Bear Witness

“Fascinating. Halperin captures the other side of the immigrant crisis — a world that few outsiders see — through the story of Kurt Ver Beek, an American academic and missionary of sorts who several decades ago moved to Honduras with his wife, Jo Ann Van Engen, to minister to the poor…. This is an unexpected thriller starring a mild-mannered Christian from the midwest who teaches study-abroad students and runs an NGO…. Halperin tells the story with an immersive narrative voice reminiscent of Tracy Kidder, allowing the reader to peer over the shoulder of people trying to fight the good fight in near-impossible conditions. What’s more, he pulls no punches in describing the compromises, ethical transgressions and shadow activity in which one must engage to make change in a basically lawless country.” – Katherine Corcoran - New York Times“A compelling tale and the perfect doorway into the complex inner workings of the poorest country in Latin America, where people struggle for power and the rule of law is weak. Halperin’s reporting is prodigious; Nueva Suyapa and its residents appear on the book’s pages not as some faceless mass but mothers and fathers and sons and assassins and students and extortionists and sometimes several of those things all at the same time, always just trying to get by.” – Carl Hoffman - Washington Post“In this gripping work of investigative journalism, Halperin examines the risks, sacrifices, and criticisms these unlikely saviors endured in making their neighborhood a safer place to raise a family … Halperin’s skillful reporting and insight and his own risk-taking make Ver Beek and Hernández’s story unforgettable.” – Booklist“Kurt Ver Beek and Carlos Hernández are possibly the bravest people in the world and among the few who truly understand how homicide works… . Ross Halperin, a reporter who listens with his whole mind, is the one to tell [their story]. He’s gone deep and found the insights that matter. Bear Witness will be required reading.” – Jill Leovy, author of Ghettoside“This riveting book reads like a thriller—two friends trying to prevent murders in one of the most dangerous places on earth. But it’s a true story, about not only the extreme danger they put themselves in, but also the nauseating moral quandaries they faced… . In Ross Halperin’s nuanced, sharp-eyed, empathetic story, there are no clean hands.” – Larissa MacFarquhar, author of Strangers Drowning“Ross Halperin’s deep dive into one of the worst narco states in Latin America is poignant and chilling… . Halperin’s understated prose is mesmerizing, and Bear Witness is a cautionary tale about where politics, corruption, and religion collide.” – Sally Denton, author of The Colony“Superbly reported, rife with vivid human and physical detail, Bear Witness brings us novelistically close to the unlikely pair of heroic justice fighters at its heart… . I so admire Ross Halperin, the young journalist who has written this important, unforgettable book.” – Francisco Goldman, author of Monkey Boy”[A] gripping, gut-wrenching story of the courageous struggle of a small organization against the powers of darkness… . It’s a story of undaunted patience, bravery, faith, and hope in the face of threats, violence, and stonewalling. Take this and be moved and inspired.” – Nicholas Wolterstorff, Noah Porter Professor Emeritus of Philosophical Theology, Yale University“The beautifully written Bear Witness is essential reading for those concerned about the far too many communities—be they in Tegucigalpa or in Chicago—where people live in fear both of each other and of their government.” – David M. Kennedy, author of Don’t Shoot

Ross Halperin attended Harvard University and worked under Mark A. R. Kleiman, one of the world’s leading criminal-justice scholars. He started reporting this story in 2018 and has since spent much of his time in Honduras.