January 8, 2025
Dear Daniel,
Challenges
As we reflect on 2024, we can certainly say it was a challenging year for Haiti. We are grateful to have you standing with us through your prayers and generous giving. Gang violence continues to paralyze the county. News reports generally affirm 85% of the capital city of Port-au-Prince is wholly under gang control. The airport remains closed, the seaport is under siege, and roads out of the capital to other cities are either closed or too dangerous to travel. Political leadership remains dysfunctional with no end in sight, leaving it easy for the gangs to continue to rule in the vacuum. Here are some examples of articles documenting the horrors the Haitian people are facing:
-
The UN reports that at least 5,601 people were killed in gang violence in Haiti last year. Additionally, 2,212 were injured by gangs, and 1,494 were kidnapped. (Article)
-
The International Institute of New England documents many issues that cause Haitian people to attempt to flee the country. These include a history of international exploitation intervention, devastating natural disasters, water scarcity and famine, and isolation due to it being an island nation. When people manage to leave, they face new challenges wherever they go. (Article)
-
The organization ActionAid declares that 2024 was the deadliest year in Haiti's recent history. They further warn against "Haiti fatigue," where the nonstop stream of bad news causes the world just to give up. The article goes on to report that gangs use rape as a tool of terror, making life especially dangerous for women and girls. (Article)
To add to the misery, in December Cap-Haitien and other parts of the north where we minister were subjected to terrible flooding.
Accomplishments
Despite the challenges, we know God was at our side. He enabled many accomplishments last year. Thanks to your giving, we have been able to keep the clinic in Cap-Haitien open and operating, despite the dangers. A new, modern digital x-ray system safely arrived at the clinic, and we are preparing for installation and training. We have been able to provide emergency food relief during the year, and we have supported pastors who persevere in difficult circumstances. Locally, within the metro Atlanta area, we have started an outreach called Connect to Our Neighbors to minister to Haitian and Hispanic immigrants. Whether the work we do is material or spiritual in nature, it’s all about the Gospel.
Opportunities
We pray for a better year for Haiti in 2025. We know God has not abandoned the country. We are actively working on plans to get the x-ray system up and operating. A part of that plan is to install Starlink Internet at the clinic. This will enable remote training, and will even improve our capacity to serve our patients through remote consultation back to the U.S. We see an opportunity to relaunch our medical sponsorship program, and are praying through that. We anticipate responding to critical needs as they come to our attention. Of course, we expect to keep the clinic fully operational where the Gospel is demonstrated and shared every day. We ask God to bring miraculous resolution to the vexing issues that have paralyzed the country for years.
Looking forward to 2025, we want to be sure to thank you for your faithful, continuing support. We truly appreciate your generosity and prayers.
|