Dear Friends,

In May of last year, a teenage girl and her mother came in for a consulta.  The girl had finished elementary school, but did not attend junior high.  Since Plan de Flores is a bus ride from the junior high, it is quite a financial investment to go to junior high.  I mentioned the monastery and that we are looking for girls "of good character."  She was very interested. Her mother seemed interested, too.  She was, however, only 14 years old even though she looks much older.

To put age in perspective.  Many girls are in a stable marriage-like arrangement and mothers at this age.  Her birthday is in July, so she will now soon be 16.  A very crucial time for life-time decisions here in rural Honduras.

So, I let this season for a year.  Last week, we went to Plan de Flores just to visit her.  It was a very good day.  We had no idea what to expect.  We didn't know where she lived in this sprawling community, nor what may have transpired in her life since then.  I also was pretty sure that I wouldn't recognize either of them.  With all of these lack of expectations, it was pretty easy to put ourselves in God's hands for the day.

We walked to the end of our path and instantly got a ride to the highway!  Nice start to the outing.  We walked to Rosa's place to wait for a bus or hitch a ride.  Soon we caught a ride with two guys who work for the cell phone company.  We rode in an air conditioned cab, with a CD player, a laptop computer and a few cell phones.  They were checking the signal in the neighborhood.  Interesting (a little cultural shock, too).

We got out at what seemed like a good starting point in Plan de Flores.  Stopped for directions at pretty much every house and business establishment.  The first few knew nothing.  We visited with one woman who was sick and very sad.  Her husband went north as a wetback a few years ago and she has heard nothing.  She thinks that he has abandoned the famiy, but others tell me that they always call to say that they arrived, even if they do abandon the family.  Perhaps it is easier to face abandonment than widowhood.  But a tough life.

Stopped at a shop that had topoíos (home made popsicles).  Took a topoío break.

Next stop, the scent got a little warmer.  We made several stops, each one gave us only instructions for the equivalent of a half city block, telling us to ask there.  So we did.

We went to a house next to the elementary school and chatted for a while with Doña Maria, who had been insterested in hearing more about our life at the monastery.  We gave her a post card.  She gave us banana soda pop (chilled, even), and instructions for the next leg of our treasure hunt.

The next house had two women watching soap operas. They could barely tear their eyes from the screen to give instructions.  But one of the is the sister of Maylin, the adolescent in question.  We, of course, have been asking after the Mom.  But now, we ask about the girl, too.  She is now living at their aunt's house.  Mom is doing laundry and isn't home.  So we get vague instructions to aunt's house.

On we go.  We get a glimpse of folks doing laundry by a little stream (much smaller than our stream, really a crick).  So, we think, "Maybe Thelma (the mom) is one of them.  Down to the stream we go.

Not only is Thelma one of them, Maylin is also one of them.  We were warmly welcomed.  Maylin asked, "When can I come visit you?"  We sat around for a long time, companiable silence, you know.  Hondurans are big on silent bonding. 

Thelma was using something that looked like a potato in her scrubbing.  I asked about it.  It is homemade laundry soap, which can be purchased at one of the little shops in Plan de Flores.  Hmm.  We want some.

Then Maylin went to her aunt's house returning with soda pop (even with ice) for us.  We were very grateful.  We think that it may be almost noon by now, but we don't wear watches, of course.

Maylin finished her part of the laundry and bathed, then escorted us to her aunt's house.  More hanging out.  Aunt asked Maylin to go to the shop to buy tomatoes, onions and meat for lunch.  They do a little cooking, saying nothing about it to us. 

We sort of feel like we have accomplished our "mission" of the day, but sort of not.  Maylin has not asked any questions.  We still think more like gringos than like monjas (we are still pretty new at this, you know), so we want to have more information exchange, but how?

Next Maylin took us to her grandmother's house.  Grandmother asks the questions that any gringo would have asked.  Maylin listened, all ears.  Another aunt brought us some tang-like drink, chilled again.  The luxury of a community with electricity!!

It is now well past noon and we are very grateful for all of these calorie containing drinks, but real food is feeling like a distant memory.  Next Maylin takes us back to Aunt's house and feeds us boiled green bananas and rice topped with sauted beef with a tomatoey sauce and glasses of water.  She apologizes that the water is warm.  We are very grateful for the food and water.

Next, Maylin takes us to the shop where we buy a ball of home made laundry soap (and a pineapple to take home).   Lots of companiable silence.  Well, it seems time to go home.  We haven't seen the afternoon bus.  Maylin says that it is already quarter to three and she doesn't think that there will be a bus.  She would know.  So we ask where is the best place to hitch a ride?  At the restaurant. Ok, we confirm her visit for the first week in July, give her a proper monastic blessing, and off we go towards the restaurant.  Before we get there, a very slow-moving pickup comes along.  (When you ride in the back of a pickup, you want a slow driver--safety, you know.)

The pick up dropped us off at our own road and we walked home. It was later than usual, so more shade and we didn't have backpacks full of groceries, hence, a pretty easy walk.

Arrive hot and sweaty, but not terribly tired.  Afternoon prayers, bathing, cooking dinner.

A good day.

be well,

beth