Segaar-King October Update

Deforestation and problems with land management have made the productive areas of Haiti much less so and the moderately productive areas (such as pictured above) almost completely useless for food production.

Dear Friends and Family:

Greetings from Haiti.  As the seasons change in North America, we are reminded to give thanks to God for harvest and shelter as we confront the beginning of a long, cold winter.  In Haiti, of course, there is almost no difference between seasons.  Unbearably hot gives way to uncomfortably hot.  However, in Haiti, we always give thanks for food.  Based on calories consumed, Haiti is consistently among one the ten hungriest countries in the world.  While there are many reasons for this, most of them are human-caused.  Injustice, inefficiency, lack of productivity and environmental degradation can be reversed when hearts and minds acknowledge the principles God has established for good and bountiful living.  While you give thanks this fall around your Thanksgiving tables, pray that the Gospel would turn Haiti from a land of want to a land of abundance.

Please join us in giving thanks for:

1.   A return to health.  In October we were slammed by a second strain of Dengue Fever (there are five).  Vivian missed two weeks of school. 

2.   A successful three days of Timothy Leadership Training.  We trained 60 participants, twenty of whom were new to the training.

3.   The seminary of the CRC of Haiti restarted again in October after a year’s closure because of conflict.  It was wonderful to start teaching Old and New Testament to the students again.

4.   Successful elections in Haiti on October 25.  These were the calmest and most orderly in a decade!  The final round of elections are set for December 27 (the run-off election for the president).

Please join us in prayer for:

1.   God to provide a new missionary family to come to Haiti.  While the need is critical, we have a prospective candidate!  Pray that God will guide the process.

2.   The creation of a new Christian Worldview training that we hope will address some of the social and family issues that make Haiti a land of hunger.

3.   Safe travel for Zach in November.  He will be going to Guatemala to learn more about urban ministry.

Thanks for your prayers and support,

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

Missionaries to Haiti through Christian Reformed World Missions 

A Bittersweet Moment

Graduates sing in honor of one of their professors who lost his life days before the graduation.

In Haiti it often feels like some of the greatest successes come at times of greatest frustration or heartache.  Last summer Zachary attended the graduation ceremony for a group of teachers and school administrators that participated in a several-year-long training program put on by the Consortium for the Reinforcement of Christian Education (CRECH).  This training program, supported by CRWM-Haiti, aims to make Christian educators more effective in the classroom.  Several weeks before the graduation ceremony, one of the program's trainers was abducted in Carrefour, a suburb of Port-au-Prince long troubled by crime.  During these weeks, the professor's students prayed unceasingly for his safe return.  For reasons no human being will ever understand, these prayers were not answered.  In the day preceding the ceremony, the body of this trainer was found.  As can be imagined, the graduation ceremony was very emotional.  While giving thanks for the successful completion of the training, many of the students lamented the loss of a beloved educator and friend.  It was touching to see just how influential this educator was as many graduates recounted how much they had learned from him.  We were reminded of the Apostle Paul's battle with God over the "thorn in his flesh" (2 Cor. 12).  While we don't know what troubled Paul, we know that he repeatedly and at length pleaded with God for its removal (12:8).  God's response was not to answer Paul's prayer, but rather to tell him, "My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness" (12:9).  We don't know why God permitted this gifted educator to be lost, but Zachary saw evidence that God had used him in a powerful way to change the lives of a group of teachers and principles who will never forget his Christian witness.

One's Civic Duty

Campaign posters plastered over the side of cargo container with a goat on the hood of a car looking on. 

In Haiti October 25, 2015, is a day set aside for what Haitians call "devwa sivik nou" or "our civic duty."  The uninitiated in Haitian culture might understand this phrase to refer to picking up trash on the roadside or raking some leaves in the public park.  For a Haitian, however, this phrase refers to voting.  Today Haiti held its first round of presidential elections and second round of legislative elections.  The first round legislative elections held back in August garnered less that a 20% turn-out from all eligible voters.  It seems that Haitians are understandably cynical about the possibility that any particular candidate might turn out to be a conscientious and effective leader.  Many (if not most) Americans and Canadians often feel the same way about their own officials.  For this reason, most Haitians will not perform "their civic duty" on October 25.
In order to combat this cynicism about voting, we offered a bible study called "Choosing Good Leaders" which presented the biblical discussion of principles of choosing leaders.  Unfortunately, for the reason stated above, this bible study has had a hard time getting traction.  Many in Haiti just believe that they are condemned to have corrupt and self-serving leadership in government and business.  With one final presidential run-off election scheduled just after Christmas, we still have two months to promote "Choosing Good Leaders."  Pray that we will be successful in encouraging Haitian Christians to do "their civic duty."
On a positive note, it seems that today's elections were, for the most part, peaceful and successful.  Our neighborhood in Port-au-Prince was eerily quiet.  It will be some weeks before the votes are counted and we really know the results of the election.  Thanks for your prayers.

Guess What's on the Hood of Your Car?

One thing about living in Haiti--there is no end to the surprises.  Normally, one would expect to find a cat or possibly a pigeon resting on top of one's car.  However, in Haiti, the animals which can use your car to roost can be much larger.  Upon arriving at our office this week, we were surprised to find one of the local goats resting on the hood of a a public-transportation truck.  Imagine parking your nice clean car and coming out only to find it covered with hoof-shaped dents, round brown pellets, and one very crabby goat.  Ah....life in Haiti.

Segaar-King September Ministry Report

Dear Friends and Family:

Greetings from Haiti.  For many months we have asked for your prayers for the Christian Reformed Church of Haiti (CRCH), the Haitian denomination that we have worked closely with for the last ten years.  Since last fall the denominational administration of the CRCH has been closed because of a conflict between key leaders.  In September and October dormant ministries of the CRCH will restart, Lord willing.  During the last few days of September, Sharon has again begun mentoring women’s ministry leaders from the CRCH.  Next week the CRCH will restart the theological education program as well.  Of course, there are still many issues to resolve.  But we give thanks to God for some significant evidence of improvement.

Please join us in giving thanks for:

1.   Healing for our colleague Fevrier Cherubin who was nearly electrocuted in August.  Fevrier is back in the office and working on youth ministry projects.

2.   Zachary survived his second bout of Dengue Fever, a viral mosquito-borne illness that can be particularly painful and fatiguing. 

3.   Sharon’s opportunity to begin working with the women’s ministry of the CRCH.  There is much to do after a year of inactivity.

4.   Zach submitted his entire 420 page dissertation for evaluation in September!

Our colleague Fevrier Cheribin a few weeks before being nearly electrocuted in his home when he plugged in his computer.  Many people die from electric shock in Haiti because homes are not wired with a ground.

Please join us in prayer for:

1.   A three-day-long session of Timothy Leadership Training which will happen October14-16.  Pray that God will send willing participants.

2.   The theological training session that will occur the 6^th-8^th of October.  We will be teaching on the Gospels and the Pentateuch.

3.   Safety during the elections scheduled for October 25.  In addition to the second round of parliamentary elections, Haitians will vote for a new president.

4.   Wisdom as we make decisions about projects and visiting teams this coming winter.