We don't spend a lot of time updating you on current Haitian events outside of our communities in the southeast, especially when those events are not particularly positive. First, the political unrest doesn't always affect our friends in the rural southeast. Second, we're committed to telling and sharing the good stories about Haiti that don't typically wind up in Western media. However, as we're committed to transparency with our supporters and solidarity with our Haitian friends, we wanted to offer a quick update.

Haiti has been struggling in recent months with increased violence and kidnappings. The fear stirred up by gang activity in urban areas has disrupted daily (and nightly) routines in Port-au-Prince and other urban areas.

Because of the lack of political action in the face of this violence, there's been an overwhelming demand for the current president to step down. While we hesitate to comment on Haitian politics, we simply can't ignore the cry of the Haitian people. At a certain point, the more unstable life becomes in the city, the more unstable life will become for our friends in rural Haiti.

We ask that you continue to think about and pray for our friends in Haiti during this pivotal time. We won't stop the work we're doing, but these last few months have made everything more complicated than usual. For example, we currently have a new water project ready to start in the southeast, but we are waiting for roads to become safe again to transport materials to the worksite. The roads' lack of safety also affects Nurse Maryse and Principal Chango's commute to the southeast.

Unrest isn't always negative. We realize that there's potential for both good and bad transformation in the middle of all the uneasiness. So, we're praying for the good. Perhaps we are coming to a turning point in Haitian politics that will lead Haiti to a bright future!