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Local reverend, group home safe from Haiti

By Staff | Dec 17, 2010

(Submitted graphic) The Rev. Rudy Bropleh left the Haitian town of Petit-Goave, which is 43 miles southwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince, Saturday and arrived home Sunday.

The Rev. Rudy Bropleh is home safe and sound after a tension-filled journey from Petit-Goave in Haiti.

Violent riots erupted all over Haiti last Thursday when the team of missionaries were due to leave. Delta cancelled all flights, indeed the airport in Port-au-Prince was closed.

Bropleh, leader of a group of nine from Asbury United Methodist Church, called the U.S. Embassy to seek advice.

“If you have food and water, stay put,” is what he was told.

Bropleh decided to make his move to leave their safe area and try to make it to the airport on Saturday. He selected Saturday because it’s market day and he hoped the rioters would be busy.

Bropleh

After passing through 15 barricades, they made it to the airport two hours and 40 minutes later.

“We would buy tickets to anywhere, even Alaska,” Bropleh said of his happiness that flights were available.

But he was thrilled to get a ticket to New York. He arrived home on Sunday.

When asked about any return visit, he quickly answered, “As soon as the opportunity presents itself.”

Bropleh believes that the church may be the only way to bring help to the suffering people of Haiti.

“The church can get in on the ground floor, work with the people and help where the needs are many.”

For now, he intends to spend a “safe and blessed Christmas” with his family, right here in Shepherdstown.