“They’re being cautious, trying to just keep [at] minimum going out,” says Annabel Muscarella. She serves as Trans World Radio’s International Director of Latin America and Caribbean Hispanic Ministry. 

“[On] Sunday, some churches didn’t have services. But most people just went out to buy food and medicines and some gas, [so] that they can be ready for anything that could happen.”

(Stock photo courtesy of Luisana Zerpa via Unsplash)

Things moved swiftly in the US. On Monday, Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty to drug and weapons charges in a New York City court. Their next hearing is set for March 17. 

On the same day as the first hearing, the United Nations Security Council called an emergency meeting in New York City. Delegates from China, Russia, and Colombia condemned the U.S.’s military actions as illegal. Other members of the Security Council emphasized the importance of upholding international law. 

Meanwhile, in Venezuela itself, “You have to be very, very cautious because there isn’t a clear understanding of who is running the country,” says Muscarella. “We know there is a vice president [Delcy Rodriguez]. We don’t know exactly what is going to happen in the next few days. That’s the feeling you can sense when you talk with people that live in Venezuela.”

Find your place in the story

Pray for wisdom for political leaders to make just decisions. Pray for peace in Venezuela, says Muscarella. “For now, praying for their safety and [for] people to stay calm and peaceful, I think that will help this situation.”

(Photo courtesy Radio Trans Mundial de Venezuela)

Pray also for strength, wisdom, and discernment for churches and their pastors in Venezuela. “I have many, many friends — pastors, friends — there. They don’t stop. They don’t stop sharing the gospel,” Muscarella says. 

Gospel ministry continues at Radio Trans Mundial Venezuela, a Spanish branch of Trans World Radio. “There is that freedom still in Venezuela to share the good news with kids and their parents,” says Muscarella. 

“Don’t wait to help,” she adds. If you feel led to send a message to communities in Venezuela or even to send financial aid in some way, she says you can reach out to Trans World Radio. “That helps, because we are in contact with them [Venezuelans], and we can on your behalf help them.”

Header photo: Caracas, Venezuela (Stock photo courtesy of Bona Lee via Unsplash).

Gang violence, malnutrition, and loss of educational services and infrastructure feed into each other, forming a “polycrisis” that threatens Haiti’s Next Generation.

(Photo courtesy of Zach Vessels via Unsplash)

A lack of schooling makes kids especially vulnerable to danger. Even when people flee to areas where there are schools, “They don’t have the money, because all they took with them is the clothes on their backs,” For Haiti With Love’s Roseline DeHart explains.

“Surviving is a priority.”

Many displaced families and kids live on the streets. “This is also a problem,” De Hart says, “because anybody can give those kids money to go do any trouble – anything they want them to do – just for survival.”

For Haiti With Love points the people they serve to God and to hope in Him for their future. When they have the budget, they give food, build homes, and offer a school support program.

“We always tell them that God doesn’t want them to live like that. Even though the country is the way it is, it’s not God’s plan,” De Hart says.

“They’re the future of Haiti. They can go to school and make it better, and God has a plan for them.”

Pray for God’s mercy on Haiti and consider giving financially to For Haiti With Love. “We just keep doing all we can, and we ask for support so we can continue to do it,” De Hart says.

Header image depicts Haitian children circa 2014. Photo credit MNN/Katey Hearth. 

“It’s outside of Port-au-Prince, so they’re (the gangs) expanding in their territory,” Yoder says.

“There was a pastor and several of the people from his church who were killed by gang members, and I believe they also burned the church down.”

Estimates vary, but most agree that gangs now control at least 90 percent of Port-au-Prince. When gangs took over Mirebalais at the end of March, CWO partners had to shut everything down and run.

“We had one of our feminine training centers there, and that town is pretty much shut down. Everybody’s left, and the gang members have taken over,” Yoder says.

Believers sent a dozen orphans in their care to live with family members in a nearby town.

“People are migrating away from these areas, and then it adds a burden to the families and the people of other areas,” Yoder says.

