No Release For These FARC Hostages

I was thinking on the way home tonight of the recent hostage release in Columbia of two hostages held by FARC ... and got to wondering about Dave Mankins, Mark Rich and Rick Tenehoff.

The three Christian missionaries were kidnapped by FARC on January 31, 1993. They and their families were living in Panama, about 15 miles from the Colombian border. They were there at the invitation of village leaders, teaching villagers to read and write in their own language and providing medical assistance. They were seized when FARC guerrillas captured the village -- and have not been heard from since.

Unfortunately, it appears these three FARC hostages will not be released. I found this at the site The Inspirations, posted in 2007:

We now know that Rick, Mark and Dave did not survive, and it's God's Time for closure. Since 1996, the picture has been confusing. Had they been killed, or were they still waiting in a guerrilla camp? Slowly the story has emerged of a military attack and the ensuing fatal shots from the captor's guns.

I sat in a Colombian prison in early September, 2001, with a guerrilla who had once guarded Rick, Mark and Dave. His words, "They are dead," were final and emphatic, confirming what we had heard from several other insurgents. The years of tears and anxiety for our dear brothers have ended.They have gone to a far better place. They rejoice in the presence of the God they served so faithfully. Colombian authorities and the FBI will continue to search for those responsible, but now we have the answer we need.

Many of you have prayed for the Hostages, their families and us. Nearly eight and a half years have brought countless answers to your prayers. Our path has moved alongside presidents and humble peasants, guerrilla commanders and archbishops, self righteous and spiritually hungry. Three martyrs have gone to their reward. Families of the hostages have discovered God's sufficiency. And we have seen Him work in unique places and in lives of people we otherwise would never have met. What a privilege!

I purposefully put the word "apparently" above, because I would like FARC to confirm that Mankins, Rich and Tenehoff did indeed die while in the hands of the Communist guerrillas, and own up to their responsibility for what happened to three men who were just trying to help people.

Hugo (No, you go) Chavez is trying to score diplomatic points by brokering talks between the Columbians and FARC, a group he has no real quibble with since he's an idiot. He could score some points with countless Christians in America and around the world if he could use his influence to get FARC to disclose the status of the three missionary hostages.

Of course, impressing Christians is not high on Chavez' to-do list.

And being humanitarian is not too high on FARC's, since they hold as many as 750 hostages by some reports, including 45 'high profile' ones, mostly Columbian leaders. Not able to raise a credible army any more, they are left with only the repulsive tactic of kidnapping and ransoming.

So goes Communism, and along with it Chavez, figuratively wagging his tail, as friendly to FARC as a pup.