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Return to Missions in Haiti Homepage Update 13 June 2005
Haiti needs prayer more then at anytime before. There is no security in the
country and the criminals are doing all they want. As you know I work at an
A.C.E. school here in Port-au-Prince, it is more for your middle and upper
class people, with a student body of 200. In the past ten days two
different students had their mother kidnapped and held for ransom, another
had her aunt kidnapped, and one of our 4th grader's father was attempted to
be kidnapped and he fought back and was shot and is in critical condition in
the hospital. Then on Sunday one of our teacher's sister and her 3 kids
were kidnapped. Kidnapping is out of control with the police involved with
it most of the time. If you have any money they kidnap somebody in your
family and make you pay as much as you can and you either pay or they kill
the person they have taken. Beside the above, our landlord was shot and
killed a week ago. Alicia was in a store Saturday and witness a kidnapping
right in front of the store. The above is just what has taken place in the
past ten days to people we know, it doesn't mention all the other things
that has happened to people we don't know. There are about 10 kidnapping a
day, plus carjacking, and robberies, and murders. There are 100's being
killed downtown each week. The U.S. has put out travel warnings, told all
the U.S. citizens to leave, and has sent out all their non-essential staff
from the Embassy and Consulate. Please pray for our safety as we go about
the work the Lord has called us to do here. Haiti is in a great spiritual
battle right now so we need all the prayer we can get to help fight against
the enemies's plans for this nation.
The UN is here, suppose to be providing security but we don't see them doing
anything at all. If something breaks out close to where they are, they pack
up and move away from it. The Americans here and most Haitian are hoping
the U.S will intervene and send some Marines back in to provide security for
the country.
Thanks,
Prayer Request 4 May 2005
As you all know, we purchased a piece of property on the outskirts of
Port-au-Prince. We began 4 weeks ago building a wall around the perimeter
of the property. Now this week a group of guys came and said they own the
property. They live just up from it and has seen me working on it for the
past 3 weeks. They came Monday and Tuesday this week, gave the guys working
on it problems. Then today they came, with some authorities and a paper
stating we must stop working on the property. We have a court date Friday
morning at 10:00 a.m. to go and present our papers and they will rule on who
has the right to the property.
I have 18 years of papers on the property with all kinds of seal and
official state records. We purchased the property from a lady I work with
at the English A.C.E. school. They had owned it for 18 years, so that is
why I have that many papers on it. I don't see why there would be a problem
ruling for me except the fact I am white. Several people have told me this
is a game people play to try and extract money from you. They all get
together and work some kind of false papers to scare you or make you have to
pay them something. It is a game that is played regularly here. One friend
of ours said his work was stop three times by 3 different groups of people
when he was building. He said once he got his wall completely finished
nobody else has bothered him. So hopefully Friday we will get permission to
start again so we will try to work extra quickly to get the wall up and done
before we face this again.
Just pray with us that it all goes in our favor and this doesn't happen
again. This has been a very stressful week, Haiti is a very difficult
country.
Thanks for your prayers, Update 16 Oct 2004
Please continue to pray for Haiti, if this country ever needed God's
intervention it needs it now. The last thirty days have been unbelievably
difficult for Haiti and that is saying a whole lot given the deplorable
conditions that Haitian people live with every day. The flooding up north
from Hurricane Jeanne totally devastated an area that was already suffering.
We have been bombarded by requests for assistance because of the terrible
conditions. We distributed food through families in our children's church
for their family members who lost everything. Last week we were asked to
take a brother and sister who were left homeless into the House of
Compassion. The children were obviously suffering from hunger and they were
in shock because of the horrible things that they witnessed and lived
through during the hurricane. We brought them here to live at House of
Compassion with our other fifteen Haitian children.
We are needing financial assistance to help offset the additional costs
associated with bringing these children into our home and to help pay for
the food that we have distributed. To accommodate our new kids, we had to
purchase beds, a table, clothing, pay for medical exams and school
enrollment. To put it bluntly, we spent the rent money, $3,250, which will
be due at the end of they year. There just isn't any way that we could live
with ourselves if we didn't do all that we possibly can do to help the
Haitian people. To continue to properly care for our new kids, Jouseline
age seven and NInick age six, we need to find sponsors. It costs $100.00
per month to sponsor a child here at House of Compassion and if you are able
to help us, your help will be greatly appreciated.
Any help that you are able to give will definitely help. Believe me, there
is a whole lot to be done and nothing that you can do will be wasted.
