"Field Posts"

As the year 2015 comes to a close, we wanted to give you a little update on our family! As always, we've had a busy year of ministry in Haiti, so we were appreciative of some opportunities to serve together and rest and play together. It had been a while since our whole family had been out in the country with a team. In June, we were able to join a group from Harper Church in Port Orchard, Washington to visit their sister church in Les Irois, Haiti. It was about an 8 hour drive to the westernmost tip of Haiti. For Becky, Tessa and Braden, it was their first time seeing that part of the country (Grand d'Anse region). We really enjoyed serving together as a family and were thankful to be a part of that team's ministry in Les Irois. This wasn't a furlough year for us, so we chose to spend our vacation time in the Dominican Republic. We drove with another family to Puerto Plata, DR (a looooong 15 hour drive) and enjoyed 10 days at a resort there. It was really r...

I recently had the opportunity to spend 5 days at the MEBSH Church in Ducis, Haiti, with a team from their Sister Church, The Village Church, from Bartlett, Illinois.  It was truly incredible to see how God can bring brothers and sisters together, in a long term partnership, and make them ONE. How can this happen when there are SO MANY DIFFERENCES between us? How can this happen in a world SO DEEPLY DIVIDED? How can this happen with SO MANY MILES (literally and figuratively) between us? Jesus.  The unity wasn't superficial.  It wasn't cursory. It wasn't fake, forced, or manufactured. It was genuine love and unity developed over time because or our mutual love for Jesus and what he calls us to together. "I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment." 1 Corinthians 1:10 These 2 churches have had a LONG partners...

Stillness and silence allow for the presence of God and reorientation of life. Does the volume of your life allow for the presence of God? Greatest Obstacles to Silence and Stillness… Fear, Addictions (Tech, Social Web, Entertainment Choices), Pursuits, Work Task List, Home Task List, Over-Commitment, Lack of Boundaries. It's almost like we are addicted to noise itself.  We must remember, we have the ability to adjust the the volume. Why be Silent and Still... To Hear From God… Psalm 40:6 – ““Ears you have dug for me.” He literally dug holes in our head through which His Word can pass to the heart and mind. To Talk to God… Jesus himself was “led by the Spirit into the wilderness” (Matthew 4:1), “went out to a desolate place” (Mark 1:35; Luke 4:42), and “went up on the mountain by himself to pray . . . alone” (Matthew 14:23). To Worship God…Psalm 46:10 (ESV) “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the e...

Stop and think about that for a minute. If you live in the US, is intestinal worms a disease you have to even concern yourself with? Do you watch your kids, who already don't get enough to eat on a regular basis, suffer from a constant cough, diarrhea, lack of energy, and inability to focus? These intestinal parasites are a common worry for many rural families here in Haiti, most of whom don't have even the education to understand how to prevent themselves from getting this disease and who don't have the means to see a doctor to treat this disease. For the fourth year in a row, we've been able to make yearly deworming a regular part of our Hope For Kidz (HFK) child sponsorship program. At the end of November, all school directors of the 50 schools we have the HFK program in, came to the RMI office for what is now a regular meeting and distribution of deworming medication. They have already been trained to teach worm prevention to each classroom and how to admin...

You may have noticed, but I (Becky) have been fairly silent on the blog lately. It's not that I have nothing to write about, it's mostly that I haven't had much time to put into it. I just have had too much on my plate. Most of you know I fill two roles at RMI: that of hospitality coordinator and bookkeeper. Both jobs keep me busy and engaged in the ministry of RMI here in Haiti. Two years ago, I was asked to join the school board for our kids' school, Cite Lumiere Christian School (CLCS) and a year ago took additional responsibilities as the Chair of the Board. This role is completely voluntary. I really love our little school and our kids have really thrived in this learning environment. One of the biggest challenges we face as a Board is finding teachers willing and able to serve. In order to keep costs low, we ask teachers to raise support as a missionary. These teachers have had a huge impact on our kids! This year, we weren't able to find a teach...

I've dreamed of being a professional photographer.  It's ok to dream right?  But, I am quite certain that day will never arrive. Why? Well, first, and maybe most important, I am up to my eyeballs is other endeavors.  Second, I honestly have SO MUCH to learn about photography.  Yet, I have a ton of desire to keep learning and shooting when I can (which frankly, isn't often). See an album of all my "Favorites"  here .