Coup?

Hello to those of you who are following our blog.  As you've already probably heard, there is an incident currently going on down there with a grab for power by Manuel Zelaya.  He has recently been removed from power by the Honduran military for blatantly defying the Honduran constitution.  By Honduran law, the elected president may only serve for one four year term, and Mr. Zelaya has decided to stick around by his own authority.  In doing so, he was able to have a impromptu election by having Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez to print up invalid ballots.  The Honduran supreme court and congress have both invalidated the results and have repeatedly asked Mr Zelaya to step down.  Unfortunately, Mr. Zelaya has not complied and was forcibly removed by the military last Sunday.  There's more to the story, but in a nutshell that's the situation. 

What does this mean for our team??   Well, currently we are waiting until next Tuesday to get more information from the locals in Honduras.  Our guide is a man named Gustavo, and he has said where we are going, (Florida de Copan) is still calm and has not been affected by the recent political drama.  The organization we are using, MMI seems to be a very trustworthy organization and so far has given us no reason for concern.  The State Department and US Embassy in Honduras have warned all Americans that non-essential travel is not advised.  I think the situation will resolve itself, however the fact that Mr. Zelaya is threatening to return to the country along with the help of the Venezuelan military which it has been reported is building up on the Nicaraguan border.  If this happens, I have my doubts that we will be able to go.  If you read this, please pray for the country and the situation there.  Also, pray for us as our decision nears.  We have put a lot of time and effort into the planning of this trip and our whole team is eager and willing to go.  I understand that safety should be a priority here, and we will most likely err on the side of caution, but I also understand the nature of missionary work and the need for reliance upon God and His sovereign authority.  We trust in the Lord no matter the decision, and at this time can really use all the prayer we can get.  Check back soon as I will be updating our status as information becomes available.  

Joel