"Field Posts"

Recently, RMI President Dan Shoemaker, and one of RMI’s Sister Church Pastors, Pastor Jim Bry, from Second Cape May Baptist Church , visiting Haiti to distribute food to the poor.  Read about it here .

DirecTv , please help me out! Here is my story… I just called to cancel our service since we are moving to Haiti to serve with RMI . They tell me that I have a commitment with DirecTv through April 2011.  I had no idea! In fact, I can tell you, I was totally convinced that we had no contract.  I wish I could remember what they told me in the beginning, word for word.  I can’t be absolutely certain, but I am quite confident I asked specifically because I was in no position to sign a 2 year contract.   I knew in March/April that our move to Haiti was quite possible. I never would have knowingly done it.  Not asking about a commitment would have been pretty dumb on my part!  We signed up for DirecTv in April of this year.  DirecTv doesn’t even offer service in Haiti, yet they want me to pay for service.  Ugh. I called them today, spoke with a customer service rep, Eduardo, then I spoke with his Manager, Ray, and they both tell me t...

It seems to me that Braden is doing new things every day!  He is our third child, so we shouldn’t be surprised when he does, right?  After all, we are supposed to remember what Drew and Tessa did at 16 months of age; be prepared.  The truth is, I forget a lot, and Braden is different from his brother and sister.  New words have been spilling out of Braden’s mouth.  His latest are “car” (cah) and “more” (ma).  Anything with wheels is a car.  He’s trying so hard to communicate and gets really frustrated when he can’t.  That’s very different than Drew and Tessa.  So the other day at lunch he was pointing and saying “ma, ma, ma” and we just couldn’t figure out what he wanted.  He was getting really mad too!  More milk?  No, cause he threw it when we handed it to him.  More goldfish?  No, he angrily pushed them all off his tray. “Ma, ma, ma…”  Everything we could think of he got mad when we gave it to him.  T...

The container arrived today and reality is suddenly starting to set in.  In 2 weeks, that container will be driven to Miami and sent to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti with pretty much all of our earthly belongings.  I won’t see anything in it until mid-March.  Actually, I’m praying we see it again and hoping it’s out of customs by March! For months we’ve been talking about moving to Haiti and working hard to raise the funds to go.  We’ve made good progress in the fundraising, enough to ship the container, and we are trusting God that the rest of the needed monthly support and one-time support comes in.  But here is where it gets real.  Here is where we begin the real journey of stepping out in faith.  Here is where we put our faith into action.  We are about to move out of our home, and live out of suitcases for the next 3 months.  There’s no turning back.  I’ve given notice at my job.  I’m about to give up the comfort of added income....

Check out our “For Sale” web page at www.robandbecky.com/forsale .  We are moving to Haiti to be missionaries, therefore we must sell these things.  Your help (buying these things) is much appreciated. For more information on our move to Haiti, please click here .

This video is long, but totally worth the investment!  This paints a great picture as to why we do what we do.  It will be worth it to watch the whole thing, but I would especially encourage you to watch Alison @06:35, Dana @14:41, Scott @21:00, and Dan @32:02. This is a video of a church service on Nov 3, 2009 at one of RMI's churches, CrossRoad Church UMC in Jacksonville, FL.  They tell their story of the broad impact of the partnership they have with their Sister Church in Tiburon, Haiti, through RMI . For your convenience, here are some timestamps… 00:00 – Pastor Scott Crawford (Community Life Pastor) gives an introduction to their Sister Church Partnership. 06:35 - Alison (Recent Team Member) shares her story, specifically related to RMI’s Hope for Kidz child sponsorship program. 14:41 - Dana (recent team member) shares her dramatic story of Kingdom impact, salvation, being a God Parent. 21:00 - Scott shares more Kingdom impact. 26:15 - S...

