Most of the students at The Fortress School, sponsored by Child Care Plus, arrive at school on an empty stomach in the morning and leave in the same way. They eat in the afternoon at home. Now we serve two meals a week at school. Pray that funds will flow so that more meals can be served. You can donate to our nutrition program by following this link. Make A Gift – Emergency Relief and Development Overseas (erdo.ca) Please specify ‘’Haiti Feeding Program”.
A little while ago, I had a dream. In my dream, armed men dressed in black were running after a group of street vendors. They were running away in all directions. Michel and I were walking, and I knew we wouldn’t have time to run away. Then I woke up. That same day, the young man who lives with us went to accompany a group of Cuban pastors to Petionville. As Cubans shopped inside a grocery store in an overcrowded market, two men armed with machetes burst into the market. The merchants started running in all directions. The two men were followed by armed bandits. The young man tried to enter the grocery store, but the door was closed. He fled like the merchants. In Haiti, when bandits break into a market, they call it « Payroll ». They come looking for money.
Three weeks ago, the 400 Mawozo gang kidnapped the passengers of a Capital Coach bus from the Dominican Republic. The hostess who was shot and the Dominican driver were loaded with other passengers into a vehicle. But the vehicle ran out of gas. The driver, hostess and other hostages were able to escape. Among the hostages was a former student of The Fortress School. She was released after 13 days. Pray that God will make us invisible to the kidnappers.
Recently, one of the gangs killed 4 policemen in Petionville. And another killed seven in the interior. This created a protest movement among the police. The goal of the bandits is to destroy the country’s security force to rule as king and master.
On December 30, Hailey, who lived with us for 2 years, was murdered along with his cousin while they were riding a motorcycle. They were shot five times each. Pray for his family and friends. This is sad news. In the photo, he is wearing a pink t-shirt. He was 21 years old and he was in charge of our security team for the little ones service.
But in all this, God works miracles. That some hostages were able to escape is a miracle.
The Canadian government is escalating efforts to help Haiti’s national police, deploying a long-range military aircraft to provide intelligence on the country’s menacing gangs. The Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft, a CP-140 Aurora, was observed patrolling Haiti’s airspace on Saturday much to the surprise and curiosity of many Haitians. Canada’s Minister of National Defense Anita Anand and the Minister of Foreign Affair Mélanie Joly confirmed the presence of the long-range patrol aircraft in a statement on Sunday. Its deployment, they said, is part of Canada’s efforts to support the Haiti National Police and to “disrupt the activities of gangs in Haiti and demonstrate Canada’s commitment to the Haitian people.” Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article272138847.html#storylink=cpy
The police conducted an operation in the area where the gang leader Vitelhomme has his base. The Haitian police killed 10 gang members and word is that Vitelhomme scurried away. The US government is offering a reward of 1 million US $ for his capture.
A pastor from Canaan told us that one day the gangsters came to the door of his church. He began to tell them that they had to convert. After talking with them for quite a while, miraculously, they left without taking him away. Perhaps God allows all these things to attract people to Him. We pray that many will come to Jesus. Haiti must be saved. In the vision of the bones in Ezekiel 37:11, the house of Israel says: ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished; we are cut off. (12) Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, (13) I will put My Spirit in you and you will live (14)’.
Even if a simple prayer seems to have little importance, it bears much fruit. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Michel & Louise