Segaar-King April Update

Dear Friends and Family:

We pray that in Christ you are all well.  This morning while I (Sharon) was thinking, I sang the words of Psalm 34:19: “The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all” (NIV)”  We juggle many activities and ministries like balls in the air.  But then challenges like blackouts and electrical fires (both of which we are having) make things even harder to juggle.  However, God reaches out His hand to help us juggle. Jesus states, ^“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30 KJV).   We pray that all of you who feel burdened from juggling so much can find rest and peace in the Lord.

What we need God’s help juggling:

-Our kids are well overall and we are trying to finish the school year in Haiti strong on May 28.  When vacation begins, we will be juggling a three-month-long summer break since school starts in Michigan at the end of August where we will be for home service.

-Though our family is basically healthy, we are juggling Esther’s persistent cold/cough for several weeks. 

-Ministry needs are piling up.  We are negotiating annual contracts and ministry plans with our partners (a huge job).  Next week Zach will do a Timothy Leadership Training (TLT) conference. Recently, a group of people who are being trained in TLT went evangelizing for several days and reported thirteen people converted to Christ. 

-Problems: Blackouts (43 out of every 48 hours without electricity), increasingly aggressive boys demanding money on the streets, an outbreak of Chikungunya Fever (we call it “Chimichunga Fever”), a dengue-like illness which causes high fever, fatigue and body pains (in addition to a craving for Mexican food—just kidding) for several weeks.

-Perspectives Reformees Pastor’s Conference at the end of May

What God has been juggling for us:

 -A successful supervisory visit from CRWM’s Regional Leader for Latin America and the International Director.  Big changes are coming with the departure of several colleagues.

-Zach is successfully teaching in a new theological training program with our partner, the Center for Integrated Christian Development.  We will do more theological training with the CRC of Haiti in May.

-The construction of the Savannette Church has successfully finished.  Next up is the Savann Plat Church.

Thanks for your prayers and support,

Zachary, Sharon, Hannah, Isaiah, Vivian and Esther Segaar-King

Missionaries to Haiti

Christian Reformed World Missions

 

On the central plaza of Port-au-Prince, new government buildings arise behind the famous statue of the Run-Away Slave.  Most of the government buildings including the National Palace and the Parliament Building were destroyed four-and-a-half years ago.