How God Loved Me on A Random Tuesday


Hello beautiful friends and family.  After two years of blog silence and for many of you, complete silence for quite a while, I am finally sharing my story.   It has been an incredible 2 years that is quite difficult to begin to describe.  I would like to try, however, to share with you all a bit of my experience.  I am incredibly grateful for the Lord’s call to go and for the support of so many- in prayer and through donations.  It would not have been possible without you all and I hope that my failure to be a better communicator will be forgiven.  The Lord has loved me in countless ways, through many different channels, and pushed me to love differently and hopefully better in the last two years.  It took two and a half years- filled with much reflection, music, prayer, dirt, driving, self analysis, yoga, hours of Excel and data entry, pizza making, reading, rat trap setting, children’s hugs, and conversations exploring the big questions of life- for me to come to a better understanding of God’s love in some new and beautiful ways. 

Part of my missionary class as we took our first steps in Honduras. Looking rough after hours of travel...
Here, I’d like to share a day in my Finca life with you all.  This is not one specific day but a series of experiences that very easily could have all occurred throughout the course of a day.    This project of writing down my story has become about as long as a book so most of you probably won’t read this whole thing (but please check out the pictures!). Thank you for indulging me as I continue to process God’s love. Special Note of Thanks goes to all the missionaries and friends whose pictures I stole for this blog.  I hardly took any photos and am so grateful to be able to share the images that you all captured. 

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It is Tuesday morning at 5:50 am.  My alarm is now going off for the third time.  I am grateful for my roommates, Emily (also an intense sleeper) and Kiddissa (an early riser), who put up with it.  I role out of bed in a groggy, disheveled state and step out into our garden, heading to the bathroom.  I hear a “Buenos Dias” from behind me and I throw up a peace sign of greeting to a community member (not sure which one because I am not awake yet).  After brushing my teeth and throwing on my signature scarf (for comfort, not fashion!), I begin the walk to the chapel.  Kevin M comes up to me with a random question about the new missionary application process and midway through the question, he remembers.  “O wait, you are still invisible right now.  I’ll ask you later.”   I am loved and understood by community even when I am completely out of it until way after prayer. 

The Holy Family Chapel

I enter the chapel, grabbing a cancionera and making my way to the back row sitting with the teenagers.  We begin laudes, led into song by House 1, our youngest girls.  We sing/shout “Alegre la manana que nos habla de ti, Alegre la manana”. Their voices, although not in key most times, begin to lift me out of the fog of sleep.

 House One girls marching in their dance costumes in the iIndependence Day Parade

After prayer has ended and the children begin to head home to breakfast and school, I take a few precious moments to sit.  I offer a quick prayer to God, offering up my day and asking for grace.  I know I will need it today.  Today’s prayer is quick because it is Tuesday- chicken day.

I start to walk towards the bodega, our food warehouse that I have been in charge of during my second year, purchasing all of the food and provisions and supervising their distribution to the 70ish people who live at the Finca.  Seidy is from house 1 and although I have never been very close with these little girls, Seidy and I have formed a special bond because she is the responsible one sent to bring the meat back to her house on the days of the week when I take it out of the back deep freezer.   We enter the bodega hand in hand and I find Brayan, a house 3 boy, ready to scare me as he loves to try and do.  He does his typical lion roar giving me a hug around my middle. We all unlock the back room and these two precious children help me put out the frozen chicken for each house.  They love to feel grown up, responsible, and I love to give them a chance to help, soaking in this small moment with children I don’t see very much throughout my day.

Brayan enjoying his haul from a birthday party pinata

After breakfast of scrambled eggs and amazing Amish Baked Oatmeal (one of the many ways that Laura loves our community through her baking), I take my time getting ready for the day, resting for a short time back in bed, knowing that this will mostly likely be my only “me time” today.  I am not interrupted on this particular morning- no one comes looking for me with a question or emergency meeting about an accounting issue and I revel in the small blessing of a whole chapter of my current book, one of many worlds I have been able to escape into over two years. 

The beautiful garden I step into from my bedroom

The work morning begins and I find that all of the wonderful women of social work, psychology and the clinic are also in the office.  On this particular Tuesday, their weekly meeting has been cancelled and everyone is taking advantage of newly found office time while the kids are in school.  I get to play Santa today. We just received some donations from a visitor and my role in administration means I get to distribute these little presents.  Haydee jumps out of her chair when I come in with colored post-it notes and new pens and Erin Marina talks about how she will use the new things for the discipline system, her not-so-slight obsession.  They LOVE office supplies and their joy over this small gift permeates the office. 

