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What do you do when you live in another country and important US holidays come around?  I, for one,  am not going to sit around and mope for what I might be missing!  You make your own traditions and celebrate with the family you have close to you—and you learn that family is not limited to those related by blood.  We are incredibly blessed to have a community of missionaries from different organizations and countries to “do life” with!  They truly are a second family.  There are also many other ex-pats in southern Haiti, many who I don’t know well, who are also missing their families and friends.  Our community here in Les Cayes, Haiti has been celebrating American Thanksgiving together for over 20 years.  Most years, this gathering has happened at what is now our home.  I have been thrilled to carry on that tradition!    I think we set

We are excited to welcome our third appointee this year!  Joel and Laura Sutton of Gainesville, Florida have officially joined the RMI family.  They are members of Creekside Community Church, which has been a Sister Church to Baradere, Haiti for many years.  Joel has been to Haiti 3 times, leading the last 2 teams.  Laura has been twice.  Both Joel and Laura have felt a clear calling of God to Haiti and are excited to step into whatever He has for them there.  Being a “people person” and a “do-er”, Joel will be a team facilitator and will assist in maintenance and with projects.  Being a teacher and loving to work with kids uniquely qualifies him to work with the Teacher Training Teachers Program as well as with the Awana Program, too. Laura is uniquely qualified to help develop a “medical package”, laying out everything needed for medical teams as

We are excited to welcome our third appointee this year!  Joel and Laura Sutton of Gainesville, Florida have officially joined the RMI family.  They are members of Creekside Community Church, which has been a Sister Church to Baradere, Haiti for many years.  Joel has been to Haiti 3 times, leading the last 2 teams.  Laura has been twice.  Both Joel and Laura have felt a clear calling of God to Haiti and are excited to step into whatever He has for them there.  Being a “people person” and a “do-er”, Joel will be a team facilitator and will assist in maintenance and with projects.  Being a teacher and loving to work with kids uniquely qualifies him to work with the Teacher Training Teachers Program as well as with the Awana Program, too. Laura is uniquely qualified to help develop a “medical package”, laying out everything needed for medical teams as

We are excited to welcome our third appointee this year!  Joel and Laura Sutton of Gainesville, Florida have officially joined the RMI family.  They are members of Creekside Community Church, which has been a Sister Church to Baradere, Haiti for many years.  Joel has been to Haiti 3 times, leading the last 2 teams.  Laura has been twice.  Both Joel and Laura have felt a clear calling of God to Haiti and are excited to step into whatever He has for them there.  Being a “people person” and a “do-er”, Joel will be a team facilitator and will assist in maintenance and with projects.  Being a teacher and loving to work with kids uniquely qualifies him to work with the Teacher Training Teachers Program as well as with the Awana Program, too. Laura is uniquely qualified to help develop a “medical package”, laying out everything needed for medical teams as

Many hurricanes we watch for a long time as they slowly move across the Atlantic.  We often have the ability to prepare for more than a week.  As an organization here to help provide relief in emergency situations, we want to be ready to respond. Hurricane Sandy didn’t give us much notice!  It formed in the Caribbean just to our South, just a couple of days before its affect was felt.  In fact, Hurricane Sandy went well to our West, over Jamaica and over Cuba, but the winds and rain were significantly greater than any I have experienced in the last 3 years.   In fact, I have spoken with several Haitians who have commented that they had never seen such swollen rivers and related destruction. You can be assured that we are working hard to contact our Partnership Churches to get reports.  We have gotten some details so far.  They

Many hurricanes we watch for a long time as they slowly move across the Atlantic.  We often have the ability to prepare for more than a week.  As an organization here to help provide relief in emergency situations, we want to be ready to respond. Hurricane Sandy didn’t give us much notice!  It formed in the Caribbean just to our South, just a couple of days before its affect was felt.  In fact, Hurricane Sandy went well to our West, over Jamaica and over Cuba, but the winds and rain were significantly greater than any I have experienced in the last 3 years.   In fact, I have spoken with several Haitians who have commented that they had never seen such swollen rivers and related destruction. You can be assured that we are working hard to contact our Partnership Churches to get reports.  We have gotten some details so far.  They

I had the privilege of joining up with NewChurch, from Georgetown, TX, on their recent visit with their brothers and sisters in Abricot, Haiti.  The team had a great mix of veteran visitors, as well as first timers.  God brought that exact team together for a purpose. The US team was fun to watch.  Their authentic passion for people, their contagious joy in celebrating God, their constant want to go beyond the external, and their desire to be who God intends his 1 body to be was on display at all times.  It wasn’t about appearances.  It was so much more than doing.  It was being.  It was about being together, in love, honoring and lifting up one another and the Lord in the process.  Encouraging one another. Together, worshipping the same Lord.  There was something unique in their smiles as I watched Haitians and Americans spend time together.  Smiles. 

