Dan and Gillian Shoemaker - Serving and Trusting

This last 3 months has been a blend of quiet time with the Lord and travel time across Canada and the USA. We have heard so many stories of God’s incredible provision, His healing power and the fantastic things happening within our many church families. It is at times like this we are thankful for the opportunities to share about our time in Haiti. Haiti is still close to our hearts. As we embark on new beginnings we look back with fondness at the many people we have met, things we have learned and the many fulfilling years in Haiti. Life is full of joyful uncertainty and expectancy! We have traveled to attend planning sessions and work with OMS International (USA and Canada) to arrange for our next country of service. There have been many details to coordinate and being able to be home in Canada for a three month home assignment to prepare for the next chapter has been a blessing. We are excited to announce that we are going to join friends and fellow missionaries Jim and Theresa White in the Dominican Republic. Jim and Theresa’s ministry is called Sharing the Vision and it is their passion and calling to minister to Haitians, Dominicans and expatriates (Foreign workers) in the Dominican Rep (DR). The vision God has given the Whites is to evangelize, make disciples, seek the truth, and share with the Body of Christ the importance of walking and living in a close personal love relationship with Jesus. Jim teaches about God's desire for an intimate relationship with His children. Our goal is to work alongside them while gleaning from their knowledge and experience. It is an excellent chance to have hands on training and input in pastoral and leadership teaching seminars, encouraging Haitian churches in the batays (poor villages), construction of the new discipleship training center, administration, Bible studies, +++ . The plan for the next year will be to remain OMS missionaries and be seconded; a mission term for lending or partnering with another mission who has a common vision of service. This is a door that God has opened and as we walk through it we will continue to pray for our Haitian friends and families in Christ. We know God is in control and although we miss the lively worship services in Creole we know God closes some doors and leaves others open. Haiti is not a closed door and we are thankful for all of you that have been praying for us. For this time, we couldn’t be happier at having a chance to work with Jim and Theresa. We are so thankful for your patience and prayers as we walked through the process and worked out the details. For those of you who are partnered financially with us- nothing has changed. We are still OMS missionaries. Our OMS Canada office will still be managing and accounting for all our needs. As we reflect on our Christian walk with God, we often hear ourselves say, “Who would have guessed!” With our hands clenched tightly to the coat tails of Christ, we walk on in breathless expectation. We are still in Canada completing our three-month home assignment and then it will off to Sharing the Vision in the Dominican Republic on July 14th. Praise the Lord! Once again our blog will be updated with testimonies, revelations and inspirations. Follow along and keep in touch. Your testimonies and God moment stories encourage us. That’s what makes us a team… staying united. We can’t wait to hear from you! Grateful to be His heir, Dan and Gill Shoemaker

I have it all planned out, plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on Me, when you come and pray to Me, I'll listen. When you come looking for Me, you'll find Me. Yes, when you get serious about finding Me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed. Jeremiah 29 v 11-14 The Message. Our last three weeks in North America has been a whirlwind of love and reconnecting with our family in Christ. We are currently on a 3-month homeland assignment under the blessing of OMS Canada. We have had time to reflect on our journey of the last 9 years and the passion we have in our hearts for Haiti. We have enjoyed time with family, friends, supporters and most of all with the Lord. It was during our time of sitting at the cross that we have been taught to be patient as we wait upon the Lord; to see how He will work in us and through us. What an incredible God we serve! In North American culture waiting and not having a plan can be perceived as a “lack of direction” but we are clear that our future is being revealed in His time. Dan and I are enjoying our time of unhurried devotions, a deeper study of the scriptures, considering where we are going and realizing the blessing that we are on the same page. We are thankful for your support in prayer as we look into the opportunities ahead to further our knowledge and opporunities for evangelism, discipleship and all that God has called us to do. Please join with us in prayer for the OMS-Haiti field and our national leaders. Our burden for Haiti and the Haitian people still burns in our hearts each day. Your family in Christ, Dan and Gill

