Violence in Haiti is affecting radio outreach

Haiti (MNN/TWR) — President Bush said Wednesday that the United States is encouraging the international community to provide a strong “security presence” in Haiti as America and its allies continue to try to achieve a political solution to the island nation’s escalating violence. Looting has erupted throughout Haiti as rebels have rejected a U-S backed peace plan.

The unrest is presenting a challenge to those reaching people for Christ. Trans World Radio’s Tom Corcoran says they’re facing the challenge of getting programs to their local stations. “We use several stations in Haiti to put programs out in addition to the Bonaire station. Because of the insurrection now distribution infrastructures have broken down. It’s not easy to get programs from place to another. We’ve tended to have to fall back on a short-term basis where we find people who are willing to travel from area to another to deliver programs for us.”

While TWR has altered some of it’s programming, Corcoran says sharing Christ is the still focus. “We have five days a week of good solid Bible teaching. We kept that format in tact because people like that. And, the long term answer for people is not government intervention or military intervention, but changes of heart. And, that only really comes through the word of God.”

Haiti’s President Jean-Bertrand Aristide called on foreign countries to send security forces to quell an armed rebellion against him and warned that the widening crisis could cause thousands of deaths and spark a new exodus of Haitians to Florida by boat.