The Power of the Human

In economies and societies as mechanized as those of North America, we often forget what the power of the human can achieve.  Juice comes squeezed, pasteurized and pre-packaged in the refrigerator-section of the supermarket.  French fries come peeled, precut and frozen in large bags in the freezer aisle.  Car washes churn out clean cars with a mechanical hum every minute.  But in Haiti, with its high cost of materials and low cost of labor, the "power of human" holds sway.  You need french fries?  Hire a guy like this one above to peel and cut your potatoes by hand.  When I saw this man's labor, I was reminded that we Americans, with our reliance on machines and our short attention-spans, could never summon the energy and perseverance to peel an entire box of potatoes like this one.  The power of the human is one of the things we will miss when we leave Haiti.

Segaar-King March Update

Dear Friends and Family:

In times of transition, people often quote Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you . . . ”  This declaration, recorded to encourage the exiles of Judah living in Babylon, reminds us that God watches, cares for and plans to bless his people in whatever circumstances they find themselves.  In June our circumstances will be changing drastically.  Zach has been appointed as the Director of the yet-unnamed New Missions Agency (NMA) of the Christian Reformed Church, pending the approval of the Synod of the CRC in June.  Among other things, this means twelve challenging but rewarding years of service in Christ’s name with the Haitian people are coming to an end.  Living and serving in Haiti is full of irony.  At the end of many days, packing up and going home sounds really good.  On the other hand, some of our most rewarding experiences of walking in faith with the Spirit have happened in Haiti.  Strangely, in God’s Kingdom what we suffer for most dearly is often what we come to treasure the best.  Though it will be hard to leave this struggling but endearing country, we are confident that the next step is God’s will for our family.    

As Please join us in giving thanks for:

-Safe travel to, from, and within Haiti for our many visiting teams in February and March.  Teams from Alto (MI), Grand Rapids (MI), Rochester (NY), and Brampton (ON) enjoyed serving and learning in Haiti.

-Safe travel for Zach to various interviews and team meetings in the US, Canada and Latin America.

-Gregory Paultre’s two-and-a-half years of service to Sous Espwa as Constituency Bridger.  Gregory is leaving our team on March 31 for another job.  Pray that we can find Greg’s successor.

-The Consortium for the Reinforcement of Christian Education (CRECH), our Haitian partner in developing Christian schools, has finally found a piece of property for their office.  Pray that God will make it possible for the organization to make a permanent home for their ministry.

Please join us in praying for:

-The Zuiderveens (our new missionary family) and their transition to CRWM’s work in Haiti.  The Zuiderveens signed-on expecting that we would be in Haiti.  Now that we are leaving to serve in the leadership of the CRC’s NMA, the Zuiderveens are going to have a very steep learning curve.

-The Segaar-King family’s transition to Grand Rapids, MI.  Our children’s view on leaving Haiti oscillates between excitement and anxiety.  Pray that we will transition well and that we can surmount logistic hurdles like finding a house, a car, furniture, etc.

-Our Sous Espwa Spiritual Retreat in April.  Team building and renewal depend on an encounter with God’s grace during this important weekend activity.

They Said It Couldn't Be Done

Perched high above the brackish waters of Lakes Azuei and Enriquillo and adjacent to the mountaintops of Haiti’s Central Plateau, Granbwa must be one of the most isolated settlements in the Caribbean.  With no road from the Haitian side, Granbwa can really only be reliably accessed from the Domincan Republic.  When the CRC of Haiti approached Zach about a church construction project he was understandably concerned.  But the CRC of Haiti insisted and SONBEAM International and Lakeside CRC jumped at the chance to partner with local volunteers to realize the construction of a new church building.  The logistics of the project soon unraveled, and donkeys, horses, and people were enlisted to haul building materials and water from the Dominican Republic and the deep ravines surrounding the church.  During one trip to Granbwa, Pastor Eli, one of the foreman working on the project, fell off a motorcycle in rough terrain and hurt his leg.  Despite nearly giving up several times, the leadership and volunteers of the CRC of Haiti and the Granbwa church finally completed the project.  Humans, however, can’t take credit.  Success was nothing short of a God-given miracle.  Thanks for your prayers.

Both terrible (in its isolation)  and beautiful, the view from the Granbwa Church knows few equals.  Pastor Eli and  local volunteers prepare to pour the roof.

The Best Investment of All

Our New Missionary Orientation Group meeting on the Segaar-King's balcony.  Picture by Cara DeHaan.

New missionary participants appreciated participating in our pilot group.

Everyone who has gone to Sunday School knows that Jesus and Paul had disciples like Peter, John, James, Timothy, Titus, Silas, etc.  Was there a deeper reason why Jesus and Paul chose to invest in training others while doing ministry?  We think so!  Last year as we were praying about the possible transition of our family back to North America, God convicted us that we needed to translate all our struggles and learnings in Haiti into a participative training that we could offer to new missionaries.  Zach and Assembly of God missionary Dan Carl both felt called to lead such a group.  Dan and Zach know from experience that many new missionaries step off the plane with no plan or intention to seek out orientation to ministry in Haiti.  Those who do get orientation often receive a generic introduction to cross-cultural ministry before arrival and little thereafter.  Dan and Zach took six months to put flesh on a Haiti-specific orientation to missions addressing personal spiritual growth, self-care, interpersonal relationships, money, conflict, and many other key issues.  Zach and Dan took turns hosting the training on Sunday evenings for a group of eight to ten new missionaries for eleven weeks.  The group finished in January and Dan and Zach are already planning for the next new missionary orientation group which will be co-lead by a veteran Southern Baptist missionary couple.  It was a huge blessing to co-lead with Dan who has a wealth of experience, education, and passion for missions.  While Zach was developing his portion of the material he was often surprised by the great and sometimes painful lessons in leadership and ministry God has taught us during our twelve years in Haiti.  Please pray that our new missionary orientation group will continue to bless families and individuals who are coming to Haiti for the first time.  There is no better investment in God’s kingdom than to make disciples—something Paul and Jesus understood well.