I am pretty sure every time I start one of these blog entries I start by commenting how quickly the time has passed and I apologize for not writing in such a long time! So, I guess it is not any exception this time that I do the same. It is true, the last time I wrote I was on vacation in the States, and now it is nearly October, 3 months later! How is it possible? I say that the Finca is trapped in a time warp in which time is jam packed with happenings, emotions are amplified, and time speeds up. But, this is just a theory.
In all honesty, these past 3 months have been, for the most part, wonderful. I was not in a terribly low place before I went home, but I was tired and homesick. I believe that my month long vacation back in the States with family and friends was just what I needed and allowed me to come back energized, full of hope, excited to accomplish work, and willing to put more of myself into the Finca. Since I have turned my focus from going home to feeling more at home here in Honduras, I have noticed a great change in the way I work with my kids, my volunteer community, and the greater Finca community. Things are still challenging but I feel better equipped with more confidence and a positive hope to face them. Oh, and my Spanish – still far from perfect, but a world of improvement has been made! In the least, I am now laughing with the people over my mistakes instead of just being laughed at! This is indeed a factor that helps my cause.
Yes, things are going well.
Getting back to the Finca was a bit hectic way back in the beginning of July. With all the “political unrest” of the time, as it was so gracefully put by the lady at the airport when she told me my flight was not going to be as scheduled the first time I attempted to come back, did cause a few travel difficulties. (The political situation is still too complicated for me to go into at great length, but in short, for those who are unaware – the president of Honduras, “Mel” Zelaya, was forced out of the country at gun point (aka. “a coup”) due to some funky voting games he was playing. The Honduran Congress replaced him with a man by the name of Micheleti, who basically no one in the world choses to accept as legit. In my politically uneducated opinion, it appears to be a battle between two evils, and unfortunately it is the people of Honduras who suffer, as much of foreign aid has been suspended. And at least the last I knew of the situation, this is how it still stands. Honduras is due for elections in November, so please pray that the process is positively fruitful and peaceful.) HOWEVER, the good news is Trujillo, the town closest to the Finca, and a town that is literally at the end of the road on the Northern Coast before one heads to the Mosquitia (aka. “no man's land”) is not a politically charged town. So, the Finca has seen no threats due to all the political drama.
Once I did make it back, I found out that Peter, a fellow social worker, had moved back into Casa 5, as he had done a few months before, to care for our oldest boys. Having an volunteer run a house is not ideal, but Peter took it on with great courage and did a respectable job. His placement in Casa 5 also meant that I became the social worker for Casa 4, our middle boys' house, as Peter was no longer able. In some weird, twisted way, I think that my taking on Casa 4 was an answer to a prayer or maybe better said a challenge from God, as one of my hopes in coming back to the Finca was to be more present to our boys.
It has been hard to balance my time between my three houses, but it has been a good challenge. Though I always wish for more time, I have really enjoyed the time I have spent with the 6 boys that live in Casa 4. At the beginning of August, I was asked to cover their house for 4 days. I admit being intimidated by this on-taking. These 6 boys are full of energy and very clever. But, to my great surprise, the 4 days were so fun and went fairly smooth. Sure, we had some small battles and they tried to push my buttons, but I am proud to say that I kept my calm, cooked as close to a Honduran Mama as I could, and even was let in on the simple joys of Casa 4. I witnessed how just our kids can be as the do consider the desires of each other. I watched David, a usually quite, shy boy, dance around the sala singing. I saw José Isabel, who usually needs 50 reminders to do his chores, practically clean the whole kitchen after helping me make banana bread when only asked to wash a few dishes. Another boy, who usually wants nothing to do with me, chose to share his bag of chips with me and was so excited to fill me in on the books he was reading. There were so many other gifts of this weekend. I not only spent some quality time with these boys, I fed them, laughed with them, disciplined them, played with them, loved them, and received small acts of love from them. I lived with them. One can't be more present than that!
My girls continue to bring so much joy into my life. The clearest affirmation that I am right where God wants me, came as I entered the Finca after my vacation and was nearly knocked down with a herd of smiling girls hugging me and yelling “Sara Fe” repeatedly. (It just so turns out that my full name Sara Faye sounds like “Sara Fe” in Spanish, which translates to Sara Faith. Or sometimes it turns into Sara Cafe!) My littlest girls are growing and maturing so quickly. Seidy loves to tell me her silly jokes and then falls on the ground laughing at herself! Cati has the great talent of saying everything that comes to her mind...and I mean everything. You really have to be careful what you say around her because she will most certainly repeat it. Magdalena, who is so rambunctious, on her good days, loves to show how she can write her letters well and is so proud of the way she does her chores. My older girls continue to open themselves to me as well. Belkis and Belgia shower me with daily hugs. Maria continues to keep me humble about my Spanish as she always so honestly and directly tells me when I say words wrong, as she giggles and giggles and repeats the same words incorrectly. Jeni and Mirian slowly are letting me into their hearts and have sought me out for little things, as opposed to avoiding me. Their simple gifts are abundant.