Please pray that the political unrest here in Haiti will subside. The
downtown area of Port-au-Prince has been shut down for the past two weeks
due to political unrest and street violence. We are hearing of people being
kidnapped and beheaded nearly every day. Because of the shut down, even the
people who have jobs to go to aren't able to go to work and they are joining
the rapidly growing number of people begging for help, just to survive.
There are no welfare programs here in Haiti and their only hope is to find
Missionaries who are willing and who have the means to help them get by
until they are able to return to work. Words cannot express the horrible
conditions and the masses of people who are looking for some ray of hope in
this country.
Pray for us every day. Ask God to give us the strength and wisdom to be
able to do the work that He has called us to do
Thanks for your prayers, may God richly bless you. Update 14 Oct 2004
Just a reminder that we still need lots of prayer here in Haiti. There has
been much violence on the streets in downtown Port-au-Prince this past week.
Aristide supporters are killing people, and causing many problems on the
roads, demanding Aristide's return. The U.N. are not doing much to combat
the problem and the Haitian police are to scared to do anything. Now the
x-military of Haiti (many of who were responsible for the first and second
over throw of Aristide) has come together to go and fight the guys causing
all the problems. The battle is suppose to begin tomorrow, Friday the 15th.
The Haitian government has announced that everything close and everybody
stay home tomorrow. We have cancelled school for tomorrow and are planning
to stay home all day. Aristide is still trying to control the country from
his exile in South Africa. He is a very wicked person and continues to
prove this by ordering his people to continue with the bloodshed. Please
pray there will be minimal blood shed and this will be over quickly.
Haiti continues to suffer. Everyday we have people seeking our assistance,
with housing, schooling, jobs, or just some food for the day. It is very
heart breaking to see suffering on such a large scale. Also, we just took
in two children, a brother and sister who lost everything from the flooding
up north a couple of weeks ago. We now have 17 Haitian children in our
home. Almost everyday we are asked to take more children, please pray we
have to strength and wisdom to be able to continue to do God's will for our
lives. 2004 has been a very difficult year, but we are believing God it is
going to get better, Haiti is at a crossroad and the devil is doing
everything he can to keep it in his control and under his curse.
Thanks for your prayers,
Update 05 Oct 2004
As I am learning more each day, Haiti is a very confusing place. Just when
things begin to look better it all goes down hill again. As you may
remember from our last newsletter we were happy to report some things in the
country we beginning to become better, but now the past couple of weeks have
brought the country back into deep despair.
First, the flooding in the northern part of Haiti destroyed much life,
property, and hope for a brighter future in that part of the country. In
the past week we have received several calls for help from up there. The
calls range from food to taking in orphans. Just yesterday we received a
call concerning 7 children who lost their parents, they were hoping we could
take some of them into our home.
Second, the political situation has fallen apart. Armed gangs are
terrorizing Port-au-Prince making havoc here and there. Many people are
scared to go out and some stores are not able to open.
Third, because the country is suffering, more and more people are turning to
crime. Robberies are occurring at all times of the day and night.
Kidnappings are taking place just as often. They target somebody who has a
little money, kidnap them or somebody in their family, then demand ransom.
Just this past Sunday night, our neighbor who lives 3 houses down was
kidnapped out of his home at gun point. They police never came to
investigate, and the man's family hasn't heard from him yet.
Please pray for
Thank you for your prayers and support for the work here,
Update 28 Sep 2004
Greetings from Haiti, David and Alicia Lloyd
Update 08 Mar 2004
I was hoping and praying things would calm down now, but the guys that Aristide was
providing money and weapons for are not to happy he is gone. They are really stirring up a
stink. Plus the looting continues. I have not been in any danger because I try to stay
away from the problems. Although I still hear gunshots during the night and at times
during the day. I was able to go out to my church in the province yesterday. We had a
good service. Today, we were able to start school back up but only had about 20% of our
student body. Alicia and the kids are trying to come back, but American Airlines hasn't
started flying yet. We were trying for this weekend, now we have postponed it till next,
if all goes well.
An overview of the situation is a very bleak hope for a future. Sometimes this is very
discouraging because you wonder if what we are doing will make a difference. Haiti is a
difficult country with difficult people. I have no idea where this is going and I don't
think the U.S. government has a good handle on the situation either. We are just going to
keep pressing on and believe God for a miracle.
Thanks for all your prayers and concern, Update 01 Mar 2004
Thanks for your prayers for Haiti and our safety. Here is an update on the
situation.
