American nurse kidnapped from mission in Haiti

Alix Dorsainvil and her young daughter were taken on Thursday from the campus of El Roi Haiti near Port-au-Prince. Dorsainvil, who is from New Hampshire, works as a community and school nurse at the ministry’s campus. She is married to the Haitian director of the mission. The U.S. State Department said it was aware of the kidnapping and was in contact with Haitian authorities. The ministry asked supporters to pray for Dorsainvil’s safe return, adding, “We continue to trust in Jesus Christ who is faithful, even in these very difficult circumstances," according to a statement on its website.

Is Haiti safe for Americans? On Thursday, the State Department ordered all families of U.S. government personnel and nonemergency workers at the embassy in Haiti to leave the country. The department’s travel advisory warned that “U.S. citizens in Haiti should depart Haiti as soon as possible by commercial or other privately available transportation options, in light of the current security situation and infrastructure challenges.” Gangs in Haiti often kidnap people for ransom, and Americans are regular targets.

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Reichard’s interview with a Christian doctor who works in Haiti on The World and Everything in It podcast.