I then settle into my corner office, shutting my door and finding my work playlist on iTunes.  Data entry morning!  Cuentas, Quickbooks, reimbursements, checks, etc.  I secretly love this paperwork- many of my fellow missionaries not understanding why I feel the way I do about it all.  I have plenty of opportunities at the Finca to organize and be a little bit OCD, although I marvel how my type A-ness has decreased over the years, most especially because of my time in Honduras.  As I belt out some Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson, I look out my window to see our dedicated maintenance team drive past with a car full of leña ready to be burned in our outdoor stoves.  I am reminded of how hard they all work and I am grateful for the relationships I have with these men and the men of our security team.  I hand out the paychecks so they are all nice to me but I know that they are always kind, generous with their time and dedicated to their work.

My personal jam session/ office work is over as I watch several blue and white uniforms heading home from school.   On Tuesdays, most missionaries eat lunch in the houses.  As the only one who can usually cook lunch on Tuesday, I am typically in the missionary house.  But today was special because there were spots for everyone!  I head to House 6, our oldest girls, my special friends.   Dynia, the tia who lives with these girls and my friend, has made a typical but delicious lunch of rice, beans, chicken and corn tortillas.  Julitza is the oldest, a Finca girl since she was 3.  We have developed a close relationship, sharing a love of reading and a preference for hanging with the guys.  She is preparing to graduate 8th grade and I pray for her transition. Nelsy, when she sees me, lets out a loud squeal, comes to give me a hug, burying her face into my shoulder.  Miriam and Belgia are calm as usual- responsible 6th graders who tend to go with the flow of the house.  We sit and eat, teasing each other about random things that have happened and laughing about the fun Finca Olympics we had the past weekend.  Rocking our maroon shirts (the color House 6 wears during these Finca wide competitions organized by the activities rock star Kit and held bi-monthly), we had enjoyed each other’s presence even though, yet again, we were not the most successful group.   God’s love is palpable at the table as the girls show each other love and love me, allowing me to feel so incredibly comfortable in this house.

House 6 Ladies- Riccy, Miriam, Julitza, Myself, Nelsy and Belgia

Its 1:30 pm, which means it is time to do the sale at the bodega.  Sigri, another beautiful house 6 resident, and I head out.  I have on my usual bodega attire of jean cut offs, a razorback tank and my apron.  Sigri turns to me and makes sure I have brought my music.  We like to jam out during the two times she is with me for her work hours.  Dancing, laughing and singing out loud, we pass the boys who are preparing for their afternoon work hours doing maintenance work.  Rony, flashing his infectious smile gives me a high five and Jairo lets out one of his weird but endearing shrieks. 

Rony, Jose Daniel and Jairo working in PAVI

At the venta, our employees and a few women who do odd jobs around the Finca for a food credit, can come to purchase items at cost that we keep in stock for distribution.  Maria, a woman who has been a neighbor to the Finca since the early stages, works with Sigri and I, weighing and bagging flour, rice and collecting other items.  Petronila walks in with her daughter who is a student in our school.  Her presence is my weekly reminder of life outside the fence of the Finca.  She and her family are poorer than I will ever be able to imagine and she works so hard to provide for them.  She is grateful for the food credit that she receives for cleaning our chapel and the clinic.  Today I sneak a couple other donation items into her bag that we have received and I know we can spare.  She is so creative and I know will use every item to benefit her children.  Today, I choose not to despair in the face of this poverty.  I have chosen to do that in the past and still try grapple with the justice of this world.  Today, though, I will be grateful for how the Lord is providing for this woman and her family, grateful that I get to play a tiny role in that, hopeful that with her education Cyndy, Petronila’s daughter, may escape the extreme poverty and help her family. 

I am also happy today because of a some other special people who walk into the bodega.  We help out a few families with monthly food credits and Cristina has walked 45 minutes from Trujillo with her grandson.  She gives me a joy-filled hug and I receive God’s love through this woman.  We find the items that she would like to take home this week, including a box of soy rice from Stop Hunger Now.  Today I am especially grateful for God’s providence because I already had a town trip planned, which means Cristina does not need to walk back with a huge sack of food balanced on her shoulders.

Closing up the bodega, Sigri and I walk back to her house and I make a quick change of clothes, knowing that jorts are not acceptable attire for the booming metropolis that is Trujillo. 

Well, Sigri doesn't like her picture taken but we snuck this one in of the two of us...

Grabbing the keys, I hop up into one of our Landcruisers, putting it gear and backing out of the maintenance workshop.  I love driving these cars, having learned to drive stick upon arrival 2 years ago.  It is a good thing I like it, because I have made this trip to Trujillo hundreds of times, as my schedule and job responsibilities make me one of our main drivers.  Dodging potholes, passing cows and bikes, driving through 6 rivers, Cristina and I chat about her daughter’s new job cleaning the house of an ex-pat near town, probably a Canadian since our part of Honduras seems to be a little hub for them.  I drop her off near her home and head to the bank.  The guards out front know me quite well and certainly seem to like when I come in.  Hola, hermosa. Que tal?” Hello beautiful, how are you?  Deslin the teller, is not quite as overt in his flirting, but as always is very friendly.  I pick up the previous months cancelled checks from Yarino in the back and Emilio and Miriam wave a greeting.  I’m sad that I won’t get to see these friendly faces for much more time but am grateful to know these people and feel so well taken care of by my Trujillo community. 

