The Real Hasta Pronto!

There is a church I work with that sponsors a specific community. The congregation is all very enthusiastic about their partnership and goes to Nicaragua three or four times each year. I have the great joy of accompanying them each trip and have gotten to know some of the community members quite well. 

As a whole, people in Nicaragua are skeptical when people tell them they want to help. Time-and-time again people have said this with no or very little followthrough. 

There is a man in the church's partner community, Los Pinos, named Victorino. Victorino is probably in his 60s and has seen a lot of changes in his life. He has seen many groups come to his community saying they want to partner, and he has seen them never come back. Naturally, on the church's first group, he was skeptical and did not believe them when they said "hasta pronto!" or "see you soon!". 

Victorino in front of his house.

The second group that traveled to Los Pinos was welcomed in Nicaraguan fashion with songs and greetings from several of the community members. As we were standing in the community center, watching the kids sing their hearts out, I looked up and saw Victorino walk through the back door. I watched as his eyes scanned the line of us gringos to see if he knew anyone. There were two returning church members on the trip as well as myself. Victorino and I locked eyes and he got the biggest smile of relief on his face; he knew "hasta pronto" was for real. I nearly cried, which would not have been unlike me in Nicaragua. I was completely overwhelmed by the sense of Victorino's satisfaction and excitement. This was enough to make the trip for me.

I could go on and on about Victorino, but those stories are yet to come. Until then... hasta pronto!