(CNN) — A number of US missionary groups are stranded in Haiti after protesters took to the streets following a fuel price hike ordered by the government. One group described burning barricades preventing them from reaching the airport in the nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince. The US Embassy in Haiti warned its citizens Saturday to stay inside amid continued demonstrations in Port-au-Prince and a northern city. Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant on Saturday announced a temporary stop to the price increases and appealed for calm. Prices for gasoline were to rise 38% while diesel prices were to go up 47% and kerosene 51%, the Haitian daily newspaper Le Nouvelliste reported. HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/AFP/Getty Images Demonstrations broke out over fuel price hikes, since suspended. Burning barricades A youth group from Bradenton, Florida, that was scheduled to return from a missionary trip in Haiti is stranded until at least Monday, Executive Pastor Dewayne McFarlin said. The group from Bradenton’s Woodland Community Church left Neply, Haiti, early Saturday for a 3 p.m. flight from Port-au-Prince International Airport, McFarlin said. Only a few miles into the approximately 30-mile journey, the group, which includes middle school- and high school-age children, encountered individuals demanding payment for access to the roadway, according to McFarlin. They talked their way past the roadblock, but elected to turn around when they came to second group of individuals who had erected a blockade of burning tires on the road, McFarlin says. A local colleague of McFarlin’s was riding on a motorcycle a few miles ahead of the missionary group’s bus. The friend called him to say that the road ahead was filled with similar impromptu “checkpoints,” McFarlin said. “They weren’t government or police,” McFarlin says. “Just people taking advantage of the situation.” The group returned to Neply but McFarlin said he thinks they won’t get out until Monday at the earliest. “They were on a bus with the owners of the mission, the leaders, our adults, three armed guards. And they just kept getting stopped by road blocks and people asking for money. And that’s when they decided that, at that point, it was just … it wasn’t worth it, to try to make it to the airport,” Jill Kramer, the parent of one of the teens told CNN affiliate WFLA. HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/AFP/Getty Images Demonstrators have set-up impromptu barricades. Pastor Jeff McCauley told WFLA he stressed that the group was conscious that it had a purpose for being in Haiti. “Continue to let our people, if we can’t get through to them, know that we’re safe and that their continued prayers are appreciated. “We know that we’re not here by accident. We know that God has us here for a reason, for a few extra days to make that clear. Maybe it’s so that you can share that with people, McCauley told the station. The Glade Church in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, also has a number of members on the missionary team, which was organized by the non-profit organization myLIFEspeaks. “The Woodland Community Church and The Glade Church team and myLIFEspeaks staff are safe on our campus in the village of Neply, Haiti and Neply is the peaceful, welcoming place we have always known it to be. Today, team members are helping with Children’s Church, playing soccer, and relaxing at a nearby pool,” myLIFEspeaks said in a Facebook post Sunday. Hello from Haiti! Today we are thankful for a community of family and friends that is covering us in so much prayer. We... Posted by my LIFE speaks on Sunday, July 8, 2018 Waiting it out Jody Flowers – the lead minister from Chapin United Methodist Church, in South Carolina – told CNN Sunday that 13 members of his church were supposed to leave Haiti on Saturday but their departure date was now uncertain. “We just don’t know when it’s gonna be safe for them to travel,” he said. “Other than just nerves, a little anxiety, they’re fine doing well, plenty of food and water.” Flowers said the group had participated in a week of service through Mission of Hope (MOH), a faith-based organization with headquarters in Texas and Haiti. MOH would decide when it was safe to travel to the airport, he said. MOH provides housing and transportation for volunteers who work on education projects, job fairs, and training for various trades in the country. A member of Flowers’ church earlier told an NBC affiliate that 160 people from American churches were waiting out the protests at MOH’s office in Titanyen, about 30 miles north of Port au Prince. MOH said on Facebook that the teams on its Haiti campus “have plenty of food, water, and security, as we continue to monitor the situation carefully.” “Mission of Hope is thankful for our friends and family in neighboring villages, who have been so encouraging and supportive,” it said. Please join our entire MOH family, both North American and Haitian, as we pray for a quick conclusion to these demonstrations.” Flowers expressed some sympathy for the protesters. “When you think about the fact that some Haitians make just $5 a week and the government wants to increase the price of gasoline by 38% that in and of itself points to the reason for the unrest,” he said. “Our hearts are just broken for the people out there and we’re just thankful for our group, which has a lot of love and hope and a desire to help out however they can.” Canceled flights An estimated 120 American and 100 Haitian guests are staying in a Port-au-Prince hotel where demonstrators earlier tried to set fire to the hotel and get past security, said Stacy Librandi Bourne, an emergency medical professional from HERO Client Rescue who is at the Oasis Hotel. After the Prime Minister announced a temporary stop to the price increases the situation calmed down, she said. US officials told tourists and missionaries to shelter in place. “Do not attempt to travel at this time. Avoid protests and any large gathering of people. Do not attempt to drive through roadblocks,” a State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs official said. There are no reports of US citizens in Haiti being injured, the embassy said. American Airlines, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines said Saturday they have canceled flights to Haiti. American spokesman Curtis Blessing said the airline canceled seven flights and will re-evaluate the situation Sunday. Spirit said it will resume service as soon as possible. CNN’s Steve Almasy and Keith Allen contributed to this report.