Preaching In Haiti

Communicating to others in a different language can be a challenge, particularly with the use of a translator. Having done this for a number of years now, particularly when preaching, I thought it might be interesting if you haven't experienced this to see how this works. 

This was from the Sunday service at Patmos Baptist Church, Duvivier, Haiti, on November 22, 2015. Pastor Riccardo St. Gelus is translating into Haitian Creole and it is using the microphone so it is much easier to hear him (you may need to turn up the volume to hear this in English). It is kind of fun getting into the cadence of the communication process.

Thoughts On Missions (By Carrie)

Thoughts on missions.... From the time Reid was a teenager, he has had a passion for missions. As for me, it has slowly been developing over the years, and only in the last several years have I had much involvement with missions, other than supporting a few missionary friends. But the more I work with ARM Ministries, and the more Reid is involved with missions through our church and our relationship with Pastor Riccardo in Haiti, the more I am excited to see what God is doing around the world. And the more I want to be a part of it.

Reid and I also feel that it is important to instill a heart for missions in our children. Whether that means they eventually support other missionaries financially, enjoy short term missions or become missionaries themselves, we feel that it is important for them to experience missions even now through supporting others, praying for missionaries, and taking part in mission trips.

For example, two years ago we took our family along with a group from church to Indian Bible College in Arizona. The kids were 9, 11, 13 and 15. Cameron was old enough to help with much of the physical labor involved in fixing up the students’ dorm and parking area. The girls helped with some bush trimming, and were part of the kitchen crew -  doing dishes, wiping counters, chopping food, and just generally being a breath of fresh air for the workers. (Even young children can have a significant role on a mission team! :) )

And last summer, Cameron was able to go to Haiti with Reid to help Pastor Riccardo begin preparations for new ministry opportunities at a new location in the mountains. (You can read more about that on the GBC Haiti website listed below.)

(Sorry it's blurry!)

This coming summer, we have the amazing opportunity to take our whole family on a mission trip to Haiti with a group from our church. It’s a perfect time - Cameron is still at home for one last summer, and Natalie and Rosalie are old enough to handle the long trip, help with Vacation Bible School, and manage the heat and discomfort we may experience while there. (And Katie has just been waiting for this chance since Reid and I went 3 years ago. :) )

As you can imagine, it will be quite expensive for all six of us to go. The plane tickets are the majority of the expense. It just so happens that we have enough air miles to buy 4 tickets all the way to Haiti and back. That cuts our costs tremendously, but we still will need to pay for two more tickets, food while we are there, and to help offset some of the other costs. We will be camping, so there is no cost for lodging. Would you please pray with us that God would supply our every need? And if you are able, would you consider supporting our trip financially? A recent comment made by an ARM missionary supporter struck a cord with Reid and me. She said "Thank you for your service to our 'fingers' in other lands!" Perhaps you would consider being our ‘hands’ - sending us with prayer and support - as we six Kisling fingers head to Haiti to share the gospel with people who have not heard the good news of Jesus.

If you would like to contribute to our trip, here is the website http://haiti.gbcnewberg.org/. It currently has a post about a previous trip, and about plans for our next trip. The donation "thermometer" was for the last trip, so just disregard that. :) If donating through paypal, you are able to specify who the gift goes to once you pass the initial "amount and credit card information" page, or after you log in. Your prayers are coveted as we embark on this amazing journey as a family!

Want to Come with Us to Haiti?

We are planning another trip to Haiti this summer, sponsored by Grace Baptist Church in Newberg, OR. However, we would be happy to have others participate with us as we seek to expand the relationships with Pastor Riccardo St. Gelus and his ministry there. The dates of the trip, June 21-29, were selected so they are after school is out for the summer to allow for participating by as many people as possible. Carrie and I are hoping to take our whole family!

The focus of this trip will be a Kid's Camp (aka, vacation Bible school in the US) and evangelistic meetings in the evenings for others in the area. We will be traveling through Port au Prince but the majority of our time will be spent at property up in the mountains near the city of Saut d'Eau (you can see the location, outline, and information about this property via Google Maps). We continue to work with Pastor Riccardo as they seek to develop a church in the area.

This trip will be particularly suited for teens as we will be taking a large group to serve around 250-300 kids. We will also be doing training in advance of the trip for everyone involved so they will be prepared for the culture and for the work that we will be doing, including sharing testimonies.

If you or others are interested, you can download and complete an application form (included on the application are some general expectations including projected cost that would need to be raised to participate). We are trying to identify the team by mid-January so we can develop a training schedule and initial arrangements.

We will also post more info in the coming months about a building for which we are raising funds for
the property that we would also like to construct while there in June which would serve as a caretaker's house and storage and be the first building constructed on the property.

New Dundee Gift Processing Center

Goodness, it's been a while! Where did the time go?! Much has happened since our last update. The most significant change in our lives is the transition of the ARM Ministries gift processing center from Dallas, Texas, to right here in Dundee, Oregon. In August, Alan and Dianne Mezger made the trek from Texas to here with computer equipment, printer, supplies and files so that Dianne could train me in my new position. I now spend 3-5 hours a week, and 8-10 hours at the end of every month, recording, depositing and sending out statements for all the donations made to ARM missionaries.

