I am so sad to write this. This week Peace Corps decided to suspend its operations in Honduras due to increasing safety & security concerns. http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.media.press.view&news_id=1932
I can't say we were surprised. Crime and violence have been increasing since we got here, and we knew that it was a possibility. But that doesn't make it any easier. I love my community, and I had every expectation to spend a full 2 years here. For sure I was concerned for my safety -- there has been a wave of crime recently, but now that the news is official I am devastated to leave my community and the friends that I have made here. I had a lot of work projects planned for January and February and was hitting my stride with Spanish. I will also miss my town's feria. Seven months in site was definitely not long enough.
Officially, the country is being put on ¨Administrative Hold,¨ which means that all volunteers are returning to the states for a minimum of 30 days while PC reviews the security situation here and decides if the program can resume. If they decide to continue operations here, it will likely be with fewer volunteers in a smaller geographic region, so the liklihood of me being able to return to my site is slim. I would return if I had the option, and there may also be the option of transferring to other countries. But for now we are waiting for the official word.
In the meantime, we are all on what is called Standfast, which means we cannot leave our sites until January when we leave the country. I have a friend in town, so I feel awful that we will be stuck in my site instead of being able to travel as planned. However, I am going to do my best to enjoy my last few weeks in Honduras, spend quality time with host families and friends, and wrap up my projects. More details to follow...
