Today, Christian Aid Ministries associates in the United States, Canada, and other countries are observing a special day of prayer and fasting. We invite believers around the world to join us.  We would also like to relate to you a message that family members of the hostages want to share with the world.

Dear Church of Christ around the world,

 Thank you for your prayers on behalf of our family members who are being held hostage in Haiti.

 God has given our loved ones the unique opportunity to live out our Lord’s command to, “love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you” (Matthew 5:44).

 God invites us to call upon His name in the day of trouble. (Psalm 50:15) We thank Him that He is God, and ask Him to hear our prayers and bring our families home.

 We also pray that the light of God’s love might shine out into the darkness of sin, and that the gang members might be freed from their bondage to sin and experience freedom in Jesus Christ.

 Thank you, brothers and sisters in Christ, and PLEASE keep praying!

 The families of the hostages

These families are from Amish, Mennonite, and other Anabaptist communities in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Ontario, Canada. They continue to support each other with prayers and encouragement during this difficult time. Times of difficulty have a way of bringing people together. Pray for these families.

We will mention a few other specific things to pray for on this special day of prayer and fasting.

• Pray for the hostages—for their release, that they could endure faithfully, and that they would display Christlike love. Jesus, when nailed to the cross, said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

• Pray for the kidnappers—that they would experience the love of Jesus and turn to Him. We see that as their ultimate need.

• Pray for government leaders and authorities—as they relate to the case and work toward the release of the hostages. We appreciate the ongoing work and assistance of those knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with kidnapping cases.

Thank you for your prayers. We greatly appreciate the outpouring of support during this difficult time. God bless you.

Christian Aid Ministries | October 21, 2021 1:30 p.m.

Haiti kidnapping update

We are entering day number five since our workers and loved ones were kidnapped in Haiti. We, along with government authorities, continue to work hard to bring them home safely. We appreciate the work of those knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with kidnapping cases.

As CAM associates, we plan to have a special day of fasting and prayer tomorrow, October 21. We invite believers around the world to join us in seeking God for His mighty hand to work. As mentioned in previous statements, we invite continued prayer for:

• The victims—for endurance, faithfulness, and a spirit of Christlike love. Pray for their release and that they could follow the example of Jesus who said of His enemies, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
• The kidnappers—that they would experience the love of Jesus and turn to Him.
• Government leaders and authorities—as they relate to the case and work toward the release of the victims.

This time of difficulty reminds us of the ongoing suffering of millions of Haitians. While our workers chose to serve in Haiti, our Haitian friends endure crisis after crisis, continual violence, and economic hardship. Despite the difficulties and dangers involved in working there, both our Haitian and American workers carry a vision to minister the love of Jesus in Haiti. Our goal is to seize opportunities around the world, even in difficult contexts, to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38).

Christian Aid Ministries | October 20, 2021 3:00 p.m.

Haiti kidnapping update

Many people, including CAM management and Haitian and U.S. authorities, are working diligently to bring our loved ones home safely.

The ages of the adults being held captive range from 18 to 48. The ages of the children are 8 months, 3 years, 6 years, 13 years, and 15 years. Today, we again commit our workers to God’s care. “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11). Pray that our workers could respond to hatred with Jesus’ love, overcome the spirit of fear with faith, and face violence with a genuine desire to bless their oppressors.

We request prayers for the Haitian and American civil authorities who are working to resolve this situation. We believe the command of the Bible in I Timothy 2:2-3—“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.”

This group of workers has been committed to minister throughout poverty-stricken Haiti. Their heart-felt desire is to share the love of Jesus. Before the kidnapping, their work throughout Haiti included supporting thousands of needy school children, distributing Bibles and Christian literature, supplying medicines for numerous clinics, teaching Haitian pastors, and providing food for the elderly and vulnerable. In recent months, they were actively involved in coordinating a rebuilding project for those who lost their homes in the August 2021 earthquake. When kidnapped, the group was returning from a visit to an orphanage that receives support from Christian Aid Ministries.

One of CAM’s largest programs in Haiti is providing support for Haitian schools throughout the country.

In recent months, Christian Aid Ministries has been coordinating a rebuilding project in areas devastated by the August 2021 earthquake.

God bless you for praying. We immensely appreciate the outpouring of love and support from around the world.

Christian Aid Ministries | October 19, 2021 12:30 p.m.

Scripture quotations from New King James Version

Haiti Kidnapping update

We are entering the third day since seventeen of our workers were kidnapped by a gang in Haiti. The media has carried this situation across the globe. Civil authorities in Haiti and the United States are aware of what has happened and are offering assistance. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are in earnest prayer.

We greatly appreciate the prayers of believers around the world, including our many Amish and Mennonite supporters. The Bible says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).

Join us in prayer that God’s grace would sustain the men, women, and children who are being held hostage. In a world where violence and force are seen as the solution to problems, we believe in God’s call to Christians to “…not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Pray that those being held hostage could find strength to demonstrate God’s love. The kidnappers, like all people, are created in the image of God and can be changed if they turn to Him. While we desire the safe release of our workers, we also desire that the kidnappers be transformed by the love of Jesus, the only true source of peace, joy, and forgiveness.

Christian Aid Ministries | October 18, 2021 1:30 p.m.

Scripture quotations from New King James Version

Haiti Staff Abduction

We request urgent prayer for the group of Christian Aid Ministries workers who were abducted while on a trip to visit an orphanage on Saturday, October 16. We are seeking God’s direction for a resolution, and authorities are seeking ways to help.

The group of sixteen U.S citizens and one Canadian citizen includes six men, six women, and five children.* Join us in praying for those who are being held hostage, the kidnappers, and the families, friends, and churches of those affected. Pray for those who are seeking God’s direction and making decisions regarding this matter.

As an organization, we commit this situation to God and trust Him to see us through. May the Lord Jesus be magnified and many more people come to know His love and salvation.

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust . . . For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” (Psalm 91:1,2,11).

Christian Aid Ministries | October 17, 2021 1:30 p.m.

*Numbers corrected on 10/18/2021.