Haiti is going to need help quickly

Dear Friends,

RMI is already mobilizing to provide immediate relief in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Isaac.  Due to our 30 plus years of experience with hurricanes, we know what the impact will be on the south of Haiti therefore we are working on a pre-emptive basis.  Also, we know that many churches will be interested in helping with relief, thus we want to inform them of RMI’s relief plan so that leadership can be discussing possible involvement, even over this weekend.  Check out the following post on CNN this morning (Friday).

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/24/us/tropical-storm-isaac/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews

Right now the center of the proposed path takes it ashore at our base of operations in Les Cayes and is supposed to go right over the southern peninsula, impacting the majority of areas where RMI and MEBSH minister.  This means it will be going right over all of our Sister Churches in Haiti! This tropical storm/hurricane will have hurricane force winds and drench Haiti with 8 to 20 inches of rain.  Those living in tents will be severely affected as well as the torrential rain and very high winds will severely impact crops, kill much of their livestock, and limit immediate food availability.  Mudslides, major flooding and road washouts can also be expected.

HELP US PROVIDE 2000 CASES OF FOOD TO THOSE IN IMMEDIATE NEED!

Food availability will become a major crisis very quickly as most Haitian families gather and/or buy their food on a day by day basis.  Many families will not have food stocked up, their gardens will have been washed away, and even if they have money for food, it will be very hard to get until outside areas are able to send food stocks to the impacted regions.  This could take up to several weeks, depending on how badly roads are washed out, when mudslides are cleared away, etc..  Once it does arrive, it will be very expensive and unaffordable to the poor.

Right now we have about 2000 cases of food on the ground for our school hot lunch program.  However, our goal is to IMMEDIATELY provide 2000 families with kids with a case of food in the areas that are in the most distress after the passing of the hurricane.  WE NEED YOUR HELP TO DO THIS!

Would you help us provide 50 cases at $25 a case (10,800 meals for only $1250) to a Sister Church for distribution?  Would your church help provide 100 cases (21,600 meals for only $2500)?  Our desire is to be able to provide each of 20 badly impacted Sister Church areas with 100 cases of food each.  Unfortunately, we simply can’t give these cases away.  We have to be able to replace them for our Hot Meal program.  By faith we are already ordering 2 more containers to replace these cases.  So the more money we raise, the more cases we are able to provide.  We are also looking into getting a container quickly for longer term aid. 

If you are not able to give toward 50 or 100 cases, any amount ($25 sponsors a case of food) will help and will go toward this relief response.  Thank you for whatever amount you can give! (Donations under 50 cases will be directed to the neediest areas.  50 cases or more can be designated for specific areas.)

You can give by clicking the “Donate Now” button on this email.  You can go to our website (www.rminet.org) and donate.  Or you can send a check written out to RMI, and sent to:  5475 Lee Street, Suite 301, Lehigh Acres, FL  33971.

FYI:  The pre-prepared packets are a packet of rice-based food that, when cooked, will provide 6 meals full of all the vitamins, minerals, and protein needed to combat malnutrition and hunger.  It looks and tastes like Chicken Rice-A-Roni.  It provides far more nutrition than simply rice and beans.  A case of these packets contains 216 meals, enough to provide a family of 6 a good meal a day for a month.  The cost is less than .12 A MEAL or $25 a case.  This simply helps us to cover our costs of acquiring the food, shipping, customs, transportation, and distribution.

Any questions, please call the office at 239-368-8390 or my cell at 239-222-9793 any time.