<doc-sep>The capital of Haiti has faced four days of riots and demonstrations — forcing US tourists and missionaries to stay inside following a government-ordered increase on gas prices. Looters have been burning down buildings, pillaging shops and setting up fiery roadblocks in Port-au-Prince during clashes with local police over the price hikes. The US Embassy has urged citizens to remain inside. An estimated 120 Americans are reportedly staying in a Port-au-Prince hotel — where demonstrators tried setting a fire Saturday. Church groups and volunteers from several different states — including North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia — are also said to be stranded in Haiti as the riots continue. Many said they feared for their lives over the weekend as the demonstrations ramped up. “I, 100 percent thought I was going to die, and so was my sister and my fiancé,” said Savannah Peek, a missionary from Richmond County, NC. She told WSOC that protesters tried getting to her and her team at one point. “We hear a loud knocking. We look over and there’s 10 men trying to break in,” she said. “We heard gunshots start and they were very close. At this point, we all dropped immediately to the ground. We’re all on our hands and knees. Everyone’s screaming, everyone’s crying.” Peek said that things got so bad, she and several others were given guns to protect themselves. “People started passing out guns to civilians because we thought the 10 were about to break in and rob us, kill us, start a fire,” she explained. “We had no idea.” Peek claimed that some locals were doing their best to keep the US citizens safe. “The people here where we’re staying have been nothing short of amazing,” she said. “I really love Haiti, but I’m scared for my life.” While the riots have been violent, officials have yet to report a single injury or death. The demonstrations appeared to die down briefly on Saturday after local officials announced a temporary stop to the price increase. But it’s still not likely enough to satisfy protesters. “The gas prices went up to $5 a liter, which is like $20 a gallon,” explained Jonathan Thames, missionary with Peek’s Richmond County team. “They only make about $2 a day.” With Post wires<doc-sep>
American Airlines, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines have all canceled flights to Haiti, and the U.S. Embassy is urging Americans to stay put and not try to reach the airport unless they know their flight is leaving. Cornerstone Covenant Church missionary Bekah Soots, from Hudson, told WSOC they missed their initial flight and were concerned about safety after being unable to pass through local roadblocks. “[Protesters] built barricades out of metal, and they were setting tires on fire in the middle of the road,” Soots said. The team spent hours at a church before they were finally able to get to the airport. Members of the Cornerstone Covenant Church are expected to arrive in Charlotte, North Carolina, Monday night. They said, Saturday night was the worst. HAITI| “When we heard gun shots we dropped immediately to the ground. Everyone was screaming and crying. People started passing guns to civilians. We thought the 10 men were about to break in and rob us, kill us, and start a fire.”@wsoctv pic.twitter.com/Bv1AwUI1Cc — Stephanie Tinoco (@STinocoWSOC9) July 9, 2018 “We heard gunshots start and they were very close,” said Peek. “At this point, we all dropped immediately to the ground. We’re all on our hands and knees. Everyone’s screaming, everyone’s crying.” Peek said guns were handed out to civilians for protection. “People started passing out guns to civilians because we thought the (men) were about to break in and rob us, kill us, start a fire. We had no idea,” she said. NEW| A missionary just sent me this video of what it looks like in Haiti. He says at one point his team had to hide in a tiny room because 10 me with guns were trying to break into the compound they are staying in @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/IAX6762TKj — Stephanie Tinoco (@STinocoWSOC9) July 9, 2018 The local missionaries said the Haitian people they are staying with are risking their lives to protect them. “The people here where we're staying having been nothing short of amazing,” said Peek. Volunteers from North Albemarle Baptist Church in Haiti. Credit: North Albemarle Credit: North Albemarle Church officials at North Albemarle Baptist Church in Stanly County, North Carolina said they are keeping in touch with families still in Haiti. The church took a team of 10 adults and two minors to Haiti, about 45 minutes from Port-au-Prince. 10 adults and two minors with North Albemarle Baptist Church in North Carolina are currently in Haiti as local protests have erupted into violence over rising gas prices. Brad Lynch, the church’s pastor, said the group is safe and hopeful to return home by the end of the week. Lynch said his team is staying in an orphanage and the conditions nearby are horrifying. “There have been rampant protests in the street, and with that, they have set up barricades in the roads with burning tires,” Lynch said. “There are also civilians who have armed themselves and are standing guard at those barricades charging money for people to pass by, so there's a real concern about safety.” Pastor describes conditions in Haiti. He told me: “Protestors have set up barricades in the roads with burning tires. Some civilians have armed theselves, standing guard at those barricades charging money for people to pass by. There’s a real concern about safety." @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/XcWtm1n8Mf — Stephanie Tinoco (@STinocoWSOC9) July 8, 2018 He said his team is running low on food, clean water and fuel for their generator. The church is working with locals to get supplies to them. Missionaries also sent WSOC video of boulders and tires engulfed in flames. “They literally have tires surrounding the perimeter of the airport currently on fire,” Peek said. “I really love Haiti, but I'm scared for my life.”