On the afternoon of Tuesday, December 16, the road home became impossible.

Gunfire broke out between gangs and police along the route many Grace Emmanuel School students use to return home. Traffic came to a standstill. Tension filled the air. Some vehicles were burned.

As the situation worsened, it became clear that sending students home would put their lives at risk.

Jerry, a driver for the ministry, made the decision to return to the school with about 60 students in tow.

Eventually, after local relatives were contacted to pick up some of the kids, 38 students remained: 21 girls and 17 boys. With the prospect of sleeping at the school without their parents and only school supplies in their backpacks, the children were visibly shaken.

“The only thing on my mind,” said Jerry, a 2021 graduate of Grace Emmanuel School himself, “was keeping the children safe and watching over them so nothing would happen to them.”

A night spent at school

Jerry went into action.

He found ways to light up the rooms without electricity. He turned classrooms into makeshift bedrooms. He made sure the students had food to eat. Then he went out to buy necessities—soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, underwear—anything the children might need to get through the night with dignity and care.

Parents began calling him—again and again—asking about their children.

“What impacted me most,” he said, “was how the parents kept calling to check on their children, and the trust that both the parents and the students had in me.”

Jerry said he wasn’t overwhelmed by fear. Living in Haiti, he has experienced moments like this before. What mattered most was staying strong so the children could feel safe.

“I had to be strong for them,” he said, “so they would feel secure in that moment.”

Faith in the midst of fear

With supplies secured, Jerry set up a small radio and tuned in to worship music.

As praise songs filled the air, something began to shift. Students started to relax. Some joked quietly with one another. The tension eased.

Looking back, Jerry sees God’s protection clearly—not only in physical safety, but in His comforting presence.

“At school, when things like this happen,” he said, “sometimes students collapse under the pressure. That night, none of them did. I thank God for that.”

When morning finally came and it was safe for the students to return home, Jerry felt overwhelming relief and joy as he watched them reunite with their parents.

“What the mission once did for me,” he reflected, “I see that I am now doing for other children. That really means a lot to me.”

From fear to celebration

Six days later, the school was filled with music again—but this time, it was celebration.

On December 22, Grace Emmanuel School held its annual Christmas party. The courtyard echoed with laughter. Students danced, gifts were given, and a hot meal was served. For a few hours, joy took center stage.

But the joy wasn’t shallow. It was shaped by everything that had come before.

Jerry S., a 10th grader who spent the night at school on December 16, said the party mattered because “despite the difficulties we are going through, there are people who thought of us to give us gifts.” He added, “God has protected us through every difficult situation.”

For Kika, a 12th grader, Christmas joy and hardship were inseparable. “The day that really left a mark on me was December 16,” she said. “We had to sleep at the school because the situation was degenerating quickly.” Just days later, she celebrated Christmas with gratitude—not only for gifts, but for faith. “This year is special,” she shared, “because I was baptized and chose to walk with Jesus.”

Lidjana, a 10th grader, spoke honestly about the emotional weight students carry. “Many times we come to school with very anxious hearts,” she said. Still, she found hope in the celebration. “I believe the country won’t stay like this. God will speak a word for us.”

Marvens, an 8th grader, summed it up simply: “Despite all the difficult situations, I always can hold on to this party. God’s faithfulness never ends.”

Faithful love in action

Through the past few difficult years, this has been the story of Grace Emmanuel School—not the absence of danger, but the presence of faith expressed through love.

It is seen in staff members who continue to show up, even when doing so carries real risk. It is seen in parents who, knowing the realities outside their doors, still entrust their children to this school each day in hope of a better future. And it is seen in supporters who continue to believe that these students are worth protecting, teaching, and investing in—no matter how uncertain the road may be.

It is this faith that turned a night of fear into a night of borrowed lights and worship under the stars. It is this faith that turned a school courtyard into a place of dancing and celebration at the close of a difficult year.

As we pray that 2026 will bring peace, restoration, and a return to Source Matelas, we rest in the confidence that God will remain faithful—whatever the days ahead may hold.