Blog

  Ministry is moving forward in the DR.  The Starkeys are starting school and getting settled before welcoming a medical team from Beacon Evangelical Free Church (NJ) October 9-16.  Medical teams are exciting.  They partner with Dr. Milton, a Dominican doctor.  He operates these clinics free of charge for Haitians who live in the area.  The Starkeys will arrange room and board for the team as well as transportation and translators. The Tluceks are interviewing for future staff.  They need a competent person to care for the kids so Dawn can be fully involved in the ministry.  As well as committed translators. In the spring, Andrew was asked by our Dominican partners, the CBD, to teach 2 sessions (1.5 hours each) at their 8-week-long missions and discipleship conference.  It was held on the weekends and was well attended. Andrew shared that if God called them and they were committed, they

Tis the Season for missionary furloughs to end.  Everyone is back on the field.  They are settling in for another season of ministry.  Pray for each of them – they need clarity of thought and direction as they go about their respective ministries.  Pray that the time at home will have been refreshing and that they feel renewed as they face life in third-world countries.  Pray for the kids – that they will look forward to school.  Layton Tlucek will be starting school for the first.  Pray for everyone’s health and safety.  Sometimes being in a third-world country presents challenges when even the simplest illness or injury happens, and medical facilities are not readily available. Keep up to date on them through their Facebook pages. Tessa Andrews Jim Starkey Andrew Tlucek

  The Bayou Church of Lafayette, Louisiana, hadn’t been able to visit their C3 partner church in Petit Trou, Haiti, in a number of years, yet they knew that their heart’s desire and a real need was to have a new sanctuary.  Their old one was just that, very old, crumbling, and too small to accommodate the needs of their growing congregation. The Bayou raised the funds, the plans were drawn up, and construction was started.  All of it took time.  I’m sure they must have become impatient as the building took shape.  The decision was made to finish as much as possible and to hold their annual district-wide convention there.  [MEBSH, our Haitian national partners, has their ministry divided into regions and districts, and Petit Trou is the head of their district.  MEBSH has an annual convention, attended by 8-10,000 of their congregations.  Since not everyone can attend the

Technology today is nowhere near what it used to be.  In the past, to get any statistical data, we had to manually track sources, compile information, and do our best to put some pizzazz into the insanely boring spreadsheet-style reports.  Now, with a few simple prompts, we can ask AI to prepare it for us.  Check out this flyer! Our Hope for Kidz program has been operating since 1999 and has grown significantly over the years.  With support from our US church partners and individual donors, we have impacted the lives of so many.  But we must keep up with the times!  What is the best way to get our program in front of new donors and new churches?  Do we use Facebook? Instagram?  How do we connect with the largest audience?  It starts with one.  One sponsor, one conversation, one referral, one voice. Would you be that voice?  Would

What do you suppose the hope for Kidz kids are doing? For many, life and chores go on as usual, though they miss the hot meal they used to receive at school.  For some who have been living with a family just to attend school, it’s the chance to go home for a couple of months.  Usually by the end of August, they are all ready for classes to start.  Pray for these kids that they will have a fun and safe summer.

A number of our pastors lost their homes in the 2021 earthquake.  Their most urgent desire was to get their sanctuaries repaired, leaving their homes to last.  One such situation was the Pederin church.  The pastor has been without a home for 5 years.  Their Sister Church, Creekside Community Church (Gainesville, FL) saw his need and was able to raise the funds to rebuild his house.  Here’s how the house is doing so far:

Tis the Season for missionary furloughs. Every year, missionaries take the opportunity of the end of the school year to return to their home areas to visit supporters. This year, Tessa Andrews is home in northern Florida.  Every Sunday, she is in a different church, sharing about her ministry in Haiti.  You can contact her at tessa.andrews@rmibridge.org to find out her schedule.   The Starkey family is in their home area of Ohio.  They are speaking in several churches, sharing about their ministry in the Dominican Republic.  Their support is very low, so please pray that God would raise up new supporters to meet their needs.  They are thankful that several of the boys have been able to attend camp.  You can reach them at jim.starkey@rmibridge.org.     The Tluceks hadn’t planned to be in the States, since they’d just arrived on the field at the end of December; however,

Praise God, we were able to purchase a new 60KW generator capable of powering the welding shop, the mechanic shop, the conference room, and the RMI office. The Haiti team purchased it locally, and it’s already being delivered. It will be a great help because the smaller one that finally quit wasn’t quite up to the full scope of tasks this generator can handle. Please see this link for pictures and video. Thank you!

Beacon EFC has partnered with the MEBSH Church of Morency, Haiti since 2015. Like many church partners, we planned to return multiple times over the last few years, only to face heartbreaking cancellations. Recently, however, thanks to the stability in the southern part of the country, we were finally able to return. What an amazing reunion it was! The direct flight from Florida to Les Cayes felt almost magical. By bypassing Port-au-Prince entirely, there was no hint of insecurity, no stressful transfers, and no long bus rides. It was an absolute dream. Upon arrival, we had a brief visit with RMI before heading to the Zanglais Ministry Center. If you’ve ever been there, you know exactly what a few hours in that beautiful space can do for your spirit! Ministry and Connection in Morency The following day, we arrived in Morency to a vibrant welcoming parade. With branches waving, voices

The Pledge Collective initiative to support VISION | NEXT is in full swing.  Emails have been sent.  Letters in the mail have been received.  Please join us by pledging, giving, and praying for the Lord to move his people.  As of June 5th, we have raised $288,771 toward our goal.

What is it?                             Through the waves, over land, through gang-infested roads, somehow God brought this container of food from the port in Northern Haiti to RMI’s headquarters in Southern Haiti.  What an answer to prayer!  Children’s lunches are now guaranteed!

You’re Invited to Join Us! Visit Haiti or the DR with Rob Thompson or Dan Shoemaker. Yes, with one of us! We’re planning a trip, but we’d love a team to join us. Come to the DR to minister and explore future ministry opportunities. Come to Haiti to reconnect, to minister, and to explore future ministry opportunities. Request a Trip Date to let us know you’re interested! Sept. 11-16, 2026 (DR and Haiti) Oct. 2-7, 2026 (DR) Nov. 6-11, 2026 (Haiti ONLY) …or Request Your Own Date

Yes, Haiti has a flag day.  It is regarded as a major holiday in the Haitian calendar.  Every May 18 you will see Haitian flags everywhere.  There are parades and services.  Haitians are very proud of their flag and their national identity.  May 18, 2026, is the 223rd anniversary of the Haitian Flag, a powerful symbol of their freedom, resilience, and unity as a people. [By the way, June 14 is American flag day.]