On Wednesday evening, March 8th, our ministry’s Director of Operation and my very dear friend, Manuel Moran, was gunned down in the street close to his home in Jocotenango. He was on his motorcycle and stopped at an intersection when two young men road up, opened fire and drove away. He was declared dead at the scene.
I was at home that evening when my phone rang. His wife, Cristina, our Home Coordinator, was on the other end sobbing. It took some time for me to understand her words. “Manuel is dead!” When I realized what she was saying, I was left in complete shock.
I had said goodbye to him ninety minutes before, after discussing the following day’s schedule. We hugged, he left, and now he was gone.
Wanda and I rushed to the national hospital together. On the way we discussed what could have happened. A motorcycle accident? A health problem? Three months before he had complained of headaches and dizziness. Could it have been a brain tumor like the one that claimed his 12 year old daughter nine years ago? But in all the scenarios we discussed through tears, cold-blooded murder was never considered.
When we arrived, we found Cristina sitting outside the hospital. We only had to follow the sounds of her crying to find her. I knelt in front of her, hugged her and asked what happened.
“They shot him! They shot him right in the heart!”
I thought that I had seen first-hand everything this country had to throw at us. But I was wrong. We have grieved death caused by accident, illness, neglect and incompetence, but now we were seeing evil up close and personal. And it took my breath away.
How do you begin to process and grieve the loss of someone you love who was taken from you by an intentional act? Someone decided that they had the right to snuff out a life of a husband, father, brother, son and friend. Someone intentionally chose to kill a minister of the Gospel and a faithful partner in our ministry. With a few twitches of the finger, they ended the earthly life that had been created, loved and nurtured for 41 years. And I did not know what to do with that.
I have always known that this evil exists. I see it in the news every day. I read it or hear it and my brow furrows and my head shakes. But for the first time, we were the direct recipients of the pain it brings. And the pain was overwhelming.
Manuel was one of the finest men that I have ever had the opportunity to know. He was selfless and loving. He was funny and quite the practical joker. He always made you laugh. But he was also so very tender and gentle. I have seen him hold a sick and fragile child while wiping tears over their suffering. He was a great friend, but he was more than a friend. He was my brother. And I loved him. And I cannot describe how much I miss him.
Since his death, almost daily I reach for my phone to call him, only to remember that I cannot. Yesterday morning was hard, as it was our first staff meeting since his death. I kept looking toward the door expecting him to enter with his sunglasses and typical smile, but he did not.
He was a crucial part of our ministry. He got things done, even if it meant early morning and late nights. He connected us with resources and put people at ease. He shared the Gospel boldly but without a trace of judgement. And I don’t know what we will do without him.
The days following his death were a blur of grief and confusion. Arrangements were made. Appointments and trips were cancelled. I met with the detectives who interviewed me as a part of the investigation. And, somehow, we made it to the funeral on Friday afternoon.
The service was nice as many came to share their condolences. But the treasure came as our procession followed the casket to the cemetery. The route we took walked us right past the special needs school that several of the children in our home attend. As we got close, I heard clapping and looked ahead. The students and teachers of the school had come out and lined both sides of the street, and as we passed, they clapped. I held it together pretty well until that point, but most everyone lost it then. I am not sure I have ever seen a more touching and fitting tribute than those beautiful children with special needs paying their respects in that manner. They were ministers that day.
We arrived at the grave and there were words spoken by Manuel’s sons, Daniel and Christian, and Cristina. At the end, Cristina called our entire Ministerio de Esperanza team forward to thank us for our support and to pray for us. Yes, you read that right. She prayed for us.
Many people have asked how they can support Cristina. I want to let you know that our ministry takes seriously the responsibility to care for both orphans and widows, and we are committed to making sure her needs are met. It is not appropriate for me to detail everything we are doing, but I do want you to know that the funeral is paid for and she is cared for. If any of you wish to give to assist our ministry in meeting these expenses, you are welcome to do so. But trust me when I tell you that we will not allow her to struggle.
On Sunday evening, almost our entire Guatemala ministry team came together in our home to worship, pray and look to the Word of God together. Around 45 of us were there, including Cristina and her sons, and God was present in a mighty way. That evening we were reminded that the enemy is defeated, death is powerless, and we would proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ more powerfully and boldly than ever. I truly felt healing flow over us. God is truly good and strong, and never more so than when we are weak.
