"But as for you, continue in what you have learned..."

Sometimes you just have to put one foot in front of the other in order to walk in God's will. This was Paul's advice to his disciple, Timothy, whom he was mentoring for ministry: "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." This advice has been very important for us in our work with Timothy Leadership Training (TLT), an informal leadership training method we have been successfully using in Haiti for the last two years. What makes TLT unique is that it insists on an "Action Plan," which is a practical plan of how participants will use what they have learned in their life and ministry. As TLT facilitators, we have long witnessed how TLT separates those who seriously want to grow in their life and ministry from those who just want to get a "certificate" showing that they have attending a training event. Those who want to grow actually do their Action Plan! But it has not been easy to see so many promising leaders who come only for the certificate (which, unfortunately for such persons, can only be awarded to those who complete their Action Plans) fall out of the training. However, we are reminded from Jesus' Parable of the Sower that when the seed does fall on good ground, it can yield thirty, sixty or even one hundred-fold (Matthew 13). What is required is that we, as TLT facilitators, do what Paul told Timothy to do: "Continue in what you have learned..." It is just these times that the Spirit blesses us in unexpected ways. By the way, the picture above is Zach getting his TLT "Master Trainer" certificate (at the recent TLT conference in Houston, TX) after finally completing his Action Plan!

Segaar-King January Update

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer” (Rom. 12:12). This was the advice Paul gave to the Church of Rome, a community that in a few short years after his letter was received would be the center of much persecution and suffering for the young Christian community. In fact, according to the tradition of the early church, both the Apostle Paul and Peter would be martyred in Rome. So what secret allowed Paul to be joyful in hard times? He recognized that underneath the pains and challenges of this life, there was a new life in Christ, growing more beautiful every day, until it was fully revealed at the end of all things. Our prayer for you and for ourselves is that this new life is revealed more and more so that we may find joy in the challenges of life.
Please join us in praying for:
1. Healing for our children who have been suffering a number of respiratory and ear infections the last few weeks. Vivian has developed a serious case of illness-induced asthma which we hope will be under control before we leave for Haiti next week.
2. Grace and rest as we try to pull together all the loose ends from these past six months of time in the United States before we head to Haiti.
3. Continued healing for Sharon. It has become apparent that she has a rotator cuff (shoulder) injury still from her Sept. 2011 vehicle accident that may not heal on its own. Unfortunately, we are out of time for further medical interventions. Please pray that she can maintain good use of her arm until we can consult a specialist on another trip.
Please join us in giving thanks for:
1. A successful six months of visiting our supporters, churches and family. We are humbled by your generosity, encouragement and prayers for us. Thanks to many of you who came to our open house on Jan. 21. We truly feel like we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses which urges us on to continue proclaiming our faith in Jesus Christ. Thanks for your encouragement and faithfulness!
2. A successful trip to Houston where Zach completed the third level of Timothy Leadership Training (an inductive bible study method of training). Pray for Jenny LeMaheiu and David Maisonneuve who are in Port-au-Paix, Haiti, for a Timothy training event this week.
3. Great opportunities to learn and grow the last six months of our home-service in Michigan. We are returning to Haiti with some good ideas and exciting plans for the future.
FOR MORE PICTURES, STORIES, AND INFORMATION ABOUT OUR MINISTRY AND FAMILY, PLEASE SEE OUR BLOG AT segaarking.blogspot.com
Thanks for your prayers and support,
Zachary, Sharon, Hannah, Isaiah, Vivian and Esther Segaar-King
Missionaries to Haiti
Christian Reformed World Missions

What We've Been Up to the Last Six Months

The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Rome, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” This encouraging triad has a powerful meaning for us. We will be returning to Haiti on February 10. The purpose of our last six months in the United States is twofold: to give a report of our ministry to our supporters and to prepare ourselves for the years of ministry to come. Every Sunday and many times throughout the week we have been sharing our ministry with churches and individuals. The second aspect, preparation, consumes quite a bit of time as well. Our family has had to work in three years’ worth of doctor’s appointments. Zachary and Sharon have been taking classes and doing continuing education projects (Sharon took a class in Old Testament and Zachary began a Ph. D. in Biblical Studies at the Free University of Amsterdam). We also enjoyed a “pastor’s tour” to Israel and the West Bank to visit the Biblical sites. In the course of our last six months, there have been some surprises too, like Sharon’s car accident in September and the resulting months of physical therapy.
When we return to Haiti we will launch ourselves back into the ministry and our children will return to Quisqueya Christian School in the middle of the school year. Please pray for the adjustments that will have to take place. We are looking forward to focus even more on training and developing Haitian leaders who will press the claims of Christ’s kingdom throughout their society and nation. There will be a lot of repairs and logistics to be handled which have been piling up the last six months of our absence. We know that our first few months back in Haiti will require a huge amount of patience and prayer!
What about the future of our work in Haiti? Paul’s injunction to be joyful in hope is very applicable. So many people ask us, “Will Haiti ever change?” The answer is, “Yes!” We know that God is raising up people to be witnesses of the Gospel in Haiti. We also know that we have a role in preparing those people for that important task. It has been our experience in Haiti that being witnesses of the Gospel is a challenging (but rewarding) task. What is needed? Three things: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.” Hope in a future filled with God’s grace. Be patient in a present where our faith is being tested. In all things, cry out to our Father in Heaven who hears our prayers and responds to all our needs.

Segaar-King December Update

Dear Friends and Family:

We hope that you had a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year! We have had a busy Christmas, but we give thanks for the opportunity to spend time with friends and family and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Please join us in giving thanks for:
-Continued progress in Sharon’s healing as she receives physical therapy.
-Zach’s acceptance into a Ph.D. program in New Testament at the Free University of Amsterdam. We are thankful that we will be able to continue to uphold our position in Haiti while Zach will be able to work on his dissertation part-time!
-SON-BEAM International’s agreement to generously fund the Viladewoz church construction project. We hope that work can begin January or February.

Please join us in praying for:
-An abundance of patience and God’s grace as we prepare to return to Haiti on Feb. 10. Please pray especially for our children to have a smooth transition from one school to the next in the middle of a school year.
-Successful visits to our final four churches in January.
-God’s guidance for the Pérspectives Reformées (Reformed Perspectives) ministry as it seeks direction and leadership after the departure of a key Haitian leader.