Blog

February fifth was a tough day for Agape Flights (the mail and cargo carrier RMI uses) as one of their planes crashed in the mountains of Haiti.  In our February 10 post, we shared that the 2 pilots lost their lives, Agape lost a key tool in their ministry (the plane), and RMI missionaries lost quite a bit of cargo.  We set up a “Lost Cargo” fund to help the missionaries replace some of what was lost. Within 5 days, more than the $13,500 (the estimated amount needed) had been raised.  God’s people responded and met that need!  It was such an encouragement to those missionaries and has helped ease the pain of losing so much. Thank you to those who responded to that immediate need. Andrew and Dawn Tlucek shared: “On one of the most shocking days of losing friends and fellow workmen on the mission field, the last

Wellspring Church (southern New Jersey) team members were all smiles when they landed in Cayes, Haiti.  The flight and arrival in Cayes went very smoothly, and the team had nothing but good things to say about it.   The team came to reconnect with their C3 partner church in Boyer. They were received in Boyer with a parade and great rejoicing.  On Sunday, they worshiped together as one body, and the pastor on the team shared a message from Psalm 133.  Their time there was very busy.  They had a fun time of games with the kids, a time with the youth, an open-air service, a meeting with the men, and then a gathering with the deacons.  They visited a satellite church and put a roof on the Boyer school.  They were busy, yes, but it was a good busy, and the smiles never left their faces.  It was good to

This past week, the missionary community in Haiti and the DR suffered a tragedy that has impacted us all. Agape Flights, which provides essential cargo, mail, and aid to hundreds of missionaries and communities across the Caribbean, has been used by RMI and its missionaries for many years.  Our missionaries have gotten to know the staff, especially the pilots, as they met the weekly plane.  Our hearts were so heavy to hear of the loss of one of Agape’s planes last week in the mountains of southern Haiti. The Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante, registered N316AF, was reported missing on Thursday, February 5, after delivering mail and cargo to missionaries in Jeremie. The aircraft departed from Jeremie, flying over the mountains on its way to Les Cayes, when it lost contact shortly after takeoff in the mountainous area near Beaumont, about halfway to Les Cayes. So far, the cause of the crash

If a picture says a thousand words, then this picture says a WHOLE lot! Sixty-five bicycles were delivered recently, most of which were part of the Christmas bundles you purchased for families.  The bundles consisted of a bicycle, a solar fan, and a family water filter.  Can you imagine the smiles on the kids’ faces?  What a wonderful gift these bikes are! In addition, 36 solar fans were delivered.  Operated by Haiti’s ever-present sun, these fans will provide relief from the ever-present tropical heat, especially at night. Thank you to all of you who gave at Christmas time.  Your sacrifice is greatly appreciated.

Our Hope for Kidz team will be back on the road again!  It is time for our second tuition payments, second-trimester monitor reports, and, best of all… pictures!  It is always a wonderful adventure for our team to get out of the office and visit our amazing students and school staff. Our team will travel to each of our schools beginning in February to visit with our kids.  Any students who missed our first picture day will have a chance to have their picture taken, and additional thank-you letters will also be collected. Please pray for our team as they traverse the countryside on bumpy roads and rough terrain.  Pray for wisdom to know when it is safe to travel, and when to wait an extra day.  Pray for the Lord’s protection for all our staff and students.

For nearly 40 years, Reciprocal Ministries International has been a bridge enabling churches and individuals to join hands across borders to see lives transformed by the Gospel. We have seen God move to change lives throughout the US, Haiti, and now, in the Dominican Republic. As we look toward the future, we recognize that the road ahead is filled with what seem to be insurmountable challenges. We’ve launched our VISION | NEXT campaign to meet these challenges, yet the campaign itself may appear out of reach with a goal of $1,387,500. To tackle this challenge, we are launching “The Pledge Collective”. There are two proverbs, or phrases, that perfectly capture the heart of “The Pledge Collective”… Haitians say… “Men anpil, chay pa lou” – With many hands, the burden is light. Dominicans say… “La unión hace la fuerza” – There is strength in numbers. We can do far more together

Visit Haiti or the DR with Rob Thompson or Dan Shoemaker. Yes, WITH US! We’re going and we’d love to have your join us! Come to Haiti to reconnect! You can certainly go as a standard team on any date, but if it might be a good next step for you all, we’d love to invite just 2 or 3 people from your church to come along and visit the field with us. In Haiti, we’ll make a short visit to your church so you can reengage and take a vision back to your church. Come to the DR to minister and consider future ministry opportunities for your church. Pick a date and let us know you’re interested! April 10-15, 2026 (DR Only) May 8-13, 2026 (DR and Haiti) Sept. 11-16, 2026 (DR and Haiti) Oct. 2-7, 2026 (DR and Haiti) Nov. 6-11, 2026 (Haiti Only) Come see how you

Thank you!  We deeply appreciate the generosity of the RMI family – so many of you responded to our end of the year call to action.  We set an audacious goal of raising $100,000 to help us meet our immediate ministry needs at the end of the year.   God provided and prompted His people to give $109,903!  Praise the Lord! 2025 was a year of financial challenges for us.  Some of the most obvious financial challenges we’ve been facing… Financial shortages in Haiti due to the lack of teams related to the ongoing security concerns in Port-au-Prince. Dramatically increased food shipping costs in Haiti due to normal shipping lanes being closed Initial start-up costs related to opening up our ministry in the Dominican Republic We’ve increased RMI staff salaries in Haiti to help alleviate some of the burden our team members are feeling due to extreme inflation Together, we faced

  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