Please do not publish this letter on social media. Thanks.

I would like to thank God because three times I (Louise) was in public places where the Phantom 509 group was passing. It is a group of dissident policemen who want the president of the country to leave. Twice, I was able to escape before they burned the tires and/or cars already blocking the street. The third time, I was in a supermarket. The guards closed the heavy 12-foot-high metal door until they were gone. Phantom 509 claims to take his orders directly from Baron Saturday. He is one of the Loa of Haitian voodoo: the spirit of the dead that lives in cemeteries. 

Two weeks ago, early in the morning in front of the church, a car ran out of brakes  and hit a pole, exactly where we usually park. If we had arrived 5 minutes earlier, our car would have suffered serious damage. We felt sorry for the car’s driver, but thankful to God for His protection.

We started two special classes for children who had not had the opportunity to learn to read and write. Among them is a family of three children, the eldest of whom is 14 years old. Our hearts rejoice to know that they will not go through life without knowing how to read and write.

In Haiti, many people do not believe that covid-19 exists. This is why it is difficult to ask them to wear masks and respect social distancing in church and school.  It is true that there seem to be few cases, but we remain cautious. Services have resumed at the church since August 17 and Sunday school in November.  We still have a good attendance and quite a few new people.  The school has more than 700 students including staff.

Do not miss Michel’s video on the construction site at the beginning of the school year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS4H_VH5Xmo

In December 2019, we hosted 35 people for our Christmas dinner at home. This year we will only have Peter and Marie-Josée Oram and the young people who live with us.

There has been an increase in kidnappings in recent months. Pray that the kidnappers give their lives to the Lord.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your donations. We have nothing to offer you in exchange for what you do for us, except for our prayers and thanks.  We would be pleased to pray for your prayer requests if you shared them with us. 

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year full of God’s promises. 

Michel & Louise Charbonneau