Still, it is impossible that the $1 million per person demand was ever going to be paid. I cannot imagine what they went through or how they were treated, but I have been compelled to try due to a recent experience of mine. 

On our most recent trip back to Haiti, we had not been able to arrange a flight to and from the CARHA  compound upcountry, where we would continue our work on the movie “Dét Mwen Yo Peye” and season 1 of the xFaith Series. So, the only alternative was to drive both ways. As 2021 wore on, fuel was becoming more and more challenging to obtain. But God supplied what we needed to travel in and back again. And this is where things began to get real. 

Finished and beginning our journey home, we neared the conclusion of the three-and-a-half-hour drive back. We traveled from the northwest into the outskirts of Port Au Prince. As was often the case, we were beset by heavy traffic, coming to a stop amid dozens of other vehicles.

Djumy, the head of CARHA, was at the wheel. Robert was in the back seat, and I was riding shotgun. It was a regular occurrence at these crowded crossroads for people to make their way through the lines of vehicles on foot with items to sell. Drinks, snacks, souvenirs. And often, we had purchased to soothe the heat.

On this particular Saturday, a couple of men approached my side of the car and began yelling at me through the window. I asked Djumy what they were saying. Reluctantly, he replied. “They want money.” This is a common situation in many parts of the world and as a matter of practice, I am happy to share what the Lord has provided to me and let Him sort out the motives of the receiver. But this encounter was different.

Soon, the two men became three and then five. As they pressed in on the passenger side of the car, their spokesman began shouting louder, his demands now threats of getting the rest of their gang. Sadly, this was a growing trend in Haiti, as 2021 saw Haiti become the kidnapping capital of the world.

A mere 6 inches from the glass, I witnessed the growing anger in their eyes. I pondered. Shall I ignore the threats or shall I engage in some way? As a disciple of Jesus, and as we actively follow Him, we will encounter challenges in life, opposition from the hearts in bondage to the world, and abject danger from those who serve only their own desires.