Almost moved in

The year is winding down.

I am spending my last hours in the diocesan Caritas office, helping with evaluations and signing checks.

But I am mostly transporting things to the new house in Plan Grande.

Yesterday I went out in the afternoon with a load. I wanted to take advantage of the sunny weather.

But the roads in the countryside were still a mess, including slippery muddy areas and potholes which were about a foot deep (and muddy). Thank God (and some engineer) for four wheel drive. The municipalities were trying to fill in some of the holes with crushed rock. Who knows how long before they have to do it again.

I encountered more trucks than usual on the road, since it’s coffee harvesting season and many trucks are transporting coffee. One large truck was stopped with its load of coffee sacks precariously held onto the flat bed with rope. I passed with great trepidation.

The house is almost completely finished and I am moving things there, a pickup load a day. Later this week I’ll hire a few guys from Plan Grande to help me transport some bigger items.

I hope to be living there by Friday or Saturday. That way I’ll be able to get to Sunday Mass in the village (which they have once a month) and begin planning more for next year.

I will spend Christmas with the Dubuque Franciscan sisters in Gracias, Lempira – continuing a tradition I began in 2007.

The day after Christmas I will go to the meeting of the small coffee producers’ cooperative in El Zapote de Santa Rosa.

But I’ll probably spend much of my time preparing materials for next year – especially for catechists and the base communities of young people.

In the meantime, I'll be setting up the house - awaiting visitors.