Journalist Ross Halperin’s profound critique, fast-paced storytelling, and detailed reporting narrate the story of American sociologist Kurt Ver Beek and Honduran teacher Carlos Hernandez against the violent history, politics, systemic injustice, and poverty of Honduras, infamous as “one of the most unequal countries on earth.”
About 20 years ago, Ver Beek, Hernandez, and their families chose to live in Nueva Suyapa, a desperately poor barrio ruled by a violent gang and a corrupt police force where murders were, horrifically, a regular occurrence. In time, they founded the Association for a More Just Society (ASJ) and the Peace and Justice Project, organizations that eventually grew in impact to influence governments abroad.
Ver Beek is a graduate of Calvin University, as well as an emeritus professor of sociology there. He and his wife started their Honduras ministry in 1988 as employees of the Christian Reformed Church’s Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, now called World Renew.
Related: Christian Nonprofit in Honduras Battled Gangs, Corruption; Now It’s Inspiring Chicago (Aug. 29, 2025)
The strength of Halperin’s narrative lies not only in his detailed analysis, but in the unflinching way he exposes the moral dilemmas that Ver Beek, Hernandez, and the organizations’ employees faced as they attempted to help the families of murdered individuals, to track down the murderers, and to seek justice by outing corrupt cops, all the while being aware that their choices could possibly, and probably did, result in more murders. Additionally, they faced the criticism of onlookers, both in the community and abroad. In a speech, Kurt explained, “Carlos and I are very sensitive to those criticisms. … They’re often being made by people we care about, people whose opinions we value. We’re always struggling within ourselves about what is the right thing to do.”
Halperin’s final assessment of Ver Beek and Hernandez’s initiatives is sobering: “On the whole, Kurt and Carlos feel like they made Nueva Suyapa and Honduras better, but the truth is that their two-plus decades of all-in altruism, all-in courage, and all-in faith have not gotten them anywhere close to a satisfying conclusion. The country they have risked their hides for over and over again is still light years away from being Switzerland, or South Korea, or even Costa Rica, and it’s possible, if not likely, that the two friends will not live to see the national transformation they seek.”
Still, readers of Bear Witness who are Jesus-followers can take a more hopeful view as they recall the apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (Liveright)
About the Author
Sonya VanderVeen Feddema is a freelance writer and a member of Covenant CRC in St. Catharines, Ontario.