I leave the bank and head to grab a quick Coca Light from Ivan’s mercado.  I walk in and he makes a comment that I look skinnier today.  Every time I see him, he comments that I look mas gordita or delgadita.  I have learned that comments like this are extremely normal, acceptable in this culture.  God has loved me through these honest comments from a man who started as just my meat and egg provider and has because my friend, looking out for me, worrying about my safety and even generously gifting me with diet cokes every so often, knowing they are my favorite.  Vertin is his assistant and Ivan teases him mercilessly about his crush on me.  Vertin, however, is extremely respectful and shy- uncommon in this town where I have been whistled at more times than I can count and even received several marriage proposals.  Nos casamos y me llevas al norte? Marry me and take me to the states??”   I have gained confidence and feel extremely at ease in Trujillo, where I know there are several wonderful people watching out for their little gringa friend.

An great visiting priest captured this shot of the Trujillo Cathedral where we attend mass each weekend

I make the drive home to the Finca, happy that my town trip was short today.  Flexibility is the key to life here and a short town trip without any unexpected stops is rare.  I head back into the office and meet up with Pat for a short time, as he was in the school this morning for other training.  Patrick, Natalie, Noelle, Curtis and Tiffany are the newest missionaries.  As I get to know them, I am so sad that I won’t get to live with them longer.  Their energy and love for the mission have reenergized so many of us.  Pat has been an unexpected surprise as he steps into his role as my accounting shadow.  He makes me laugh every day in the office and I know he is going to kick butt as the financial administrator (the new name for my role). 

Tiffany, Natalie, Noelle, Curtis, and Pat enjoying time in Guatemala before traveling to the Finca 

As Pat gets acquainted with the joys of file folders and archiving, my cell phone rings.  Virginia Gomez is a dear friend from Trujillo who I met as our fish vender.  Her family has been connected to the Finca for years and years and she blessed me in July, asking me to be the godmother for her youngest, Misael.  He is 2 1/2, extremely shy and very attached to his mom.  Over the past months, I have made many stops at their house in town, buying fish or just stopping by for a quick coffee or chat.   Virginia is one of the most generous people I know.  She has been dealt some real struggles in life but her desire to help those even worse off than herself is an inspiration to me.  She is worried that she will lose her house because she can’t make some payments but is calling me today to ask if I can bring her another box of soy rice.  I know that she delivers bags of this rice to several people.  A woman named Dominga took in a young pregnant woman a few months ago who abandoned her precious new son, leaving Dominga to care for him in addition to her own hoard of children.   Virginia also visits an old couple up the mountain. They can no longer work and are routinely without food.  This couple loved me on the one visit I made to their home, offering a glass of juice that I know is extremely rare for them to have and probably a gift from Virginia.    The entire Gomez family has welcomed me into their lives, showing me more of the Lord’s love than I deserve.

I am holding an exhausted Misael during his baptism and stand with his godfather and his mom, my wonderful friend Virginia

Finishing up work with Pat, I choose to spend some time in my favorite place at the Finca.  Walking through maintenance, greeting the guys as they wrap up their day, I make my way to the back porch of house 5.   Juan Carlos is on dinner duty and that means baleadas made with home made flour tortillas.  After he stokes the fire of the fogon, he grabs a fresh one, still hot and tosses it to me.  He knows that they are my favorite snack.  Suyapa, the house mom for this oldest boy’s home, makes her way out.  She has become my Honduran mother and I love her dearly.  She sits down next to me on the bench, takes my arm, rubbing it with love and asks how my day is going.  We laugh about an inside joke.  Jose Isabel comes running up from the campo, sticky with sweat after some futbol. I get a huge hug from him because he knows the sweat grosses me out.  He then heads into the house to shower and eventually makes his way back out onto the porch. Duncan, the youngest in the house, is still working on his chores but continues to wander in and out of the conversation just because he wants to be included.  Jose Daniel, a house 4 boy now but hopefully moving up to this house soon, wanders over on an errand for his tia. She is looking for a large pan.  Daniel stays as long as possible soaking in time with his friends, guys that he looks up to.

Cesar is brilliant when it comes to English and today we practice the tongue twister I taught him, which he repeats with perfect pronunciation.  “How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? A woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.”  This kid has opened up to me and I treasure our relationship.  Rony, Suyapa’s husband of 24 years, is finally finished with his work with our maintenance team.  He joins our little gathering and the conversation turns to relationships and love, a topic that comes up quite frequently when Hondurans know that you’re single.  Rony is lamenting, again, that his oldest son already has a mujer and a little baby because he thinks we would make a wonderful couple.  I laugh while secretly wishing and praying for future in-laws as wonderful and selfless as the two people I find in front of me.

