Dec 7

Written by: reh
12/7/2007

Friday, December 07, 2007

8:00AM Yesterday, Jessica spent a good part of the day setting up a meeting at the hotel in Teguci. while I worked with Fernando/Roxana in Valle District. Fernando and Jessica showed up. Took a few minutes to find someone that knew what we were talking about, but the meeting room is set up. Interesting aside: The room is $200 if one chooses to eat in the dining room. Room and a choice of three pre-arranged catered meals is $200. Jessica set up for the latter: we got the meals for free! Meeting scheduled for 9:00
9:30AM Both lawyers here so we went to the room to cover problem with the submittal and see if the two lawyers can overcome the obstacle. It turns out that Pastor’s lawyer is a nephew of the President; he can get a letter from the President and he thinks that will help.
10:00AM Pr. Schemechel, Mayor Valesquez, showed up so we started the meeting. I started out with an abbreviated set of sequences over the last three years to explain how we all ended up at this meeting at this time. I moved on to explain that the biggest hurtle now is getting registered in Honduras. Through no fault of theirs, I wasted two years with bad lawyers. We have every confidence in Mr. Ochoa’s very methodical method of collecting all the necessary forms but, even with his efforts, it seems that we always seem to need one more form. The Board of Directors have authorized us to expand from 940 students to 1500 students but the Executive Committee will not permit any further growth until we are permitted in Honduras. I explained that we have been approached by a private charity in El Salvador and a group of government officials from Guatemala who will get us permitted for free if we will bring the program to their area. Our donors want to feed hungry children and, quite frankly, confuse the three countries anyway; I am the only one whose heart is in Honduras. If the people in this room cannot get us permitted within the next couple of months, we will expand by serving schools in El Salvador; our management staff (Fernando and Roxana) can simply drive across the river and manage the program just fine. Any questions? The Mayor: Why didn’t you come to me earlier? We’ll get you permitted! You’re not going to El Salvador! I said we’re, do something. A little bit of brinksmanship, but if this doesn’t move us forward, possibly we should consider El Salvador.
11:30PM We broke up but everyone wanted to stay around and talk. Mostly about how we get submitted and then, who calls who. It seems that everyone knows someone and I believe they will be calling. Best I’ve felt about the permitting process in 3 years.
12:00PM Sat down with the Mayor and Fernando to be sure everyone clearly understands that L4L is in the kitchen caper for a total of $2400 for two completed kitchens. Everyone is on the same page. I told Fernando to resume work on the second school.
2:00PM Roxana, Fernando, Jessica, and I went to the office of the Associated Press reporter who called them to confirm my story with the Associated Press reporter in Montgomery. He checked a bunch of stuff on the internet and said our story is completed but has not been released. He let me read it but would not give me a copy because it hasn’t been released. Not much of a story; it’s not going to stir much interest. I explained that a follow-up story from the Central American perspective may be of interest. He likes the idea and says he will go to Valle District in Feb or Mar and interview some parents, teachers, and kids. I will see that Roxana follows up this spring.
3:00PM End of day.
7:00PM Just received Paul’s critique of dollars sent to Honduras. There is a $40 spread between the $25,460 and the numbers Fernando has been using. That’s close enough, even for an accountant. I will sleep well tonight.

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