Songs and prayer helped kidnapped missionaries
BERLIN – The 17 Christian Aid Ministries Haiti hostages spent most of their time in captivity together as a group.
They sang. They prayed. They recited Bible versus from memory because they did not have a Bible. They encouraged each other as they waited out their fate.
One day after the Thursday release of the remaining 12 captives, CAM General Director David Troyer shared limited details about their ordeal in a post late Friday on the CAM website. He also announced a Monday news conference where more information is expected to be disclosed.
“Everyone, including the 10-monthold baby, the 3-year-old boy, and the 6year-old boy, seem to be doing reasonably well,” Troyer noted, confirming that all of the hostages are safe and were flown out of Haiti in a “U.s.flagged plane” Thursday afternoon.
Missionaries kidnapped two months ago
The group was taken by members of the 400 Mawozo gang on Oct. 16, a short time after leaving an orphanage, and had enjoyed playing with children there, the director disclosed.
“As they became aware of what was happening at the time of capture, the group began singing the chorus, ‘The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them’,” Troyer wrote. “This song became a favorite of theirs, and they sang it many times throughout their days of captivity.”
Now the focus becomes recovery as the former hostages work to reclaim their lives.
“They and their families need your continued prayers, support, and encouragement,” the statement reads, and requests privacy and space for the group.
No names of those released were made public and there was no mention of whether a ransom was paid.
Troyer wrote in the statement that Christian Aid Ministries operates several programs in Haiti that minister to both the physical and spiritual needs of people there, and they “have been on the ground in Haiti for 30 years.”
He said the missionaries were aware of the dangers “but we go to dangerous places in many parts of the world. Why? Because that is usually where the biggest needs are.”
He also said the kidnapping has caused CAM to evaluate its safety precautions “and better instruct our people about the dangers involved.”
Grateful to many
The statement expressed forgiveness for the kidnappers and thanked the families of the hostages for their patience, people around the world for their prayers, the U.S. government and others who sought the safe return of the hostages, and the news media for sharing the story.
And he thanked the CAM staff “for standing with us, and for your many words of encouragement and kind deeds during this trying time..”
Troyer included a message to the Haitian people “who have expressed their regret for this incident and offered their prayers and words of encouragement to us,” and CAM pledged “to continue to walk with you in the future as best we can.”