With Honduras in an ongoing political crisis following the contested presidential victory of sitting President Juan Orlando Hernandez over candidate Salvador Nasralla, we reached out to the Rev. Suzy McCall, Founder of LAMB Institute in Tegucigalpa, to find out what is happening on the ground. Thankfully Suzy, all the children at the orphanage and school, staff, and the other missionaries are safe.
“Our children are not so anxious in spite of the crisis,” says David Gradiz, LAMB’s Executive Director. “They are playing and preparing for Christmas.”
But the country is in turmoil. “Today the country is basically militarized, and there are demonstrations everywhere,” Suzy says. “The demonstrations are not about a particular candidate; it’s about a fraudulent election which allows a dictatorial president to retain power.”
The majority of Hondurans did not vote for Hernandez and his authoritarian administration, and many of his “votes” are believed to be fraudulent, or bought. Despite the evidence being documented and sent to the proper authorities, “no one has stepped in and stopped Hernandez,” Suzy says.
She requested prayer for Honduran leadership as they grow tired and weary from the constant uncertainty. Candidate Salvador Nasralla requested a peaceful demonstration in front of the public hospital, asking people to bring white flowers to give to the police and military. Reflecting on the peace march, Suzy wrote this poem in her journal.
THE PEACE MARCH
The girl in green pants dreamed of college,
“Getting out,” helping mom,
But the local gang marked her,
Took her: “Stay or die, you and your family.”
Two years later, she was dumped out, what was left.
She marches for her little sister,
So young she still has hope.
The guy in the red shirt is a guard;
He works 24/7, six days/week, for $200/month.
His three boys are always hungry.
His own teeth are broken,
His skin peeling, feet aching.
But he is a good father.
He marches for his sons,
Who still have hope.
The woman in the short skirt sells herself.
She grew up in a brothel,
Used from a young age,
Hooked on alcohol and drugs,
In a small room that is home.
She marches because she knows it isn’t fair
For some women to drive cars
While she suffers their husbands’ abuses.
The doctor in the white coat is angry.
She has had everything she needed,
And most of what she wanted,
Including a fast track through med school —
But her patients, so humble and ingratiating, have opened her eyes and heart.
She marches for others like her, guilty and blind.
She wears her privilege openly,
But longs for more equality.
Marching together: the priest and student, maid and engineer,
Singing songs of protest and peace,
Hearts beating fast: the military watch, take photos, wave huge guns.
Marching together with jumbled thoughts, but with united spirits.
No violence. Pray pray pray. Focus on one another, God, family, hope.
The Peace March:
If nothing else changes, people have finally come together.
Suzy also requests prayer for Honduras’ peace-loving population, and for those who want to strike back against injustice, longing for a better future for themselves and their children in Honduras.
“Of course we remain faithful followers of the Lamb, and we will keep our hands to the plow, but we must grieve some, too,” Suzy says. “We must share Jesus’ heart for the marginalized. We must lament that our world is bent on enslaving and oppressing the poor. Yes, there is always hope, but for today that hope must be shared through tears.”
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