Many of you heard that our deacon friend Brother Jeanto was released Saturday evening! He gave a little testimony yesterday in church and it was getting passed around in Haiti, so we thought you all that can't understand Kreyòl might like to hear it too. The church in Haiti and Jeanto's family is very thankful for all of your prayers!
Here's a summary of what he said about his experience...
About 2 o'clock on the first of August, 3 men appeared in the clinic yard where he was. They said they had a mission for him and that he had to come with them. So they took him out to a vehicle they had parked right outside the gate and made him get in. They covered his face so he wouldn't know where they were going. Then when the got on the highway and turned to go towards Fonds Parisien he said, "If you have a mission for me, that's not a problem, but what's going on?" Then they told him that he was actually being kidnapped. By then, it was too late by then for him to try to argue or do anything. Because as soon as they left the clinic with him, they had let all the leaders know he was kidnapped.
So they took him to one of their bases and he was amazed at how organized everything was. There were several offices he had to go through where they took every identification he had with him and wrote his information down so they could identify him. They said they would give him back all his ID if he was set free, but not his laptop and phone. They keep all the electronics there at the base to use and don't give them back to any of the kidnapped people.
Then they put him in a house that was actually fairly nice. It had tile floor and a decent toilet. He wasn't exactly comfortable but from what he's heard about others who have been kidnapped, they actually didn't treat him all that terribly.
They were fed every 2 days. For example, if they gave them food Monday evening at 6,they had to wait until Wednesday evening at 6 to eat again. The food wasn't what he would have chosen, but he of course had to eat what they gave him to survive. His body got used to it and after awhile he didn't even have much of a problem on the days when there wasn't food.
Another good thing was that they didn't try to stop him from preaching the gospel. He kept teaching the people in the house with him, and on Sundays they would have a nice little service together and he would preach. There were 6 people among those who were kidnapped that came to repentance and were converted. They actually promised to come to the Mennonite church in Cazeau when they were set free.
He ended with a sad story about one of the people who had been converted. His parents got together a lot of money to send to the gangsters, but apparently they were not satisfied with what they got. So one night, about 1 or 2 in the morning, they put something over his head and took him out somewhere and killed him.
Brother Jeanto thanks everyone in Haiti and in all the other countries who prayed for him and he knows it was God who helped him be set free.
A bit about our own lives...
Ava and I are doing well. Last night she slept for a little bit over four hours which was a real victory!! She's been wearing my mom and I out at night. She's getting more alert and awake all the time. And snuggling with her in the chair... Smelling her little soft baby hair and watching her funny little expressions is the best thing ever.
Zèzè's family is going thru a hard time right now. Dad in law fell on his bad side and broke his hip. Eight days later he's in a hospital but they still haven't heard for sure if he's going to be getting surgery or what. Getting medical care in Haiti is a tiring and frustrating process, so keep them all in your prayers.
I thought I'd close this with a little encouragement. It may be a bit hard to imagine what this last month has been like for Jeanto's family, but something like this causes a lot of fear. I think his family and all of us with loved ones in Haiti would really appreciate it if the details of this case didn't get idly discussed. I feel like this is really important for their family's safety and also will help not to put others in more danger than they already are. Instead we need to all be praying for Jeanto's wife that she can get her health back and that the family can find a way thru the financial burden this has caused.
I would encourage anyone who has friends in Haiti, even old friends you've kind of lost touch with, to make time to call and chat with them. You can even download the Digicel or Natcom app and send them $10 for phone credit as a nice gesture. They are all missing their connection with the North American church right now, and we all spend so much time on our phones anyway, let's brighten someone's day!
If you don't have connections in Haiti, remember the country in your prayers! The political situation is complicated and hard to understand even if you are living in the middle of it. But we can all pray even tho no one has answers. God is powerful. He's still working miracles both big and small and there is no reason to lose hope.