Choosing Good Leaders By Ruth Van Dam (Timothy Leadership Training Coordinator for Haiti)

March 2015 Church and Mission Leaders discuss "Choosing Good Leaders" as a potential to impact Haiti's elections.

Presidential elections occur every five years in Haiti and in October of this year, the election is scheduled to take place. Church leaders are searching for ways to help their members understand how they can be involved in the process, what relevant questions to ask, and by what criteria good leaders are to be chosen.  

Timothy Leadership Training developed a manual, called "Choosing Good Leaders" that seeks to guide church leaders and Christians through the electoral process. A number of Christian leaders have recently been introduced to the manual and their enthusiasm grew rapidly as they discussed the impact this training could have on their country. Things must happen quickly as the timeline for effectiveness is short. Church leaders are anxious to get this material in their hands and begin training their members.

The primary elections will take place already on August 9. Two-thirds of the thirty Senators and all ninety-nine members of the Chamber of Deputies are up for election. The presidential, local and municipal elections will be held on October 25. If necessary, the presidential run-off will take place on December 27.

TLTI along with Haiti's Area Training Committee have put together a plan to reach thousands of people across the country in a timely and effective manner.

·         A brochure describing the material along with an invitation to the main church and mission groups for a two-day intensive training on both the "Choosing Good Leaders" material and the methodology of TLT will be produced.

·         Two intensive days of training for influential church and mission leaders will be held in Port-au-Prince.

·         5,000 copies of "Choosing Good Leaders" will be produced and ready for these church and mission leaders.

·         Church and mission leaders will put in their order to produce more of the material to be used across the country.

We are asking for a gift of $5,000 to cover the cost of producing the first 5,000 manuals. Would you consider giving towards this grassroots vision that could impact the entire country of Haiti for the glory of God and the growth of His Kingdom? Please pray that God will work mightily through this material and the leaders whose hearts have been burdened to help their people.  Please contact Zach if you are interested in supporting this project!

Good News--Elections Coming to Haiti!

There is some good news to report about Haiti.  The President, Michel Martelly, has organized and publicized dates for the upcoming elections in Haiti.  Parliamentary elections are planned for August 9 and the presidential elections will happen on October 25.  It has been over four years since the last election and the terms of nearly all Haitian political figures had expired, leading to the disbanding of Haiti's parliament.  This in turn led to many demonstrations last fall (2014) and during the winter of this year.  It will be difficult, as always, to hold elections in Haiti's overcrowded urban areas and remote rural villages (see above).  However, the publication of these dates are a good first step in calming Haiti.  In fact, since the publication of these dates in March, there have been few demonstrations and the political parties are now going about the business of raising support for their candidates.  Please pray this fall and summer that these dates would be respected and that the election would be free and fair.

Work and Play

The canals of Amsterdam with the "South Church" in the background.

The heart of Amsterdam's Old City

We were a little too earlier for the blooming of Netherlands' famous tulip gardens.  There were still plenty of daffodils and crocuses though!

For the last for years that Zach has been working on his Ph,D. in New Testament at the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam.  During that time, Sharon has grumbled a bit.  It was unfair that Zach, who has not a drop of Dutch blood in his veins, has spent a few weeks in the Netherlands every year since 2011, while she, who is entirely of Dutch origin, has never visited the Netherlands at all.  Well, this spring Sharon finally got her chance.  Zach left for the Netherlands in March to go over several chapters with his Ph.D. supervisor.  Sharon came a week later and spent eight days enjoying the country where her grandparents immigrated from.  Ironically, during all his visits, Zach had never played the part of tourist since his visits have been entirely consumed by work. This time, we both had a chance to see a little bit of the country.  In fact, our visit to the Netherlands was in celebration of our fifteenth wedding anniversary which will be on May 20, 2015.  It was wonderful to celebrate God's faithfulness to our family while getting a little break from our children who stayed back with friends and grandparents in Michigan.  One of the high points was a visit to the home of Ad and Coby de Blaeij, our former colleagues who lived in Haiti nearly thirty years.  It was great to see the de Blaeijs flourishing in their own country again.  During our visit, Zach submitted the final chapter of his Ph.D.  The plan is to spend the final weeks of study leave before returning to Haiti on June 8 doing revisions.  Lord willing, Zach may graduate in the spring of 2016.

Segaar-King March Ministry Update

Dear Friends and Family,

In the hours before Jesus’ arrest, he led his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.  Despite his admonitions to prepare themselves for the coming trial, Jesus’ trusted friends fell asleep—not once, not twice, but three times.  In contrast, Jesus pours out his soul before his Father.  However, in all his prayers, Jesus remained committed to his Father’s will. As we meditate on the meaning of Good Friday and Easter, God calls us to prepare ourselves to follow him to Golgotha, the place of suffering.  Though Christ’s power in us, miraculous things can happen....when we pray and watch with Jesus.

Please join us in giving thanks for:

-A seminar in Haiti at the end of March for the development of a new material on Christian worldview (see attached newsletter).

-Sharon’s completion of her chaplaincy internship at Pine Rest.  In the coming weeks she will be preparing our family to go back to Haiti.

-The completion of the final chapter in the first draft of Zach’s Ph.D. thesis on the origins of mission in the New Testament.  Revision will happen in the coming six weeks.

