Posted: 08/09/2005 at 6:09pm | IP Logged

(MNN) Escalating civil violence in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, is directly affecting ministry in that beleaguered country.

Rocked by food shortages, political uncertainty and natural disasters, crime is running rampant in one of the world's poorest nations.

"One of the biggest struggles right now has been a wave of kidnappings and stealing from anyone and armed people that will stop you on the street," says Tim DeVries, Bible League's vice president for Latin American Ministries.

DeVries explains how this is affecting their work. "We've had to be more careful. We can't go out and do training at churches at night, which limits then, training people who have access to the day," he says.

DeVries says their director has been approached on a number of occasions by people on the street. "They look for either ministries that receive help from outside, or that would have some resources for them to attack in some way."

People with vehicles have been some of the most sought-after victims, says DeVries. "All our vehicles have been parked and not used. We just move around through whatever public transportation can be had."

While hours of operations have been curtailed, God continues to be victorious. As people become desperate, they begin to look for God, says DeVries. "Even in the midst of these difficulties, making it difficult for us to work with churches, things not happening, the economy completely in a disaster, political disasters as well, kidnappings, even with all that we are growing in the amount of people that are doing small group Bible studies, and the churches planted."

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