Haiti News and Delice Garden Update by Cory

Violet sweet potato color as pretty as flowers!

News from Haiti continues to get worse. Global Partners would like a few weeks of calm in Haiti before we go back so we plan to be based in Michigan until at least the start of December.

Cory signed up to attend the ECHO Agriculture Conference in Florida Nov. 19-21. 

We are praying for direction on what to work on as we watch how the Haiti crisis develops.

Sweet potatoes looking good, we should have planted more
to help the food crisis. Now we have a good supply of
weevil-free plants available for planting larger fields.

 Money is used as a powerful weapon due to the poverty in Haiti. What is at stake is huge for Haiti.

 Much prayer is needed for this to be turned into something good.

Naranjilla - a tomato relative that makes orange fruits used for juice.

Nursery plants growing well. Cory was concerned after fertilizing that
the plants would grow too fast during the wait for the rainy season
arrival in March

Flat Stacys

A few days ago the government canceled the customs tax exemptions some of the big import businesses enjoyed and took action against the electric companies.

 The president also made a radio address, telling about the business corruption.

So the battle between business and government continues to escalate.

 The opposition continues to respond with bigger road blocks and on some main roads they are lasting days or weeks at a time.
 Motorbikes (which provide most of the taxi/public transport service in many areas) and pedestrians are being limited more. 

The protesters are threatening to stop all travel and close the airport. 

The police have shown impressive restraint, considering the rock throwing aimed at them and all they are up against, but they also started protesting this week, demanding better pay and benefits.

Some embassies, businesses and banks have been burned or damaged. 

Road travel is dangerous and often impossible. It is amazing how long this has gone on considering how little food most Haitians keep in their homes. 

The stress and suffering is intense.

Please continue to pray. 

Below is a link to a good explanation of the causes of the unrest in Haiti written by a missionary who has been in Haiti for over 40 years, with ministry to the business class and government, very familiar with both sides. Joel and Yvonne produce the “Good News” TV programs in Creole.

https://www.facebook.com/yvonne.m.trimble/posts/10157829512278166

My email response to the New York Time's Kirk Semple
‘There is no hope,’ Crisis pushes Haiti to brink of Collapse
21 October 2019