On October 16, 2021, 17 Christian missionaries associated with Christian Aid Ministries (CAM), based in Ohio, have been kidnapped in Haiti after returning from an orphanage. The missionaries, both from the U.S. and Canada, made up of Amish, Mennonite and other Anabaptist Christians, are believed to still be alive. Five of them are children aged 15, 14, 6, 3 and 8 months.
The people behind the kidnapping are the members of the notorious gang 400 Mawozo who are known for killing, kidnapping, and extortion.
The gang’s leader, Wilson Joseph, asked ransom of $17 million, one million per person.
“The demand was made to the country chief of the Christian Aid Ministries — they asked for $1 million per person,” Justice Minister Liszt Quitel told The New York Times.
“Often these gangs know these demands cannot be met and they will consider a counteroffer from the families, and the negotiations can take a couple of days sometimes, or a couple of weeks.”
If not given what they are asking for, the gang was reported to have said they would put a bullet in the head of each of the missionaries.
The friends and the families of the kidnapped members of CAM are praying for their loved ones to be brought back home safe and sound.
CAM released a statement saying, “It is now the 24th day of this crisis, and our workers and loved ones are still being held hostage in Haiti.
“We, along with government authorities, continue to work hard to bring them home safely. This is our heartfelt desire, but we want to surrender to God’s plan and timing.
“The families of the hostages continue to face long days of waiting for news about their loved ones. The hostages no doubt face long days as well, wondering when they might be released.”
“Your prayers have been a lifeline of hope and encouragement for the families, for us at CAM, and no doubt for the hostages during the past several weeks. Keep praying!”
We all hope for a positive outcome and wait for the missionaries to return home.