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).