The United States designated two Haitian gangs as terrorists earlier this month. “They’re acting very much like terrorists taking over, looting, and just advancing to more and more territory,” Yoder says.

Handiwork of women from CWO’s Feminine Training Centers in Haiti (Photo courtesy of CWO)

The activity in Haiti reminds him of terrorist actions in Burkina Faso, he adds.

“We just have to rely on the Lord’s wisdom and discernment to find ways we can help these people,” Yoder says.

Church partners in Haiti continue their work in eight locations, but the needs are growing daily. Yoder says, “We’re looking for ways we can help those we know and those in great need of food and shelter.”

Send financial help through CWO here.

Ask the Lord to guide and protect Gospel workers in Haiti. Pray that their daily needs will be met.

“I don’t know the answer at this point, but we just pray that God will intervene in what’s going on in Haiti and that, even during these hard times, Christ will be shared,” Yoder says.

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of TopSphere Media via Unsplash.

“No matter where you are in Haiti, you are affected, whether you are Christian or not,” says Dierf*, a Haitian man serving with Every Man A Warrior, a partner of Trans World Radio.

Gangs have taken over or destroyed schools, orphanages, courts, media outlets, and hospitals. Over 7,200 people were killed between July and February, the United Nations reports.

(Photo courtesy of TWR)

With every reason to run, believers are committed to staying put. “We want to be with these people and teach them how to handle the situation,” Dierf says.

“We are called to be right in the middle of catastrophic times and to bring light and hope for people around us.”

Dierf disciples Haitian couples using Every Man A Warrior curriculum. More about that here. “We teach them also to be the light in their community, to go out and spread the news,” Dierf says.

However, standing for Jesus puts Christian men in the crosshairs. “Anytime you want to try to influence the gang to become like God or to leave the gang and come to Christ, this will upset them,” Dierf says.

“Our men sometimes feel like they are going to be killed.”

Pray for courage and boldness for Haitian Christian men. “Pray that men would be willing to go to the field and bring that (Gospel) message to the gang,” Dierf requests.

Pray also for believers traveling throughout Haiti to do ministry. Ask the Lord to protect them from gang violence.

*Name withheld for security purposes.

In the header image, a group of men gather and sit together in prayer during an Every Man A Warrior meeting. (Photo, caption courtesy of TWR)

Humanitarian groups estimate that children now make up between one-third and half of all gang members. At the same time, there has been a thousand-percent rise in sexual violence against kids.

“This is a tragedy right now in Haiti,” says a Haitian man we’ll call Dierf*, who partners with Trans World Radio.

“Children are being the target of gangs in many areas, and they are being assaulted right in the middle of the streets. Most kids were on the street playing or on their way from school.”

(Photo courtesy of Miguel Caireta Serra/Pexels)

Unfortunately, some children willingly join gangs because they think it’s the lesser of two evils.

“Most of the population can’t eat; they don’t even have access to food. So, in that case, some children want to provide food for their family and decide to join the gang” to make that happen, Dierf says.

More than 500,000 children have been displaced since gangs took control of Haiti following the president’s assassination four years ago. Today, armed groups now control 85 percent of Haiti’s capital, Port au Prince.

“A couple of months ago, I had to go up to the mountain to shelter myself and my family because gangs were about to attack the city, and we had no choice but to run. We spent days without food,” Dierf says.

The chaos makes serving Christ difficult but not impossible. “Despite all [that] is happening in Haiti right now, we believe that, as Christians, we are called to be the light of Christ,” Dierf says.

“People who are enslaved by the power of darkness need us. They need us to go straight to where they are and bring that hope to them.”

Dierf disciples Haitian couples using the Every Man A Warrior curriculum. More about that here. Pray that God will protect Gospel workers’ families as the men travel.

“Pray that God will protect our children, as sometimes we have to leave them behind and go to another city to minister,” Dierf explains.

*Name withheld for security purposes.

Header image courtesy of MNN’s Katey Hearth.

