This spring has been a busy one, but it has been so good to be able to spend time with teams, family, and friends. RMI has had a very busy team schedule since the first week of the year. So far, we have had two breaks (two weeks each) when there were no teams on the ground here in Haiti. Those weeks were also busy with preparing for the next teams and taking some much needed break time with our families. Following are some of our favorite pictures of the events of the last few months.
This is how we roll here in Haiti . . . on this particular morning, Josiah and I went to the local grocery store for a bag of sugar and while we were there, why not refill our soda stock for the next few months, right:)
Lee went out with a team from Calvary Bible Church in the Reading, PA area to visit their sister church in Vieux Borg, Haiti. The above picture is their greeting party as they approached the church. The Haitian people do an incredible job of going above and beyond in making teams feel accepted, loved, and valued as they come to serve Christ among them.
Perguens is one of the RMI staff who makes things happen . . . in this picture, he is checking the health of a goat that is about to be given to a child. RMI sister churches from the states purchase goats to be given to children in their sister churches in Haiti. A simple goat can be a guarantee of education for a child here in Haiti. Perguens is the coordinator of this program and follows up with the goats and their owners for a year after the goat has been given to them. The first baby goat that is born is given to someone else who is in need and then the following babies born are a way for the child to earn the money for his/her school tuition, uniforms, books, and school supplies.
Perguens, Manno, and Frantz, three of our partnership facilitators (translators and ministry coordinators for our teams) lead in worship with the Calvary/Vieux Borg churches. RMI has an incredibly talented Haitian staff who are really the hands and feet of all that we do here in Haiti. We are so blessed to be able to work alongside of them to minister the truth of the gospel.
A typical school classroom in Vieux Borg.
Calvary Bible from Reading, PA and some of the children they ministered to on their trip.
Daniel and Josiah keep themselves pretty busy around the missionary community. They are often busy with anything from fixing computers and printers to trimming trees. On this particular morning, while Lee was doing orientation with a team, Daniel and Josiah decided to transplant a palm tree at the Zanglais Ministry Center.
At the end of March, we were invited to join the Thompson family (our field directors) on a camping trip to celebrate their son, Drew’s eleventh birthday. We started at the RMI ministry center with two Haitian guides and their donkeys (who carried most of our supplies). From there, we took a three hour hike up into the mountains behind the ministry center. It was a challenge for the older ones of us, but was well worth the workout when we reached the campsite that gave us a beautiful view of southern Haiti.
After our arrival at the campsite, we had lunch and a brief rest before Lee and the kids headed out to get us water from a fresh water spring.
Lee, Daniel, and Josiah return with the water in tow.
Talk about the beauty of God’s creation . . . we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful spot to camp . . . with the exception of desiring a few more shade trees. Some people are never happy, right. :)
Lee and Rob enjoying the view of southern Haiti.
One of the favorite activites was the campfire that we built and enjoyed boxed mac and cheese, hotdogs, and smores over. And yes, it did get cold enough that evening that we went for our long sleeves and jackets . . . it was heavenly!!!
Before we hiked back down the mountain the next afternoon, we snapped this picture of the seven kids. Drew (the birthday boy) is in the bright blue shirt, Tessa is in the pink, and Braden Thompson is in the gray and green. You can see in the background that the clouds were low that morning. We had a great time of celebrating Drew’s birthday and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation with the Thompsons.
On April 1, my (Tina) parents came for their first visit to Haiti. They spent two weeks with us, experiencing life in Haiti. We took some time out while they were here to go to a nice restaurant in Port Salut, Haiti for a meal of chicken, lobster, bannann peze (fried plantain), pikliz (hot and spicy coleslaw-like condiment), rice and beans. We also enjoyed a great time at the beach in the afternoon.
The boys enjoyed being thrown around in the ocean water with the beautiful Haitian landscape in the background.
Isaac decided that since he couldn’t be making snow angels this year, he would make some sand angels instead.
Thanks to the help of his older brothers, Nathan was eaten by a sand shark. This time with my parents was a great opportunity for us to share our life here in Haiti and reconnect with home a little bit.
I can hardly make a blogpost without sharing this picture of Tobi enjoying his first taste of Fun Dips candy.
I also felt a need to share this picture of a typical day at the Nunemaker house, as the boys and their friends from the missionary community play WII U together. Yes, they continue to get their fair share, and then some, of video games.
Thank you to each one of you who makes it possible for us to continue our ministry here. We are so very blessed by your financial support of us, as well as your prayers, notes of encouragement, and care packages.
