn’t the only excitement they’ve experienced. Andrew shared recently, “We always imagined Haiti would be our home as a missionary couple, where we could serve for the long haul. However, over the past four months, we’ve felt a strong nudge from God, guiding us toward a new chapter in the Dominican Republic. Our family and the Ezra Institute will have the excellent opportunity to continue ministry among the vibrant Haitian people while sharing our hearts with the Dominican people. This wasn’t an easy choice for us; we have spent much time praying, reflecting

What you Need to Know Place: Summit Church (Gateway Campus) 12941 Express Court Ft. Myers, FL 33913 When: Saturday March 29, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. Important Information: There will be a light reception after the service. This will be held at the church. PLEASE RSVP at info@rmibridge.org. If you need more information, call Dan Shoemaker at 239-222-9793. If you are staying overnight in Ft. Myers, you need to make your own hotel and transportation arrangements ASAP since it is spring break and spring baseball in the Ft. Myers area. Dress is business casual.

One food container has reached RMI’s facilities in Cayes! It was unloaded into our storage depot and will soon be distributed to our schools for Hot Lunches. Food scarcity is an urgent need right now. Please pray for the safety of this food as it sits in the depot and during its transportation to the schools. Also, please pray for our Haiti staff; we have a lot going on. Some of the projects are… the construction of food storage and a kitchen in Source Baptiste a trip to Rousseau to paint the school two teams from HFKz are going to Boyer and Ducis for picture-taking and deworming we traveled to Boyer to mount the doors and windows for the two

At the end of January, RMI hosted the first annual RMI Leadership Summit to strategize and plan for RMI’s future activities and direction. Those present were from the US: Dan Shoemaker, Kim Rose, Rob Thompson, Andrew Tlucek, Mariah Blanco, and Julie Fuller as our secretary; from Haiti, Benjamin Altema and Benson Joseph (via Zoom); from the Dominican Republic, Jim Starkey and representing the RMI Board, Board Chairman John Peterson. RMI has met periodically with our field leadership as needed, but as we grow, we are implementing an annual leadership retreat for prayer and fellowship, discussing current situations, and strategizing for the future. Much is going on in the US and the Caribbean that is or could soon impact RMI, which

In America, when you get sick, you go to the doctor. When you cut your finger, you put on a band-aid. Broken bones are put in a cast to heal correctly. What happens when there is no doctor, transportation, or way to pay for services? The need for medical care is an ongoing issue, no matter where you live. But in Haiti, trying to see a doctor is a challenge. Hope for Kidz offers assistance for medical issues, from ringworm to broken bones, hernia repairs, and eye exams. As part of our sponsorship program, our kids get a helping hand. We shared a story a few years ago about a young man who needed a prosthetic leg. The medical fund