Thank You's

I have a few very special thank-you's to share before I trundle off to bed (my own bed!):

• Lisa Reynolds of Habitat Greensboro did an outstanding job of putting the trip together, and generally made my burden much lighter. I really hope to go on a future build trip with Lisa.
  
  
• Luis Madrid, the Work Team Coordinator from Habitat Honduras who was our guide, interpreter, on-the-ground planner and a funny and engaging companion for those first few days. As a first time leader, I appreciated the fact that he really helped me get my sea legs under me before he cut me loose on Tuesday. I really enjoyed getting to know Luis better.
  
  
• Carlos Chicas, our driver. To call him our driver is to woefully understate what he meant to each of us. I love him and admire him so much I'm going to do a more extended writeup on him, with pictures.
  
  
• All of the people from the local affiliate, especially Lorena, but also JJ, Hugo and Amada who are doing such great work in S.R. de C. They totally pulled out all the stops this time, I mean really...a pizza party on the first night with music and dancing? A high school band at the reception on the last day? They could not possibly have made us feel more welcome and wanted.
  
  
• Arnoldo, that mountain of a man with a shaved head and a big smile, who took me under his wing on day one to show us how to make adobe blocks with the "pollito" -- the brick machine that looks like a "little chicken". Arnoldo always greeted me warmly and gave me a big hug on Friday and kept saying "Roberto, mi amigo!" He was also a very good soccer player.
  
  
• Fernando, the mason I worked with the most, became special to me as the week went on. Such a kind and gentle soul, he is a born teacher. I think four or five of us who worked with him could now do a creditable job of laying block. He had a knack for showing you what to do, correcting judiciously and gently, and offering encouragement and praise along the way. When Fernando said something was cheke leke, it really felt good. But the thing I enjoyed most in working with Fernando was watching a beautiful relationship develop between Steve and Fernando. Steve doesn't speak a lick of Spanish, and Fernando doesn't speak a lick of English, and yet they could talk to each other in their own native languages and be understood. It was crazy to watch, like some kind of telepathic Vulcan mind-meld thing that was all about bricks and mortar and plumb lines and other mason stuff. Steve truly respected Fernando's skills and knowledge, and I believe Fernando respected Steve's hunger to learn, attention to detail, and innate ability. It was a delight to watch them together. Oh, and Fernando also faked me out of my jock strap on the soccer field...OK, so maybe that's not a big accomplishment, but he was very, very good.
  
  
• Jorge, the owner of the Hotel San Jorge in Santa Rosa, who always does such a great job hosting us. He and I talked for quite a while Friday night after everyone went to bed about his expansion plans for the hotel. Jorge is a young, entrepreneurial businessperson who I believe really loves his country and his city, and is doing his best to improve his little corner of both. He is humble, flexible, smart and utterly reliable.
  
  
• My last thank-you is for Gerard. Gerard has led a number of trips himself, and so he knows the drill inside out. As such a veteran leader, it would have been easy for most people in that position to be a know-it-all or to second-guess decisions I made. I'm sure it wasn't easy watching me feel my way through my first time, and it takes a person of great character and humility to give me the space to find my way. It was a blessing and a comfort to me every single to have Gerard there for advice when I needed it, for his ideas, his wisdom, and his wealth of ideas. I am also very thankful for the opportunity to get to know Gerard much better. There's nothing like hours in a cramped bus seat to help you get to know somebody. I'm glad I shared that time with Gerard.

I am certain there are others I could mention -- my wife Pat and son Dan being obvious omissions. While at least as important as any contributions mentioned here, what they add to my life transcends Honduras and blesses me every day.