A big Thank You to those of you who are praying for us and to those who have given financially. Final Goal   Progress…  (By March 1) As you can see from our thermometer, we have raised 81% of our Monthly Need and 43% of our 1X Need. Short Term Goal Progress… (By Dec 1) As you probably remember, we need to raise $12,000 of our 1X need by Dec 1 in order to send our container to Haiti in December.  So far we have raised approximately $6000 of this $12,000!     Read our Original Support Letter   |  Our Website

We need to raise $12,000 in the next 30 days. We need your help.  You know we have been raising funds as we prepare to move to Haiti.  We are getting close, and deadlines are quickly approaching! Right now, we are at 82% of our monthly need and 32% of our 1x need.  You can get an update here . Although we technically have until March to be fully supported, a significant portion of our "1x need" must be received this month if we are to remain on schedule.  If we are to stay on track, and send our container on or about December 15th to Haiti, we must raise about $12,000 between now and November 30.  This $12,000 covers the container and shipping costs, customs taxes and fees, as well as some required ministry equipment and supplies that we need to pack in the container. Would you consider a special donation here at the end of the year to help us get to Haiti? Want to donate Online? Visit www.rminet.org/donate .  You can donate securely...

Who will do my job here in RMI’s FL Office?  7 months ago, Becky and I made a decision to move to Haiti.  One of the lingering burdens has been “Who will fill my role here at the RMI FL Office?” I realize that God doesn’t “need” us.  He has called us.  He uses us.  He wants us.  But he doesn’t need us.  I realize that each of us can easily be replaced.  But, my departure genuinely leaves a hole, and just going out to hire someone isn’t an option.  Finding the right person would certainly take a while.  What would we do in the meantime?  Surely, it would take years to recruit someone and then have them raise support.  Right? Wrong… God is on the move and has truly done a miracle!  I can’t tell you how confirming this is.  This is such a miracle, that it can only be credited to God… RMI’s new VP of Operations started TODAY! He brings a ministry mindset with business savvy, fresh perspective, a desire for plan...

You can view theSlice online here .

I am not sure I want to go to Haiti.  On the other hand, I can’t wait.  I am sure this is a feeling that all missionaries struggle with before they  go, but that doesn’t make it any easier!  This is hard.  Before I share what is bugging me, let me assure you that I am totally committed to all that I believe God has in front of us.  I am totally committed to following Him and moving with the family to Haiti.  Having said this, let me vent a little… You might think since we have decided to go that we are willingly giving up many things.  Let me assure you, often it is more like I am going kicking and screaming.  I don’t want to give up my comforts.  I like my stuff and I like living in the US.  Daily I am bombarded with things I must give up.  I try to remind myself that i will be gaining so much more, but again, that doesn’t always make it easier. Here is a small sample of things I am really struggling giving up…  gro...

Progress Report… We are currently at 81% of our Monthly Need.  This leaves $1457 per month still to raise. We are currently at 28% of our 1x Need.  This leaves $27,195 still to raise. Statistics based on the last 6 months… Average Number of Donors… 49.66 Average Monthly Donation from Individuals… $89.87 Average Monthly Donation from Churches… $594.44 A Big Thank You… It is because of the sacrificial ongoing generosity of these donors that we have been able to serve.  We are so grateful.  Thank you! Would you join our team?

In a small lush river ravine, mostly forgotten and hidden, just north of Les Cayes on the southern peninsula of Haiti, I unexpectedly met Christ (or at least one who took being Christ-like serious).  This is a video of the River and School. It happen during a visit to a country church called Les Rois (pronounced Lay Wah), in the Picot (pronounced peeko) Church district.  Picot Church is in a long term Sister Church Partnership with Trinity Bible Church in Lafayette, LA, facilitated by Reciprocal Ministries International .  Trinity Bible has donated substantial funding to help build/rebuild a school in Les Rois.  We were going out on a recon mission to figure out what needs to be done.  After riding out across the valley and up into the mountains on our four motorcycles, we quickly found ourselves scaling down the side of a mountain (which I would think is impassable even by 4 wheel...

After a long day of finance work here in Haiti, we took a break and rode motorcycles out across the valley and up into the hills.  This is the sort of thing that I don’t get to do in the US!  Gary, Benjamin and I had a great time!