Wilmer and Riccy have now come home on the bus from Trujillo where they have been studying all afternoon.  I get a quick hello from Riccy, who is off to house six swinging the umbrella she uses on the sunniest days.  Wilmer goes into his room and comes out to show me his latest artistic creation. This talented young painter is bursting with pride and my heart melts when I think about the kid I met two years ago whose anger issues were a constant battle.

I sit, surrounded by a beautiful group of people who have formed a strange little family and decided to welcome me undeservedly into it with open arms.  My heart is full and I have been loved again today.


 Most of the House 5 Gang (Duncan is missing): Rony, Wilmer, Suyapa, Cesar, me and Jose Isabel with Juan Carlos in front

As I make my way to my house for dinner, I realize that I am just in time to see God in one of his coolest forms.  Grabbing the key from inside our house, I open the gate and walk right out onto the beach, speechless, knowing there are no words to describe the beauty I see. 

 There are no words for the beauty of my home.

Wizards in the kitchen, Ashley and Kevin K were on dinner and I can smell the delicious fried chicken they have prepared for us tonight.  It is a real gift because I know both of them have been super busy all day and went right into cooking dinner 2 hours ago.  We gather around the table, the first time all of the missionaries have been together since breakfast.  I look around the table missing the three members of this particular year’s community who are not present.  Sara has been home with her family for a few months- her joy radiates through the phone the few times we have been able to chat since her departure.   I get excited because I remember that next week I get to see both Allison and David, living 3 hours away with some of our teenagers who are part of Phase II of the Finca, studying in high school.  Pat and I have a buying trip planned for San Pedro Sula. Our director, Ysmary, and I have been preparing for this trip as we are renting an 18-wheel trailer to pick up mattresses and other donations.  I can’t wait to show him the ropes as we drive across the northern coast of Honduras, stopping to see our Finca family in Phase II and have some road trip adventures on our way to pick up the donations and buy supplies.  

2013 Missionary Community with visiting priest Padre Marcos (missing the lovely Sara De Phillips)

Our dinner table discussion turns to something about food. This is inevitable, a very typical conversation.  The lack of smart phones- computers in our pockets that are a staple in the States- makes us seek out an answer to a scientific question about a particular food in an actual book from our library (one of my favorite parts of our house). 

After doing the dishes at the pila, we all make our way to the chapel.  Each weeknight the Finca community gathers in an intentional way.  Tonight is rosary and our Franciscan sisters are on to lead.  Sor Elda, Sor Inocencia and Sor Mirna are all here, a rare occasion as Finca and their own congregation work have at least one of them traveling constantly.   They have recruited the ladies of house 2, our middle girls house, to lead a lot of the music.  I see fellow missionary Margine, the sweetest of us all, sitting with these girls and I am reminded of Mary’s gentleness.  As we pray to our mother, asking for her intercessions, asking her to take our prayers to the feet of her son, I take in the large Finca community and am grateful once more for this project that I am blessed to be a part of. 

After rosary has ended and the houses have left one by one, most of the missionaries stay for the missionary holy hour, time to sit in our Lord’s presence and pray.  On this night, Harrison and I have our act together and brought the music binder and guitar.  He begins to strum and I think through the day, praising Jesus.  He used so many people and moments to love me today.  I am currently sitting next to one of my best friends with whom I have made some of the most beautiful music I have ever been blessed to be a part of.   More of my best friends surround us- my family to describe them better. A family that has loved me despite my failures and have taught me more than I ever thought possible. 

One of my favorite Finca memories- a spontaneous night of praise and worship after Talent Show 2013

Taking a sip of my now cold but still great Good Earth tea, I savor this little bit of heaven- a chapel filled with love, memories, candlelight and mostly, the Lord who called me here.  A call I still can’t wrap my head around.  My Creator and Father chose me to serve and love here but more accurately, chose me to be loved, served by and saved by him through the family that is the Farm of the Child.

Harrison starts to play a familiar tune, a song that speaks volumes to my heart every time I hear it.  He nods to me and we begin to sing about a truth that I have lived for 27 incredible months.


He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us, oh,
Oh, how He loves us,
How He loves us all

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If his grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.
And Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don't have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about the way...

 That He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves.

El nos ama,
Oh, El nos ama,
Dios, tu nos amas,
Oh, El nos ama…

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Well friends, I just have to say it. FAIL!  It has been about a month and half and I have not posted anything on here.  This just proves that even when living in a part of this country with a much slower pace, much less commercialism, no holiday parties and no shopping to do, you can still have an extremely crazy holiday season!  But I am here now, so let´s go!  During my time at the Finca thus far, this is something I am learning a lot.  I can´t dwell on a mistake I made or something that didn´t happen.  All we can do is be present in that moment, realize where we are now and then move forward from there. 

