The violence in Haiti continues to tear the country apart. Over the last two years, more
than 12,000 people have died due to gang violence. Thousands more have been injured
or kidnapped. The gangs have burned businesses, attacked police stations, destroyed
hospitals, and schools have been closed. Thousands of people have abandoned their
homes and communities to seek safety. For many, the daily mission is to find enough
food and water for the day. The country of Haiti needs your prayers.
With the violence raging in Haiti, many have asked, “How is the school theology doing,
and how is the church?” In many areas, the church must meet in smaller groups, in
homes, and at various times to provide safety from the gangs. The threats make it very
difficult for the Christians, but they continue. The church continues to grow as the
Christians reach out to the lost. Pray for the church in Haiti.
IST (the International School of Theology) continues to train preachers and teachers to
proclaim Christ’s message. Unable to meet on IST’s campus, the school moved to the
Santo area. The move worked great for a while, but they had to move again due to
increased gang activity. We have rented a building where it is safe to meet, although, at
times, it is difficult for students or teachers to reach. The gangs will set up roadblocks
preventing anyone from passing through. Despite the problems, the classes continue,
and the church continues to grow. In 2024, we had 191 souls baptized into the body of
Christ and three new congregations planted. God opens the doors because God is in
control. I am able to be in regular contact with the directors of the school weekly. Pray
for our students and teachers as they continue working in God’s great kingdom.
The students and faculty also help provide food and medicine when they can. One way
of reaching the lost is to help them in a difficult time. Even the helping of others must be
handled quietly. If the gangs find that someone is providing food, that person becomes a
target. When they go to deliver the food and medicine, they literally put their lives in
danger, but they do it. Pray for their safety.
We know the time will come when the violence stops, businesses reopen, children
return to school, and IST can move back on the campus grounds. The attitude of the
directors, teachers, and students is, “Even in difficult times, the work must continue, the
lost must be reached, and God’s will must be done. If we don’t, who will?” Pray that
they will continue to have the attitude that they have.
Larry Waymire