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It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when one looks at the needs in Haiti.  After all, what can one church do?  Here is your answer: Madame Emilie and her family in front of their home The home that was built for Madame Emilie and her family One church can not take care of all the needs of Haiti.  Yes, it is overwhelming.  But they can make a life-transforming difference for one community or one family.  Madame Emilie is a single mother of 6 children.  All of them were living in the tin structure that you see in the first picture.  They’d been praying for a way to get a new home – for a way to get out of that cobbled together tin “house”. RMI learned of her need and was able to share that need with Kimball Church of Kimball, Nebraska area.  They took on the challenge, raised the necessary

April Starkey made her first trip out with a C3 partner team in January.  Here are just some of her experiences:  “We are praising God for two people coming to know Jesus today! The whole group was supposed to walk up the steep mountain to the satellite church but Bud twisted his ankle so Perguens and I stayed back with him and his wife and we walked through the local mountain here near the church to go to peoples’ homes to pray for them, talk with them and give them food. Let me tell you…God had Bud twist his ankle for a reason!! Two women came to know Jesus today! It was such an amazing moment to be able to be a part of leading them to Him! One lady knew today was the day. She saw us and she knew she didn’t want to be alone. She had tears

God is at Work Sometimes the working of God is not evident in the way that we want or expect it to be.  We can’t measure it by our human criteria.  But we can always be assured that He is definitely at work.  Despite having to cancel 22 teams due to Haiti’s political instability, our C3 partners continued to care for their Haitian partners.  Ministry took place even in the face of uncertainty.  God has held us in His hands, protected our staff and properties, and allowed ministry to take place.  We are grateful to know that God has definitely been at work in RMI. Here is our Ministry Impact Report for 2019. C3 Partnerships 121 salvations in our C3 Haitian Sister Churches 91 baptisms in our C3 Haitian Sister Churches 3 new C3 partnerships 8 Sister Church visits completed and 1 Vision Trip, 107 team members, and family members

We are so thankful that things have calmed down in Haiti significantly.  Most roads are open and have been cleaned up, stores are open for business and schools are open.  Our faithful Hope for Kidz team have been going to as many schools as possible to get kids’ pictures and updates.  Everywhere they went they could see the excitement of the kids as they are in school.    Where else do you see kids so happy about school?  Food is being delivered for the Hot Lunch Program and to individual families and several construction projects have been resumed.  In addition, a Spiritual Leadership Training is being given throughout December for the RMI staff.  It is being taught by Lee Nunemaker and Joslynn Stakes. We are praying that this period of peace and quiet continues!  It is tenuous but we are cautiously optimistic.  In the meantime, the Lord’s ministry is happening.

As the pickup truck with Benson and 3 others of the RMI staff pulled up to the roadblock a couple of hours from the RMI office it was evident that they were not going to get to the sister churches they had planned on visiting that day.  There was a large crowd at the front of the long line of vehicles and trucks that had been blocked from continuing on their way.  It was evident this roadblock had been started early that morning.  The rocks and tree trunks across the road were very effective.  After a while, Benson decided that it was time to turn around and head back home.  He knew he was not going any further today.  That was 10 months ago.  That was the beginning of the political issues that have continued to plague Haiti since that time.  Ever since then the political situation has been getting, as they say in Haiti, “hotter and

Thanksgiving is something that we as Christians are commanded to give to the Lord in all things.  As we introduce RMI’s annual Thanksgiving food promotional, the prominent phrase in the photo is striking.  “Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart”.  That is easy to say when things are great, life is easy, and our pantries are full of food. However, the current situation in Haiti makes this very hard for Haitian believers to say right now.  The political situation has caused great suffering these past 10 months.  Protests, demonstrations, long-term fuel shortages, road blockages, and the constant upheaval of these past months have caused great suffering among the Haitian people.  But instead of finding resolution, things have actually intensified in the past month. Benjamin Altema, our Field Director, has shared how inflation is rampant, resulting in very high food prices.  Due to roadblocks and severe fuel shortages, many areas are running

The village of Beaumont, Haiti now has access to clean drinking water.  No more going to the river, well or spring.  Beaumont is located high in the mountains in the middle of the southern peninsula.  It’s a bustling village and since it is on the main Cayes to Jeremie road across the mountains, it is frequently where buses and other travelers stop for a meal, to get supplies or gas up before continuing on their way.  As with the majority of villages, getting clean drinking water has always been a challenge. Hope Church of Springfield, Illinois is the C3 partner church to Beaumont Baptist Church.  Together they have been working to minister to the community.  The leadership of Beaumont Baptist felt that providing clean drinking water would make a significant difference.  Hope Church committed to financing the project.  It took two years for RMI to work out the many details,