I am currently sitting in Trujillo at an internet café. I feel like I am here all the time’ not necessarily here using the internet but here in town.  In comparison to most of the other missionaries, I am here the most.  In addition to our travel in for mass, I have to come in a bit more because of my job and need to go to the bank or to the internet.  I am getting used to the drives in- around 20 to 30 minutes depending on the driver and just how much worse the roads have gotten since the last trip.  They continually get worse and it is quite the adventure to drive in them.  I have had a couple driving lessons since being here since I have never driven a manual car before.  I drove all the way into Trujillo on Tuesday!  It went really well even though it was only my second time to drive! I seem to have gotten the hang of it pretty quickly. Not only do we have to learn how to drive manual but you also have to learn about how to avoid the potholes, not fishtail the car when you are sliding in the mud, not bounce your passengers too much, to honk in friendly ways (used a lot here), how to pass the goats/pigs/cows/horses you come across in the road and much more. Like I said- quite an adventure.  Not sure when I will be made an official Finca driver but we are really in need of them right now since most of the middie class is on vacation in the States.

This week has been a bit of a breather for all of us.  Since Thanksgiving, it has been pretty non-stop at the Farm with winter school and PAVI and for me, loads of accounting.  We even stopped all of the formal activities a week before Christmas to begin the 2 week vacation but preparations for the 24th and celebrations for Advent kept us all quite busy!  I was working on two "obras". One was a traditional nativity scene with our younger kids (age 4 to 12) from winter school.  Making costumes, helping kids learn their lines, directing bodies and teaching them bilingual songs. We had our hands full for sure.  It kind of was a disaster but I think mostly in a cute way.  Most of the kids had a ball and watching our Angel Gabriel, a boy named Rony, do his lines was just so sweet. At the end, we all sang this little light of mine, referring to the light that Jesus brought to us.  It was a big hit as they sang in English and in Spanish.  With the older kids, we worked on a 10 minute little play about a nativity set that has been terrorized by some kids and Jesus replaced with Santa Claus and Rudolph.  It had a great message and even a rap/song/chant thing at the end.  Seeing how the kids progressed though the practices, got over their peina, and then shined on the stage was really wonderful!  Of course, we did have some of the kids who were holding their lines and just saying them straight faced but most were really into it!  I was soo proud of them!  Working with Betsy, another missionary, was such a good way to learn more about working with our kids and how to handle the attitudes we face.  She is also my roommate and I am learning a lot from her!

In addition to our two plays, Christmas eve included mass, large community dinner (complete with the pig named Wilber we slaughtered and I helped cook!), a dance number (led by my amazing missionary sister Allison), a visit from Santa complete with presents for every child, a prayer and fireworks on the campo, and a short dance.  Mass wasn´t until 7 pm and everything else was after that. Needless to say, no one was in bed before 1:30, even our littlest ones.  I had spent most of the day working on the pig with our house five padres and the boys who live there.  I really like hanging out with them because it reminds me so much of hanging out with Bennett and Eddie and a bunch of their friends.  Because I am so used to hunger brothers, they don´t intimidate me while some other missionaries struggle a bit at that house.  In my class, I am the only oldest child (besides two who are only children) and the only one without a sister. I definitely get the boy thing which makes it fun for me!

A funny thing that happened that night was when one of our Franciscan sisters, Sor Cristiam almost lit my whole arm on fire.  We had bought sparklers for the kids and I was helping hand them out.  I had a bunch in my left hand and was getting people to light them one by one to give them to the kids. I had about twenty when all of a sudden, Sor decides to light all of them at one time with her sparkler!!  They all went up in smoke and suddenly there is not just sparkling but a full blown fire than I am holding in my hand.  Stunned for a moment, I eventually drop the whole pile and just yell, Sor, sor! ¿¿Por que, por que?? (Why, why?).  She just starts laughing hysterically and I joined right in with her. It was quite an event.  

Next topic- big news!! I am officially a Honduran resident!!  I have my temporary card while the other one is being printed (we´ll get them in a month).  Getting these things completed was more than an exercise in patience.  Basically, a combination of a terrible lawyer who unfortunately doesn´t really do what he says he will and gives us the wrong info coupled with a Honduran bureaucratic system that is INSANE to navigate and super slow made for a big headache.  We had to take two unexpected trips to Ceiba, both taking longer than anticipated.  It also meant sitting for 4 hours in the migration office waiting for the system to come back on after a power outage, spending a ton of time on the phone with our lawyer, running around Ceiba getting photocopies, praying non stop Hail Marys that the bank won´t close before I get to the front of the line to pay, and many other “adventures”.  Some positive notes: spending time with the kids and missionaries in Phase II on our first trip, staying with the Satterlee family in Ceiba to enjoy their wonderful company and hot showers on the second trip, realizing I can hold whole conversations in Spanish with a Honduran lawyer over the phone!, spending quality time with a good part of my missionary community… Let´s just hope that going to pick up our official cards with just require showing up but let´s just say I am planning on something major happening just to be ready if it does. 
 