Timothy Keller’s book “Prodigal God” insightfully revisits the Parable of “The Prodigal Son” in Luke 15.  He appropriately renames it… “The Parable of the Two Lost Sons”.  After reading this book, I am more embarrassed with self, yet more confident in Christ.  I am more aware of sin within the church, yet more motivated to love missionally within that church.  Conviction. Fresh wonder. Awe.  Heartache. A celebration of the sufficiency of the Gospel message. Wow, what a great transformative read.  If you read this book, the sin of self, that you may be very aware of, or totally unaware of, will be laid bare.  You will encounter your depravity as if looking in a mirror.  You will be called to repentance.  You will find love. BTW, “prodigal” means lavishly extravagant.  Yes, God is/was lavishly extravagant in his love for me, for you, for all of humanity. Truly, a phenomenal read. His point? We mistakenly focus too heavily on t...

I created this video for a missions conference we will be attending.  This version is slightly altered.  I have also embedded this on our website homepage at www.robandbecky.com .

Sadly, I wouldn’t really label this a must read.  It was a short book, with an intent to motivate us to really appreciate the depth and intensity of God’s love.  Brennan Manning is very well respected, and he should be, but I just didn’t really get this book.  I appreciated some of the “story” parts of the book, but other than that I was sort of lost. Many many seem to love it.  I guess I am in the minority! Also, I could have done without the overly verbose and mystical style.  Maybe I am too simple minded, but it just seemed that he could have come down to earth a little. Rob

I sort of joked halfway through reading this book, “if I could write a book, this is the book I would write”.  Well, that remains to be true.  Richard Stearns, president of World Vision, does a great job of calling the church to action.  This book took so much of what I have thought, experienced, and dreamed about and put it between 2 covers. This book is really a must read for Christians and non-Christians alike.  Stearn’s thesis, which I think he supported nicely, is that we as Christians often forget that caring for the needy is inherently a part of the Gospel, not a potential byproduct of the Gospel.  Jesus’ heart’s passion was for the weak, the needy, the unjustly persecuted, the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, etc.  Many believer’s focus so much on praying the salvation prayer, or even on our individual relationship and eternal life with Christ, or even on getting others saved, that we forget what it means to love Jesus and therefore love our neigh...

you would have thought someone was murdering her.  Tessa: 3 years old, sweet most of the time, with the tendency to be borderline-whiney.  This precious girl tells me at random times throughout my day, “I love you Mommy” and with pure joy and excitement in her voice “I grow up in Haiti!”  Not to paint a perfect picture, I have heard her scream before:  at Drew when he teases her or in anger at Braden when he steals a toy (or just sits down on her toys) or just when she doesn’t want to share! Today I heard Tessa scream and cry in pure fear, and there wasn’t much I could do to calm her down.  The culprit: a massive mosquito with a leg-span the size of a nickel. We were driving to church to drop Drew off at preschool, driving thru traffic at a snails pace for who knows what reason.  Drew says, “Mommy, there’s a fly in the car” and I look back to see a huge mosquito flying around.  The next thing I know Tessa is screaming  and crying with her arm...

It was truly phenomenal.  We are excited, and want to go tomorrow.  But, funds must be raised first and cross cultural training must be acquired.  Our plan is to go in March.  Help us get there ! For those who are interested, here is an overview of what we did… (I am working on getting pictures up) Tuesday… We flew from Fort Lauderdale to Port au Prince.  The noon flight from Port au Prince to Les Cayes got cancelled, so Serge (one of RMI’s national staff) came in to pick us up.  We stopped for “fast food” goat on our way to Cayes at a little restaurant that had fast food on the sign.  After the 4 hours drive, we pulled into the driveway of where we will be living.  Thank you to Dan and Amy for the work they did to get the house a little more ready for us to arrive.  And yes, thank you for the gift that you gave us.  Dan gave Becky and I a full tour of the house, yard, and storage depot.  Spike the Iguana is huge!  The tr...

My heart is about to explode.  God is doing something.  It has become so clear.  Crystal clear.  You know when you are far from the blinding presence of the light, smog and noise of our media laden lives, homes, neighborhoods and cities, and you look up at the night sky and can clearly see the starry host almost like you have never seen them before?  Almost in High Definition?  Every star piercing through the darkness?  Every sense becomes alive with wonder and awe.  No distractions. Arms outstretched in worship.  Eyes wide open.  Heart swelling.  Marveling and overwhelmed with God’s brush strokes above.  Yeah, it’s that clear to us. God is doing something, and I can’t tell you how excited we are to be following him on this journey.  As we have, many ask why.  Many may think we are crazy.  Many may think we are saints (we aren’t).  Many may question our decisions.  Many may fear our safety and our...

