Even in the Safest of Places...

Before I complete the rest of this post, I want to re-affirm you all that we are safe and sound and I am currently lying in my cozy bed. No one is concerned of any violence where we live, and I was told by numerous people (including a police representative) that the issue I am about to explain is very isolated.

That said, there was a family of six that was murdered in a village a few miles away from our house last week. There were five adults and one nine-year-old girl (I am almost in tears as I write this thinking about that little girl). Around five o’clock in the evening one night, several masked men entered the home of the family and shot all six. One of the Honduran workers that our organization employs is a police representative, meaning he is an unpaid volunteer for the police department in an area that is too remote for the government to pay officers, so we get updated information from him daily. He had to go to the house only minutes after the family was murdered.

Unfortunately, yesterday one of the extended family members of the family who died decided to kidnap a teenage boy who he thinks was involved in the murders. As far as we know, the teenager is still alive, but there have been many threats to kill him if the murderers do not step forward. Douglas told me this morning that the situation is only getting more complicated. Some people think the individual who kidnapped the teenager is just trying to get vengeance, while others believe he may have been involved in the original murder and is trying to cover up his own crime.

Anyhow, I share this information with you because I know that many of you would like to know, if only for the sake of knowing or because you are praying for us. I have also been struck by the fact that something like this happened in a place so calm and tranquil. Many of you may be thinking, “You live in Honduras, there’s no way it can be calm and tranquil,” but this is one of the most peaceful places I have been my entire life. This kind of crime is common in the large cities of Honduras, but is unheard of in rural areas where everyone knows everyone else. Some of our neighbors are greatly surprised and deeply saddened by this tragedy. It almost feels weird to continue on with our daily activities (classes, work, prepping the garden, enjoying delicious meals, and playing baseball with the students and workers) when something so horrible happened in our “backyard.”

I can’t help but ask myself if there is there something we can be doing to help. If there is a reason why we are hear when this tragedy occurred. Or if the best thing to do is move on with our daily lives as if nothing ever happened. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to say to people. I don’t even know how to feel. And one of the hardest things is thinking that there are millions of people around the world who experience this kind of tragedy on a regular basis. It has been difficult for me to swallow and I can hardly even imagine that some people just get used to it.

For now, we will continue to pray for the family and hope that justice is served.