Dear Friends and Family,

Please lift up the children and staff of Maison de Lumiere, as well as all people of Haiti for protection and peace. 

We have received a number of reports from Rod and Brittany Meadth, the Hojaras (the family watching over the orphanage in our absence) and other fellow missionaries in Haiti that riots and street gatherings to protest food prices are getting violent.

Tomorrow, schools and businesses in Port Au Prince will be closed as a result of the increased rioting.

In an email from our friend and local pastor in Haiti, John McHoul, he said...

...demonstrations have turned violent and several (people) have been killed and scores have been injured. Some UN outposts have been attacked and some UN vehicles have been stoned and some burned out by the demonstrators.  In Port au Prince, there largely have been peaceful demonstrations but some violent manifestations, as well, that cause enormous problems as business may be ransacked and vehicles caught in these demonstrations may have their windows smashed out, the vehicles stoned and at times actually set on fire.

The prices of food, fuel and it seems most items has risen dramatically in seemingly a very short time.  Many of the Haitians are blaming the government for much of this increase.  They point to corruption at the port and the high taxes charged for imported items.

In all our years here, we have not seen prices rise so much in such a short time period.  I honestly wonder how the poor are able to survive and am sure that many are losing ground as they simply can not afford to buy enough food to meet their needs. 

This rise in prices as well affects us as it now costs us more in fuel for the vehicles and generators, in food and supplies in caring for the children and really for almost everything that we purchase.

I will be meeting with our workers to talk about this situation and to I hope offer them raises in pay which will help but will in no way match the price increases that they daily must confront.

We, as well, are going to seek to increase staff pay to help them to cope with this difficult situation.  In addition, we, as a ministry, need your prayers to meet the same rise in prices.

Please join us in prayer for the people of Haiti and those who are living and ministering there.

Thank you.

Bill and Susette Manassero