Gangs controlling 80 percent of Port-au-Prince have left more than half a million people homeless as they fight to expand their territory. Over 3,200 people lost their lives in gang violence between January and May this year.

AMG International’s Brian Dennett says, “Hopes that things would get under control with some of the peacekeeping efforts have not been realized thus far, according to our team.”

An international policing mission organized earlier this year was supposed to restore order. But only 400 of the promised 2,500 soldiers have arrived so far, and they haven’t made any progress against the gangs.

“Haitians just want to live normally. They want to be safe and secure, but this constant threat of gang violence is keeping those dreams very distant for them,” Dennett says.

“People are very afraid. They’re not leaving their homes. They’re afraid of being wounded or even killed by the gunfire.”

Furthermore, Haiti’s inflation rate has surged to nearly 30 percent, crippling the economy. People struggle to afford essentials, including healthcare.

Patient consultation at one of AMG International’s healthcare clinics.
(Photo courtesy of AMG International)

“Our clinics have tried to balance being sustainable in Haiti by offering free health care but charging for the cost of medicine,” Dennett says. However, “inflation has caused a massive uptick in patients who cannot pay for the medications they need.

“We want to continue [meeting] the needs of our brothers and sisters in Haiti, but we are lacking resources to meet those demands.”

Your gift allows AMG to provide care for today and bright hope for tomorrow. Adding on to one of the current medical facilities will give believers more capacity to care for patients in need. Right now, there are more patients than rooms, so people often must be treated outside the building.

Help AMG and its local partners bring hope and healing to desperate Haitians.

“Please pray for peace in Haiti. Think of our brothers and sisters in Haiti and what they are enduring every day as a result of all of this violence,” Dennett says.

“Pray that we’re able to share the love of Christ with those [who] don’t know Him as we meet their desperate needs.”

Header and story images courtesy of AMG International.

Alcohol and fire used in a voodoo ceremony caused the explosion, leaving survivors with severe burns. Many turned to For Haiti’s burn clinic for help when they came ashore, and their treatments continue today.

“Burns are slow healing. [They] take a lot of a lot of bandages, a lot of materials,” DeHart explains.

“We had sent supplies down there just before that (accident) happened, so God had everything in place.”

Survivors from boat explosion receive treatment at For Haiti’s burn clinic.
(Photo courtesy of For Haiti With Love)

Clinic workers shared the Gospel with every survivor as they began initial treatments. “They were telling us their story, and we started telling them about Jesus and how Jesus is waiting for them to come to Him,” DeHart says.

“They said after surviving from that (accident) they were ready for Jesus.”

Today, God is turning what the enemy meant for evil into something good. For Haiti’s burn treatments and discipleship sessions continue. “They come in every other day until they’re healed, and they will hear the Gospel while they’re getting treated the whole time,” DeHart says.

Pray that burn victims will turn to Christ for salvation as they understand the Gospel.

“Pray [that] For Haiti with Love [is] always there to be God’s hands and feet in Haiti, ready to help the people whenever necessary,” DeHart requests.

Ask the Lord to comfort families who lost loved ones in the boat explosion.

“The water is still pushing bodies out; it’s a very tragic time,” DeHart says.

Header image is a representative photo depicting Haitians wearing voodoo masks. (Photo courtesy of Claudia Altamimi/Unsplash)

Helen Williams of World Missionary Press says their partners have been waiting for a container of Scripture booklets for months. “We shipped it out of here in November of ’23, and it got to the port, but then things blew up down there,” she explains.

“Nothing could happen, so it sat there, and we started praying.”

Gospel workers unpack the newly-released WMP container full of Scripture booklets.
(Photo courtesy of World Missionary Press)

Months went by, and nothing changed. “We kept asking them, ‘How’s it going?’ and they said, ‘Well, nobody is working at the ports, and even if we could get it cleared, you can’t get it through the streets of Port au Prince. It’s too dangerous,’” Williams says.

Finally, on June 6, “We got the word that they had it!”