In more fun news, my parents are officially coming in about 6 weeks!  I am just so excited to see them and introduce them to the Finca which is now my home.  I am sure after the trip they will be quite excited to share with some of you all what this place is like!  If you are interested in sending anything down to the Farm but would like to skip the shipping, feel free to drop it off to them and they will be bringing down an extra bag, if necessary, with donations.  This could include things like school supplies (glue sticks, construction paper, stickers, tape, coloring books, etc.), books in Spanish, clothes or shoes in pretty good condition, etc. Remember that I will be a special ed teacher by that point and will always welcome fun little things to use in my little classroom.  Let me know if you have any questions about anything!

Also, a note about my communication moving forward- we as a missionary community are looking to be even more intentional with our use of technology and internet.  I will seek to send out a little something once a month but I really can´t guarantee anything.  I will be in a bit more communication with my parents and a bit on email but letters are always good!  I always promise a response, but it just might be a little while depending on my crazy schedule and when the next visitors are going back to the States to mail things. I just wanted to say thank you all for your patience and love even when we are not able to communicate often.  

Finally, I just want to end with another huge thank you to each of you for all of the different ways that you support me through prayer, donations, messages, emails, letters, etc. Knowing that some people just think of me and the Finca once in a while is a comfort because hopefully those thoughts become a quick prayer.  If anyone is looking for a saint to look to for devotion, I suggest Saint Therese! I just read a little book all about her intercession and she just keeps coming up in my life.  She is a really beautiful saint with a very simple message.  She is the patroness of missions and of my house down here so check her out!!

Please send me your prayer intentions if you can!!  

I love you all and miss you greatly!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!!

Con amor en Cristo,

Erin Lucia

Still around... I promise!!

Hello family and friends!

Well, my goal was to write a blog post every two weeks.  I missed last week- sorry about that!!  Some of you know that I am not the biggest writer and it takes a lot of motivation to take the time to sit down and write.  As you might have noticed with some of my other blogs, however, once I sit down to start writing and something really takes off, I can write quite a bit.  Next week’s blog will be a fun one to write because I will be sharing all about Thanksgiving!  We have been prepping for a while and it is going to be a crazy day since over 80 people will be in our house.

Things here are going really well. We are currently in the middle of “vacation” here.  I put that in quite because vacation just means a different type of busyness. School ended two weeks ago with a beautiful graduation ceremony for our 6th graders.  Honduran law only requires school through 6th grade so it is a big deal. We also had a wonderful celebration of our 9th graders. Our colegio (middle school) is 7th through 9th and then our Finca kids have the opportunity to move to La Ceiba and attend high school in our Phase II program.  A week and a half ago we had a send off for 3 of our kids and the new Phase II encarcados (leaders).  This means that our Phase II program will be 5 Finca kids and the two leaders, as the oldies Erin and Alicia will be moving back to the Finca to pend their final days with us. Dalilia was also part of the program but just graduated from High school and will going to university on a scholarship!!  It was so exciting to hear about this.  We won’t have another high school graduation until two years from now, when I am an “oldie” here. It will certainly be an epic weekend as all five current Phase II kids will be graduated since some are in three year vocational programs but the new kids will only be doing 2 year university prep programs!

Anyway, back to “vacation”.  During this time, we have a lot going on.  If you have turned twelve or started 6th grade, you can participate in PAVI, which is a work program around the farm where you can earn small amounts of money- mostly to save for their time in Phase II and also to spend on treats, special clothes or an extra time to watch a movie, etc. They do a variety fo different things including maintenance work, tutoring in the neighborhood, working with winter school, cooking, etc. All of our kids under 12 or those who were not deemed ready for PAVI go to winter school.  Every morning for 3 hours, myself and the other 3 new teachers do a variety of activities with this group of crazy kids.  I say crazy because sometimes (honestly, most of the time), it is crazy.  Some people fondly refer to it as Finca hazing.  We are all adjusting to our roles as the authorities and learning more and more each day.  It is pretty exhausting but a lot of times really fun.  Sara and Kevin (who will both be in the colegio) can up with most of the day to day activities and schedule.  Allison is a rockstar when it comes to filling extra time or just working with the kids in general.  On Thursday of this week, she came up with these impromptu obras (skits) to do with the kid at the beginning of the day.  They were hysterical and a huge hit.  I have taken on the role of the leader of the littlest children (2 who were just in Pre K and 4 who were just in Kinder).  They can sometimes be a handful but I am learning how to bet work with them. 
In addition to PAVI and Winter School, we also have winter activities which are geared mostly for the older kids.  We do things like art, sports, exercise, book club, bible study, etc. Betsy (my room mate who is soo fun!) and I are doing a theater class.  We meet every Monday afternoon and our first meeting was soo fun.  Last year, it seems like they took a while to get into it but both Betsy and I totally put ourselves out there and looked like idiots this year. And it worked- the kids get pretty into it, everyone had a great time doing the funny warm ups, practice with emotions and diction and some improve games.  Some of our kids are some serious hams and I think we are going to have a ball together, as long as our older kids don’t become “to cool for school”.   We will soon start on obras for the oldies, who will be leaving in about 2 weeks and then we will do a Christmas play!  I loved it and can’t wait for Monday! 

