Title: Kidnapped in Haiti
Author: Katrina Hoover Lee
Major Themes: Haiti, Kidnapping, Hostages, Gangs, Voodoo, Mennonites
Synopsis: After visiting an orphanage, a group of 17 missionaries were kidnapped by gangsters; would they survive, or lose their lives?
A year ago, we were praying for the release of a group of missionaries who had been kidnapped by gangsters in Haiti and were being held for ransom. A few of these people were acquaintances from many years ago, people my family in the states knew well, so this situation felt very close to home for us. When a book was written about their ordeal, I knew I wanted to read it, and now only a few months after the release, I have been able to. What a story! Even though I knew much of what happened to them and how the story ended, to read Kidnapped in Haiti and see how God worked all the way through was absolutely amazing.
One day in October 2021, 17 missionaries, including men, women, and children down to an eight-month-old baby, traveled from their base in Haiti to an orphanage to see what conditions were like there. After spending a wonderful time playing with the children at the orphanage and talking to the people there, they headed for home. They soon ran into a roadblock, and the next thing they knew they were being taken on a wild ride in their van to some shack in the bush.
Though the group was sure at first that, somehow, they would be back at their base that night, or at least soon, day after day dragged by and nothing changed. They would have been tempted to believe that God had forgotten them if they didn’t daily see evidence that he was with them—but the spiritual battles were very real and very difficult. Would any of them survive this ordeal? Would they ever see their families again? Especially when some became very sick, it was hard to keep trusting.
Reading Kidnapped in Haiti, with its description of people from the country and culture in which I grew up, in our modern world, undergoing experiences like these, is very faith-building. Katrina Hoover Lee has done a wonderful job of telling the story of the 17 people. She includes many quotes from them and from their families, and I really liked the boxes throughout the book in which she shared prayers from people around the world for the kidnapped missionaries. Don’t miss this book. It’s well worth reading.
WARNING: Several times, intense spiritual warfare is described, with obviously demonic attacks on the missionaries. Each time, however, God’s power shines through. Also, there are a couple of times when the gangsters beat people up badly.
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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