God has answered your prayers!
In March 2008, we thanked you for your prayers and thanked God for the release of HAFF's new Toyota Land Cruiser from Haitian customs and its arrival at HAFF. In the intervening 13 years and 9 months, that vehicle has given us over 90,000 miles of service over very bad roads. It has hauled the sick, pregnant, and injured to the hospital. It has hauled people and cargo all over Haiti.
HAFF has been saving for the next new Land Cruiser since 2008 knowing the time would come for a replacement. In 2019 a successful fund-raising effort completed what we needed for our next new Land Cruiser. Now after 2 years and many delays due to paperwork requirements, unrest in Haiti and the pandemic, in October we were finally able to purchase the last 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser in the country.
Then we had to figure out how to get the vehicle safely from Port-au-Prince to HAFF through fuel shortages and gang violence.
Back in 2008, HAFF driver, Elizert took a motorcycle taxi north to Cap Haitien to catch a flight on Missionary Flights International (MFI) to Port-au-Prince. He picked up the vehicle, started for home and then had to turn back to have the turn signals fixed! Even so, we were expecting him to return to HAFF by 11 am, but given the poor state of the roads back then, he was finally home by 8pm.
Elizert always keeps his radio tuned to Haitian news and keeps his ears open for word-of-mouth reports on the state of the roads and violence in the country. This year when he deemed it safe, and with dealer assurances that the vehicle had a full tank of fuel, on December 21st, 2021, Elizert again caught a flight with MFI, this time from Pignon to Port-au-Prince. After picking up the new Land Cruiser, 4 policemen escorted Elizert and the new Toyota out of Port-au-Prince - for a fee, of course!
Normally, with the newly paved roads, the 80-some miles from Port-au-Prince to HAFF takes about 2 hours. But, with roadblocks to be negotiated, it took Elizert 5 hours to make the trip. Thankfully, at about 9 pm, he arrived safely with our new vehicle that will double as a local medical transport!
We are still using the old Land Cruiser on non-asphalt roads and for hauling cargo and large groups if we need 2 vehicles. But we give thanks to God and to those of you who so faithfully gave and prayed for this new, safer vehicle. Long may it serve the Lord's work at HAFF! And may you too experience the Lord’s faithfulness during a new year full of God's grace and favor.