Ministry of Reconciliation--Our Job?

Studies say that people are more afraid of public speaking than of death itself.  In our experience, there is one thing people are even more afraid of than death and public speaking:  resolving conflict.  Conflict is a constant in human relationships, whether in marriage, family, work, church and community.  Most people realize that conflict is not necessarily bad and can often lead to stronger relationships and better communication.  But often, conflict leads to hurt feelings, anger and eventually alienation.  That is why Paul charges his fellow Christians with the “ministry of reconciliation”: “All of this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18).  Recently Sharon applied for and was awarded a grant from World Renew to put together a seminar on conflict resolution with the help of a Canadian organization called FaithCARE which will be sending trainers to Haiti in April to help us put on a conflict resolution conference for the Haitian organizations that we partner with.  Also, we will have time as a ministry team to learn about healthy conflict resolution practices. Conflict is one of the primary ways our sinful nature and Satan himself destroys organizations, communities and families.  Please pray that our team members and ministry partners will set aside time out of their busy schedules to attend the conference in April.  Pray that discussions will be frank and gracious.  Most of all, pray that we would be faithful “ministers of reconciliation.”  It’s our job!

 

Sharon has been working to develop opportunities for our team and ministry partners to resolve conflict in a God-honoring way.

 

Segaar-King February Update

March, 2013

Dear Friends and Family:

The last several weeks have had some ups and downs.  On Feb. 12 Zach flew back to Grand Rapids to see a corneal specialist (an ophthalmologist that specializes in the treatment of the cornea, or outer part of the eye).  Zach had been having problems with the vision in his left eye since December of 2012 when he had an infection.  The diagnosis was that Zach was still suffering from inflammation in his cornea resulting from an infection that was not completely resolved.  Zach received a new schedule of treatment and was told that it would take several months to fully regain his vision.  In the meantime, Sharon, who was recovering from pneumonia, took care of things at home along with teaching several classes (on the Minor Prophets and the Ten Commandments).  We give thanks to God that Zach was able to return on Feb. 24 (Sharon’s birthday).  Though Zach’s vision has improved, it still has a long way to go.  Please continue praying that God would heal this vision problem!

Please join us in giving thanks for:
-A successful training event held in February on the Minor Prophets and the Ten Commandments.  The students seemed very engaged!
-Successful training event held in February for Timothy Leadership participants who are facilitating TLT groups in their churches and communities.
-A good visit for Zach’s parents and sister who came to Haiti in February.  It was the first time Zach’s sister had ever been to Haiti.
-Safe travels to and from the US and some improvement in Zach’s eye condition in February.

 Please pray for:

-A safe and profitable visit to Haiti by Faith Christian Reformed Church of Holland, MI.  Faith will be coming at the end of March for a week-long service and learning visit.
-Good health for our family and healing for Zach’s eye.  At times, Zach’s eye problem has made it very difficult to use the computer and drive.
-A friend of ours named Kesnel Ady who is one of the foremen of the Jacquet church construction project.  He had a bout of dangerously high blood-pressure and has taken time off the project.
-Our three-year-old daughter Esther who has been sick the last three days with a high fever.

Thanks for your prayers and support,

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

Missionaries to Haiti

Christian Reformed World Missions

Check Out This Video

Dear Friends and Family:

We know that many people today enjoy seeing videos of our work in Haiti and scenes of daily life.  Recently we created a video for one of our supporting churches which described life in Haiti and also our work.  The video itself is around 4 minutes long.  Unfortunately, the file was too large to send by e-mail so we uploaded it on You-Tube (Google's video website).  If you would like to see the video, please click on the link below.  We think that you will enjoy it as it shows another side of Haiti you wouldn't get to see unless you visited!

Thanks,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vli52ucJzcg&feature=youtu.be

Special Prayer Request

Greetings! 

 

We want to communicate an item of prayer to you. Last week Zach took a flight to Grand Rapids, MI, to see a specialist for his left eye. Last December, Zach had an infection in his eye. After successfully treating the infection, Zach’s vision began to deteriorate. At one point he was diagnosed with an inflammation of the inner eye (anterior uveitis). After treating that problem, it became apparent that Zach had some damage to the cornea of the left eye (the outer layer of the eye). Despite the best efforts of our ophthalmologist in Haiti (who was very good), Zach was recommended to see a corneal specialist in the US for further treatment. Last week, Zach went to the specialist and is being treated for an ongoing infection of the cornea. The prognosis is good for complete healing, but it will take several months. Lord willing, Zach will be in Michigan for several weeks and will return to Haiti as soon as his eye shows clear signs of improvement. Please pray for healing for Zach’s eye. Also remember Sharon and the kids who are going to manage in Haiti on their own. Pray for safety, health, patience and no major breakdowns of car, generator, or other important items until Zach can return! Also, pray for Sharon as she will be teaching Christian Ethics and the Minor Prophets on her own this week.

Thanks!