A team of Hutchinson missionaries are back home after riots trapped them in a Haitian orphanage for boys, and kept them in the country three days longer than planned.
The 12 Peace Lutheran Church missionaries, including 4 adults and 8 students, left June 30 with the Praying Pelican Mission Group to volunteer at Good Shepherd Orphanage in Carrefour, Haiti. The plan was to fly out Saturday, July 7. Among the group was Rebecca Messner.
“We do a worship service on the roof every night at 7:30 p.m.,” Rebecca said. “We were told Friday there were riots going on and other protests going on.”
She said the news their flight would be canceled was devastating, as the missionaries were eager to be home.
“But we were overjoyed with the kids there,” Rebecca said. “And the staff was amazing and got us food, and we had water the whole time.”
“Rebecca called us Friday night at midnight, and said, 'Mom, we're not coming home, we cannot leave. There is rioting going on. There are people burning tires in the streets. We can see the smoke,'” said Anita Messner, Rebecca's mother.
Rebecca said the group felt safe at the orphanage. However, they were worried about the danger of leaving to try and make the two-hour, 45-mile trip to the airport in Port-au-Prince. Haitian news agencies report the violence was incited by an increase in the nation's gasoline prices, with the hike ranging from 38 to 51 percent.
The missionaries had a conversation about riots and protests, Rebecca said, and how they're nothing new in the world, and happen in Minnesota as well. But it always feels far away.
“We got a bit more frantic call from her Saturday afternoon saying, 'It's worse, Mom. People are dying in the streets. We don't know how we will come home or when we will come home,'” Anita said.
Because Rebecca did not have consistent cell phone service, most information her parents received came from others on the trip.
“It made it real seeing the black smoke,” she said. “That was all going on, and we couldn't leave. I wasn't scared, just homesick. I wanted to come home.”
Haitian deaths were reported Friday and Sunday, but it is unclear if all were related to the unrest. Reports included vandalism and looting. CNN reported 120 Americans were trapped in a Port-au-Prince hotel. A group of missionaries that attempted to leave Saturday found road blocks constructed with burning tires, and demands of payment, and decided to turn back.
Haitian Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant announced a temporary stop to the price increases Saturday. Hoping the announcement would calm tensions, plans were made for the Hutchinson group to depart Sunday morning with a police escort. But when police could not get into Port-au-Prince, the plan was called off.
When contacted Monday, Rep. Collin Peterson's office advised Anita to forward information about all the missionaries to the State Department. Youth pastor Erika Durheim had already done so, and informed the embassy of the group's situation as well, Anita said.
As they waited for a chance to depart, the missionaries continued to work in Good Shepherd Orphanage.
“We were never worried they weren’t safe where they were,” Anita said. “And the kids weren't ready for them to leave, anyway.”
“We played a lot of cards and hung out with the boys,” Rebecca said. “We made bracelets, prayed we would be home soon, played basketball and soccer. … The kids really enjoyed our presence and didn't want us to leave, so we spent a lot of time hugging them and giving them attention.”
A plan was made to try and leave Wednesday. Seats on a flight were available if the missionaries could make it to the airport. But an update came sooner.
“(Tuesday) we were sent a message that said, 'We are going to attempt to leave at noon to drive into the city. We have a hotel room. We are going to try and get to the airport and stand by if possible,'” Anita said.
That message was received around noon. Based on the usual travel time, Anita expected to receive news at a 2:30 p.m.
“At 1:30 (p.m.) I received a FaceTime call from Rebecca,” Anita said. “She said, 'Mom, we are at the airport, we are at the airport!'”
“We saw concrete blocks on the side of the road, and remains of burned tires,” Rebecca said. “But there weren't a lot of people out, and it was really quiet. The drive only took 45 minutes. That tells you people were just not out and about. We did see gang members seeing around, but we weren't stopped. We got there just fine.”
The Hutchinson missionaries asked for passage on any flight out of the country, but were told the only plane available only had three seats. The team made plans to leave the airport.
“A Delta manager ran after them,” Anita said.
The manager told the missionaries a bigger plane was being prepared, and they were all going to get out of the country “now.” In addition to worries about the riots escalating again, there were worries about a storm. The United States government is advising travelers not to go to Haiti.
“I was dreading them leaving the compound,” Anita said. “I was worried about how frightened they probably were. Being a parent who couldn't help, all we could do was ask for lots and lots of prayers, and that's what we did. The Praying Pelican people worked very hard to keep them safe. The journey was the hardest part.”
The plane's takeoff time was listed as 2:43 p.m. central time. With the Hutchinson missionaries on board, it was bound for the United States, with plans to land in the early evening.
“By the grace of God they are in the air on the way to Atlanta,” Anita said.
Only a few hours later, Rebecca and the rest of the missionaries had their feet on American soil at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, waiting for their next flight. They later landed at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport at around 11 p.m., and were home late at night.
Rebecca said she wanted to “give my mom and dad a hug, and my sisters, and then go to bed" the moment she made it home.
“Right now in the airport what I want to do is eat American food,” she said in Atlanta. “They had really good food there, but after 10 days eating it, it gets tiring.”
Anita couldn't wait to have her daughter home, but she had a good idea of what she would hear from Rebecca.
“I'm quite certain some of the first words I hear out of her mouth are going to be 'I'm going back, Mom,'” Anita said.
“That is totally right,” Rebecca said. “Haiti is a beautiful country and the people are amazing. This one thing doesn't explain Haiti at all, or show how the rest of the country is. They are amazing, they work so hard, they don't depend on Americans. They work hard for their country, and to raise money for their families. It was inspiring to be there, and I'm definitely going back.”
