Well, not really, but it does begin to seem like a second home. I flew back to Tegucigalpa on May 20, the main excuse for the trip is to work with the West Texas Water Ministry surveying for water in or under Moroceli. A typical long day getting to Tegucigalpa, and Jeannie Loving met me at the airport with a car to use and telephone. We stopped at Zamorano to check in, and I took Jeannie back to Danli, stopping on the way in Moroceli to deliver some over the counter medications for Mayra. She, Mayra, is the head Health Guardian for the Yuscaran deanery and she has no medical supplies. The trip to Danli via Moroceli took about 2 hours, then an hour plus to get back to Zamorano. I was one tired puppy, or more likely, tired old dog. Had dinner with a friend, then crashed.
Thursday, I had breakfast as usual at 6:30 fortified by a couple of cups of fine Honduran coffee. Then off to Moroceli to take Mayra and Carlos shopping for more meds. A young man whom I didn’t know rode with us. After standing on the street corner in Danli for several minutes, Mayra decided on the target pharmacy and went to work. About $150 later, we had some essential supplies. I had received a call from Jeannie on the ride over asking that I meet with Nathan to discuss his ideas for the building in Moroceli. Nathan is a young Peace Corps volunteer and a graduate architect. Last month we had taken him to Moroceli to look at the building and discuss the proposed renovations. He had some preliminary drawings ready and we met him in the Central Park in Danli. He went over the drawings with Carlos, Mayra and I. Kind of neat sitting in the park talking about the drawings. Even though it is difficult communicating with Carlos and Mayra due to the fact that I don’t yet speak Espanol, we are becoming friends and we get along somehow. They are so excited about having the building for use a templo and the things they want to do to it. Nathan is a fine young man, quiet and unassuming. He had some good ideas for changes that did not involve excessive cost. Three options, increasing complexity.
After leaving Nathan, I suggested that we eat. By this time, the young man who rode over with us had disappeared. Carlos asked if I “gusto pollo?†A word of explanation for the uninitiated: A pollo is a gallina that has recently (hopefully recently) passed on( also hopefully after having some fun with a gallo), becoming eligible for cooking. Anyway, We went to a little hole in the wall and had some wonderful roasted chicken and french fries. Eating with our fingers, the way God intended it. I needed a napkin at some point, and I raised my soiled piece of paper, gesturing to the lady who delivered the meal. She came to the table with replacements in her hands, and with a sweet smile, instructed me in the word for napkin, servilleta, making sure I could pronounce it. You have to love these people, so kind and courteous.
After lunch, I took Carlos and Mayra home and went back to Zamorano. The rest of the day, I did a little writing and chatted with some other people around the Centro. The crew from the West Texas Water Ministry had started arriving as well as some from the Texas Water Mission. I don’t yet know the relationship between the two except that I think the Water Mission is the fundraising side of the business. They are having a big meeting in Teguz Friday with another organization to discuss a possible merger as I understand it. I’ll get all the relationships clear as time goes on.
One note. I am driving a Honda CRV of some vintage, belonging to Kathy Pennybacker. It has about 117,000 km on it. What a workhorse, it takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
After dinner I was invited to a devotional with the Texas people. Fr. Dagoberto had stopped by and Louis Manz, the head of the Texas group, asked him to celebrate the Eucharist with us. During the Eucharist, the power went off, a common occurrence. We were reaching for the host in the dark, trying to dip it by the light of a cell phone. Quite funny.
A really good day. Damn, I love my job. 🙂
