Very Interesting commentary on SBC convention

SBC'ers You have got to read this article.  http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/my-thoughts-on-todays-southern-baptist-convention-meeting-62309 

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Support Update…

In order to move to Haiti, we need to raise the following financial support…

Monthly - $2135 Still Needed

Our total monthly need reflects our salary, benefits, and ministry expenses.

1x Expenses – $38,000 Still Needed

Our total “1x Expenses” reflect the costs of moving to Haiti (container, shipping, flights), going through pre-field cross-cultural training, vehicles, supplies, equipment, etc.

We are getting ready to go on vacation to see family in NJ.  Once we return, we will begin to focus on raising these funds.

Rob

Raise money, what?

I want to clear up one typical misconception… and if you have raised funds, you “understand this confusion” perfectly.

Many may not understand that Becky and I are responsible to raise the funds to cover our salary and ministry expenses, both from individuals and churches.  This is very very common, even the norm, in the missions world.  It’s called “Faith Missions”.

What is Faith Missions?  A quick search on Wikipedia will tell you…”Faith missions is a term used most frequently among Evangelical Christians to refer to a missionary or missionary agency with an approach to evangelism that requires its missionaries to "trust in God to provide the necessary resources" and who are not financially supported by denominations with a fixed salary.”

Yes, people give of their tithes and offerings to church, and therefore many think that it is the church that then supports missionaries.  And they do!  But in reality, we also need individuals to give.

We are not denominationally supported like those in the Southern Baptist Convention with IMB or NAMB.

Your gifts given toward our ministry through RMI are tax deductible.  You will receive a tax deductible receipt for each gift you give.

Rob

Fundraising – A Blessing and a Curse…

A blessing?  It is cool to be able to develop relationships with “invested and interested” people.  How fun it is to be able to share and visit with people that personally sacrifice on our behalf.  It’s fun to share stories with them about the return on their investments.  It’s great to know that a team of people is standing behind you, cheering you on, praying for you.  What a blessing!

A curse?  Plain and simple, it is so hard to always be the guy asking for money.  Our motives are often questioned, or at least we fear they might be.  It’s hard work, especially in this economy. Fear of rejection.  Fear of failure. 

It might be hard work, but God has called us to it, so we carry on.

Rob

Video: 13 “Kidz” in Haiti got an education yesterday!

I got a pie in my face.  Becky and I (actually, not us, but 13 HFK kids) were the recipients of McGregor’s (our church) VBS offering this past week.  There was a “Pie in the Face” contest between the girls and boys.  Everyone told me all week that every year the girls win.  They were right.

The cool part is that the $3433 that was donated will give 13 kids in Haiti an education this coming school year!  That is awesome.  Our kids here giving an education to the kids down there. 

Each of the 13 kids will be provided with their school tuition, school entrance fee, school books, school uniform, pair of shoes, development of a Hot Lunch Program, a Christian education, and best of all…Hope!  How cool.

To our readers, if you would like to sponsor a child for $250 for this coming school year, let us know.  I have many more children you can choose from.

For more information on HFK, visit www.rminet.org/hfk

Here is the video of the pie…

Hope for Kids Packages are in the mail!!!

http://www.rminet.org/hfk

Funny Passport Photos

Today is step 5 of about 500.

Moving to Haiti is no easy deal. There are many steps ahead of us.
Today we are going to put in applications for the kid's passports.
Rob

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Spanish Mackerel

Fishing! Dolphins!

The Edison Method…

One of my pastors, Mark Bricker, sent me this today.  It fits all too well…

“The Edison Method – When Thomas Edison had a good idea for an invention, he would call a press conference to announce it. Then he'd go into the lab and invent it. Make your plans public, and you might be more committed to following through with them.”

Yup, sort of hits home…

Rob

We are moving to Haiti to serve with RMI…

Yes, this is big.

How did this come about?

This has been in the works for about 5 months.  Becky and I have always been open to the possibility of going overseas if God made that clear to us.  Well, about 5 months ago, He made it clear.  With deep conviction, we believe God has ordained this step for us at this time.  Due to books we have read, conferences we have attended (recent GIC at McGregor was key), prayer, Bible study, conversations with wise counsel, sermons, opportunity, need and circumstance, we are confident that God has lead us in this direction.  We have consulted with the RMI Board.  They have prayerfully embraced this and are enthusiastically supportive of our future ministry together in Haiti.  We believe we have been patient in seeking His direction for our lives.  In our patience, God has clearly led us.  We would love to share the whole story with you at a later time. 

Why?

Primarily, God has led us to do this.  Secondarily, we see such broad opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus as we seek to extend His kingdom, specifically through RMI’s Sister Church Program.  We will have constant opportunity to invest in people, build them up, and mobilize them for ministry, there in Haiti and throughout the United States.  We will have loads of opportunity to love and care for the poor and broken.  We will have much opportunity to learn, be stretched and challenged.  We will work directly with Haitians there on the field as well as Americans as they visit their RMI Sister Churches.  The harvest is truly plentiful, and the workers are truly few.  God has called us all to go.  We believe our specific call at this time is Haiti.

