Evacuated from Haiti
Nov 2019

Dear Friends and Ministry Partners,

During our summer travels we knew that our return to Haiti was in doubt because of the political unrest. We returned during a fuel crisis with much effort, and Heather started homeschooling the next day. The Bible School opened one week late because of the unrest, but with a record 40 new students and I started teaching John's Letters to our third-year students. And that was it. For the safety of our students, the Bible School is closed until the security situation improves in the country.

What's going on in Haiti? High inflation, devaluation of local currency, fuel shortages, corruption by powerful politicians and businessmen and a political deadlock, coupled with gangs, bandits and paid protestors profiting from the instability. No one is happy with the situation, but there is no clear solution. Timid peace comes for a few days now and then, but the social climate remains tense and uncertain.

With the Bible School closed and the missionaries largely confined to the mission center and with growing uncertainty around us, we, along with our World Team leaders, decided it would be best to send our family to the US until it is safe to circulate in the country again. Heather, Joey and Ellie went out on October 14 with Agape Flights. Ellie saw her orthodontist the next day in Tampa and they flew that afternoon to a friend's house in Illinois.

Sean and Erik stayed back so Sean could finish some necessary obligations and then they had to wait for an available flight from Cayes to Port au Prince. God provided MAF on October 31, then they flew commercial through Atlanta to Ft. Wayne, IN where friends picked us up and other friends loaned us a minivan while we're in the US.

I, Sean, will continue in my regional leadership role, supervising WT missionaries and partnerships, planning two conferences in 2020 and finishing a couple of online continuing education classes. I am looking forward to finally getting to some writing projects in Creole and in English that have been on my list for months. During this evacuation period, we are on a temporary reassignment where I will still work full-time and World Team will continue to pay our monthly salary.

With the Bible School temporarily closed, we have no tuition money coming in, but we still have our salaried staff to pay, who are also suffering from the high inflation. One year ago a cup of sugar cost 10 gourdes, now it costs 50 gourdes. If you would like to contribute to the Bible School for our staff and for the eventual reopening of our classes, you can give a one-time or recurring gift through World Team. Click here and be sure to enter "IBL Operations" in the optional Designation box. Thank you!

God promises in Isaiah 42:16 "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them."

That is our prayer for ourselves and for the Haitian believers who are expressing their faith by sharing with those in greater need, by being agents of peace and justice in the midst of chaos and having hope even when no solution is in sight.

Grandpa Daryl, with Joey, Sean and Erik

We are thankful for this opportunity to spend the holidays with our families and for Erik and Joey to work toward getting their driver's licenses.

While staying in Illinois, we are experiencing fall and winter for the first time in 11 years!

Next week we will relocate to South Carolina for one month and then to Wisconsin for Christmas.

Prayer Requests

For truth to prevail in Haiti and for decision-makers to fear God in their leadership.
For church leaders to know what to say and what to do and how to advise their flock.
For the Bible School leaders to know when to reopen.
For our family to adjust to these unexpected months in the US and to fulfill God's purposes for us during this time.