Tocayo

Last weekend I spent a long one visiting Nuestro Pequenos Hermanos (NPH) - my project currently underway in Honduras - to take stock of progress.  To remind, we are constructing a dormitory and large conference facility to host medical bridgades and to host seminars for local medical teams.  And I suppose, there will be purposes served in this large meeting room for the children and staff of the orphanage.  (See my earlier post: Brick By Brick)

Oh yes, I did take detailed stock of the progress, assessing conditions, reviewing details, clarifying the details of design, and reporting on the general progress representing as good a quality of construction as Honduras can produce under these circumstances.  I am pleased and excited by the prospect of completion, quite likely to happen by the first of March.  Proverbial light at the end of this long tunnel.

View of the front of the Conference Center

The center courtyard emerges, dormitory surrounding

Half of the main meeting room, view toward the stage, with cupola above

Rubble walls under construction, with dormitory wing beyond

But what really delighted me last weekend is being able to spend so much time with Axel, my god child whom I sponsor - my tocayo - two people who share the same name.  He turned 17 in August, recently graduated from high school, and must now complete his year of service to NPH before attending college, with the ambition to become a doctor.  So with the weekend largely free, Axel spent in tow of my inspections, tutoring me on my nascent yet emerging Spanish, and visiting with other "pequenos hermanos".  

Two Axel's - "nosotros estamos tocayo" - on the mountaintop

Sunset from the mountaintop

We hiked to the mountaintop to take in the sunset.   I brought him some watercolor pencils for Christmas that, around the table, were tested on an unusual still life of wine and hot sauce.  I brought a gift to Zuany from her "madrino", my co-worker Megan, and spent an hour goofing around with her Casa Suyapa roommates, with my resemblance to Santa Claus not missed on them.  And though Axel absolutely demolished me in a game of chess, a  tense game with Isaac in the clinic, born with aids, ended barely in my favor.  

 

Zuany with her new "trolls"

Clowning around

A game of chess with Isaac in the clinic

Axel creating his still life - he is quite an artist

A brilliant sunset from Casa Romano

And I suppose I just wore the poor lad out!

 Though the weather was mostly wet, a bit unusual for this time of year, it contributed nothing toward dampening my enthusiasm and delight with this visit.  Bricks and mortar are important as shelter, but these relationships are so important to the pequenos in any weather, hopefully reinforcing their foundations.  I am so honored to be a part of both these projects!