HAITI? IT’S A POOR COUNTRY. THAT’S NOT THE ONLY POOR COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. WHY? I THINK THAT’S THE QUESTION WE NEED TO TRY TO ANSWER. OR TO GET ANSWERS FOR. WELL, TONIGHT WE’RE LOOKING INTO NEW CLAIMS CAUSING CONTROVERSY DOWN IN SYLACAUGA. SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT MIGRANTS FROM HAITI ARE BEING BUSSED INTO THE CITY. WVTM 13, MAGDALA LOUISSAINT TRAVELED TO SYLACAUGA TO SPEAK TO CITY OFFICIALS. WHILE THE MAYOR SAYS THAT’S NOT TRUE. WE HAVE LEARNED FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THOUGH, THAT THEY ARE WELCOMING THE HAITIAN MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN A PART OF THEIR CHURCH FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS. THEY’RE WORKING NOW TO LEARN HAITIAN CREOLE, AND THAT WILL HAPPEN AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. THEY’RE ALREADY ON THE ROLL WITH IT BY KNOWING THE WORDS. JESSE GEMMELL, THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF SYLACAUGA HAS A NEW MISSION AT ITS FRONT STEPS. THIS TOOK US BY SURPRISE, JUST LIKE IT TOOK EVERYONE ELSE BY SURPRISE. AND SO WE’RE JUST SORT OF RESPONDING TO IT AND TRYING TO TO MINISTER THE BEST WE CAN. FOR PASTOR RICK PATRICK, IT’S WELCOMING THE NEW HAITIAN MIGRANTS WHO ATTEND SUNDAY SERVICE EVERY WEEK. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LEGAL IMMIGRATION AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND WHAT THE RULES ARE AND WHERE SOMEONE IS TO BE RESETTLED, AND ALL OF THAT. SO. SO THAT’S THAT’S A CONVERSATION FOR CITY HALL. THE CONVERSATION FOR CHURCH IS JESSIE RENMIN OU. JESUS LOVES YOU, AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO DO. LAST WEEK IN A CITY COUNCIL MEETING, PEOPLE WERE UPSET, DEMANDING ANSWERS ABOUT AN INFLUX OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN THE AREA AND THAT HAITIANS ARE BEING BUSED TO SYLACAUGA. THE MAYOR TELLS ME THEY KNOW OF A HANDFUL OF HAITIANS AND 15 NICARAGUANS WHO ARE DOING AGRICULTURE WORK. HE ADDS CITY OFFICIALS DID NOT AUTHORIZE NOR REQUEST THESE INDIVIDUALS, BUT THE ONES THEY’VE ENGAGED WITH ARE LEGALLY AUTHORIZED TO WORK AND LIVE IN THE U.S. BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. YOU CAN FEEL COMPASSION. YOU CAN BORROW A CONCERNED HAITIAN NATIVE TRAVELED FROM BIRMINGHAM TO SYLACAUGA TO SEE WHAT SHE CAN DO, SEE WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND HOW MAYBE I CAN SUPPORT, OR MAYBE LATER ON HOW MY ORGANIZATION CAN SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, TO MAYBE. HAITIAN CREOLE CLASSES. SO THAT’S MY PURPOSE. A NEW PURPOSE FOR THIS CHURCH IS TEACHING ITS ENGLISH SPEAKING MEMBERS FIRST ABOUT THE HAITIAN CULTURE AND THE LANGUAGE. BECAUSE THEY’RE STILL A BARRIER DURING SERVICES. ON SEPTEMBER 29TH, PATRICK SAYS ALL CHURCHES ARE WELCOME TO COME LEARN HAITIAN CREOLE WITH THEM. WE’RE TRYING. AND SO WE’RE JUST WANTING TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO TO GET TO THE PLACE WHERE WE CAN MINISTER TO THEM IN S