June 30, 2009
Please Pray for Churches in Honduras
We have received this note from Bill Ellis. Bill was a missionary in Central America for several years. He and his wife Wendy are currently on the staff of the Chicago Church of Christ. Bill’s message follows:
As many of you know a military coup of the Honduran government was staged between Sunday and Monday. The democratically elected President Zelaya is now in political exile in Costa Rica. Yesterday CNN ran articles of Zelaya’s supporters clashing with police as they protested the congress’s decision to remove the president. The political situation in Honduras has been touch and go over the past few years, especially due to Zelaya’s close ties to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Historically Central America has been riddled by coups and military dictatorships. Democracy was established in the 1990 when Daniel Ortega held democratic elections in Nicaragua, ending the communist Sandinista rule of Nicaragua that began in 1979. In the early 1990′s civil wars throughout the region had ceased and the resistance groups had slowly dropped their arms and restructured into political parties (The multi-party systems in Central America is an interesting study for those so inclined). It was at the tail end of this political and social unrest that the central American churches were planted (Guatemala City, Guatemala 1994, San Pedro Sula, Honduras 1995, San Jose, Costa Rica 1996, San Salvador, El Salvador and Managua, Nicaragua 1997, Panama, Panama 1998). During the past 15 years we have seen many protests, but none posed such a serious threat to the long term establishment of democracy in the region. Zelaya is expected to return to Honduras this week, but is likely to encounter resistance to his efforts to regain control of the country despite the UN’s resolution in his favor. see link:http://www.startribune.com/nation/49517292.html
This morning we were able to contact the church in San Pedro Sula and as of now there is no signs of social unrest although a nationwide curfew has been established. The church will not hold their regular midweek service tomorrow, rather each family will meet in their homes for a time of prayer. I would ask you to please keep Honduras and the rest of Central America in your prayers as they sort through this difficult time.
On another note:
The San Pedro Sula Church of Christ is morning the loss of two of its children. Heavy rains on Friday caused flooding in the streets. Lizet de Diaz, a member of the church in San Pedro Sula, was riding in a red Honda Civic along with her husband and two small children. As they tried to make it through the flooded streets their car was drug by the current sweeping their children out of the window and down the street. The parents were also carried by the current. Both of the children’s bodies were found lifeless. Lizet is in critical condition in the hospital. Joaquin, the children’s father sustained minor injuries. Joaquin who attends church but is not a member along with Lizet are in need of your prayers.
see link : http://www.microsofttranslator.com/BV.aspx?ref=IE8Activity&a=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.laprensa.hn%2FSucesos%2FEdiciones%2F2009%2F06%2F28%2FNoticias%2F30-minutos-de-lluvia-dejan-2-menores-muertos
Thank you and God bless,
Bill
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