We are still not sure how we will proceed. Manuel was such an important part of our ministry. His hands and influence were in all areas of our ministry. In a word, he is irreplaceable, both as an employee and a friend. For that reason, I would not allow myself to begin thinking about it until yesterday morning. I needed at least that long to mourn and pray and remember Manuel. And, even now, when I talk about finding a replacement I feel physically ill. We cannot replace Manuel.
But we will move forward. We will find someone different with their own strengths, personalities and vision. I know we will love them as well and they will become family. And God will use them to take us forward to new areas. But they will be their own man or woman of God. But Manuel will remain in our hearts and our ministry.
As I write this, the motive for his murder is still unclear. It is obvious that they were not robbers, as nothing was stolen. That leaves two options. First, he could have been the victim of a gang initiation. Most gangs require a murder as an admission pass. I could be that Manuel was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Second, it could have been a contract hit. With gang members all around, you can arrange a murder for about $50. So even minor misunderstanding or disagreements can result in an assassination. We honestly don’t know the motive.
Ministerio Publico, the investigative branch of the police, seem to be taking the investigation seriously. They interviewed me on Friday morning seeking leads. They have asked me for a follow-up meeting that should happen this week. They seem to be pursuing every lead, and I am so grateful. We have forgiven his killers, but that does not mean that we do not want there to be justice. We don’t want these young man taking other lives. And Guatemala needs to see some examples of justice these days. Please pray for the salvation of Manuel’s killers, and please pray for justice.
We are facing many challenges right now. And one of those challenges erupted earlier the same day that Manuel was murdered. In the early hours of that same day, a riot in the state run orphanage in San Jose Pinula resulted in a fire that, at last count, had killed 40 teenage girls. More are hospitalize, and five have been transferred to the US for treatment.
As more and more details emerge, we are learning of horrible abuses that took place. Physical abuse, sexual abuse, isolation, rotten food, and physical restraints are just a few of the conditions that have been exposed. They now believe that all of the dead were locked together in a room, and their cries were ignored when the fire broke out.
This orphanage was designed and equipped to care for 400 children. At the time of the fire, they were housing over 750.
In essence, these children were removed from homes and placed in this orphanage. They went from the frying pan into the fire. And it is now becoming clear that these children and teens were living a government sponsored nightmare.
Three people who were in oversight positions in the system have now been arrested. More arrests will likely follow.
The guilty home, Hogar Seguro Virgen de la Asunción, has been ordered closed. This means that nearly 700 children are being thrust into an already full system. Many private homes, including ours, are being asked to receive survivors. We have agreed to receive two boys, and we are still waiting for them. The problem is, the children have all been scattered to a lot of different places, and they cannot find our boys. They have no papers indicating where each child was placed. The entire system is in chaos.
I plan to write more about this broken system soon, but for now we simply need your prayers. Pray for those girls that were burned and who are fighting for their lives. Pray for justice for those that have died, been injured or suffered abuse or neglect. Pray for the many private homes that are stepping up to care for these children, especially for provision and grace. And pray for Guatemala.
The bright spot in all of this ugliness is the church. I am seeing it alive and well as it comes together here in Guatemala. Following the fire, many ministries that serve orphans have come together to meet the needs. In addition, other ministries have reached out to us in the wake of Manuel’s death. Here are a few things I am seeing:
- I see other ministries reaching out to us to offer their help to fill the gap that Manuel's death has left in our ministry. They are offering this help without desire for notice or credit, and they do so with no strings attached.
- I see ministries directing donations away from themselves to other ministries to maximize the impact of the dollars on the current crisis following the orphanage fire and closure.
- I see thousands of Christ-followers laying aside differences to pray together, cry together and work together.
In other words, I see the church being the church. And it is so good to see.
Please pray for our ministry, particularly Cristina and her boys in the days ahead. Pray for the children injured in the fire and the families of those lost. Pray for healing in the hearts and minds of those who were abused at the hands of those who were supposed to protect them. And pray for Guatemala, which can only know healing through the power of Jesus Christ.
Blessings,
Daryl, Wanda and the Crew
