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Haiti Field Team
Benjamin Altema, Haiti Field Director
Benjamin is leading RMI's multi-cultural leadership team as Haiti Field Director. He has proven his leadership capability as he has worked his way up these last 12 years from starting out ministering with teams, to being in charge of RMI’s Haitian staff, to the Director of Haiti Field Operations and now to lead the entire field, both US missionary and Haitian staff.
Benjamin grew up in Les Cayes near the mission center. He and his family have been friends of RMI for many, many years. His mother worked for RMI co-founders, Herb and Shirley Shoemaker, for 10 years while they served in Haiti, and eventually, years later, worked for RMI and Dan and Debbie Shoemaker for 25 years. In his university years, he occasionally worked for RMI in various capacities. He graduated from the American University of Cayes in 2006 with a degree in the Science of Agriculture and Environment. In January of 2007 Benjamin joined the staff of RMI full-time. He married his wife, Lucette, in 2010 and they have 4 boys.
Support Benjamin by giving HERE | Benjamin's Facebook | Email Benjamin
Benjamin is leading RMI's multi-cultural leadership team as Haiti Field Director. He has proven his leadership capability as he has worked his way up these last 12 years from starting out ministering with teams, to being in charge of RMI’s Haitian staff, to the Director of Haiti Field Operations and now to lead the entire field, both US missionary and Haitian staff.
Benjamin grew up in Les Cayes near the mission center. He and his family have been friends of RMI for many, many years. His mother worked for RMI co-founders, Herb and Shirley Shoemaker, for 10 years while they served in Haiti, and eventually, years later, worked for RMI and Dan and Debbie Shoemaker for 25 years. In his university years, he occasionally worked for RMI in various capacities. He graduated from the American University of Cayes in 2006 with a degree in the Science of Agriculture and Environment. In January of 2007 Benjamin joined the staff of RMI full-time. He married his wife, Lucette, in 2010 and they have 4 boys.
Support Benjamin by giving HERE | Benjamin's Facebook | Email Benjamin
Benson Joseph, Director of Haiti Field Operations
Benson has been on staff since 2002. He started as a mechanic and worked his way up to vehicle manager, translator, administrative assistant, supervising Hope for Kidz as well as Food for Health and projects. As Director of Haiti Field Operations, he is responsible for the oversight of all RMI programs. He is also spearheading RMI's SunTech Program that provides solar systems for churches and schools. He designs and supervises the installation of these projects. Benson married Denise in 2010. He and Denise have 3 children.
Support Benson by giving HERE | Benson's Facebook | Email Benson
Benson has been on staff since 2002. He started as a mechanic and worked his way up to vehicle manager, translator, administrative assistant, supervising Hope for Kidz as well as Food for Health and projects. As Director of Haiti Field Operations, he is responsible for the oversight of all RMI programs. He is also spearheading RMI's SunTech Program that provides solar systems for churches and schools. He designs and supervises the installation of these projects. Benson married Denise in 2010. He and Denise have 3 children.
Support Benson by giving HERE | Benson's Facebook | Email Benson
Tessa Andrews, Missionary
Tessa has lived in Haiti since the fall of 2018 and transitioned to RMI in the fall of 2019, ministering as a teacher. In 2020, she transitioned to working full-time in the RMI office with the Hope for Kidz Program.
She travels with the Hope for Kidz team to take the annual photos, gather the kids profiles, help the kids with thank you letters to their sponsors and give out gifts that sponsors have sent. She translates thank you letters and letters sent from sponsors as well as translates and edits all Hope for Kidz videos. Tessa helps the team with editing annual pictures and updating their system on the information of the children in the program. She also teaches English to the RMI staff in 3 levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
Tessa shares..."It is a blessing to be able to work with our wonderful Hope for Kid team and impact the lives of Haiti's children. Every day is a new adventure and a new day to spread God's love. Getting to witness the way that these children are ministered to is something I will never forget".