-The conclusion of a season of visiting teams for the Haiti field.  Our next group will be in June (from Cascade and Thornapple Churches).

Please join us in praying for these requests:

-Continued prayer for denominational leadership of the Christian Reformed Church of Haiti.  Pray that God will bring reconciliation to struggling leaders.

-Recruitment of new international staff for World Renew and World Missions.  Pray that God will bring the right people to our team in the next few months.

-Preparations for our return to Haiti in June.

-Peace and stability in Haiti as its leaders try to schedule and prepare for elections that are four years late.

We would like to show our thanks for your support by inviting you to an OPEN-HOUSE on SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2015, at FULLER AVENUE CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH (1239 Fuller Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506) FROM 2:00 TO 4:30 P.M.

Thanks for your prayers and support,

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

Missionaries to Haiti through Christian Reformed World Missions 

Sabba....what?

One of the main buildings at the Free-University of Amsterdam where Zach is an independent researching working on his New Testament dissertation.  He has been spending about ten days there every year since 2011.

It's official.  After nearly ten years of working with Christian Reformed World Missions, we have begun three months of sabbatical.  Most people probably don't know what a sabbatical is, though they might guess it is related to the biblical word, "sabbath" or "day of rest."  A sabbatical is a time study dedicated completely to professional and spiritual growth.  It isn't a vacation, though it often has a completely different rhythm focused on contemplation and learning.  Zach's sabbatical is to try to complete, as far as possible, his Ph.D. dissertation on New Testament missions that he started back in 2011.  On March 21 Zach will be leaving for the Netherlands for a week to get feedback from his supervisor on the last few chapters he has written.  Sharon's sabbatical has been focused on pastoral care training as she has been serving as a volunteer chaplain at a West-Michigan mental-health hospital.  She has been encouraging and praying with people who are passing through some of the most difficult times of their lives.  Zach and Sharon are looking forward to taking a week of vacation together in the Netherlands while the kids stay home with the grandparents.  We hope that these sabbatical experiences will give us renewed wisdom and grace to continue our ministry in Haiti when we return in early June.

One Word that Makes a Difference

Here is a word that makes a difference: "worldview."  A worldview is our basic outlook on life that answers the BIG questions like "who am I?," "what is the purpose of my life?," "what will happen after I die?" and "who is God?"  Even if we haven't answered these questions consciously, our subconscious view about them guides our daily activities and choices.  These questions get to the very heart of what in means to be a human being and a believer in Christ.   From March 25 to 29 a group of Haitians and North Americans we be holding a study-group in Port-au-Prince to develop a new Timothy Leadership Training manual on worldview.  Although many of TLT materials we use address issues of worldview in a more piecemeal way, we look forward to having a material to address this pressing subject fully.  Many recognize today that a non-Christian worldview is one of the biggest things holding back the Gospel from permeating domains like business and government that have long resisted Christian values.  Please that a basic outline of the worldview material can come out of our study group!

On another note, many changes have been happening with Timothy Training since we have been on home-service.  Our former colleague, Ruth Van Dam, has been hired by the TLT International (based in the US) to develop a relationship directly with the TLT coordination team in Haiti.  Pray that God will bless this opportunity.

Pastor Harold Kallemyn, who Zach originally invited to introduce TLT to Haiti in 2009, will return to help with our study-group on worldview.

Segaar-King February Ministry Report

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings!  Between our arrival in Haiti on August 21, 2014 and Sunday, February 22, 2015, we have been busy visiting you, our support network.  You have received us well in our treks from Minnesota to Ontario to Illinois (though most of the time we have been in West Michigan).  We would like to show our thanks by inviting you to an OPEN-HOUSE on SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2015, at FULLER AVENUE CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH (1239 Fuller Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506) FROM 2:00 TO 4:30 P.M.  We will have snacks and authentic Haitian coffee (if Zach can keep from drinking it all before then).

Please join us in giving thanks for:

 -A successful surgery for Isaiah to remove several moles.  Now he just has to be patient and take it easy for several weeks.

-The dedication of the Ministry for Christian Development’s new Conference Center planned for March 7.  In addition to the Haitian construction crew, many Service and Learning teams have been putting the finishing touches on the building this winter.

 -A safe trip to 1^st CRC of Kingston, ON, in February for our last supporting church visit despite a terrible snowstorm and some bad colds.

-Your generous support and hospitable welcome for us during our six months of home-service.

Please join us in praying for these requests:

-The denominational leadership of the Christian Reformed Church of Haiti.  Despite some progress around Christmas, the national leadership conflict that has delayed many of our projects continues.  Pray that God will bring reconciliation and healing to all those involved.

-Recruitment of new international staff for World Renew and World Missions.  Pray that God will bring the right people to our team in the next few months.

-A productive trip to Amsterdam in March to confer with Zach’s Ph.D. supervisor.  Sharon will be joining Zach in Amsterdam for a week of vacation as well.

-The final weeks of Sharon’s chaplaincy internship in March.  She has a lot of papers to write!

-Peace and stability in Haiti as its leaders try to schedule and prepare for elections that are four years late.

Thanks for your prayers and support,

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

Missionaries to Haiti through Christian Reformed World Missions