Segaar-King October Update

Dear Friends and Family:
Our prayers go out to all of those affected on the East Coast affected by Hurricane Sandy. Very little discussion has made the press in the US, Canada and Europe about Sandy's first victim, Haiti. Sandy basically passed in between Jamaica and Haiti on October 24. Although Sandy didn't score a direct hit on Haiti, it rained almost non-stop for three days straight throughout the entire country. On Oct. 24-25, 300 millimeters of rain fell in Port-au-Prince (12 inches) and probably another three inches fell on October 26. This unbelievable amount of rain caused massive flooding, over 50 deaths, 300 homes destroyed (plus over 1000 makeshift shelters still remaining from the 2010 earthquake), and 10,000 people made homeless. It is being claimed that in the southeastern area of Haiti, seventy percent of harvest was destroyed by Sandy's torrential rains. The destruction comes after eight months of severe drought. In the end, we realize that like the wise man who built his house on the rock, only our obedience to and trust in God can keep us solidly planted in times of natural disaster. When you pray for the people of New Jersey and New York, don't forget to pray for the people of Haiti as well. Since Sandy's destruction in Haiti was not reported in the press, there will likely be no appeal for relief funds from international relief organizations and no opportunity to give to this need in Haiti.

Zach congratulates a graduate from the first level of our Timothy training.

Please join us in giving thanks for:
-Safety for our family and colleagues during Hurricane Sandy. Sandy is the second hurricane in as many months to strike Haiti (the first was Irene). Much damage has been done, but we realize things could have been worse.

-Success for our Timothy Leadership Training event held 24-26 October. Hurricane Sandy struck on the 24th, but, by God’s grace, we were able to successfully complete the training despite torrential downpours. Please see our blog for more details. -Success for our recent conference in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic). We brought together twenty-five Haitians and Dominicans to discuss our mutual ministry challenges and possibilities for collaboration.
-We successfully received two groups visiting groups. The first was from Lakeside CRC of Alto, Michigan. The second was a group of pastors from Holland and Zealand, Michigan. Both groups left energized for the work here.
Please pray for:
-Zach’s trip to Amsterdam to continue his doctoral studies in New Testament. Pray that Sharon and the kids will be in good health and that no major breakdowns will occur with home or vehicle in Zach’s absence.
-The upcoming Spiritual Retreat for the Sous Espwa Haiti team. Sharon has been responsible for the planning of this important event. Pray that our team will be renewed for ministry!
-An upcoming seminar that Sharon will be doing on the Poetic Books of the Old Testament (Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes) while Zach is in Amsterdam.
-Success in the reconciling some of our ministry partners and colleagues. We are often cast into the role of mediators whenever a conflict comes up. We need the Spirit’s wisdom to handle these situations.