New Mission Agency Finally Has a Name

Dear Friends and Family:

Many of you know that Zach has been appointed to be the first director of the "New Mission Agency," the combining of Christian Reformed Home Missions and World Missions.  This decision has to ratified by the Synod of the Christian Reformed Church which is meeting in a few weeks in Palos Heights, Illinois (near Chicago).  There has been another major development in the New Mission Agency--a name has been chosen by various boards of the CRC.  The New Mission Agency of the CRC will be called Resonate Global Mission (http://network.crcna.org/global-mission/new-mission-agency-behind-new-name).  Like Zach's candidacy, the new name needs to be ratified by Synod as well.  As you can imagine, this is a time of great excitement and anxiety among the missionaries and staff of the New Mission Agency.  Please pray that God will guide the mission ministry of the CRC both domestically and around the world.  Zach will be participating in Synod beginning June 9.  The ratification of both Zach as director and the new name will happen on Wednesday, June 14, Lord willing.  Please pray that God will give Zach the right words to encourage the CRC and promote the vision of mission that God is developing in the New Mission Agency.   Most of all, please pray that God will guide the mission ministry of the CRC both domestically and around the world.

A Grace-Filled Pause

Our Sous Espwa Team Group Photo

Sharon helped to organize the 2017 Spiritual Retreat led by Seminarian Cara DeHaan.

One of the final tasks left for us in Haiti was to organize the 2017 Sous Espwa Retreat.  Sous Espwa is the collaboration in Haiti of three denominational agencies of the Christian Reformed Church, World Renew, Christian Reformed World Missions, and Back to God Ministries International.  A huge part of our ministry over the last twelve years has been managing and encouraging that collaboration.  At times this aspect of our work has felt like a burden as the cultures and visions of these three agencies seem very different.  Other times, facilitating the collaboration of Sous Espwa has been a huge blessing as we see how each agency compliments the others in developing a holistic Christian worldview among the Haitians with whom we work.  Our final Sous Espwa Retreat was definitely a blessing. We enjoyed seeing the families of Sous Espwa staff members get to know each other and build on a shared experience of growing in Christ.  One lesson that we will carry away from Haiti is that time spent building a team is always time well-spent--especially when that time is spent reflecting on Christ and his blessings.  Cara DeHaan, our recent Calvin Seminary intern, returned to Haiti for a week to lead our retreat as a speaker and musician along with her husband, Dave and three children.  Thanks for your work, DeHaan family!  You led us in a brief but grace-filled pause.

What God Is Doing in Pignon

The calm before the storm: The beautiful view climbing up on Haiti's Central Plateau early in the morning.

By the time we got down into the Plateau, the rain was falling in sheets.

The mountain outside of Pignon during a brief, dry moment.

The leaders working with MCD in Pignon.

Zach's last trip to Haitian countryside was to Pignon, a small town in northern Haiti.  Pignon also happens to be the first place where the Christian Reformed Church worked in Haiti.  In the mid-seventies and eighties Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) started agricultural work in this area.  Many of the first CRC staff to serve in Haiti lived in and around Pignon, and some local Haitians still remember their names.  Later, in the late eighties, CRWM began training church leaders through the John Calvin Bible Institute.  Pignon was also one of the first training sites chosen for this work, which eventually became known as "The Ministry for Christian Development" (MCD).  Today, MCD supervises the work of both CRWM and World Renew (formerly CRWRC) in Pignon.  During our trip to Pignon, we filmed a new promotional video which will be completed and posted to Youtube sometime in June.

We are excited about the work in Pignon.  We visited with a number of deacons, pastors, and other church leaders who are making a difference in Pignon because of their faith in Christ.  In addition to the growth of the churches partnering with MCD, the leaders have built latrines, tree nurseries for reforestation, and even a home for a widow in the area.  On a lighter note--it rained during the whole trip to Pignon, making some of the thickest and slipperiest mud Zach has ever traversed.  At one point, the muddy water was so deep that it gushed in our car and submerged the seat belt tensioners, causing them to become locked.  Traveling is never simple in Haiti!

Segaar-King May Update

Dear Friends and Family:

As the time draws near for our family to leave behind the country and people that have nurtured us during the last twelve years, our days are full of business and emotion.  Last week we wrapped up the last two projects remaining.  The first was our team Spiritual Retreat.  Sharon has worked tirelessly to grow our team spiritually during our tenure in Haiti and the annual Retreat has been a big part of that.  The second activity was our combined agency video (one video presenting the work of World Renew, World Missions, and Back to God Ministries in Haiti) which was done in Pignon, Haiti.  Both the Spiritual Retreat and the video are great opportunities to see what God has been doing in and through the Sous Espwa team.  It has been a great blessing to serve with a committed team of Christians who have dedicated themselves to seeing the Haitian church and Haitian communities grow and thrive.

Please join us in giving thanks for:

-A successful conclusion to the Zuiderveens’ language learning.  They are back with us in Port-au-Prince for a time of orientation.

 -A successful trip to Pignon, Haiti in a driving rainstorm.  Zach boldly (or fool-heartedly) pushed through some of the thickest and slickest mud he has traversed in years to make sure our combined agency video could be a success.  Hopefully the video will be posted on Youtube in June.

-A great Spiritual Retreat for our Sous Espwa team.  Cara DeHaan, our friend and seminary intern, returned to Haiti to lead us in reflecting on God’s grace.

-Our children are successfully enrolled in Grand Rapids Christian Schools next fall.  The pieces of the next stage of our life and ministry are coming together.

Please join us in praying for:

-Strength for the transition.  We are feeling tired and feeling torn between the massive logistical effort of leaving and our desire to encourage our Haitian colleagues who will continue serving God here in our absence.

-Wisdom to know how to spend the short time we have left in Haiti.

-Our colleagues who will have to decide what changes to make in the structure and functioning of our team for the future.

-Our CRWM employee, Fevrier Cherubin, whose wife is pregnant and living in Georgia.  The distance will be difficult for them.

Thanks for your prayers and support,

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

Missionaries to Haiti through Christian Reformed World Missions