It has been a good challenge, and I enjoy my work. It's especially a blessing to see special gifts come in, and new donors sending monthly gifts. I also enjoy occasional personal communication with our missionaries, and sometimes even donors. I recently spoke on the phone with a donor who has a son living near Dundee. She mentioned it would be great to get together sometime when she and her husband are up this way. What a dear lady!

I mentioned that this was a transition in OUR lives, not just mine. It has required some schedule juggling, and sharing of responsibilities around the house a bit more to accommodate the time spent in my new ministry work. It has been eye opening to me how much adding just a few hours of work to my week changes what I am able to accomplish! I have a new appreciation for those who go back to work after being a stay-at-home parent. Reid and the kids are great helpers and supporters, and I am so thankful for them!

ARM Ministries Update

We want to thank you for your prayer support as we continue our work with ARM Ministries. We cannot do the work of the ministry without others supporting us in prayer. There are lots of things going on with ARM Ministries that we want to share with you and we will share some other things we have been doing below. Both Reid and Carrie continue conversations with mission founder and President, Alan Mezger, about transferring much of the daily administration activities for the mission from Dallas, TX, to Dundee, OR. Alan and Dianne are entering a new phase in ministry life and the daily administrative work is just too much to handle (in addition to the ministry load and working toward his DMiss degree, Alan has just accepted the position of VP for the South Central Region of the Evangelical Missiological Society which is a great honor). The good thing is that we (particularly Carrie) are able to take on this role for the ministry.

What does that involve? Well, a good portion has to do with tracking and managing all of the financial contributions toward our missionaries and workers. Eventually, we will move the physical address for the mission up to Oregon and will also take on the monthly distribution of funds to our missionaries and workers. Alan and Reid are working on a transition plan that will begin sometime this fall. What that really means is that Carrie's time will get busier as it is allocated toward mission support. That also means that we would appreciate your financial contributions to allow us to focus on the work of the ministry. We need to supplement what we receive as a partial salary through Reid's work at Western Seminary (see more about that below) and other jobs we have done in the past. Future plans also include the ability for us to travel to visit with our missionaries and serve alongside our Director of Member Care, Frank Majors. We want to thank you for your past financial support for us as well as your prayers on our behalf.

Would you please pray along with us for these financial needs (we are seeking additional funding of around $2,000 per month) to support these activities and our future travel for missions support? We also request that you pray for this transition as Alan and Reid continue to work along with the ARM Ministries board to develop a sound plan for this transition. Again, we thank you for your support of us as we continue serving God by supporting the delivery of His Gospel to people around the world.

Reid and Cameron's Trip to Haiti

Did you know? Reid and Cameron went to Haiti as part of a team of seven people from Grace Baptist Church in Newberg, OR in early July to support ARM Ministries missionaries, Pastor Riccardo and Misselaine St. Gelus. Our original plan was to develop an irrigation system for the ministry property that was purchased last year outside the capital city of Port au Prince and also to hold evangelistic meetings to help found a church at that property. That region of the country is very dark spiritually, with many people practicing voodoo and the nearby city hosting an annual voodoo festival which is attended by people from all over the world.

While we didn't accomplish all of our original plans, God's plans prevailed as He refocused us on developing relationships with many people in the area. We were able to help restore water service through a pump at a nearby organization. Pastor Riccardo will work closely with this organization, as their water service will form the foundation of the irrigation system in the future.

It was great to have Cameron on the trip and see his outlook change. He remarked to Carrie upon returning when talking about lunch options at home, "How can I complain about not having many choices today when I actually have food to eat?" He also contributed to the team significantly by chronicling many of the teams activities at the team blog. We would encourage you to check it out!

Travel Home

It was a great trip. We learned much more about the state of church leadership development in Haiti and how we can support them in prayer. I also gained a new appreciation for Pastor Riccardo and the influence that he has had in the lives of many people. We met several men who are now pastoring churches (and some leading groups of other pastors themselves) after having been taught by him. However, even with this significant influence that he has had, and continues to have, he remains a humble servant of God. We can continue to pray that God will use him and his family to influence others with the gospel.

Speaking of his family, I took a picture on our final day of the ladies in the house (they had to get dressed up for the photo :) ), many of whom helped care for us while we were in country. We ate very well and were the beneficiaries of their wonderful hospitality.


You can also see in the picture from left to right, Reghi, who was our chauffeur many of the days as we traveled and has his characteristic smile and joyful demeanor; Reghi's brother, with whom I joked was the more handsome of the two ;); and Paul Goodner, one of our team who visited these good people.

I also took a picture of our plane for the ride home to the U.S.


It was certainly good to be with our brothers and sisters in Haiti but it is also good to head home to see our families. For those of you who realize that we were gone over Valentine's Day, don't worry. I already thanked my wife for her flexibility as we served other believers even though we missed the specific occasion of the holiday. :)

Thank you for your prayers for us on the trip and for your continued prayers in support of the churches in Haiti and their efforts to spread the gospel to the glory of God.

Location:Somewhere Over Louisiana