WHO IS EDWIN VALLEFRANCO?

Edwin was a fellow I picked up at the Honduras/Nicaragua border.  He had come up to me as I was going through the nritual of border crosssing. He explained that he was a miisionary and that he needed a lift down the road for 50 or 60 kilometers.  I looked at the load of stuff he was carrying, a very big suitcase, some other miscellaneous articles and what looked to be a big tent (folded up of course). I didn't really think so.

By the time I had suffered the last indignity of the border game, which was a guy telling me I needed to pay a duty on my spare tire, (I refused to pay it) I got on the road and there was Edwin.  "Theres no way I can leave this guy standing on the road." My  heart woulldn't let me.

So I pulled over, moved a bunch of my stuff around, and we somehow got his stuff into the car.  Edwin is one of those guys I would call a "Billy Bathgate" type of Christian. Billy was a character in the folklore of the English church. He was a lay person, not a scholar,, and I don't think he was ordained. His enthusiasm for God and Faith and for Christian love was said to be so great that he couldn't stop saying "Praise the Lord", "Ahmen", "God Bless You" and so on.He was singing, clapping, tapping his feet. Full of joy and not able to hold it back. All the time.

Well, Billy's description would fit Edwin.  He is one of only two people I have ever known that were that way. Turns out that Edwin was wotking in a tiny village way back in the Mountains. I was to drop him off at a small town about halfway to where I was going. There he was to meet his family, his wife and  three daughters. He has a son, but I believe the son had stayed in the village.  From Where I dropped him, they would take a bus ride of about another 50 kilometers back into the mountains.  From there, they would travel the next day, 12 hours on horseback to what I guess you might call his "Parish".

Edwin was Honduran by birth, had lived in the states for a couple of years, and had come back to Central America to preach and to bring healing of the spirit,and by doing so, the body. I asked him "You're a faith healer?'    "Yes, I guess I am. I've seen a lot of miracles out here."   "Do you have a sponsoring church/? "   "No, I don't,  I'm not much into regular churches. I do have a guy in Houston, Fred Carpenter, who sends me $ 50.00 every month.'

"How do you live?"  "Where do you live?"       "The Lord provides everything that we need. Sometimes we may be hungry for a couple of days, but then someone will come with a couple of big fat chickens, some vegetables or some home made ice-cream, and say  "Here, the Lord told me to give you this.  We usually have a roof over our heads, but often sleep in sleeping bags,. When I decided I needed a computer, someone appeared and gave me one."

Finally I dropped Edwin off, reluctantly, then met his wife and daughters took a couple of pictures together,and parted ways.  With his manner and things he told me, Edwin had brought me to tears. His parting words were "God Bless you Bother. I won't forget you. "  I'm crying as I write this.

Gosh, I thought, "After Edwin, anything else will be a letdown."   WRONG !!

I got to Eleni on Sunday evening, found a nice hotel, got something to eat, and settled in for the night.  Next day was to be Cigar Day.   Nobody had heard of La Communa, but the son of the hotel owner led me through the streets of Eleni to the "'Fernandez Tobacco Company". He left me, and I walked in.  The Security guy looks at me a little funny.  I'm a bit early and, I suppose most people come in groups. But nthe guard is quite nice and he hollers at somebody who hollers at someone else and out walks this smiling young guy chomping on a big stogy and says "Hi, my names Greg." I'll be glad to show you around." Perfect English.

"Would you like a cigar while we tour the plant"    "Oh, you bet I would."   He pulls a big Robusto out of a big rack, hands it to me, then passes me a lighter. I bite off then end and light up.  This is just where I belong at this moment in my life.  Greg showed me the whole operation, the rolling room, the storage areas for the wrapper and the filler, where they package the finished products, where they treat the wrapper, the whole shebang. All the time we wer touring the plant, I was happily puffing on my Rubusto.

About Greg. He was born in Miami of a Cuban Family.  Knew the Cigar Business, didn't know Spanish all that well, relocated to Nicaragua a year ago to take the job with Fernandez.  He seemed in his element to me.  The tour didn't take more than 45 minutes.  I asked if it was possible to buy some cigars at the factory. He said no we don't sell them here, but I can give you some.  "O.K, that'll work."   

He reached into the rack which had several bins, and pulled me out a nice selection of 5 cigars.  "What? Am I in Cigar Heaven?"  I thanked Greg, told him he had made my day.  He said I had made his. We parted company.   Fernandez doesn't market under its own name, but manufactures such brands as "Rocky Patel" and "Miso".   Not sure about the spelling of Miso.    So, these are very expensive sticks.

My next stop was Drew Estates who do market under their own name and is the largest operation in Eleni.  No amount of pleading would get me through the front gate.  They were nice about it. The gaurd cxalled a secretary, thse secretary came out, she tried the cell phone of the Public Relations Director, one Pedro Gomez.  She couldn't get him.  She gave me his number.  Great effort, but just could't get in.  Oh well, Fernandez more than made up for it.

Next Tour stop;  The town of Granada just South of Managua the capital.  Today is actually Wednesday, the 4th so I'm a day  behind with the Blog.  Some really great stuff happens in Granada.