03 Jul Marilyn Reeck on the Honduras Political Situation

Marilyn Reeck, a United Brethren endorsed missionary living in La Ceiba, Honduras, sent this update on the political situation in Honduras. It was sent on Wednesday, July 1.

In Honduras the presidency is a one four-year term without possibility of reelection. Mel Zelaya was in his third year as president. Hugo Chavez has been his mentor and he was leading the country in a direction that the country did not want to go.

The last thing was ordering a vote to change the constitution so that he could be reelected (as Hugo Chavez had done). Both Congress and the Supreme Court declared it illegal. He fired the Joint Chiefs of Staff when they confiscated the ballots, which then led to them having him forcibly removed from the country. He has declared that he will return to the country tomorrow. All of the entire world has voted in his favor.

At the moment, we are safe and far away from the action in Tegucigalpa, the capital city. Roger is in Israel, but my daughter Chrysti and her family live here, and two of my daughters are visiting from Texas.

My main concern at the moment is that there are eight kids and three leaders here from North Carolina and a missions trip. Decisions have to be made about their return, but at the moment roadblocks do not permit us to get them to the international airport three hours away. All national flights are cancelled.

Please pray  for the safety of these kids and for us to make the right decisons in this regard. Pray especially for peace in Honduras, that God will give the new leaders wisdom in how to handle this situation.