Haiti Update
Haiti’s capital has been mired in gang-fueled violence, kidnappings, and instability for several months. Right now, there is cautious optimism for the country as they have actually been able to install a presidential commission to begin to try to bring order back to this chaotic situation. The task ahead of this 9-person commission is huge. They have to somehow curb the power of the gangs in the capital, help usher in an international security force to bring back long-term law and order so that they can organize elections to elect a new government which then would take over as the official government of Haiti. They need our prayers.
RMI, in the midst of these things, continues to function normally for which we are very thankful. The south continues to enjoy overall peace and security. Our team is out every day going all over the peninsula as they carry out their responsibilities for Hope For Kidz, the Hot Lunch Program, construction projects, solar installations, church visits, and more. Our biggest challenge is acquiring the supplies we need for all the projects since it is quite a challenge for businesses to bring supplies into the country and get them to the south. The prices of these items continue to skyrocket due to the economics of supply and demand.
At the beginning of the month, our biggest challenge was that we were running out of food for our Hot Lunch Program. We had 5 containers of food stuck at the wharf in Port-au-Prince, the capital. One of them was looted by gangs, which left us 4. Food for the Poor, a partner ministry that helps with the containers, was, by a miracle, able to get two of the containers on a barge, take it around Port-au-Prince to a port in the south and we were able to get them from there. This was a great PTL for us as it enabled us to finish out this school year’s feeding program. However, we need prayer that we will be able to get the other two quickly as there are many needs for food aid. We thank the Lord that, after being stuck abroad for many weeks, Benjamin and Benson were finally able to make it back to their families through several different convoluted paths. Continue to pray for our staff as they minister to their people.
Tessa Andrews continues to help oversee the Hope For Kidz Program along with Frantz. It is that time of year to renew your sponsorship or if you are planning to start sponsoring a child, this is the time to do it. Don’t delay. Contact your church’s Hope for Kidz coordinator to get the process started.
