by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - A Haitian pastor and his wife who had immigrated to the US were found murdered upon returning to their island as missionaries, the Christian Post reported Sunday. Pastor Jean Phillippe-Quetant (57) and his wife Erna Plancher-Quetant (54) were shot dead in their home during the course of an armed robbery. The couple are survived by five children.
The Quetant couple had returned to Haiti about a month ago, after having been based in Fort Myers, Florida previously. Serving as missionaries, the pastor and his wife had intended to build a church and an orphanage on the under-resourced Caribbean island, the Post said. According to the family, the pastor had felt this was the best time to leave the US to serve in Haiti as four of their children are in college and the youngest will shortly graduate high school.
In a statement, the couple’s son Kevin said: “They were in their house where the invader came in and I guess found mom and dad, and shot both of them.”
Referring to the fact the robbers ransacked the couple’s home, their daughter Tabitha said in statement.
“They could have just taken everything and left them alone, they wouldn’t have done anything.” She added: “If I could speak to them now, I would just say mom and dad I love you and I thank you so much for the way you raised us.”
In a statement, the family said about Phillipe and Erna Quetant: “They studied and worked very hard while raising triplets, a son and a daughter. They were the most giving righteous family. They continued working hard to complete their dream of building a church, orphanage and providing new resources; such as food and clothing donation faith-based services, along with basic necessity needs for an underserved community in Haiti.”