Don’t miss her actually blowing out the candles… Rob

Here is a video of Becky learning to ride a 4 wheeler.  This is just one of the many “firsts” and many things to learn as we move to Haiti. Rob

Becky and I will be flying to Haiti from Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday morning and returning on Saturday morning. In case of an emergency, you can contact the following… Rob’s Cell Phone in Haiti… (011) 509-3805-5241 Gary’s Cell Phone in Haiti… (011) 509-3766-7523 Debbie Shoemaker’s Cell Phone in FL…  (239) 209-7634 Rob

I just received word of 1 new supporter and 1 increasing supporter.  Praise the Lord.  Thank you!!!  Here is where we stand… 78% of Monthly Need ($1655/month still needed) 22% of 1x Need ($29,455 still needed) Pledge Now   |  Read our Support Letter   |    Give Now Rob

It looks like Ana has both weakened and moved to the north.  I don’t think Ana will have any impact on our trip.  Praise the Lord! Current location is bottom right.  Here is the current forecast for 8am tomorrow morning (note dot at the top left and stats related to that position in the bottom box). Rob

Tropical Storm Ana’s current project path and wind…  Making us wonder if our flights will be cancelled?!

The second named storm (Bill) was just announced. If you want to track the development of Tropical Systems, here are some sites that I frequent. Stormpulse (Love it their mapping, filters, interface with NHC) Atlantic Ocean Satellite (In Motion) Caribbean Satellite (In Motion) National Hurricane Center (everyone pulls their data from here) Intellicast (I like their maps) Any others that you would recommend?

Becky and I are going to Haiti on Tuesday morning.  TS Ana is forecast to be just off the northern coast of Haiti on Tuesday morning on its way to Florida.  There is also another storm lining up right behind Ana.  At this point Ana is forecast to be just under hurricane strength on Tuesday AM.  We are not too worried, but, as you can imagine, we are watching it closely! Check it out at stormpulse .

Yes, but at God’s pace, not our own.  We are being faithful, and much effort is being done.  Phone calls, appointments, letters, emails, etc are happening.  Our progress is not as quick as I would like, but God isn’t on my time table.  I know…shocking! Even though our Thermometer hasn’t changed in 6 days, we are progressing. Want more information, click here . Rob

Several weeks ago, Braden started walking.  I thought it was about time I showed you.

We get this question all the time.  Maybe we will… what do you think? No, there is no way our minivan would last a week in Haiti.  We are going to have to sell it.  It is a 2007 Honda Odyssey EX with leather interior. About 40,000 miles on it.  Interested?  It will be available in March. Rob

I have finished printing, stuffing, sealing, stamping, our support letter.  I am putting these in the mail today!  Be watching your mailbox… We would love to hear from you! If you do not receive a letter in the next week, you can sign up for our mailing list on our website here . Below is a list of the contents of the mailer.  Each is hyperlinked to it’s online counterpart.  Take a look.  We hope to hear back from you soon!  You can respond online, or you can wait to respond to the mailer. Support Letter   |  Prayer Card   |  Support Card   |  Brochure Rob

Becky looked me right in the eyes and said to me… “Rob, only a miracle will bring the funds in that we need to go to Haiti.  And I believe it is going to happen.” I love having a wife that says stuff like that.  Awesome! "May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us--yes, establish the works of our hands." Ps 90:17 Rob

I’m feeling nostalgic this morning.  Braden turned one a few days ago and it’s making me remember when Drew and Tessa turned one as well.  Thought I’d post pics of each of their first birthdays.  It’s fun to compare and see how much they do and don’t look alike.  I think they look so different, yet you can tell that they are siblings.  My heart can’t hold all the love I have for all 3 of them! ~Becky Here’s Drew: Here’s Tessa: And Braden:

  Braden turned one on Tuesday!  I can’t believe how much he has changed in the past year and how fast it’s gone by.  He was 9 pounds 15 ounces on his birthday and is still in the 95th percentile for weight and height.  He is my big boy!  He was very colicky the first 6 months… so tough.  But now he is the sweetest little boy.  He is such a blessing. We love him to pieces! ~Becky Two pics from his birthday last year:             Pics from his little party this year: