Transitioning

Last week I spent four days in the Dulce Nombre parish.

On Tuesday I facilitated a workshop for catechists in Zone 4, the most distant part of the parish, in the village of Agua Buena Concepción. It’s also a fairly poor zone of the parish.

The workshop went well – and I gained an insight into St. Paul’s sense of humor which I wrote about here.

On the way back to Santa Rosa I stopped in San Isidro La Cueva to see the new church they are building.

Thursday the workshop for catechists was in Dulce Nombre. I was most impressed that the municipality of San Agustin sent nine persons for the workshop. Rather impressive.

Doing a mirroring exercise.

Saturday was very busy. The parish council meeting went from 9 am to about 2 pm.

I also could see the work that is starting on improving the infrastructure of the parish center to prepare a small kitchen and small dining room above the guest rooms.

The parish will soon be buying a stove for the large dining room and kitchen. Thus the cook won't need to work in the open air.

After that Padre German and I discussed (heatedly) the upcoming workshops for trainings of base community leaders from each village in order to revitalize base communities.  We’ll be facilitating two meetings this week and two next week.

After this I went out to Plan Grande to speak with the village church council about my moving out there and building on the church grounds. Now I’ve got to get my design worked on by someone who knows something about building design as well as work out a budget so that I can get enough money to do it.

The house will be not just for me. The house will become the parish’s when I leave or die. It will have two guest rooms so that it can be used by some people for private time or for a retreat, as well as by visitors from outside Honduras.

It has a splendid view. Here is a photo of the view from just outside the front door of the old church which is right beside where we’ll be building.

Sunday I was out – again – to Plan Grande for Mass and 28 baptisms of infants and children under seven.

Baptisms here are often moving. 

Yesterday a mischievous little guy - who I found out has a twin sister - had such a look of awe on his face as the candle was given to his godparents.

A little girl peered out at me as her parents and godparents held the candle above her.

I already feel like a member of the village – and eagerly await moving there.

Moving there will be a new experience. I’ll be much more accessible to people than I am here in Santa Rosa. I expect that I’ll have fewer nights to myself as people will get me involved in the life of the village. Though this will mean a little less privacy, it will offer me a chance to better accompany the people.

I will also be more available to visit other villages. Plan Grande is about 20 minutes from Dulce Nombre by car, but there are villages that are more than half an hour beyond Plan Grande.

Working with the people in the countryside revitalizes me. But even the ride out and back is good. This is despite the drivers who drive me crazy and lead me into temptation. See this post on my sin.

The countryside is extraordinarily beautiful, even though I know that much of the land is owned by a few large landowners and many of those I work with scarcely have enough land.

Even the treacherous passages are beautiful, in their way…

…as long as they don’t wash away while I’m crossing.