Working together to meet the need, 

Daniel Shoemaker

President

RMI

Pastor Walberg Obituary

Pastor Sam served Loomis 1944-1947

Samuel Elwin Walberg, or Pastor Sam, as his friends knew him, entered Heaven peacefully at Brunswick Village in Grass Valley on February 10, 2012 at the age of 96.
There will be a Memorial Service at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 4, 2012 at Crossroads Church, Wolf Rd. and Hwy. 49, Grass Valley.
Sam was born on September 25, 1915 to Nels and Hannah Walberg in Seattle, Washington. At 12 years of age Sam made a decision to follow Jesus. In September 1937 he enrolled in the Seminary & Bible School of the Evangelical Free Church in Chicago, Illinois. In his fi rst year, Sam helped form a Male Gospel Quartet which sang throughout the Chicago area. His first pastorate was in Fairmont, Minnesota in 1940.
In December 1937, Sam met the love of his life, Evelyn Margaret Johnson. They were happily married May 9, 1942 until her passing in 2005.
From 1953 through 1958 Sam taught Evangelism at Trinity Seminary and Bible College. Sam served eight churches in the mid-west until 1964 when he moved his family to California where he served as Chaplain of the “Beach Ministry” in Hermosa Beach for his brother's church.
In 1967 Sam was called to San Rafael to pastor, where he loved and nurtured the small congregation. His “Dial-for-Life” phone message ministry reached many people for Christ.
Sam retired in 1978 with his “bride” in Yorba Linda near his son. He worked as a maintenance carpenter for the Placentia Unified School District until he moved to Lake of the Pines in 1982.
In 1986 Sam served his last pastorate as Associate Pastor of Combie Bible Church. He found great joy teaching the adult Sunday school class until his retirement in 1993. On April 15, 1997 he received a Bachelor of Theology degree from “The International Seminary” of Plymouth, Florida.
Sam continued to counsel and be-friend many, until the end of his life. He unselfishly gave of himself to anyone who needed encouragement. In his last home, Brunswick Village, he taught a Bible Study and shared his faith until he could no longer recall what he had studied to share.
Sam was a gentle, loving husband and father, dedicated friend, and a great example of a servant. He will be missed. Sam is survived by his son, Dan Walberg; daughter, Donna Rosenburger; grandchildren, Shannon Snow, Amber Lukas, April Lukenbill, Sandra Walberg, and Ben Walberg; great-grandchildren, Austin Fitzgerald, Axel Lukas, Autumn Lukas, and Hunter Lukenbill.
Sam's family would like to especially thank the dedicated staff at Brunswick Village for the wonderful care given to ALL their residents and especially our “Grandpa Sam”. Memorial gifts may be sent to Brunswick Village, 316 Olympia Park Circle, Grass Valley, CA 95945.

The Road Is Not Easy

While in Haiti last week we had the privilege of worshipping at a church in Picot.  One of the songs they sang is titled “The Road Is Not Easy”  It explains their faith and contentment in Christ in spite of difficult circumstances.  Are we who have so much content in Christ?

Chemen an pa fasil – The road is not easy
Jouk nou rive Genyen nan siel la – Until we arrive in Heaven
Li genyen pikan e piej anpil, – It has prickly problems and many obstacles
Chemin an pa fasil – The road is not easy
Men Jezi mache ak nou – But Jesus walks with us
Li rann ke nou tout a fe trankil – He makes our hearts full of peace

Ke: – Chorus
Non, non, chemen an pa fasil (bis) – No, No, the road is not easy (2x)
Men Jezi mache ak nou – But Jesus walks with us
Li pote fado nou – He carries our burdens
Gras Li fe ke nou rejuoi anpil – His Grace makes our hearts rejoice

Homes For Haiti

Thank you to all who have prayed for us and provided financially for our trip to Haiti.  We leave Thursday, January 4, 2012.  During our time in Haiti we hope to build four homes.  Four families will move into a new home in the next two weeks.  Praise God!

Homes for Haiti from Reciprocal Ministries INTL on Vimeo.

Good News Of Great Joy!

Yea, for it was removal of punishment,
and remission of sins,
and “righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption,”
and adoption, and an inheritance of Heaven,
and a relationship unto the Son of God,
which he came declaring unto all;
to enemies, to the perverse,
to them that were sitting in darkness.

What then could ever be equal to these good tidings?

God on earth, man in Heaven;
and all became mingled together,
angels joined the choirs of men,
men had fellowship with the angels, and with the other powers above:
and one might see the long war brought to an end,
and reconciliation made between God and our nature,
the devil brought to shame, demons in flight,
death destroyed, Paradise opened,
the curse blotted out, sin put out of the way,
error driven off, truth returning,
the word of godliness everywhere sown, and flourishing in its growth,
the polity of those above planted on the earth,
those powers in secure intercourse with us,
and on earth angels continually haunting,
and hope abundant touching things to come.

Therefore he hath called the history good tidings,
forasmuch as all other things surely are words only without substance;
as, for instance, plenty of wealth, greatness of power, kingdoms,
and glories, and honors, and whatever other things among men are accounted to be good:
but those which are published by the fishermen would be legitimately and properly called good tidings:
not only as being sure and immoveable blessings, and beyond our deserts,
but also as being given to us with all facility.

For not by laboring and sweating,
not by fatigue and suffering,
but merely as being beloved of God,
we received what we have received.

