Missionaries relocated amid civil strife in Haiti
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
Eighteen missionaries serving in sections of northern Haiti have been relocated to the Caribbean nation's capital of Port-au-Prince. The move was prompted by ongoing civil uprisings in the region that have reportedly claimed the lives of almost 60 people.
All missionaries serving in Haiti are fine, although "we've had to pull some missionaries out of the northern part of Haiti," said Haiti Port-au-Prince Mission President Curtis L. Giles. There is only one mission in Haiti.
President Giles added he is not aware of any harm to members or Church property. Church units in volatile areas of the country have continued to meet.
"Some congregations haven't been as large because of preoccupations about what is happening there," President Giles said.
There are more than 11,000 Church members in Haiti, belonging to two stakes.
Folks living in areas of northern Haiti affected by the uprisings are facing potential hardships due to possible shortages, he added. Aid agencies have called for urgent international action, saying Haiti is on "the verge of a generalized civil war," the Associated Press reported.
In the northern city of Gonaives, shots were fired in the air to prevent crowds of hungry residents from stampeding several trucks loaded with lentils and millet brought by the aid agency CARE, according to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, missionary work continues in Haiti's more stable regions. In some instances, missionaries have been asked to remain indoors, "but these were rather rare instances," President Giles said.
He said the missionaries are continually counseled on how to keep themselves safe. They have been instructed to avoid trouble spots and always enlist common sense.
"The missionaries are doing fine here," President Giles said. "They're great to work with."
E-mail to: jswensen@desnews.com
