After the recent devastation in the Western hemisphere's poorest country, Haiti, parentless children are running rampant. Ten American Baptist missionaries are in a makeshift jail in Port-au-Prince while they await their fate today after being accused of trying to take a group of 33 Haitian children across the border into the Dominican Republic without proper documentation.
The group, known as The Haitian Orphan Rescue Mission, originated out of Idaho and is dedicated to saving children who have been traumatized and abandoned. The church officials organizing the rescue effort said the group's focus was strictly humanitarian. The group merely wanted to place Haitian children, whom they thought were parentless, in a newly established Dominican Republic orphanage called the New Life Children's Refuge. The group had planned on filling the beach-resort-like facility with at least 200 Haitian and Dominican children in order to get the wheels in motion to establish a school, villas, seaside cafe and chapel for the attention of potential American adoptive parents.
The transfer effort began last Friday, when a truck carrying 33 Haitian children, ages 2 months to 12 years, was stopped at the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The missionaries had no permission from the Haitian government or proper documentation to present to border officials, and this raised a red flag.
"They tried to leave with the children without the proper documents and without following the formal procedures," said Public Security Secretary Amarick Louis. "Specialized units and territorial units, have been instructed to take all appropriate measures against people who don't respect the rules."
Drew Ham, a pastor with the Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho, adamantly defends the intentions of his own church members. Ham says there's been a serious lack of misunderstanding, "The group was trying to help. They thought they were acting by the book. They had contacted the Dominican government, they had the paperwork they were told they needed to have, they went to Haiti and were in contact with an orphanage there," he said. "From all our accounts, this is simply a paperwork issue. And the next thing our folks know, they're being arrested." The other missionaries who were also in the group came from East Side Baptist Church in Twin Falls, Idaho.
The Haitian government announced last week that all adoptions would be placed on hold, unless folks are in the midst of completing one. There has been a rash of sex trafficking by foreign interlopers, and Haitian children have been the prime targets. In order for any adoptee to leave Haiti, Prime Minister Max Bellerive has to now personally authorize it.
The children in question were taken to an orphanage in Santo, on the outskirts of the capital city. The facility is run by Austrian-based SOS Children's Villages, where a spokesperson said that 33 children arrived hungry and thirsty--a few infants were even dehydrated. It is reported that at least 10 of the children in question have parents.
Comments: (21)
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By: Martin Muhammad on 2/01/2010 4:24PM
This story shows how radical some groups are, especially religious ones. Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho who call them selves, "The Haitian Orphan Rescue Mission," felt they could come into another country and kidnap 33 Black, poor children and take them out of the country. It’s all fun, games and 1555 all over again. I wonder if the truck they were using was called Jesus.
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By: rh on 2/01/2010 10:53PM
I'm very suspicious of the interest all these whites have for adopting Haitian children.There must be money involved or some form of bondage planned for them. The propaganda being taught to these kids about themselves and other blacks is also detrimental to their mental health. Have you ever heard of an non/white race adopting and showing an interest in white kids like that. For one thing,whites is not going to have it, no matter how bad off their kids are. These kids look like they are being picked up for household pets are something.I've tried to give them the benefit of doubt,but with their long evil history of oppressing and enslaving people,I find it very hard.
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By: wanda on 2/05/2010 3:55PM
I agree, Martin. Why could their trip to Haiti be about helping those children and others in Haiti, not bringing or smuggling children back to Idaho.I think their intentions were wrong and underhanded from the onset of their mission. As CHRISTIANS, there is a RIGHT way to do things....smuggling is not the way! It all seems dishonest; the very appearance of this seems evil!
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By: slaya on 2/01/2010 6:02PM
its all about money dumbass! white people are trying to use this opportunity to create avenues to get more money from the feds for raising these children.i hope that money is thier only objective because we all know how perverted you are. nasty abomidable,disgusting wretches.
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By: JK on 2/01/2010 7:58PM
Was at a dinner party over the weekend and there was a couple who are known racists saying they're getting ready to adopt a Haitian baby. A white couple was on television last night adopting a Haitian Baby. Not once did she kiss the baby. Not once. She just petted it like it was puppy. That's what these black children are to them. Puppies that they don't realize are going to grow into disturbed angry black men and women if raised to think black folks are pitiful and need to be rescued by them.
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By: Mike on 2/01/2010 8:53PM
Investigate this thoroughly and please let me know the truth cause this story really angers me. Please protect these kids cause they can't protect themselves.
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By: Bill Schrier on 2/01/2010 9:03PM
If this story upsets you, why aren't you upset by the black-on-black slavery that is rampant in Haiti presently:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnklOtfJRSE
So, you Negroes can rant about the slavery that ended in this country over 150 years ago, but say nothing about the slavery Negroes carry out in Haiti at present. You couldn't talk about Haitian present day slavery because you could never admit Negroes could be slaveowners in Haiti today, just as they were among the slaveowners in America 160 years ago. More double standard.
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By: blackbear72 on 2/01/2010 9:33PM
How is it possible that Americans who sacrificed and risked their lives to go to Haiti and help children are now in a Haitian jail, while 100s of Haitians who were in jail are now running rampant throughout the island. Unspeakable crimes are being committed in this country and 10 Americans are the ones who are in jail? The U.S. government should do everything they can to free these missioners (not criminals), if this doesn't happen the U.S. should stop all help and leave the island ASAP. See what will happen to the recovery without the U.S. It is one thing to help Haiti and I believe we should, but if innocent Americans are jailed or killed doing this, it should all stop.
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By: chrystal on 2/02/2010 5:00AM
These so called missionaries called help the black children here in their neighborhoods. What did these people do for Katrina survivors?
I find it very funny how all these white missionaries can go to other countries to save people in the name of the lord but cant find anybody in their own backyard to save.
Once these kids get to the US what happens then? The US system looses children all the time and they never find them till they are bones in the ground. Plus like the slaves they will lose their religion (Voodun) and language (Creole) and culture. I am tired of people in the U.S. thinking African Americans and people of African origin don't have a culture. Yes we do! These white folks don't care about that. All they care about is stripping people of their natural origin and passing on their religion to more converts. They have not proven how they plan to maintain these kids. Gay families go through more scrutiny than this.
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By: chrystal on 2/02/2010 4:59AM
If this agency was so worried about these children then they should be trying to find Black families and American Haitian along with the white families to take in these children. We share the closest culture to these people.
Gay people go through more scrutiny to adopt kids then these new parents. I am scared several years from now we will hear how some white parents just used these haitian kids as domestic slaves.
White folks just want something exotic to show there friends. The have no intention of trying to keep some of their culture and language intact. The will be busy trying to change them into american zombie slaves.
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