I had the privilege of joining up with NewChurch, from Georgetown, TX, on their recent visit with their brothers and sisters in Abricot, Haiti.  The team had a great mix of veteran visitors, as well as first timers.  God brought that exact team together for a purpose. The US team was fun to watch.  Their authentic passion for people, their contagious joy in celebrating God, their constant want to go beyond the external, and their desire to be who God intends his 1 body to be was on display at all times.  It wasn’t about appearances.  It was so much more than doing.  It was being.  It was about being together, in love, honoring and lifting up one another and the Lord in the process.  Encouraging one another. Together, worshipping the same Lord.  There was something unique in their smiles as I watched Haitians and Americans spend time together.  Smiles. 

I had the privilege of joining up with NewChurch, from Georgetown, TX, on their recent visit with their brothers and sisters in Abricot, Haiti.  The team had a great mix of veteran visitors, as well as first timers.  God brought that exact team together for a purpose. The US team was fun to watch.  Their authentic passion for people, their contagious joy in celebrating God, their constant want to go beyond the external, and their desire to be who God intends his 1 body to be was on display at all times.  It wasn’t about appearances.  It was so much more than doing.  It was being.  It was about being together, in love, honoring and lifting up one another and the Lord in the process.  Encouraging one another. Together, worshipping the same Lord.  There was something unique in their smiles as I watched Haitians and Americans spend time together.  Smiles. 

It had been a season of change for the Baptist Church in Boyer.  It had also been a season of change for the Church on the Cape in Wilmington, NC.  Though unaware of the simultaneous transitions as they were happening, once together in Boyer, the churches began sharing their stories and realized the similarities.  The relationship in which Boyer had been joined with Church on the Cape was not random. It was ordained by God and had been set in place for a purpose.  God is in the details.  This was evident to the team from Church on the Cape after their most recent trip to Boyer.  Above:  Sunday Morning Worship.  The team taught the congregation the hand-motions to “I’ve Got a River Of Life” It was an extra special trip for Pastor Devin as his wife and two oldest children were part of the seven member team.  In addition

It had been a season of change for the Baptist Church in Boyer.  It had also been a season of change for the Church on the Cape in Wilmington, NC.  Though unaware of the simultaneous transitions as they were happening, once together in Boyer, the churches began sharing their stories and realized the similarities.  The relationship in which Boyer had been joined with Church on the Cape was not random. It was ordained by God and had been set in place for a purpose.  God is in the details.  This was evident to the team from Church on the Cape after their most recent trip to Boyer.  Above:  Sunday Morning Worship.  The team taught the congregation the hand-motions to “I’ve Got a River Of Life” It was an extra special trip for Pastor Devin as his wife and two oldest children were part of the seven member team.  In addition

It had been a season of change for the Baptist Church in Boyer.  It had also been a season of change for the Church on the Cape in Wilmington, NC.  Though unaware of the simultaneous transitions as they were happening, once together in Boyer, the churches began sharing their stories and realized the similarities.  The relationship in which Boyer had been joined with Church on the Cape was not random. It was ordained by God and had been set in place for a purpose.  God is in the details.  This was evident to the team from Church on the Cape after their most recent trip to Boyer.  Above:  Sunday Morning Worship.  The team taught the congregation the hand-motions to “I’ve Got a River Of Life” It was an extra special trip for Pastor Devin as his wife and two oldest children were part of the seven member team.  In addition

East Bayou Baptist Church sent the first team down to visit Petit Trou Baptist Church in Southern Haiti.  They came on a ‘mission’ of sorts; to try on the RMI Sister Church Program and a partnership with Petit Trou Baptist Church on for size.  The team was excited as they drove into town.  A brigade from the church had come out to greet them.  They met the team with a banner, musicians and a parade through town.  The team marched along, smiled, laughed, took pictures and some of the folks (although they tried to hide it!) even cried.  They were touched at the way the church at Petit Trou had welcomed them with such open arms.  The team from East Bayou had a busy week getting to know their new surroundings and their new brothers and sisters in Christ.  They had a week full of activities with meetings, programs, and