Prison Break: The Food Story Part 2
“But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.”
– Acts 5:19
Today, October 29th, is a day to remember for Lespwa Lavi.
Haiti is bleeding, a near-failed state, the future of the nation and government uncertain. But the future of Lespwa Lavi and the children we serve is ever so secure.
This morning, our friends at Haiti Arise released a statement that illustrates the dire situation Haitians are facing:
As many of you know, Haiti is a country that seems to be in a constant spiral of turmoil. Year after year the people endure natural disasters, political upheaval, extreme poverty, violent protests & a rise of serious criminal activity. But in all of the 20 years since we have been working and serving in Haiti, this is the worst we feel it has ever been. Right now there is no acting president, since President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in July. The government and police have very little power to gain control over the deteriorating situation. Over 200 gangs have taken over the capital city of Port Au Prince, keeping a grip hold of terror over the people. Dozens of kidnappings targeting everyday people like taxi drivers, market sellers, even school children, take place daily in demand for ransoms. Four Sundays in a row, bandits even entered into churches during services, terrorizing church members, kidnapping pastors and even killing a deacon.
According to CARDH, at least 782 people have been kidnapped for ransom since January in Haiti, almost as many as in the whole of 2020, which saw 796 kidnappings in total. No one can safely travel through PAP, goods cannot be transported to the rest of the country. The second largest earthquake to ever hit Haiti destroyed 150,000 homes in August, leaving over ½ million without shelter, and basic necessities. With the current criminal crisis, aid & construction materials are not able to get to these communities easily, let alone food and basic supplies.
And the most recent events has taken world news, as a group of 17 American and Canadian missionaries (6 women, 6 men & 5 children) was captured by the gangs on Oct 19, 2021 and is still being held for a ransom of $17 million 9 days later. To add even deeper injury to the nation, the gangs have barricaded roads & haunted all delivery of fuel trucks with an effort to put pressure on the current Prime Minister Ariel Henry to step down. All roads are completely shut down as of right now.
In this setting, the Lespwa Lavi nutrition program was running low on food. The nutrition program has been nothing short of a miracle in itself. From partnering with Convoy of Hope just as food prices skyrocketed in Haiti, to the Food Story part 1 (see “Miracle on the Highway”), to the success of seeing severe malnutrition COMPLETELY ERASED after the children were in the program for one year. Through all of the instability in Haiti, including COVID-19, the children have not missed one single day of nutrition since Thanksgiving Day, 2019.
Our agreement with Convoy of Hope requires us to pick up food once a month at the port in Titanyen, 80 miles south of Verrettes. However since we started, the highway has been so dangerous in Haiti, that Convoy of Hope’s partner in Haiti, Mission of Hope, has allowed us to store food at their warehouse and pick it up every 3 months instead. Four times a year, a faithful volunteer, Pierre (name changed for protection), rents a truck for Lespwa Lavi and makes the always dangerous journey to Mission of Hope with Lespwa Lavi director, Duvelsaint. Let me just take a moment to honor Pierre. This man makes on average $250 a month as a truck driver. He has been offered an additional salary from Lespwa Lavi, and he refused. Lespwa Lavi had repeatedly offered to pay for diesel fuel and maintenance of the truck used to pick up food, and he refused, preferring to cover the cost himself, for the sake of the children. It normally costs $120 in fuel to pick up the food every 3 months. Pierre also drives vehicles for the Lespwa Lavi soccer team, church, and essentially whatever we need. He will be the official driver for our new bus when it arrives….still unpaid, at his request.
The last food pickup was at the end of June. The Haitian president was assassinated on July 7th. Gangs control the city of St. Marc, which Pierre and Duvelsaint have to travel through to get the food, and they waited to see if things would calm down, missing the September pickup. A month’s worth of emergency backup supply kept the nutrition program going through October, but will run out on Nov. 1st. Unfortunately, this week hundreds of gangs throughout the country coordinated a fuel strike, blocking shipments of diesel and gas into the country, and setting up roadblocks on every main road. Some gangs have escalated kidnappings. Their goal is to force the acting prime minister to resign. This coordinated effort brought Haiti to a grinding and terrifying halt. Some of the gang leaders have political aspirations, and declared they would not back down until a change of leadership occurred.
Duvelsaint and Pierre decided not to wait any longer. Having seen firsthand the power of good nutrition, they were determined that the 310 children in the program would not go hungry for even a day. “It does not feel right to stay. People need to eat,” Duvelsaint told Ricardo when he informed us he was preparing to make the 80 mile trip. This time he asked us to help with the cost of fuel. It took him two days to find enough diesel, buying some here and there from various people, for over $20/gallon.
Knowing the journey was impossible, Lespwa Lavi started to pray. We asked you all to pray. The church in Haiti prayed. Thousands of Americans, and people in 5 other countries started to pray.
It was hard to be anxious, knowing what God has already done. I immediately felt the Lord speaking Deuteronomy 9:3: “The Lord will Himself go before you, a devouring and consuming fire” and knew He prepared the way.
One of our board members shared the story of Peter and the disciples being let out of jail by an angel in Acts 5:19 and spoke Psalm 91 over Duvelsaint and Pierre.
“ Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty….
For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day….
Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you….
If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter…
For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.”
Duvelsaint texted us that he also recited Psalm 91 as he left Verrettes early this morning at 6:30am. We considered the possibility that might be the last text he ever sent us….
But prayers my friends, prayers are powerful. The road was empty.
If you have been to Haiti, you know this road is usually packed with traffic, both vehicle and pedestrian, with markets and little shops lining the edges selling that day’s food and supplies. A view like this seems apocalyptic. “There’s no one around. We are frightened. It’s truly horrifying”, Duvelsaint messaged us as they drove. Imagining how many people would suffer that day because they could not work or buy anything hurts. But to me the road also looked a little like the parted Red Sea….
At 9:36am the truck arrived at Mission of Hope. We’re so thankful for their faithfulness in staying open and continuing to provide secure food delivery! By noon the truck was loaded and ready to head back on the highway for the return journey. Returning is more dangerous because the gangs and desperate robbers know that trucks heading away from the capital city are more likely to be carrying valuable supplies. The truck of food is worth about 1000 times the average annual salary for a Haitian….
But as they were driving back, Duvelsaint received a message. An announcement from the gangs went out on social media. They would allow the roads to be free. “Let people get what they need today, but on Monday the barricades will not stop,” the message read.
And so the Red Sea parted. The Jordan River dried up. The prison door swung open. And a truck full of food arrived at a makeshift dining hall in Verrettes to be unloaded by a crew of teenagers who are grateful.
The battle for Haiti will be fought and won on our knees, in prayer, and in celebration. We know Who we serve. We know Who promised to care for these little ones. And He who has promised is faithful and He will do it.
By the way….we purchased extra food. We have room for 40 more kids at the table this month. Would you consider sponsoring one? Share our story and change another life. Your prayers already have.