Every afternoon and all day Friday, I spend in accounting.  I am now officially the “contadora” for the Farm and things are going well!  I really like this work and feel ready for the responsibility that comes with it.  I feel blessed that God gave me work that I am relatively comfortable with to go with the craziness of the many other things that are outside my comfort zone.

I have also had my first official meeting with the Personnel committee.  We will be responsible for picking all of our summer volunteers (there are usually 2-3) and all of the new missionaries for the next year.  This was just a brief introductory meeting but we already have some application reading and decisions to make about some other personnel thing.  I really am excited about this small job and work with a great committee of people.

For beginning this typing session with absolutely no clue of what to write, I’d say that was a lot of information and sharing!  I hoped you enjoyed it. Can’t wait to write next week and share our Thanksgiving stories.  I pray for all of you who will be doing a lot of traveling this week and visiting with family.

To my family, I wish I could be there to celebrate with you all but please know I am thinking about you and being well taken care of here!!  I can’t believe it is already Thanksgiving- where is this time going!!

Also, my wonderful grandfather will be celebrating his birthday this week. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIBBER!!! I miss you and love you!!

All my love to everyone,

Erin Lucia

P.S. Theresa, a past Finca volunteer and my AMAZING Finca-assigned prayer partner, was the only one to comment with the food that I cooked.  10 points to her even though yes, she does speak Spanish and knows about Farm life

A day in my life, which is anything but typical

Hello everyone!!
I am doing well, just wet most of the time as rainy season has arrived.  Currently sporting the awesome heavy duty rain boots I just purchased in town.  I miss home a lot but feel as though this is home now too, which I think is a good thing! I am busy busy with accounting work and work at the school. Sometimes, it gets a bit crazy.  For example, here was my day yesterday (Fridays are not a day I work at the school).

5:20 Wake up to the sound of chickens and my alarm, snooze it until 5:30 when I get up and get mostly ready for the day

5:45 Sleepily lead a prayer in the sala (living room) for a small group of missionaries

6:00 Head over to the chapel for a morning communion service (all in Spanish)

6:40 Eat breakfast with the 20 other people I live with and finish getting my things together for the day

7:00 Headed over to the office to start pay day... worked on preparing more checks and getting things ready

7:30 Workers from all over the Finca (including security, our house parents, and maintenance) came over to the office.  Rachel (the current accountant- I become official in mid November) signed everything and I gave them out one by one.  It is quite a process of receipt signing, money efectivo, etc. 

8:15 We leave the Finca with Rachel's two boys, a Sor (Franciscan sister who lives and works at the Farm), several neighbors and other Finca people in tow.  We head to town for errands- paying the gasoline bill for october, stopping by the bank to figure out exchange rate changes at the bank from august until now, picking up and paying for vegetables, trying to pick up mail (there was none because Trujillo hasn't had mail delivered all week!  O the mail system of Honduras!), running various errands for some fellow missionaries, etc.

10:40 We begin to head back to the Finca in the busito (big car that we drive back on forth on the dirt routes to town- about 20-25 minute ride)

11 Take Ruben (Rachel's youngest son who is 2) on a walk because his mom was feeling terrible, find Jacob (Ruben's dad and our missionary coordinator) at the maintenance shed with another of their sons and drop off Ruben.

11:30 Go back to the office and try to get all of the receipts put into the system and work on some cuentas until lunch

12:45 Head to the house and eat a wonderful lunch of eggs, rice, beans, vegetables. (note: I have to conjugate these back into English in my head because I am getting so used to the Spanish names)

1:30 Head back to the office to finish up some of the work from the morning getting our safe, computer files and office back to being organized

2:30 Attend a continued orientation talk given by the social work team about how we raise our kids here at the Farm.  Practiced the spanish phrases we might need if a situation should arise.

4:00 Realize that I am on to cook dinner and we only have 2 hours.  Okay, here cooking is much more time consuming because we deal with a fogon (which is basically a wood stove that is outside of our house).  2 hours can be plenty of time, or not enough time.  Both Nely and I had kind of forgotten we were scheduled to cook so we hadn't planned and didn't put out a pana in the bodega so our ration of pollo (chicken) was not put out to thaw.  Okay, explanation-  in our house, we only keep our weekly ration of foods not refrigerated.  There is only one refigerator for the entire farm community.  Each house has a box and we keep some queso and other small things in there. There is a big freezer and then thats it!  A trip to the Bodega involves finding the key (sometimes it is not on its hook), walking 2 minutes through the Farm, saying hi to House 5 (oldest boys) who are usually out and about, dodge a soccer ball, open up the bodega, get everything out, balance all the stuff you need and head back to cook.  Nely and I were saved by a bunch of ANGELS who came and helped with all of the work needed for our dinner of baleadas (tortillas de arena con huevos, frijoles, queso, y vegetales) y una ensalada con remolaches, lechuga, tomates y vinegre.  Ten points to the person who comments with all of the right ingredients in english!   Also note: Nely is from Nicaragua and speaks less English than I speak Spanish so everything we did was in Spanish. An adventure to be sure. 

