 |
| Austin and Cherilyn on their wedding day |
October 31, 2021
When has two weeks ever been so long? “You son is among a
group of seventeen who were kidnapped,” came the words over the phone on
Saturday morning, October 16. Kidnapped? We had just received word that he had
landed in Haiti the evening before. Planning to spend 4-6 months down there
helping the victims of the recent earthquake, our son planned to spend the
weekend at the Christian Aid Ministry (CAM) base in Haiti before heading out
with one other guy into the mountains, more remote, where there was a great
need for rebuilding of homes and lives. Now he’s been kidnapped.
We knew deep in our hearts that God had took him there for
“such a time as this.” We had such a peace about it all because it was indeed a
miracle that our son even had his passport in his hand. Back in summer, he had decided
he really should start the process on renewing his passport. It had been
expired for a time, and since he had no reason to travel, he put it off.
Finally, one day in late September, he put the paperwork in the mail, not even
bothering to expediate it. He knew the wait was probably twelve weeks or so,
but that was no worry to him with no reason for a passport in the immediate
future. A short time later, John received an email from CAM telling of the need
for two young men to go to Haiti and help with assessing and starting to help
rebuild after the devastating earthquake there.
We could tell he was immediately interested, but right away he said, “Well,
guess I can’t even go since I have no passport.” My mother’s heart knew that he
had loved Haiti when he had visited there once before and that he really was at
a crossroads in his life searching what God had for him next. I started praying
about this passport. It wasn’t more than a week or so later, when I got a text
from him, “Mom, my passport showed up. I think I’ll pursue this Haiti thing.”
He started the screening process immediately and within the week, he was packed
up, headed to Ohio to attend an “International Crises Conference” as well as
having his interview and getting everything prepared for his departure.
Everything was expediated within the organization and that Friday, the 15th
he flew to Haiti. And now he’s kidnapped.
The shock, unable to comprehend how this must be. Is the group
all together? Are they harmed? How are the children doing? Do they have food
and water? The first days stretched out long for us. The long nights were dark.
Although we read stories of the twenty and even thirty days this gang had held
recent captives, we felt surely there would be a quick release, a short
inconvenience to our lives, and a powerful story of God’s miraculous
deliverance to this group. But it wasn’t. One day, two days, and then three.
One week and now two as one day blended into the next and really nothing has
happened. I have never felt my faith tested to a point of weariness and we continue
to wonder, “Lord, how long?”
I remember feeling strongly that this trip to Haiti will be
a life-changing experience for our son, but I never imagined this. We knew the
political unrest made this country a dangerous venture for mission work, but we
also felt peace and much courage as we watched him prepare to go.
A few days after the kidnapping took place, we realized that
John and I had another problem. In the event we would need to leave the
country, our passports were also expired. This made us uncomfortable because of
the current situation. We tried to set up a “one-day” passport appointment in
Seattle, but the earliest we could get was one week later. John asked the lady making appointments if
there wasn’t some emergency exception that could be made. Although she was very
sympathetic, she said there was nothing to be done. Having to wait a week
wasn’t going to work to well if we got the call that we needed to leave
immediately, so John decided to appeal higher up in the government. He called
around and finally got through to our state representative’s office. They were so helpful. The lady from that office told us to
sign a waiver to give them permission to make it happen and she would make an
appointment the next day as an emergency passport. They waived the requirements
of having a ticket to fly international and everything. As I texted that day, “CAM
flew us to Seattle this morning so we could be there when the office opened.
They whisked us right through. I could see our waiver papers behind them, and
they silently gave their condolences. It was very touching. I just had to cry.
We are waiting now in the cafe. Our passport should be ready in an hour or two.
We hope to get a flight home at 3:30. How is that for our miracle-working God?
Now my heart cries wondering why is there no miracle of release???”
Surreal. Now home with a passport
and still no word. But such love and care from the American government. We felt
so supported and loved and cared for unlike most encounters with government
offices. Then the meeting with the FBI. Again, worried and unsure how this
would be. Another text, “I should say it was a professional FBI negotiator
and a victim’s specialist that came to see us. He was from Portland, OR, and
she was from Bend, OR. She brought me a lemon blueberry loaf and made sure I
was eating and drinking. When I told her I wasn’t doing that very well, she asked
if she could get a cup out of my cupboard and gave me a cup of water. She also
told me she would be the official fly swatter because we had some real annoying
flies going on. I told John they were the kind of people I would have wanted to
stay with me till this thing is all over. They were well-trained for what they
do.” Such a comfort to know how to proceed and the resources they have
available for us to use if needed in the future.
And now day after day continues with seemingly nothing
noticeably happening. We do have two support conference call meetings a day with
our mission organization and the other victim’s families. This has been a
lifeline for us. The mission organization is also gathering resources and
getting advice about the situation. It is a most helpless feeling as my one
friend said, “We can’t just whip out our check books this time and bring this
to a resolution.”
Our church group has been amazing support. They have brought
us food, gone shopping for us, cleaned our house, and just doing all those
mundane things that we have no energy for. My church ladies have been meeting
for prayer each morning when they drop off their school children. This has been
such a kind gesture of concern and care to us. This morning after a short
sermon, we circled the sanctuary as a congregation and spent time praying again.
Then we sang, “All the Way My Savior Leads Me.” What a promise of His presence
with us.
We wait, we pray, we long for good news. As we wait, we keep
planning towards our daughter’s wedding in three weeks. We go wedding shopping,
all the while trying to squelch the rising fear of all the “what ifs”. God
knows all this. We work on sewing our wedding clothes as we try to rest in the
care of our Heavenly Father. We hope to bake our cakes and decorate them next
week and at the same time hope and pray that everything will be resolved
quickly in Haiti so we can truly enjoy this life’s milestone in Allison’s life.
Such a combination of joy and sorrow. At
the time of this writing, we are fifteen days into this kidnapping and waiting.
Keep watching and praying with us.
And now, one year later, I ponder and try to still make sense of it all.
Comments