All countries, at some point, face problems that affect the well-being of their inhabitants. Honduras has suffered many such times, especially since the coup d’état in June of 2009.  Socially, politically, and financially, Honduras has not been the same since that event, and we have seen our country deteriorate.  Elections in 2010 held some promise for change, but we, as Hondurans, have not seen much of it yet.

For NGO’s like CURE International, the situation has a significant impact. The type of people we serve are those who are underprivileged, and their access to the necessities of life becomes a challenge.  It is harder for them to get a job; many are unemployed. As a result, money is scarce, which means they have difficulty funding the transportation and travel costs necessary to come to the hospital for surgeries and follow-up appointments.

Most of the crime and poverty we are experiencing are caused by something deeper than political issues; the root of this social deterioration has to do with the desire for easy money and a lust for control and power.  The assassinations, kidnapping, robberies, and other major crimes that you hear about are very frequent.  Most of these are rooted in organized crime, police corruption, political corruption, and drug dealing, and they target people involved in the same dealings.  A “good person” can find themselves in the “wrong place at the wrong time” and become entangled in these doings, but that is the exception and not the rule.

In the neighboring countries to the north, Mexico and Guatemala, the situation is much worse; in many ways, it seems that the crime that Honduras is experiencing is coming down from the north to the south.  Yet, here in a country with only seven million people, it also seems like you know and see more people who are affected by crime.

This perception is not helped by they way crime is reported.  San Pedro Sula, where CURE Honduras is located, is not the highest-ranked city for crime.  Yet, many of the crimes that take place in areas surrounding San Pedro Sula get lumped in with us, reported in the news as happening here in San Pedro Sula, making things seem worse than they actually are.

Still, the trouble in outlying areas has become an issue for us.  There are mission trips from the United States that we had hoped to host that are not going to take place this year.  They were destined to go to rural areas where we, as an organization, can no longer secure safe travel for a large group.

Here in San Pedro Sula, however, we press on. We are more careful now, but not scared to the point of preventing us from holding our jobs and having our usual social life.  As Hondurans who live through these events every day, we could be scared, depressed, and especially discouraged.  As a faith-based mission, however, we have decided, at least at CURE, that we are here, serving.  We have been called to fulfill a mission, and we are careful and cautious, but most of all, we are trusting a supernatural power that protects our lives.