Freed U.S. nurse says Christian song was her rallying cry after she was kidnapped in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A U.S. nurse who was released by kidnappers in Haiti last week says a Christian song called “See a Victory” became her battle cry after she and her young daughter were abducted.

Alix Dorsainvil and her child were freed Wednesday, nearly two weeks after they were snatched at gunpoint from the campus of a Christian-run school near Port-au-Prince.

El Roi Haiti, the Christian aid organization founded by Dorsainvil’s husband, said Thursday the pair were not harmed and are healthy. On Saturday, the group posted a message from Dorsainvil on its website.

“I am completely humbled by the outpouring of support and prayer for myself and my sweet baby both during and following our time in captivity,” said Dorsainvil, who is from New Hampshire. “God was so very present in the fire with us and I pray that when I find the words to tell our story, that the mighty name of Jesus may be glorified and many people will come to know his love.”

In her most difficult moments, Dorsainvil said she turned to “See a Victory” by the North Carolina-based Elevation Worship music collective.

“There’s a part that says, ‘You take what the enemy meant for evil, and you turn it for good,’” she said.

Gang warfare has increasingly plagued Haiti since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. The killing worsened criminal control of Haiti and people are regularly killed, raped and held for ransom. A local nonprofit has documented 539 kidnappings since January, a significant rise over previous years.

It’s not clear whether a ransom was paid in Dorsainvil’s case. El Roi Haiti and U.S. officials have not provided further details, and Haiti’s National Police did not respond to requests for comment.