Lifestyle
Missionaries Who Were Held Captive by Gang in Haiti Reveal How They Escaped
The Christian missionaries who were kidnapped by a Haitian gang while visiting the country in October are detailing how they made their escape earlier this month.
On Monday, Christian Aid Ministries — an Ohio-based missionary group for Amish, Mennonite, and other conservative Anabaptists — announced that all 17 of their kidnapped members had returned to the United States safely.
When they were taken hostage by Haiti’s 400 Mawozo gang on Oct. 16, the group included 16 Americans and one Canadian who were ambushed in their bus after delivering aid to an orphanage.
Five members were released over the course of several weeks in November and December, leaving four men, two women, a married couple, a 10-month old baby, and children aged 3, 14, and 15, in captivity, the Miami Herald reported.
But the group allegedly took matters into their own hands by staging their escape on the night of Dec. 15, a Christian Aid Ministries spokesperson said on Monday.
“They found a way to open the door that was closed and blocked, filed silently to the path that they had chosen to follow and quickly left the place that they were held, despite the fact that numerous guards were close by,” Christian Aid Ministries spokesman Weston Showalter said during a press conference.
The group walked 10 miles, using stars and nearby landscapes to help them along the path.
“Two hours were through fierce brambles. We were in gang territory the whole hike,” Showalter told reporters, quoting one of the group’s members.
Eventually, they encountered a local who helped them make a phone call for help. They were later flown to Florida by the Coast Guard.
“They were finally free,” Showalter recalled.
Details of the escape are solely the account of the Christian Aid Ministries members and have not been otherwise verified.
According to BBC, police had been negotiating with 400 Mazowo in recent weeks, and it is unclear whether a ransom had been paid. The outlet adds that kidnapping is one of the primary ways 400 Mazowo acquires money. They had demanded $1 million for each of their missionary hostages.
In a statement, Christian Aid Ministries General Director David N. Troyer shared a message to the kidnappers, forgiving them for the ordeal.
“We do not know all of the challenges you face. We do believe that violence and oppression of others can never be justified. You caused our hostages and their families a lot of suffering,” Troyer said.
“However, Jesus taught us by word and by His own example that the power of forgiving love is stronger than the hate of violent force,” he added. “Therefore, we extend forgiveness to you.”
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Urban South Brewery Houston will host its upcoming Anniversary Party from Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 7, in the HTX Taproom, starting at 11 AM, celebrating four years of crafting exceptional brews and fostering community culture. This milestone event will be an exciting day featuring live music, food, activities, and a vendor market.
Beer enthusiasts are also in for a treat with the release of four exclusive anniversary specialty beers. Highlights include “Press Start,” a crafted Czech Pale Lager brewed in collaboration with Parleaux Beer Lab. Additionally, beer fans can indulge in “Level Up,” an Old-Fashioned Cocktail Sour Ale infused with orange peel, Luxardo cherry syrup, and subtle bourbon barrel notes. The offerings continue with “High Score,” a robust Double IPA bursting with flavors of Mosaic, Citra, and Chinook hops, and “Game Over,” a decadent Neapolitan Ice Cream Stout layered with strawberry fruit, Tahitian vanilla bean, and milk chocolate.
To make the celebration even more memorable, fans can pre-order an Exclusive 8-Bit Beer Box featuring the four-anniversary specialty beers (Press Start, Level Up, High Score, Game Over), a 16oz can-shaped Silipint with discounted refills, and 2 tokens redeemable for draft beer.
The Anniversary Party is open to the public, welcoming families and furry friends. Urban South Brewery invites everyone to join in the festivities and toast to four years of brewing excellence.
For more information on Urban South’s Anniversary Celebration, follow the Houston taproom on Instagram and Facebook.
