Tan Lines

hmm...

I spent the morning on the road with a machete digging up rocks. By lunchtime I was quite done (not as in the task was completed...no, far from it. More as in I was done with having to dig up rocks...I do have a really snazzy blister, though).

The only terribly remarkable thing from the day was what a co-worker had for lunch:

1. Spaghetti with meat sauce (which included cubed potatoes)
2. 2 Boiled plantains
3. Rice
4. Frijoles
5. Tortillas

For those of you to whom some of these items are foreign, that´s a whole LOAD of carbs. Not really any veggies. Those aren´t too popular here.

February 24th.

A prayer by Charles Wesley

If death my friend and me divide,
thou dost not, Lord, my sorrow chide,
or frown my tears to see;
restrained from passionate excess,
thou bidst me mourn in calm distress
for them that rest in thee.

I feel a strong immortal hope,
which bears my mournful spirit up
beneath its mountain load;
redeemed from death, and grief, and pain,
I soon will see my friend again
within the arms of God.

Pass a few fleeting moments more
and death the blessing will restore
which death has snatched away;
for me thous wilt the summons send,
and give me back my parted friend
in that eternal day. Amen.

The Boss Visits

Friday evening, Linwood arrived at the Barnabas House. After a quick look around the property, we supped together. Linwood dined on Esmeralda´s famous fried chicken, and I on "casamiento" (rice and beans). Since then, we´ve been catching up, meeting new people (Linwood had yet to meet our new Medical Director, Dra. María del Carmen Moncada), visiting old friends, and identifying future tasks. In other words, my mouth has been running a hundred miles a minute translating for my boss! =) =) It has been a humbling experience as I am realizing that my vocabulary has become rather specialized in medical terminology and NOT in prayers and the like. Thankfully, those who receive my translations continue to be kind and patient.

Saturday we hooked up the front-loader to the Juan Venado (John Deere) and moved some dirt, including filling in our failed attempts to dig a well (a huge cavern was reached on both attempt one and two). Linwood is still in the process of training Danilo how properly to attach all of the various parts and pieces to the tractor, so we all three were reviewing hydraulic hook-ups, etc. In the afternoon, the tractor was parked in a shady part of the front property...in perfect view of the clinic´s front porch. Eduardo, passing by, happened to see it and squealed with pleasure. I had given him a mini front-loader for Christmas and this was the first time he had seen one in real life. A child who never wants to put his shoes on suddenly turned into a kid guiding my shoe-searching with violent gesticulations. Shoes donned, we visited the tractor. We pondered the buttons and levers. We imagined horns and revving engines. All the while, Eduardo was seated in the grand driver´s seat with a huge smile on his face. He couldn´t touch the wheel and the imagined "horn" enough...our visit was about an hour! Linwood snuck a picture (I will post it when I get a copy). We visited Elmer and family before retiring for the evening.

Sunday we woke up and had a relaxed morning. Made a diving rod and walked around the property, ceaselessly amazed at the fact that it really does work. Had lunch with Dra. Moncada and family at Las Glorias. Visited Denia and family. Visited the site where Esmeralda´s house will be built by Sal y Luz and Hands for Honduras in one short week! Then, we returned to Alfredo´s House where my end-of-the-week veggie leftovers made a succulent dinner. We decided that quesillo* and toasted whole-wheat pita bread makes the perfect sandwich.

Tomorrow we will have our Monday devotional followed by a staff meeting. Then, Linwood, Melvin and Elmer will travel to La Esperanza on their mission to find remote-site lodging for upcoming mission groups. I, on the other hand, have volunteered for the back-breaking award of the week: I will be digging up all of the medium sized rocks from the 1/4 mile driveway and throwing them over the fence. Later this week sand and then gravel will arrive. The removal will insure a "smooth" (or rather, less bumpy) ride down our lonely dirt road. I will definitely eat my Wheaties in the morning!

*Quesillo is the second extraction in the milk-refining process. First, we have mantequilla (salted sour cream, yet thinner), then quesillo (think a salted mozzarella), then queso (a dry, salted cheese...a bit like feta but with a milder flavour), then requesón (I have yet to find a place here in Peña that sells this, but word has it that you either hate or love this cheese with little fat and less sodium).

Que Love-r-ly

From January 26th

This past week with the brigade was a whole new experience being that El Cajón (not Alfredo´s House) was our home base. I was a little apprehensive because of the “horror” stories from years past, e.g. bed bugs. But, short of some ants (which did end up visiting me on Thursday night), things were quite tranquil at the ranch.

I would have to say that this team seemed to have a purpose that I haven´t felt yet before. By “purpose” I don´t mean the objective for coming (for that is obviously an inherent and shared trait among teams). Perhaps what I am trying to say is that I felt God´s Providence with this team. The people who were on it, the stories they had to share, the lives that they have lived, all seemed to fit together as if this particular group of people was meant to come together in Honduras. We had three parents who had lost one of their children. We had nurses who were newbies under the gentle guidance and encouragement of the regulars. We had a mother-daughter pair. The list goes on. There is a certain reassurance and comfort when something like seems to “fall together,”and so unexpectedly.

This week also brought some emotionally and psychologically difficult situations to translate. Perhaps one of the most difficult fell on Friday. We had a 17 year-old who had two children, an 8 year-old and a 10 month-old. How can it be that a 9 year-old bears a child? And, how can I deal with that reality without judging those people whom I am trying to serve? These are questions the answers to which I do not have.

Tuesday was a group trip to San Pedro Sula to donate blood. Only a few of us ended up being eligible to let our blood, but the trip was not for naught. It was a day of bonding among workmates, something for which there has not been much free time as of late.

Yesterday the Cardiac Surgical Team started up. Yesterday also happened to be Ash Wednesday, a holy day that has always held special weight for me. This year, I think it meant so much more because I was unable to receive the imposition of the ashes (I was in China). This year, Dra. Moncada and I attended the Catholic mass in town. It was a reminder of how fragile life is, how transient (something that one would think I would have been constantly reminded of seeing as I am surrounded by critically ill people): from dust you have come, to dust you shall return.

I look forward to the upcoming days, to spending this Lenten season consciously. To spend it here in Honduras. I look forward to seeing renewed life in these cardiac patients, especially in Eduardo. His joy over the simple things (a car magazine, a treat of “A Cup of Noodles,” a tickle as I pass by) has become a special reminder of God´s love and Providence…we have all been blessed by this little boy´s presence.

¿Entonces Lucona?

-OR-

ay! decisions, decisions.