October 1st is my one year anniversary at the Finca! Crazy. It is also the day that our new volunteer class arrives, and my group changes our status from “newbies” to “middies” until December when we take on the title of “oldies,” as our leaders of this year will move on to the next phase in their lives. And, so the cycle of endless transition of the Finca continues... But, I am in a good place and looking forward to this coming year. After a year of figuring out how to survive here in the Honduran campo, I do not feel like a stranger to myself anymore. Instead, I feel slightly more prepared and excited to dive deeper into the Finca and really give of myself to our kids. I can now happily and confidently say that the Finca feels almost like home to me. THAT is a huge answer to many prayers of the last year. For this and so many other blessings, I am thankful!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
More Pictures...Finally!
Now that I have had some quality time with technology, I finally posted pictures from the Finca. Again, I apologize for the amount of time it has taken to get these up, but here they are finally. You can find the link to them under "My Websites", found on the left of this page. Enjoy!
Two Worlds Connected
Every time I sit here and begin these blog entries, I can’t help but look back to the last time I took the time to write. At first, I feel a little guilty as I realize, again, that too many months have passed since my last entry. Then, I think, “What have you been doing that you couldn’t step away to reflect on life at the Finca?” Usually, I decide that it has just been due to my lack of taking time, and this time it is the same. However, I genuinely can say that the past several months have been jammed packed with busy-ness, but they have been so beautifully packed that I hope you all will be able to forgive me for my lack of communication.
Today, I am sitting here in my living room back in Pittsfield while I am on a couple weeks vacation in the States. As I expected, being back home has given me a lot of time to reflect on my life in Honduras as I have had time to share my experiences and the lives of our kids with family and friends. I must admit there were more than a few challenging moments in the months leading up to my vacation in which I doubted that I would want to return back to the Finca after coming back home. I am not searching for pity when I say that our life at the Finca is challenging, non-stop, and often leaves me wondering if I made the right decision to volunteer there. But once again, I have been graced by what I would like to think is God’s love. Being home has in fact done the opposite. It has made me so grateful for all the amazing love and support of my family friends back here in the States, but it has also made me realize that my current life is in fact back on that beautiful Caribbean coast with the amazingly beautiful faces of our kids and Finca community! And, I think better yet that coming home to visit will actually enhance my experience in Honduras as my life at the Finca now seems more “real” and connected to my life here in the States. My two worlds have finally been connected a little more concretely.
Having said all of this, I think I should actually share some of the beautiful moments I have experienced in the past months, so here I go…
Back around the beginning of March, due to some unexpected events (which really should be thought of as expected events because unexpected happenings are really the norm at the Finca!), I took on being the social worker of Casa 4 (our “middle-aged” boys house, 6 boys ages 10-14) in addition to my two girls’ homes. It quickly became very clear why social workers are normally only given two houses to keep track of. Balancing time between 18 kids and supporting three sets of houseparents and tias is not an easy task. I wouldn’t say I exactly mastered it either. However, I took the only approach one can take at the Finca and just tried to do the best I could.
Working with these boys made me realize that up until that time, I really had spent most of my time at the Finca with our girls. Sure I say hello to everyone I cross, but saying hello really isn’t investing in someone. It was so great to be “forced” (though that isn’t the best word to describe it) to spend some quality time with them and a lot of fun. Like all of our kids, these boys just thirst for any attention anyone is willing to give. Whether it was putting together puzzles, swimming in the ocean, playing Old Maid, doing homework, or just talking, the boys were usually so ready and willing to take part. Of course some of the boys are more willing than others. But those “tough” kids are really the ones that teach you how to be patient and persistent in building relationships. Though I am happy that when I return to the Finca I will be back to having only my two girls’ houses, it was a true joy to spend some quality time with some of our boys and a great encouragement to balance my time a little better between all of our children.
