Finally, abducted 79-year-old American Pastor Jean Pierre Ferrer Michel was freed on Monday, October 25, but the 17 missionaries who were recently taken remain hostage in Haiti.
CBN News reported that Michel was released following an additional $250,000 ransom given to his abductors on top of the one his family gave for him and his fellow Jesus Center Church member, Norman Weiner, of $300,000. Communication Consultant Delex Etienne announced the payment of the ransom in Twitter on Tuesday.
"250,000 USD was paid on Monday evening for the release of Pastor Jean-Pierre Ferrer Michel and Norman Wiwner. An amount that is in addition to the 300,000 USD already delivered previously by their relatives has," Etienne said.
Two days ago, Christianity Daily reported that Michel remained in captivity with Weiner after their church member Isabelle Devendegis was released following the $15 million paid for all three of them.
A family friend disclosed that the abductors did not clarify if the money being asked was in American or Haitian dollars. The abductors only told them after the said $15 million was paid that the ransom was not enough and that Michel and Weiner will still not be released.
Michel and his co-church members were abducted on October 3 in front of their very church in Delmas, Haiti by a group of men who posed as members of the National Police by the uniforms they wore.
Michel's abduction is reported to have been sidelined by the abduction of the 17 American Christian Aid Ministries missionaries 11 days ago. Michel's wife raised that his case is not being given the attention it needs despite him being a U.S. citizen, too. Prior to his release, Michel's wife have released a video begging the abductors to release him and return him to his family.
According to U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden's Administration is said to be "directly engaged in" and doing "every possible option" to secure their freedom. Sullivan told the Miami Herald that Biden is particularly concerned on the welfare of the children, the youngest being only eight months old. Sullivan said he regularly updates Biden on the situation of the 17 missionaries.
"I personally give an update on this issue every single day to the president, who is taking a deep interest in making sure we get every single one of those people home safely," Sullivan divulged.
The 17 American Christian Aid missionaries comprise of five men, seven women, and five children. who were kidnapped by the Haitian gang 400 Mawozo on October 16 on their way back from a visit to the orphanage. The gang asked a ransom of $1 million per missionary.
Sullivan also disclosed that three Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have already been sent to Haiti in line with the case and they are being very careful on what they can say to the media about it considering it is a "delicate situation," particularly because the abductors previously threatened to kill the missionaries if the ransom would not be paid.
"A significant number of law enforcement specialists and hostage recovery specialists to work closely with the ministry, the families and the Haitian government to try to coordinate and organize a recovery," Sullivan remarked.
"We are looking at every possible option for how to go about doing that. I will be sensitive to what obviously is a delicate situation, not say more here, other than we have put the assets and resources in place that we believe can help bring this to a successful conclusion," he stressed.
Despite the fate of the missionaries being unknown, their families have nonetheless offered forgiveness for their abductors stressing their concern for their salvation and expressing hopes for their repentance. The families said they are united in following the teachings on Jesus by "not holding anything against them."