- Chrysostom, from his homilies on Matthew

Remembering 9/11

9/11 Ten Years Later from Sujo John Ministries on Vimeo.

RODRIGUES NEWSLETTER

Novo Demini, Brazil
August 6th, 2011

Dear Friends,

This time we send our greetings from our little corner of the world, the Novo Demini Village. There are 330 Novo Demini Theli (inhabitants) plus two missionary families and the health workers. That’s quite small if it was compared to a little town but when you are all squished into an area of less than a half of a square mile it can get to be quite overwhelming. Everyone knows everyone else’s businesses and our house seems to be on the main highway. I usually don’t even have to leave my front porch to hear the latest gossip and that’s when the two parties are not actually having their powwows right in front of our house.  We are so grateful for all God did and supplied for us last year when we were on furlough and now we are just glad to be settled in again here at Novo Demini.  Like I mentioned above sometimes it can get quite overwhelming but this is where God’s will has brought us and we are happy to be in the center of His will.

In our last Newsletter we asked you all to pray for our trip from
Anápolis to Manaus. We are glad to report that our trip was uneventful and we made it fine to Manaus. Our car also arrived safely and Praise Be to our God that everything we put in it was there when we picked it up. Only God could do such a perfect job of taking care of everything. We also had a very good trip up to Boa Vista. We had heard terrible stories about the conditions of the roads, but it was one of the best trips we have ever had from Manaus to Boa Vista.  We’ve been back o Novo Demini ever since the 10th of May. It took us a while to get our house back in order but we finally did. João is very allergic so it’s not just get back and put everything back in its place. Most everything had to be washed first.  There is no such thing as spring cleaning here, we have to do that almost every week or we just won’t survive. We had had most of our luggage that we brought back with us, sent up the river.  We finally received them around a month after we got here, so then we had some more to organize and find a place for. Our house is quite small so it’s an art to keep everything organized. Everything has to have its place and everything has to stay in its place. That can get to be quite challenging when you have a six and a three year old.  We all went through an adapting period when we got back but I think it
was the hardest for Nathan, our oldest. He still can’t quite understand why there are so many people watching his every move, why they laugh when he gets hurt and so many things that are just so different in this culture. I think it made it a lot easier on him though as our co-worker has a son just about his age and they get along really well.  Ryan just tags along and tries to imitate everything his older brother does. Nathan also has started kindergarten so that keeps him busy part of the day.  João has been out a lot with the people and working at getting back to where he was in the language. Relationship is very important in this culture and a must if you plan to somehow teach or influence them. As I write this letter he is on a boat trip down river to a small town called Barcelos. He went to help the Novo Demini people in the process of registering the Novo Demini School. He left on the 28th of July and hopes to be back by the 9th of this month. It was a 4 day trip down river and he hopes to make it back up in six. The boys and I are here praying for God’s protection for him and the 4 Yanomami men who are with him.  There is another missionary couple with us so we are not alone.
God has taken care of the boys and me and we are happy this time of
separation is coming to an end. I don’t know how many of you already know it but I’m expecting our third child. We still do not know if it will be another boy or a girl. My due date is the 4th of October. Due to this fact I’ve been a little slower than normal. I’ve had my high energy days and no energy days (Ha!!!), but Praise the Lord I have been well so far.  As the weeks go by I get a little slower but I’m sure it’s all to be expected and within the normal. Plans are for us to fly out to Boa Vista on the 20th of September, so we
will have a few days to get everything ready for the baby’s arrival
sometime around the beginning of October. We are so glad that João’s mother will be flying up from central Brazil to be with us during the time we are out. She will be a big help with the baby, the boys and just a blessing to have her with us.

Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support of our
ministry! God bless each of you! You are each a very important part of
our ministry!

Because of Jesus,

João, Hope, Nathan, Ryan & Baby

 

(UPDATE)

João Rodrigues [mailto:joao_rodrigues@ntm.org]
Enviada em: Monday, August 22, 2011 7:28 PM
Para: Grace Fread
Assunto: Rodrigues Newsletter

Dear Friends,

As you can see it's been a few days since I wrote this Newsletter. Sorry /it'staken me so long to get it out. I hope there is still a bit of
extra news maybe you hadn't heard of earlier. João made it back safely from Barcelos one day earlier than expected. It was a pleasant surprise!!  We have a little less than a month to go to Boa Vista to get ready for the baby's arrival.

Hope you are all well!!

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