The booklets were quickly unpacked and distributed to partners waiting for outreach material. Within a week, God’s Word was already changing lives in Haiti!

“One of their guys said, ‘I received a report from one of our programs in the south,’” Williams says.

“‘We’ve had ten professions of faith recently, and it’s all because of the booklets.’”

Praise God for this development. “I am so impressed with the faithfulness of God’s people. We are so privileged to give them tools, and once they get them, they go,” Williams says.

Pray that lives will change as people read these Scripture booklets and discover the Gospel message. “It won’t take long for us to provide another container,” Williams says.

“We want to be able to meet those needs while people are willing to go and do the work because, as we know, the time is short.”

Help WMP send more resources to believers in Haiti here. “They can send a donation and just mark it for ‘booklets for Haiti,’” Williams says.

Getting the shipment released from customs was expensive, but as one WMP partner states:

“One booklet can easily reach ten people or more. When you multiply that by 2 million booklets, the potential to impact Haiti in a mighty way with the Gospel is worth every dollar.”

Header and story images courtesy of World Missionary Press.

Haiti’s transitionary council appointed a new Cabinet last week to replace the one dissolved a few months ago after the Prime Minister’s resignation.

For Haiti With Love’s Makenson Saint Fleur says the new cabinet’s formation does little to change hardship on the ground. Gangs control at least 80 percent of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.

“The ministry (administration) in Haiti hasn’t done anything yet regarding Haiti’s security situation,” Saint Fleur says.

“Everything is still bad; nothing is okay yet.”

More than 2,500 people have been killed or injured in gang violence so far this year, including two American missionaries murdered by gang members last month. Hope rests on the UN-backed deployment of a police force from Kenya, which is expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

In northern Cap Haitien, For Haiti With Love relies on local authorities to help it distribute food.

Food distributions
(Photo courtesy of For Haiti With Love)

“If we need security, we ask the government, and we go to each place to give food to the population,” Saint Fleur says.

“For Haiti With Love stopped the food program for six months because of political problems in downtown Cap Haitien, but now everything is almost okay in Cap Haitien. For Haiti With Love [restarted] the food program because we observed that what is happening in Haiti now is a humanitarian catastrophe.”

Pray that Haitians will experience the love of Christ as they see it displayed by Gospel workers. Pray they’ll ask questions about the God who cares for them.

“The Gospel intersects with crises in Haiti by inspiring and motivating Christians to respond with compassion, justice, and reconciliation,” Saint Fleur says.

Consider donating to support For Haiti With Love’s ongoing relief efforts.

Header image courtesy of For Haiti With Love.

Meanwhile, rulers in Port-au-Prince extended a state of emergency until May 3.

Partners in Haiti tell Helen Williams of World Missionary Press, “The entire country is pretty much shut down. Prices on everything from food to gasoline are climbing. Food is becoming increasingly scarce; no one is working because of the violence.”

One partner shut down its offices in the capitol, but staff continue to help vulnerable kids in their neighborhoods.

“It is an unbelievably dangerous area, and yet, these children are still coming when they can,” Williams says.

“The ministry is still working; they’re going to keep helping the kids to know God.”

Haitian students read WMP Scripture booklets.
(Photo courtesy World Missionary Press)

World Missionary Press sent a 40-foot container to these partners, and it was being cleared through customs when fighting broke out in the capital in early January. Four months later, it’s still there.

“You can’t get it cleared, and you can’t get it from the port to the location where it’s going to be housed and used,” Williams says.

Pray for an immediate end to the gang wars and violence in Haiti. Pray that Christians can somehow get the WMP container out of customs to distribute and use the material inside.

“There’s half a million booklets on that container, just so much material that could be doing such a positive work in hearts at a time when people have nothing else to lean on,” Williams says.

“Pray over His Word and the protection of it. We believe we’re to prepare it, and the delivery is up to Him. We saw God work marvelously with the Russia container, and we believe He will do the same with this.”

Header image is  a representative stock photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.