You will hear us use the phrase “packing a container” in context of sending a missionary family to the field.  So what exactly happens when we pack a container?  The family going has to pack their household belongings very securely, with most items in plastic bins that have been zip-tied shut and the furniture bubble wrapped and well protected.  Everything has to be numbered and inventoried because a complete manifest must be submitted to customs as it leaves the US and enters Haiti.  They have to send everything that they’ll need to set up house and for each person in the family for several years.  Besides clothes, furniture, appliances, tools, paint,  garden implements, there will be such things as laundry soap, toilet paper, non-perishable food items, etc.   They transport (UHaul!) everything to the RMI office in Ft. Myers, Florida where a 40 ft. sea container has been ordered and

Romans 12:15 exhorts us to “rejoice with those who rejoice” and we want to rejoice with RMI President, Dan Shoemaker, who was honored as one of Southwest Florida’s Power Influencer in June.  The Cape Coral Community Foundation works to be the voice of nonprofit leaders in order to collaborate together to make a positive difference in the region through generosity and compassion.  At their annual Celebration of Nonprofit Power Influencers event that recognizes the CEO’s of area nonprofits, Dan was among the 25 honorees.  It was exciting to be recognized for his integrity and honesty and be able to network with other nonprofit CEO’s who also work tirelessly to foster positive change in the Ft. Myers area. Congratulations Dan!  Job well done! The full newspaper article regarding the event can be found HERE.

Jim and April Starkey and their 3 kids, Isaac, Micaiah and Ezekiel are just 2 months away from leaving for the field.  They are continuing to work hard at raising the rest of their support.  While they still have 25% of their one-time funds to raise and $750 a month of their monthly needs, they are desperately needed on the field.  Thus, the RMI administration is stepping out in faith and are sending them to Haiti at the end of August, just 2 months away.  We are trusting God to supply the rest of their needs as they make their preparations. One thing that is helping get their one-time financial needs down a bit is that RMI has bought the furniture, some household goods and a motorcycle from Rob Thompson, the outgoing Field Director.  Jim and April will be taking over the Thompson’s home on the mission center, so being

During VBS last week at Loomis Evangelical Free Church, Loomis, NE, the kids literally passed the hat as they collected funds to build school benches for their C3 Partner Church’s school.  They raised enough funds to build 4 benches.  That is enough to seat 25 students.  Way to go guys!! We are in the middle of Hope for Kidz’ annual campaign to renew sponsorships and find new ones for unsponsored kids.  Last school year there were 2660 kids sponsored and we are praying that 2880 will be able to be sponsored this year. If you haven’t renewed your sponsorship, now is the time!  And if you don’t yet sponsor a child, don’t delay in getting started.  These kids need your help to give them real hope for a better future.  You can go online HERE to start your sponsorship.

RMI is excited to announce the appointment of Benjamin Altema as RMI’s Haiti Field Director.  Benjamin will be replacing Rob Thompson who is transitioning back to the US this summer.  For many years now, RMI has been developing multi-cultural leaders.  This is another important step in that process.  Benjamin has proven his leadership capability as he has worked his way up these last 12 years from starting out working with teams, to being in charge of RMI’s Haitian staff, to the Director of Haiti Field Operations and now to lead the entire field, both US missionary and Haitian staff. Benjamin grew up in Aux Cayes near the mission center.  He and his family have been friends of RMI for many, many years.  His mother worked for RMI co-founders, Herb and Shirley Shoemaker, for 10 years while they served in Haiti, and eventually, years later, worked for RMI and Dan and Debbie Shoemaker

Tessa is a Florida native who grew up in the church with her mom and grandmother who are both Christians.  She has 2 stepsisters.  She had the opportunity to go on a mission trip with her church to Cite Lumiere in 2017.  Haiti and the ministries there really grabbed her heart and she found it very difficult to leave.  She heard of the need for teachers at the missionary kid school, located at Cite Lumiere and felt that God was calling her to teach at the school.   Tessa shared, “…before I told anyone that I was praying about moving here, I had a moment where I was awestruck. My mama was cooking and came around to where I was sitting. She simply looked at me and said, ‘if you ever wanted to move to Haiti I’d be okay with it.’  It was one of the times during my journey here