Jan 12
26
Honduran Safety Concerns
President’s Note
by: Gordon Garrett
Honduras is getting a lot of press about violence and perhaps you have read these reports. We thought it important to give a response to concerns about the safety of traveling to Honduras. While there have been isolated cases of North American persons being victims of violent acts–as would be the case anywhere, at this point we are not aware of North Americans being targeted.
But is it safe to travel to and take children to Honduras? There are risks. I have felt the concern and responsibility of nearly 10,000 North American travelers going to Honduras under my watch in the past 12+ years. I am always thankful to hear when groups have returned home safely. I will never undersell the risks of travel to Honduras–travel issues, health concerns, safety issues, natural disasters, etc.
Our staff (stateside and Honduran) is very conscious of risks and safety issues. We receive updates from the US Embassy in Honduras to alert us of any significant issue. For example, in 2009 HTH teams were discontinued for several months during the political crisis in Honduras. We have many “boots on the ground” in Honduras with our staff, pastors, Board Member Jose Reyes and friends. We keep a pretty good sense of the climate and concerns in the country. Team schedules are planned around what is the safest/least risk for travel, food, lodging, areas of country, timing of travel, etc. We use vehicles that are not targeted for theft.
We are very, very blessed and thankful to have the safety record we have since 1984–but, as the investment ads remind us, past performance is not a guarantee of future results/performance. We cannot guarantee anyone’s safety.
My oldest son, Matt, is on staff with HTH and has taken his oldest daughter (age 10) to Honduras twice. If we felt there were undue risks involved we obviously would not allow Noli to go to Honduras. Am I concerned? Yep!
As a father, grandfather and leader of HTH I feel very responsible, but believe we can trust the Lord and, at the same time, make sure our vehicles are in good running order, our drivers are safe drivers, our cooks are careful about food preparation, we are careful where and when groups travel and we stay alert to any other concerns. I hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have other questions about this important area.
Thanks for your involvement and leadership with Heart to Honduras. Please keep praying as we look forward to 2012 with great anticipation of the Lord’s blessings!
In His Name,
Gordon Garrett
President