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Lifestyle
$600 Million Showdown: Michael Jackson’s Estate Executors Refusing to Pay Pop Star’s Mom $500k Legal Bill
Now She is Fighting to Block Music Catalog Sale
The war between Michael Jackson ’ s mother Katherine and the two executors running his estate has heated up. According to court documents, lawyers for the executors, John Branca and John McClain , asked the court to shut down Katherine’s recent demand for $500k.
As we first reported, Katherine filed a motion asking that she be reimbursed $561,548. She said she spent the amount on a team of lawyers to fight the executors over the sale of Michael’s music catalog .
The executors asked the court to approve the music catalog sale in 2022. Katherine quickly opposed the deal. The parties went back and forth in court for months until a hearing was held on the matter.
At the hearing, Katherine testified that Michael did not want the music catalog sold and that he considered it a lifeline. Michael’s children Paris and Blanket told the court they opposed the deal too. Blanket said he opposed on emotional grounds.
The executors fired back claiming Katherine has a pattern of objecting to lucrative deals. They argued the market was hot for the music catalog sale and they needed to take advantage of it.
“The Estate was teetering on the verge of collapse, with more than $400 million in debt that encumbered Michael’s most significant assets and little or no liquidity or means to service that debt. Through creative thinking, hard work and business savvy—and, of course, Michael’s extraordinary creative legacy—the Executors transformed the MJJ Business into a profitable enterprise,” the executors said as they argued for the deal to be approved.
Despite the family’s plea, the judge approved the executors’ deal and allowed them to move forward with the sale.
Within weeks, Katherine had filed an appeal of the decision. She argued the executors did not have the authority to sell Michael’s assets.
Recently, the executors argued that Katherine’s appeal should be dismissed. They said they had every right to sell the catalog. No decision has been reached on the appeal.
On February 9, 2024, the estate announced they sold one half of Jackson’s music to Sony for $600 million — a deal that Katherine said should not have gone through.
As part of the appeal, Katherine won a couple of small victories against the estate. As a result, she asked the court to award her the $561k in legal fees.
Now, the executors asked the court to deny the motion for legal fees. In their motion, they argued, “The Petition does not indicate the source from which Mrs. Jackson’s counsel seeks to have the requested attorney’s fees and expenses paid. It is not clear whether she is seeking payment from the probate estate or from the Trust.”
Further, the executors argued, “To the extents Mrs. Jackson seeks payment from the probate estate, the Petition lacks merit because it relies on provisions of the Trust, claiming that payment of legal fees is required by provisions of the Trust authorizing the Trustees to make payments “in [their] absolute discretion, for [Mrs. Jackson’s] care, support, maintenance, comfort and well-being.”
A judge has yet to rule.
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Houston – TX: The Otu-Umuokpu Anambra USA Association Inc., Headquartered in Houston, Texas, has inaugurated its new executive leadership. An election was held in November 2023 where a set of new executive leadership emerged and was officially sworn-in on February 4, 2024.
Adaeze Stella Icon Adeone Samuel ( Stainless) is now the group’s new President, whereas Adaeze Nkiruka Mbonu ( Mmili doluedo) is the Vice President. Former President, Adaeze Dr Maria Elioku (Nkpulunma) remains the President Emeritus. A complete list of the new executive board members will be available on the group’s website, it was gathered.
While welcoming the new leadership team, President Emeritus Dr. Elioku thanked the outgoing executives for their impeccable service during their tenure. “As we all know, our mission as Otu- Umuokpu Anambra, USA Association is to promote and uphold our welfare and culture as well as foster unity, love, and harmony among us; and I am glad that within the past years, we were able to curtail distracting challenges to uphold those values,” she said.
Otu- Umuokpu Anambra, USA Association is a community of all paternal daughters of Anambra State of Nigeria with the core mission to promote and uphold the welfare and culture of her members; and foster unity, love, and harmony among them. The group has since its inception shared the uniformity of their ancestry as a unifying tool for community development and bonding of sisterhood.
For more information about Otu-Umuokpu Anambra, USA Association, Inc., please call 832-640-6329 or click to visit their website >>>>
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