What will we be doing?

I will primarily be the Haiti Field Director and Becky will primarily be caring for our children.  I can’t wait to get down and start working with RMI’s missionaries down there.  I will need to do a lot of listening and learning in order to manage and lead the field.  I will have opportunity to go out with RMI Sister Church teams.  I will be providing direct oversight to all the ministries, church relationships, Hope for Kidz, projects, missionaries, national staff and finances on the field.  Becky looks forward to being involved in hospitality at RMI’s Guest House there on the Mission Center.  She also looks forward to helping from time to time with church medical teams as well as at the pharmacy at the Medical Clinic on the Mission Center where we will live.

What about your job responsibilities in FL?

Some of my responsibilities are now covered with the automated systems that I have put in place.  Some of my responsibilities will need to be covered by others here in the office.  Some of my responsibilities I will temporarily continue to carry even while in Haiti.  We are praying that God leads another person to come in and pick up where I left off here in FL as office/business/finance/personnel administrator and manager.  Interested?

What about your house in FL?

Due to the current economic situation in the United States, especially here in SW Florida, it is impossible to sell our home at this time.  Therefore, based upon some discussions with some local realtors, we are trusting that we will be able to rent it.

Where will you live?

Generally speaking, we will be living in Les Cayes, Haiti, on the MEBSH Mission’s Center where many other missionaries live.  We are still working to determine which home we will live in.

When will you be moving?

Our goal is early 2010.  Yes, that is only 7/8 months away!  There is much to be done. 

Will you need to raise additional funds to go?

Yes.  We need to raise approximately $2000 more a month, plus approximately $65,000 in onetime expenses (vehicles, moving, set up, equipment, cross-cultural training).  It’s not cheaper to live in a 3rd world country!  This won’t be easy, but then again, with Him, all things are possible.  We will be meeting with many people, churches and groups to seek this funding.

What about the Kids?

They are firmly in the hands of the Lord.  The kids are excited, although we understand that they really don’t understand.  Drew is excited about 4 wheelers and mountain climbing and Tessa is excited about banana trees!  We don’t know yet if Becky will do home school with them or if we will send them to the school on the Mission Center.  There are currently several children their age on the Mission Center that they will have fun growing up with (there are 27 children under 18).  We are trusting that God will care for their every need as they develop into who God wants them to be as they grow up in Haiti.

What about…

Yes, we have many questions unanswered.  Yes, we still have many obstacles before us.  Yes, we have many concerns.  Yet, we believe that as we step out in faith, God will care for us and provide as we need.  As He more and more becomes the desire of our hearts, His will will be more and more accomplished in and through our lives and ministry.

Rob (and Becky)

$1,000,000 Idea

Here is my idea. A pool additive that will constantly coat the skin
with sunscreen. Genius. Truly genius.
Rob

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Sanibel Vacation

We vacationed on Sanibel Island 2 weeks ago!  It was so much fun!  Sanibel is about an hour drive from where we live, but we only left the island once to play mini-golf, so it truly felt like we were able get away.  Our friends, the Malloys, joined us.  Our kids love to play together so that made it even more fun.  We didn’t have the greatest weather every day, but we still spent every day except one at the beach.  We had a great time.  Here are just a few pics.  The rest are on our website.

~Becky

 

 

 

 

Welcoming Challenging Times…

This was just sent to me.  It is the June 4th Devotion from “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young…

“WECOME CHALLENGING TIMES as opportunities to trust Me. You have Me beside you and My Spirit within you, so no set of circumstances is too much for you to handle. When the path before you is dotted with difficulties, beware of measuring your strength against those challenges. That calculation is certain to riddle you with anxiety. Without Me, you wouldn’t make it past the first hurdle!

The way to walk through demanding days is to grip My hand tightly and stay in close communication with Me. Let your thoughts and spoken words be rightly flavored with trust and thankfulness. Regardless of the day’s problems. I can keep you in perfect Peace as you stay close to Me.

JAMES 1:2; PHILIPPIANS 4:13; ISAIAH 26:3”

Rob

I thought this was profound…

From Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby…

“God wants us to follow Him daily, not just follow a plan. If we try to spell out all the details of His will in a planning session, we tend to think,  Now that we know where we are going and how to get there, we can get the job done. Then we forget about the need for a daily, intimate relationship with God.  We may set about to accomplish our plans and forget the relationship.  Or God may try to lead us to do a new thing, but we reject it because it is not in our long-range plan!  God created us for an eternal love relationship.  Life is our opportunity to experience Him at work”

Proverbs 19:21—”Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails”

Psalm 33:10-11--“The LORD foils the plans of nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.  But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations”

~Becky