Honduras (MNN) — Thousands are
protesting the Honduran President Manuel Zelaya's plan to change the
constitution.
According to local media, the
march, promoted by Protestant churches, lasted for several hours. Meanwhile, Zelaya heated things up by firing the military chief
of staff and accepting the defense minister's resignation.
Earlier this week, the Honduran
Congress blocked his bid to hold a referendum on June28, but Zelaya has
scheduled the referendum for Sunday, ignoring the ruling of the court and
objections from his own Liberal Party.
Neighboring Latin American constitutional
shakeups recently extended presidential powers and eased bans on reelection. Zelaya's four-year term ends in early 2010, and
current law requires him to step down.
Demonstrations against the forced
vote could complicate the final day of work for a short-term mission team in Honduras. Sister ministry of Mission Network News Way-FM is with 30
listeners wrapping up an outreach effort with Orphan Outreach.
Spokeswoman Amy Norton says in light of the growing instability, they're concerned about their ability to head home
today.
The team has been busy over the
last 10 days distributing
hundreds of Bibles and teddy bears to needy children, in addition to holding
movie nights and drama programs. The medical team ministered physically and
spiritually to hundreds, while another member of the team installed a water filtration
system in every place the team has traveled in Honduras.
The construction team repaired
sinks, roofs, and toilets for schools and orphanages, along with some "extreme home makeovers" for single
mothers and their families. On top of that, the team put together a playground
for a Christian school serving children who work in the dump in Tegucigalpa. What
has been accomplished on this trip will enhance Orphan Outreach's ministry in
the area.
Orphan
Outreach developed Christian schools for orphans and at-risk children to help them develop spiritually and educationally and prepare them for adult independence. The mission of Orphan Outreach is to demonstrate
Christ's unconditional love and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with "the
least of these."
On another front, injured team
member Steve Jordan and his wife have returned to the U.S. Keep praying for wisdom for the doctors as the
assess what to do.
Due to his pain levels, Honduran doctors were concerned about
multiple problems stemming from his 14-foot fall on June 22. Early diagnosis was "Open Book" pelvic fracture. In this kind of injury, the left and right
halves of the pelvis are separated at front and rear, the front opening more
than the rear, i.e like opening a book. It will
require many months of recovery and rehabilitation.
Steve is self -employed as a
contractor and will likely be out of commission for some time. The
insurance policy Orphan Outreach bought for each team member comes with
disability coverage, but it only pays $250 a week. There will be a benevolence fund set up for
the Jordans to help with bills in the interim. Details are pending.
