Victor's Trip to Honduras: Chapter 2: Unlucky Break

I got a call first thing in the morning. It was the C.I. office in Honduras to re-confirm that I would be picked up at 10, but also to tell me that the oldest of my sponsored children, Axel, had broken his arm the day before and would not be able to come. I later found out that he had been climbing a lemon tree to get some lemons for his grandmother and had fallen. The break wasn't too bad; the doctors thought that he would not need a cast, but the C.I. representative didn't think he should come on the trip. In any case, he wouldn't have been able to swim, so being there watching the other kids have fun while he could only sit might have been just as bad as not coming. I was disappointed of course, but more so for Axel. These kids don't get many chances like this and to lose it because of bad timing on an accident was just really sad. I'm determined that I will come back and make it up to him before too long.


The C.I. van did show up - in fact, 15 minutes ahead of time. Along with the driver was Miriam, the translator who is in charge of El Progresso - the town where Axel lives, along Mack's two kids - Jonathan and Axel's older brother Wilson. She had been there last trip and I was happy to see her again. She wanted to take me to see C.I.'s new office in San Pedro Sula, so that's where we went first. The office we saw last year was apparently a building that they were only renting. This was one that had been built new and was owned by C.I. Not that there was anything shabby about the last one, but this one was nicer. It was two story and had plenty of office space. The parking lot was kind of funny - space being at a premium, all the cars were jammed into a walled area with no extra space at all. Either the first one there has to be the last to go home or everyone leaves at exactly the same time. I met several of the staff, all who were very friendly. After that, I was ready to go see the kids, who I was told were waiting anxiously outside the water park. Off we went!