Haiti Update – June 14, 2024
Dear Friends,
Greetings from the beautiful children and devoted staff in Cap Haitien, Haiti. Greetings from our LRH Board and myself. I trust this update finds you well and brings to your mind the ongoing plight of Haiti.
This July 4 will mark the one-year anniversary of our move out of Port au Prince into Cap Haitien. I’m grateful to report that the children and staff remain safe and are in good spirits despite Haiti’s turbulent and tragic first six months of 2024. The children have worked hard to advance in school and are looking forward to a summer break. We recently reunified two girls with their family and now have fifteen children in our care. Our staff remains steadfast and committed to love and care for the children. Their job remains challenging, but they rejoice in being in a safe place. Soon we will move into a new rental house. Rent has nearly doubled in the last three months in CAP, as many have left PAP like we did. Our rent will go from $7,500 to $11,000 per year.
“Safe Place”: These are words most people in the greater Port au Prince and surrounding areas can no longer say. For three years, Haiti has unraveled, with each year getting worse than the previous year. This year, the gangs began working together as a unified force and have unleashed wave after wave of death and destruction. In March, the gangs increased their control of PAP by taking control of the airport, government sites, police stations, hospitals, and other structures. For months, the gangs said they just wanted the prime minister to resign, and when he did, they would stop their attacks. Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned on April 25, and the gangs have continued to ravage PAP.
Over 2,500 innocent Haitians have been killed so far this year. Most recently, you may have heard of the killing of two US missionaries and their Haitian director. The Haitian Director was named Jude Montis (45). The married couple in their 20s were Davy and Natalie Loyd. All three were killed in service of the Lord close to Canaan, Haiti, where we have served for years. Please continue to pray for the families of all involved. Please also pray for the Haitian kids and staff that were part of their ministry. This breaks my heart in so many ways. The senseless taking of life can’t be understood.
Soon, hundreds of police from Kenya and a few other countries will be on the ground in an effort to restore peace. I fear they will quickly come face to face with the strength of the gangs. Haiti’s new interim Prime Minister, Garry Conille, selected by the Haitian transition council, will try to bring some order back to Haiti. Please pray for all involved. This will not be easy, but I’m hopeful Haiti can move in a better direction.
Field trip to Laferriere Citadel New Years with the kids Snack time Sorting Haitian rice New water cooler
LRH remains in operation in Haiti, and we desire to help in any way we can. The plague of gang violence has left many in desperate need of food. The World Food Program “estimates 1.64 million Haitians are facing emergency levels of acute food insecurity”, which is defined as someone whose life is at risk from the lack of food.” I receive some requests for help almost weekly. This week, I received an email from a Haitian man in Hinche, Haiti. Let me share a few sentences from his email. “I have more than twenty families and children in extreme poverty, which makes it difficult for them to meet their daily needs. They live in conditions of absolute degradation. Some of them are physically disabled people; some are disabled in their minds. There are no toilets or clean drinking water, and about eight people live in a bedroom. The children can not attend a good school. There is no health care. They can’t really feed themselves. They are living in extreme poverty.” LA Reach Haiti’s heart is to help, but our resources are limited. We are struggling to care for our own staff and kids.
We need your prayers and financial support so we can continue to meet the essential needs of the children in our care, the children whom we have already reunified, and our Haitian staff. Lord willing, any surplus will be used to help others like those in Hinche or our friends who are still struggling to survive in the Port au Prince area. Please join me in giving generously to continue the work God has called us to do in Haiti. You can give at our website: LouisianaReachHaiti.org or mail a check to Louisiana Reach Haiti, 18112 Kenner Drive, Prairieville, LA 70769. Consider sponsoring a child for $30 a month.
Prayer Request: Please continue to pray for the safety of our staff and kids. Please pray for the country and people of Haiti. Pray for Connect International Church in New Orleans, Pastor Dawest and his family.
Thank you and God Bless!
Sincerely,
Darrin Badon
Louisiana Reach Haiti Board Members
Darrin Badon – President, Laura Vidrine – Secretary, James Gardner – Treasurer, Shannon Brown, Ron Greenwich, Clif Rideaux, and Dr. Wayne Sheppard