6:30 Finally call "A comer" to signal its time to eat (yes late but still okay)!  Gather the troops together to pray and eat.  Have glorious tortillas- just a great meal in general because so many hands and love went into it.

7:15 Finish all of the clean up of the kitchen and take a shower!!  There was water and fabulous water pressure so it was a great thing after such a long day.  Reminder to those who forget: this was a cold shower on a cold night.  That is not a complaint just a reminder of how crazy it is that a freezing shower on a cold night can still be wonderful!!!

7:45 Come out to the Sala to hang out for a little bit.  I just started reading the Narnia series (I have never read them all the way through!) but didn't realize that Sara was also doing this.  I read a bit faster than her so I caught up and gently encouraged her to finish the last ten pages she had of the next book.  I am trying to read the next two by Monday so I can pass her and she doesn't have to rush.  Thus far, I have read 10 books since arriving at the farm (I'll finish number 11 tonight).  It is my favorite thing to do here in my down time.  That and play Settler's of Catan.  Look up this board game- it is fantastic.

8:30 Get in bed and read a few pages of The Dawn Treader before turning off the light and falling into a wonderful sleep!!

Okay, well- there you go.  This is just quick snapshot of a day here.  I didn't have much action with our kids except during dinner when a bunch of them were among the angels who helped us!  Every day is a bit different here but I hope this helped you see a little of what I do here when I am Erin the accountant.  Note:  I also become Erin the check writer, mail man, organizer, cook, babysitter, reader, game player, housekeeper.  It is really a blessing of a life that we have here.   

Love you all so much!!!

Erin Lucia

P.S. I didn't even hear about the hurricane until after it didn't hit us.  We are all safe and sound but praying for those who are struggling, including those in our surrounding area who struggle quite a bit during the rainy season!
P.P.S. I am currently sitting at TBay using the internet and one of the workers just came in with a pajaro (parrot) that was mimicking him saying "Hola!"  Hahaha... o the things I see and hear in Honduras. 

I have a job!!


Well, I have two fun things to share. 

First off, I have officially been given a job.  We have been going through the discernment process, as I mentioned in my last blog and I officially have a job now!!  I will be serving as the Special Education Teacher and the accountant.  These are both jobs that are 2/3 jobs so, needless to say, I will be quite busy.  However, I think I will do better to have a stricter schedule and really be productive during my time here.  It will be a great thing to balance the concrete of accounting and our budget and the somewhat spontaneous nature of special ed which will consist of a lot of one on one work with kids who have some learning disabilities.  Everyone hear is also given specific small jobs.  I will be the Saturday morning swim coach and a member of the Personnel committee, who reads through all of the new missionary applications and selects both the full time and summer missionaries.  I am sooo excited about all of my jobs and feel so blessed.  Every missionary also serves in various other roles including but not limited to cook, babysitter, tutor, mentor, catechist, housekeeper, etc.  It is a beautiful and simple life at the Farm but simplicity does not mean a lack of work to be done.  Don’t worry- we have a lot of fun too! Last night we ventured down to TBay, a hotel down the beach where we get to use the internet!.  We had a great night of crazy games and fun community bonding to celebrate the jobs that we, the newbies, have received!!

I also have a fun little story about my morning yesterday.  Well folks, I helped to cut down a tree and chop it up into firewood- with a chain saw and machetes.  Okay, so I only tried the chainsaw once and kind of failed at it but totally got the hang of how to use a machete!!  It was so fun and very rewarding work, seeing as there was a tree there before and now there is not.  Don’t worry, we don’t just chop down any old tree to use for our stove firewood.  This one was leaning very dangerously, had several dead branches and we only cut it off at a certain place hopeful that it will grow straighter.  The team consisted of other first year missionaries David, Sara, Kevin and I.  We were led by Raul, a former Finca missionary from two years ago who has been back at the Finca for a few months assisting in small projects and helping us through orientation.  Learning to use a machete for a little intimidating but I eventually got pretty into it and have the blister and sore muscles to show for it!

Pax y Bien de Honduras,

Erin Lucia

P.S. I am using another recently acquired skill (or, well, a skill that is still being developed).  I have had the great privilege to cut two people’s hair since I have arrived. Erin Marina and Raul both got trims!  Super fun :)