'Please Pray for Us!!' 17 Missionaries, Including Children, Kidnapped in Haiti

An urgent prayer request has been issued after a group of 17 missionaries and family members, mostly Americans, were abducted in Haiti on Saturday.

The Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries sent an audio alert stating that men, women, and children were kidnapped while on their way home from building an orphanage. The kidnapped group consists of 16 U.S. citizens and one Canadian - a total of five children, seven women, and five men

“Join us in praying for those who are being held hostage, the kidnappers and the families, friends and churches of those affected,” Christian Aid Ministries said in a statement. “As an organization, we commit this situation to God and trust Him to see us through.”

A person familiar with the abduction, who chose to remain anonymous, said one of the abducted Americans posted a message on WhatsApp during those terrifying moments. "Please pray for us!! We are being held hostage, they kidnapped our driver. Pray pray pray. We don't know where they are taking us."

The U.S. State Department said in a statement that they were aware of the reports on the kidnapping. "The welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State," the spokesperson said.

"The mission field director and the American embassy are working to see what can be done," the audio was quoted as saying. "Pray that the gang members will come to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ."

As CBN News previously reported, Haiti is in a state of turmoil as the Caribbean country reels from the assassination of its president on July 7. 

Gangs rule the streets as the country has struggled to find its rightful new leader. Kidnappings and violence are way up, and in recent months, missionaries have been targeted in several areas of the country. 

More than 300 kidnapping victims were reported to the Haitian police in the first eight months of 2021 compared to 234 for all of 2020, according to a report issued last month by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti.

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