Support Tessa | Tessa's Facebook | Email Tessa
Tessa has lived in Haiti since the fall of 2018 and transitioned to RMI in the fall of 2019, ministering as a teacher. In 2020, she transitioned to working full-time in the RMI office with the Hope for Kidz Program.
She travels with the Hope for Kidz team to take the annual photos, gather the kids profiles, help the kids with thank you letters to their sponsors and give out gifts that sponsors have sent. She translates thank you letters and letters sent from sponsors as well as translates and edits all Hope for Kidz videos. Tessa helps the team with editing annual pictures and updating their system on the information of the children in the program. She also teaches English to the RMI staff in 3 levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
Tessa shares..."It is a blessing to be able to work with our wonderful Hope for Kid team and impact the lives of Haiti's children. Every day is a new adventure and a new day to spread God's love. Getting to witness the way that these children are ministered to is something I will never forget".
Support Tessa | Tessa's Facebook | Email Tessa
John Penfold, Missionary Appointee
John is a native of northern Michigan and attends Walloon Lake Community Church, who is a C3 partner church. He has been serving in the church as a photo and video journalist since 2015. John's first visit to Haiti was in 2016 with a group from Walloon Church when they visited their Sister Church in Desriveaux. He fell in love with the Haitian people and returned to Haiti in 2017 and 2019. He loves the Sister Church model of RMI that allows an ongoing collaborative relationship between the churches of Haiti and the churches of the U.S., together making disciples of Jesus Christ. John feels God's call on his life to serve as a full-time missionary, using photos and videos to tell the story of God's work in Haiti. To prepare, he has already been using the Pimsleur app for the past three years to get a head start on learning Haitian Creole and French. John enjoys photography, video editing, reading history and biographies, playing guitar and ukulele as well as playing tennis and pickleball. He treasures his time with his mom, 5 brothers, 4 sisters, and a few dozen nieces & nephews.
Support John | John's Facebook | Email John
John is a native of northern Michigan and attends Walloon Lake Community Church, who is a C3 partner church. He has been serving in the church as a photo and video journalist since 2015. John's first visit to Haiti was in 2016 with a group from Walloon Church when they visited their Sister Church in Desriveaux. He fell in love with the Haitian people and returned to Haiti in 2017 and 2019. He loves the Sister Church model of RMI that allows an ongoing collaborative relationship between the churches of Haiti and the churches of the U.S., together making disciples of Jesus Christ. John feels God's call on his life to serve as a full-time missionary, using photos and videos to tell the story of God's work in Haiti. To prepare, he has already been using the Pimsleur app for the past three years to get a head start on learning Haitian Creole and French. John enjoys photography, video editing, reading history and biographies, playing guitar and ukulele as well as playing tennis and pickleball. He treasures his time with his mom, 5 brothers, 4 sisters, and a few dozen nieces & nephews.
Support John | John's Facebook | Email John
Jim and April Starkey, Missionary
Jim & April Starkey have lived in Les Cayes, Haiti since August of 2019. Jim heads up the internet division, making sure all the organizations & ministries on the mission center, where RMI is headquartered, have internet to do their work. He is a part of RMI's SunTech team that installs solar panels for churches, schools, & other organizations. This allows them to be able to reach their community more and be together for longer periods of time as a church family or school, due to having solar power. Jim also goes out with the C3 partnership teams when possible. In addition to all of this, he is a part of the field photojournalist team. April is part of RMI's field photojournalist team that goes out and captures all that RMI is doing, to bring the updates and stories to our C3 partnerships in the states. Besides taking photos and videos, she edits and produces the videos. April also homeschools their three boys, Isaac, Micaiah and Zeke. Jim and April are originally from Ohio. They have been married since May of 2005 and are high school sweethearts. As a family, they love the outdoors, hiking, adventure and exploring God's beautiful creation.
