VERMONTVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) — Recent rioting in Haiti has halted a mission trip for a Barry County church group.
For months, 23 members from the Vermontville Bible Churchhave been preparing to travel through Mission of Hope Haiti. One of the travelers, Sara Martin, first went years ago.
"For four years I've been waiting to go back and so this was our year," Martin explained to 24 Hour News 8 Wednesday. "Haiti itself is really, really heartbreaking to see, what they live with, and it makes us feel so blessed and so spoiled when we come home."
Martin helped coordinate the travel plans, including organizing and paying to bring along more than a dozen 40-pound luggage bags filled with supplies and food. In all, the trip cost about $35,000.
Everyone was ready to go this Friday, but then they began seeing the unrest over the weekend.
"I saw videos online at the airport showing where I was at (four years ago), of things on fire and roads being completely barricaded and so that just told me, I don't know how this is going to work," Martin said. "But I just kept praying, 'OK, God, if you want us to go, keep that door open and if you don't, please give us the sign.'"
Full story: WOOD TV