Our Angel, Mariana!

Mariana is an angel who has been a Godsend to our family! Mariana is my mother-in-law's neighbor and she is a doctor in a large hospital in San Pedro Sula. She also works on weekends in the mountains and her work is so incredible! She is such an inspiration to us! She loves our family and she calls my mother-in-law, Mami Domi (her full name is Domitila). When Mami Domi is sick, Mariana is right there to help her get medicine, cook for her, etc. When we need Honduran documents for our adoption, Mariana gets them for us. When I wanted tutoring for our little one with learning disabilities, Mariana provided it. Mariana communicates directly with our Honduran attorney and hand delivers documents to her in Tegucigalpa. When the biological parents had to travel to Tegucigalpa (a city that they have never been to and farther from home than they had ever been), Mariana went with them as a chaperone and guide.

Mariana, at Starbucks, with a banana from Honduras

So, when her daughter was getting married in Texas, we made sure no obstacle got in her way of attending. Because of her noble work and long tenure at the hospital where she works, Mariana was granted a 10 year U.S. Visa, virtually unheard of for a first time Visa. She received the Visa exactly one week before the wedding, so needless to say, it was a bit chaotic arranging everything for her trip! It was her first time to fly and she was very nervous. We told her, "Don't bring anything!!! Don't worry about what you can carry on the airplane or what you can have in your luggage. We will have everything you need here!". She flew into San Antonio on September 29, 2011. Wow! Those first experiences, through her eyes, were amazing!!! Her flight was 4.5 hours delayed, so our plans for a very nice dinner were scrapped and we ended up at IHOP! She loved the lights, the highways, the neighborhoods, the dishwasher, the yards, the inside designer dog and she loved Jennifer's Select Comfort bed, where she slept!

The next day, God worked an amazing miracle!!!! I work for a hospital system and I wanted to introduce Mariana to my colleagues. When I introduced her to my bosses, they began sharing their experiences of visiting hospitals in Mexico and the difficult conditions that they observed. Mariana confirmed that these were the conditions under which they work in Honduras. Then the miracle happened, they started looking around and making phone calls and within minutes had located medical supplies, marked for donation or disposal, that will benefit literally thousands of Honduran patients!!! Many tears were shed and "Gracias" and hugs all around!!!

Mariana and Reyes at the wedding

The wedding was awesome and Mi Corazon, Reyes AND Mami Mariana walked the bride down the aisle. What a beautiful sight!!!