Sorry I'm so late in posting!
11 years ago
Hi Everyone! I was dropped off at a Honduran Family, the Ciliazars, where I will be staying for the next two nights. The cab drove into the neighborhood still all full of ruts and ridges. I have this picture locked permanently in my brain as we passed a huge garbage dump pickup area and I saw a woman and her two children quickly ferreting through the garbage. Garbage was overflowing outside the big metal rectangle and they were pawing through it. Then a man passed by on crutches with one pant leg pinned up because he only had one leg. Several dogs were barking . It was almost more than I could bear. Otherwise it was like time had stood still. The kids engaged in a lot of horse play, but they were slightly bigger. And the same mangy dogs were roaming around. It took me a minute to get my bearings so I could get to Robin’s house, but I made it. The kids all waved at me and called me by name as well as some of the women that sell food outside. They all seemed to remember me. I spent the rest of the afternoon visiting with Robin. He is most interesting. He Is probaby only 4 and a half feet tall! He is the oddest looking guy that you can imagine, looking much like a toad. But he is very successful and has this presence about him. Everyone in the neighbor refers to him as “the Generalâ€. He is quite the character. That evening I went and visited many of Tom’s friends In the neighborhood. Ritza wasn’t at home. The next day was Sunday. I walked to church by myself. Everyone seemed very surprised to see me as they didn’t realize I was in town. After church, Ritza and Tom’s old roommate Fran went to visit cemetery where Tom is buried. When I look up at the niche where he is , it never seems real. Everytime I read his name on the plaque it stops me dead in my tracks. I had brought some new flowers (artificial) along with an American flag and a Honduran flag to put in the vase. Afterwards I climbed down the ladder and grabbed Frank and Ritza . We huddled with our arms around each other and I thanked them for all that they had done for Tom. I told them how much he loved them both and we all had a good little cry. Left this morning for the airport. Time now to go home. I think I always leave my heart here. Ran into friends from AJS at the airport!! They had attended the board of directors meetings, so I was able to meet a lot of them. I was gushing with enthusiasm about their work there in Honduras. I told them my story and briefly Tom’s story. I found myself immediately “proselyting on the plane. There was a Honduran family sitting next to me. They live in Houston. I first bored The husband to death with lots of facts and figures about AJS. Actually he was Interested. I am going to e-mail him the link so he can find out more. I told him If we all tell everyone we know from Honduras or has served some kind of a mission there that we need to make them aware of these very brave people and even get them to donate $5 or $10 each month. I then began to talk to the wife (we were on the other side of the aisle) and found out she was Mormon but that he wasn’t. I then turned to him and tapped his shoulder and said, “Hey, why aren’t you a Mormon?†I then acted like I was going to start preaching more but I didn’t. I have a feeling this won’t be my last trip to Honduras!!! What a fabulous trip.