It was almost 9 years ago that we stepped off the plane... a family with hopes and hearts for Haiti. We have been blessed beyond our wildest imaginations. We have more friends than we can count and memories to last a life time...like the one's of playing cards with the visiting teams till past curfew; Jake getting his drivers license under the name Jack Choomaker and sleeping in a mud hut in the mountains and worshiping in the clouds... literally. God has been so generous! We are now on route back Canada and will meet with our Canadian and US offices over the next month. We will be praying for God's plan and His timing for our next assignment. It is all so exciting! We have two suitcases to carry and actually had a hard time filling them. If we took out some books and paperwork we could probably have left with two back packs. We don't see in the Bible where Jesus carried a suitcase! The best part is that we have only one purpose to our day... to wait upon the Lord. He promises to renew our strength and lead us to paths that are right for the good of His Name. Anticipation! New Beginnings! God's best for us and His kingdom! WOW! Follow our journey... ><> ><> ><>

There just isn't anything that God doesn't know. He not only knows us; He knows our needs long before we are aware of them. We realize, too, that everything that comes has first come through His loving hands before it touches us. Ephesians 3:20 -God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within. (The Message) It is His faithfulness that has brought us through the last eight years in Haiti. When we arrived we knew little of God’s plan for us and as newbie’s with two young boys in tow, we prayed that God could use our hands for His work here in Haiti. As time has gone by, the boys have grown into men and have lives of their own, and our lives have been enriched beyond our wildest dreams. It is with excitement that we have watched many construction projects finished, the Emmaus Seminary project now almost complete and Starfish Kids was a gift that we could never have imagined. We have learned the measure of success for a missionary is being able to teach and mentor nationals to a level of independence. It is with this favor that God has blessed Starfish Kids. He has allowed His ministry to grow and to minister to over 7000 children every day under the watchful eyes of the Emmaus Pastors and especially Madame Jonathon and Pastor Miguelson in the day to day works. It has been a blessing and an honor to see this ministry thrive alongside these gifted, passionate co-workers. Now as we see it, there is a season for everything and our time in Haiti is slowly coming to an end. We always had a plan to grow old in Haiti and God may still have that for us. OMS-Canada has released us to return to Canada to consider new opportunities. The direction for our future, we will always place in His hands. It is exciting and sad all at the same time, as we say goodbye to a family of friends that we have laughed with, cried with, worshipped with, prayed with, celebrated with, and grown with. We will be packing up and saying our good byes over the next month. Who could have known how God was going to use us. The construction of the Emmaus Seminary will continue as teams come to put on the finishing touches. It will be 95% done at the end of March! Starfish Kids has two great leaders who are trained and capable to carry on. Please pray for the transition for these ministries. We are so grateful for your support, prayers, friendship and respect over the years. We ask you to travel along with us as we take this new step of faith. We have been able to accomplish what God called us to do, because of each of you. We are humbled by the opportunities that lie ahead and rest in the peace that He stirs us and fills us, His spirit working deeply and gently within.

Life in Haiti continues at a fast pace- construction and Starfish Kids. It is Mardi Gras weekend- Saturday through Tuesday. We have decided to slip away to the Dominican Republic... a fast 4 hour trip on a brand new coach bus and a new road from Cap Haitien to the boarder and on to Santiago. Good friends, Jim and Teresa, have an awesome discipleship ministry here. We have been in the Word for hours. Amongst many things, we have studied John 17- Jesus prayer to His Father about His “oneness” with his Father and our oneness with Him. We are all ONE! OH, and the glory this brings to God! We ask ourselves if we are praying enough? and reading the word enough? but to be one with God is to not know where He stops and we start. Lace your fingers together in a fist as tight as you can. Be one with God and we will read just enough and pray just enough. Be one with God and we will have His peace and His provision +++. What an awesome gift to receive through salvation- a relationship through belief, obedience and love. We feel we are growing in the Lord and look forward to more:)