Support Jim and April | Starkey's website and blog | Jim's Facebook | April's Facebook | Email Jim | Email April
Jim & April Starkey have lived in Les Cayes, Haiti since August of 2019. Jim heads up the internet division, making sure all the organizations & ministries on the mission center, where RMI is headquartered, have internet to do their work. He is a part of RMI's SunTech team that installs solar panels for churches, schools, & other organizations. This allows them to be able to reach their community more and be together for longer periods of time as a church family or school, due to having solar power. Jim also goes out with the C3 partnership teams when possible. In addition to all of this, he is a part of the field photojournalist team. April is part of RMI's field photojournalist team that goes out and captures all that RMI is doing, to bring the updates and stories to our C3 partnerships in the states. Besides taking photos and videos, she edits and produces the videos. April also homeschools their three boys, Isaac, Micaiah and Zeke. Jim and April are originally from Ohio. They have been married since May of 2005 and are high school sweethearts. As a family, they love the outdoors, hiking, adventure and exploring God's beautiful creation.
Support Jim and April | Starkey's website and blog | Jim's Facebook | April's Facebook | Email Jim | Email April
Andrew and Dawn (Shoemaker) Tlucek, C3 Coordinator, Photojournalist
A third generation missionary on both sides of the family, Dawn knew she wanted to be a missionary since she was a young girl growing up in Haiti as a missionary kid. In going to Haiti, she literally went back to the land of her birth. She joined the RMI team in April 2018. Dawn helps teams coordinate their trips to Haiti to visit their C3 partner churches, helps host the teams at the Zanglais Ministry Center, accompanies teams to their Sister Churches, and is on the field photojournalist team.
Andrew spent his early years growing up on his family's farm in Idaho. His parents went to Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 2006 as missionaries and he spent his high school years there. He felt God calling him to return to Haiti as a missionary and spent his college years preparing for that. His Master's and Doctoral programs have also been aimed at that same passion. How God brought Andrew and Dawn together is a Hallmark-worthy story. They were married in 2021. Andrew joined RMI and after their honeymoon, they went right into deputation to raise a married couple's support (Dawn was supported as a single missionary). They went to the field as a married couple in October of 2021. Andrew is a part of the field photojournalist team. He is finishing writing his doctoral thesis, he will be helping RMI in a variety of ways. One way is collecting data for a couple of research projects as well helping with teams.
Layton joined their family June 15, 2023.
Support Andrew and Dawn | Dawn's website | Andrew's Facebook | Dawn's Ministry Facebook | Dawn's Facebook | Email Andrew | Email Dawn
A third generation missionary on both sides of the family, Dawn knew she wanted to be a missionary since she was a young girl growing up in Haiti as a missionary kid. In going to Haiti, she literally went back to the land of her birth. She joined the RMI team in April 2018. Dawn helps teams coordinate their trips to Haiti to visit their C3 partner churches, helps host the teams at the Zanglais Ministry Center, accompanies teams to their Sister Churches, and is on the field photojournalist team.
Andrew spent his early years growing up on his family's farm in Idaho. His parents went to Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 2006 as missionaries and he spent his high school years there. He felt God calling him to return to Haiti as a missionary and spent his college years preparing for that. His Master's and Doctoral programs have also been aimed at that same passion. How God brought Andrew and Dawn together is a Hallmark-worthy story. They were married in 2021. Andrew joined RMI and after their honeymoon, they went right into deputation to raise a married couple's support (Dawn was supported as a single missionary). They went to the field as a married couple in October of 2021. Andrew is a part of the field photojournalist team. He is finishing writing his doctoral thesis, he will be helping RMI in a variety of ways. One way is collecting data for a couple of research projects as well helping with teams.
Layton joined their family June 15, 2023.
Support Andrew and Dawn | Dawn's website | Andrew's Facebook | Dawn's Ministry Facebook | Dawn's Facebook | Email Andrew | Email Dawn
Haitian Staff
We have 30+ national team members in Haiti. They fill a wide variety of positions from administration to partnership facilitators, mechanics, cooks, translators and chauffeurs. Each is a valuable part of our team and competently serve the Lord and RMI.
Support our Haitian staff HERE
Support our Haitian staff HERE
