PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti--Missionaries who fled Haiti during the recent coup are now returning, according to a report from Christianity Today.

Terry Snow, director of Youth With A Mission in Haiti, told Christianity Today he estimated up to 70 percent of all missionary personnel fled the country during the upheaval.

At YWAM, 14 of the 26-member staff left the country. Snow said they will be back once they can get flights.

Raphael Leonel, pastor of the Christian Church of Delmas, a suburb of the capital city of Port-au-Prince, said he sent three of his own children to the United States during the coup.

As the situation slowly improves, missionaries begin to return. But they are returning to a different chaos.

"The situation is tense, even though it seems to be better now," Leonel told Christianity Today. "We are expecting the social and economic situation to be worse because [mobs] looted and burned dozens of gas stations, businesses, stores and radio and TV stations."

But many missionaries accept that challenge as part of their ministry.

World Vision provided fuel and medical supplies to Haitians during the crisis. The agency is also promoting long-term solutions. Wesley Charles, director of World Vision/Haiti, organized a forum at which more than 100 evangelicals discussed how to help transform Haiti, according to Christianity Today.

"One of the challenges we have is to bring hope to the people in the community," Charles said. "People are so disappointed in this flurry of political turmoil. Some are losing hope."

Charles expected his staff of 348, reduced to 75 during the coup, to be back.