New Honduran president good news for mission group

That's what Richard Seivert, director of Mission Honduras Le Mars and Gehlen Catholic Mission Honduras, believes.

"I think the election of Lobo will settle the business community down where governments of the world will once again reinvest and start doing daily business in Honduras," Seivert said.

That means many governments including the United States that pulled their international aid from the country last June when then-president Manuel Zelaya was deposed, will put it back, Seivert said.

That will in turn restore the international aid to help keep Mission Honduras Le Mars clinics operational, Seivert said.

"We have, ourselves, kept the clinic afloat for two months," he said. "To my knowledge the doctors and nurses have been working without pay."

Since Lobo was sworn in as Honduras' president Jan. 27, the United States has agreed he is the new president and more countries are expected to take up that position, Seivert said.

"I'm sure we are going to be restoring our aid again," he said. "It will take the World Bank and International Monetary Fund and its own private business deals to get Honduras back where it was."

Seivert said once that is accomplished he believes countries around the world will respond to the current need in Honduras.

For example, right now there are 100,000 Hondurans at risk of dying because of a five-month drought, Seivert said.

"Mission Honduras Le Mars is doing everything we can to stabilize the programs we run," he said. "Lobo's election is the most positive development Mission Honduras Le Mars has had since last June when Zelaya was deposed."

Seivert said Mission Honduras Le Mars is not the only local group affected by the unrest in Honduras.

Gehlen Catholic Mission Honduras' high school student trips in the spring were also threatened with cancellation, he said.

"Had this not cleared up very well, I know I would have called off the student trip," Seivert said. "We made the decision to plan, plan, plan and pull out in the spring if needed."

The high school trip to Honduras will run as scheduled.

Seivert said organizers met early with students, who were signed up for the spring trip to Honduras, and their families informing them of all the potential dangers and possibilities.

"I had given students and families numerous opportunities to pull out and almost all have held firm," Seivert said. "Lobo's election, without a doubt, has had a great calming effect throughout the whole country."