Honduran food, big crowd

Thursday morning Dee figured out that she could zip around the house in her office chair, using it like a wheelchair. Dee writes: It's so fun! I do it at the Institute, too. The doctor sent a tech over to our apartment to fit an air cast boot on her broken foot. Here she is with her boot and crutches getting into the car to go downtown, and then sitting in her mobile throne in the kitchen at the Institute. Of course it started raining just as we left the apartment, but I parked as close as possible and walked her under my umbrella most of the way. I can't hold an umbrella while I'm using crutches. 

 

 

In the morning Sorella Knies went with me to show me where to buy some great pulled pork (maiale sfilacciato) for dinner Friday night so that Dee doesn't have to cook. We also ordered some really nice buns to put the meat on, and I will pick it all up Friday morning to take to the Institute. It was far too expensive for our normal budget, but we are just going to cover it off budget as part of the overall cost of this medical adventure. I also walked down to get some food at Conad for the big dinner Thursday night. 

Everyone was wonderful, offering to help. At first we thought maybe a senior couple could come, but then Dee decided to ask the young Sorelle Summerhays and Helgesen to come down to help cook, which worked out well. Margie, our nonmember from Honduras (and the Sorelle's investigator), came in for a while to work on the food for our evening event, and Maria Jose from our student council also showed up to help. The kitchen was busy.

 

 

Margie then had to leave for work, with things not quite ready and us not quite sure how to finish. Fortunately, it all worked out ok despite Margie being held late at work, because so many of the kids that evening pitched in to help. In particular, Yanelli, who is also from Honduras, knew what we were making (baleadas), and with a delighted smile she kinda took charge and helped put everything together. We had a production line going with lots of help. We ate much later than originally planned (probably very Central American ;-), but the food was wonderful: tortillas spread with refried beans we made ourselves and filled with scrambled egg, avocado, Parmesan cheese, and sour cream. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to make the second menu item Margie had planned, but she may do that on Friday night.

 

 

The production line

  

 

Baleadas photo from google. Mmmmm!

Ugo's two bosses and President Rondinelli, our stake president who has local responsibility for the Institute, all came by in the late afternoon to go down to the first floor and look at the possible new location. It is well over twice the size, with three bathrooms instead of one, but the rent is less than 50% more than what we currently pay, so it seems a very good deal. Everyone seemed quite positive on our end, but now we have to see if we can get approval from Salt Lake for the increased funding. Fortunately, we had a huge turnout for the evening, thanks to a lot of PR and encouragement, showing how much we need the extra space.

In the middle of all the wonderful activity, a young Elder Whiting from Wyoming, who finished his mission here last summer, dropped by with his new wife and parents on a tourist visit, so we shared our name tags and took some photos. We're all related through Edwin Whiting.

After the food was consumed, Ugo's two bosses gave a devotional which was quite a bit longer than we had thought, but the kids seemed to enjoy it. The room was completely packed, which is exactly what we had hoped.

 

Meanwhile, I did a ton of dishes, so we were able to leave a little after 9:30pm, with the place still a beehive of activity.  Dee's foot isn't hurting much, but she will see the doctor Friday afternoon and then we will have a better idea how long the recovery will take.