Highlights from Honduras - Part 3

Wednesday, we drove to Tela. Just outside of the city is a small resort that offers a private beach. It was beautiful. There was a flag up indicating a danger of undertow but from the view we were facing it was impossible to assess anything threatening. The kids played in the water for a couple hours. Mama searched for shells and other seaside leavings. Victoria took pictures. I just enjoyed the rhythm of the sea. Eventually, I walked down the beach and picked up some driftwood and a few shells. All of which we brought home with us. I did not get into the water, but it was nice to be at beach. One where Mama did not constantly have to avert or cover my eyes. I am not sure if it is always that way, but it certainly was that day. It is the spot that the Goins showed Nate and Cori when they first arrived. I assume you would have to be shown how to get there because the road taken to get to the resort is not one anyone would choose to drive down. It was ROUGH. All the way to the driveway of the resort it was bumpy and potholed. Nate assured Mama that what they were bouncing along at fifteen miles per hour was a serious improvement from the last time they made the journey. It was worth it when we got there. The food at the resort was fabulous! We left by a different route. One that required us to drive along a short section of the beach. Cori and Nate decided to try the alternate route as we left because it is both shorter and smoother. The caveat is that it is not always open. When the tide is up, the pass along the beach is under a foot of water. But, at the time we left the sandbar lane was open. It was a pleasant change to the entry route we had taken. We went to church that evening and enjoyed the year-end presentation of their Soldiers for the Lord program.

Thursday, Cori took me, Mama and Victoria to Price Smart. The Honduran equivalent of Costco. Savanna was with us because Victoria was with us. She was wearing her Princess dress – which causes a stir among the women. Savanna is becoming quite comfortable being the center of attention. However, before shopping we went on a little detour to find a coffee shop/café that came highly recommended by the staff at the Home. Wenchelz, I believe was the name of the place. There we ordered coffee, hot chocolate and a couple breakfast plates that we all shared. It was amazing food – and the prices were very good. There was a little shop in the café and we found a couple flavors of coffee that we bought to see if we could add them to our Honduran shopping list. (I tried one last night – a chocolate flavored coffee – and it will definitely make the list.) From there, it was on to Price Smart.

Price Smart is where we bought most of the coffee we brought back with us. I believe between Cori, Victoria and Mama we bought thirty bags of Expresso Americano – our favorite flavor. Cori loaded up on groceries and house hold goods which we stuffed into the back of the vehicle we were driving. On the way home from Price Smart, we detoured again to a mall that Cori had passed by never entered. It was a typical mall. Nothing caught me attention, but Cori found a couple shops that she will revisit with Nate and the kids. On the way home, we came within inches of hitting another vehicle. It was a small truck whose driver decided to make a U-turn on the very busy street. The turn required a three-point maneuver and Cori did not seem inclined to wait for him the complete the turn as he blocked nearly all the lanes of traffic so, she scooted by him with very little room to spare. I thought it was a little aggressive until I noticed that several other drivers followed suit. It all ended well. Once home, Cori spent the rest of the day baking cakes for a Worker Appreciation Dinner being given at the church Saturday evening.

The Clinic Building in Honduras

Friday, the much-anticipated container arrived! It was chocked full of items for the clinic, which will serve as a surgical center and pharmacy as well. Nate, Matt and I were the first to arrive (about 8am), but as the morning dragged on more help arrived until there were about twenty of us waiting when the truck squeezed through the gate to the property. There was a good time had by all as we waited. The banter, the jesting, the teasing that is a part of the comradery of people who enjoy being together is enjoyable in any language. I even learned some of the Honduran colloquial expressions as I participated. The truck arrived just before 10 am. It was unloaded before noon. Matt, the director of the mission there, was very impressed. Once back at Nate and Cori’s, we began the sad act of packing to come home.

Here last night at church, Mama was able to pass out some of the gifts we brought back with us. That was fun. She was especially thankful because we were not able do so on Sunday. More on that tomorrow.