Death, violence and terror – the daily reality in Kenscoff. So many of our employees no longer sleep in their homes at night. Once it begins to get dark they go down deeper into the valley, in an attempt to avoid the raiding gangs.

Last Friday- an employee rang me sometime before 4 a.m. – Gena, stay alert, there is a lot of shooting over the hill. We talked about another employee that lives in the area where the gangs were shooting. I hung up and called that employee- “We are hiding in the fields – we ran because there was shooting everywhere”. She told me later that 12 of them crammed into a garden shack and, when they couldn’t all sleep there, some slept outside.

Imagine how traumatized her children are! Imagine how she feels!

One of our night employees was frantically trying to reach her family. They live right beside the police station – and the police station was under attack. Her neighbour was killed and other family members were injured.

Another employee told me she and her kids literally slid and rolled down the hills as they ran for their lives. “We were not on any path, Gena – we just ran. They shot people in front of me, they pulled and dragged my neighbour – it was awful. They kidnapped people – made them carry the dead bodies of gang members that had been shot. Oh it was awful, Gena”.

Automatic gunfire keeps everyone awake at night, and fear grows and swells throughout the valleys. The night seem endless when you are afraid. Schools are closed and countless families have left their homes. Tis more of the same in Haiti as the reign of terror continues and spreads from community to community.

These are dark days

These are dark days.

There is a new Pope- he speaks of unity and love.

Unity- what a nice word. Why, oh why, do humans always try to focus on how we might be different? Why can’t we look at how similar we all are? Why can’t we imagine what it must be like for those that are suffering!

How many people do you know that were murdered this year? Hopefully none – in Haiti we are not so lucky, as we know so many. Know as in know personally!

Do you know anyone that was kidnapped and tortured? Hopefully not! Sadly we know many.

I don’t have answers.
Haiti doesn’t make the news.
I feel I had to write a few words.
Too much violence.
Too many senseless deaths.
Too many rapes.
Too much sadness.
I like the Pope’s plea for unity.
I like his call for peace and inclusion.
Let’s make it happen.
To have peace, You and I must be peaceful.
To have a fair world You and I must be fair.
To have a safe world, you and I must be safety- be safety in our language, how many times do we read things written in language of violence?
Be safety in our interactions!
I could go on and on!
Please keep praying for peace.
Be Peaceful!
Please include Haiti in your prayers.