Alicia, Davy, and Hannah left last Tuesday and I stayed behind with the
Haitian children.
I am rejoicing that Aristide (the President) resigned yesterday morning and
left the country. He was destroying the country and the sooner he left the
better. Now I am hoping there will be some order restored so we can feel
safe once again. I have not been out of the house since Thursday because of
all the violence on the streets. I have heard shots being fired all around
the city for the last 4 days (and currently while I am writing this). Our
street has been quiet, which I am thankful for. The country will continue
to suffer for many months to come as a result of the looting. They have
looted everything from the grocery stores, the port, and the hospital. As a
result the shelves will be empty and the price of things will go up to off
set their loss, this will make things even more difficult for the Haitian
people.
Pray the violence will subside so things can get back to normal.
As soon as the commercial airlines begin flying again, Alicia and the
children will return.
Continue to pray for Haiti, Update 29 Feb 2004
email to Bro Lloyd from Bro Benner Bro Lloyd's response The kids and I are doing fine. I have a good 6 week supply of food and diesel. Which the
diesel may go a little faster since they haven't gave any electricity since Tuesday, that
makes it a little more difficult keeping the freezer stuff frozen, but I am managing.
It will be a long time before things get back to normal. Because of all the looting several
business people are closing up and going to the states.
Thanks for your concern and prayers, Update 28 Feb 2004
Bro Craig Benner received an email from Bro Lloyd yesterday morning. The following is
what Bro David told him.
He stated that his wife and children had flown to the states. He said things were getting
wild since Pres. Aristide had given weapons to many gangs, thugs, and groups that are now
pillaging the city of Port au Prince. He said that he hears gunshots through the night and a
lot of other noise, but he and the 12 orphans were safe thus far.
The following is an email received from Brother Craig Benner, a missionary in Mexico,
who corresponds with Brother David Lloyd in Haiti.
Bro. David Lloyd, his wife and two children are holiness missionaries in Port a Prince, Haiti.
Due to uprisings there, the American government has asked all Americans to leave as soon as
possible. I received an e-mail from him yesterday stating that he planned to stay on for now,
because he feels that he cannot just get up and leave his missionary responsibilities. Things
are getting worse everyday there and some Americans and missionaries have already been
threatened. Bro Craig Benner
From Brother Lloyd: I am getting major pressure from family and friends in the states to get out. People just
don't realize you can't up and leave. I have the responsibility of a 200 student body A.C.E.
school and 12 Haitian children that we are responsible for so we can hardly pack up and leave.
We are thinking that Alicia, Davy, and Hannah may leave in the near future if things continue to
worsen and I will stay until they have to shut the school down. It is very nerve racking not
knowing what to do. We are just praying there is a solution to all this mess soon because lives
are being lost every day.
Thanks for your concern and prayers
David Lloyd
David Lloyd
David Lloyd
David and Alicia Lloyd
David and Alicia Lloyd
David and Alicia Lloyd
We have received many calls and e-mails concerning our safety after the
flooding caused from Hurricane Jeanne. Where we are located here in
Port-au-Prince we didn't see anything but light rain. All the devastation
took place up in the Northern part of Haiti. Up north it is very bad,
reports say 300,000 are homeless and 1,500 confirmed dead with many people
still missing. Several of our neighbors and families that attend our
children's church have family that was affected either with death or lost
all they own. Many that have lost everything are excepted to come to
Port-au-Prince seeking help. We are excepting to begin receiving several
request to help relieve some of the physical suffering that these people are
experiencing. We will try to do what we are able. Thanks for your prayers,
but please keep praying for the people of Haiti. Haiti is a very desperate
country.
David Lloyd
David Lloyd
Bro. Lloyd,
We just heard that Pres. Aristide fled the country of Haiti early this morning. Do you know
if this is true? How are you and the orphans? How are things in general? We have had a bunch
of holiness people praying for you all.
As far as I know it's true. Actually I was told from a friend of mine at the Embassy Thursday
night that he left to go to Morocco but later we found out that wasn't true. I would say today is
the real thing since it is being reported on the news. As I am writing this I hear gunshots
in the distance so I would say his supporters are not very happy.
David Lloyd
Keep praying. As of now we are still fine and see no immediate threat to
us. We are assessing the situation daily. The flights leaving are booked for 5 to 7 days in
advance so we have to make that decision thinking ahead to how things will look like in a week.