Another beautiful experience has been watching the continuing adjustment of our newer kids at the Finca. After a little over 3 months at the Finca, the family of four girls that arrived at the beginning of March and who were placed in my houses are doing well. They are such great girls full of life, emotion, and an eagerness to belong. I don’t think you could find a more different, but connected group of sisters. Marina, 14, is quiet (until she gets to know you), funny, hard-working, and loves to help others. Riccy, 12, is opinionated, strong-willed, hilarious, and a friend to all. Belgia, 9, and Belkis, 8, are often mistaken for twins, but they certainly are not. Belgia is affectionate, an artist, and loving. Belkis is great at doing her chores, a good friend, and has a wonderful laugh. It has been a joy to watch them find their place at the Finca and an even greater gift getting to know them individually.
May 1st is Dia del Trabajador in Honduras or the Day of the Worker. It is celebrated by most by being given the day off of work and that is exactly how our well-deserving teachers and maintenance workers celebrated. However, one of our extremely hard-working mothers pointed out to me respectfully that our house moms and tias work every day in the houses and they never get a “free” day off without taking a vacation day. Point well made! Being a mom of your own kids, let alone 5-7 additional kids, is indeed work worthy of a day off. So, a fellow volunteer and myself organized a day of rest and relaxation for all of our female workers at the Finca. All of our house moms, tias, all three of our sisters of St. Francis, and several of our female volunteers spent an entire day relaxing by a beautiful river/swimming hole, talking, swimming, eating, and laughing. It was a wonderful day of celebrating our female community at the Finca. A huge thanks was due to all of our house dads and several of our male volunteers for literally taking over the Finca and caring for our kids for the day!
At the end of May, my brother, Derek, his girlfriend, Mallori, and a very dear family friend, Dale (aka Ducky) came to visit me in Honduras. They spent 4 days getting to know the Finca and our kids. Some highlights included spending an afternoon swimming with 3 of my girls, watching a soccer game, baking cookies for the entire Finca, going on a hike and getting a bit lost, and cooking dinner for my community on the fogon. Afterwards, I officially went on vacation and we traveled our way across the Northern Coast of Honduras. We went snorkeling at Cayos Cochinos (a beautiful series of 13 islands off the coast of Honduras), flew down a mountain side on a zip-line, and spent a couple days relaxing on the beach. It was wonderful to share the Finca and my Honduran experience with my family and a huge Spanish-skills-confidence-booster to fool them into thinking I actually know all I need to about Spanish!
These are only a few highlights of the past months, but I could write forever. Overall, these past few months have been very good, and I am everyday feeling more and more comfortable and at home at the Finca. These past couple of weeks of vacation have been so wonderful and were needed. But, I feel confident that as I head back to the Finca next week, I will travel with a ready and willing anxiousness to be back with my community and my kids in Honduras. I think I will be much more at ease when I return as I know my Spanish is ever-improving, my relationships with my kids are deepening, and I now feel my two worlds are somewhat connected!
Today, I am sitting here in my living room back in Pittsfield while I am on a couple weeks vacation in the States. As I expected, being back home has given me a lot of time to reflect on my life in Honduras as I have had time to share my experiences and the lives of our kids with family and friends. I must admit there were more than a few challenging moments in the months leading up to my vacation in which I doubted that I would want to return back to the Finca after coming back home. I am not searching for pity when I say that our life at the Finca is challenging, non-stop, and often leaves me wondering if I made the right decision to volunteer there. But once again, I have been graced by what I would like to think is God’s love. Being home has in fact done the opposite. It has made me so grateful for all the amazing love and support of my family friends back here in the States, but it has also made me realize that my current life is in fact back on that beautiful Caribbean coast with the amazingly beautiful faces of our kids and Finca community! And, I think better yet that coming home to visit will actually enhance my experience in Honduras as my life at the Finca now seems more “real” and connected to my life here in the States. My two worlds have finally been connected a little more concretely.
Having said all of this, I think I should actually share some of the beautiful moments I have experienced in the past months, so here I go…
Back around the beginning of March, due to some unexpected events (which really should be thought of as expected events because unexpected happenings are really the norm at the Finca!), I took on being the social worker of Casa 4 (our “middle-aged” boys house, 6 boys ages 10-14) in addition to my two girls’ homes. It quickly became very clear why social workers are normally only given two houses to keep track of. Balancing time between 18 kids and supporting three sets of houseparents and tias is not an easy task. I wouldn’t say I exactly mastered it either. However, I took the only approach one can take at the Finca and just tried to do the best I could.
Working with these boys made me realize that up until that time, I really had spent most of my time at the Finca with our girls. Sure I say hello to everyone I cross, but saying hello really isn’t investing in someone. It was so great to be “forced” (though that isn’t the best word to describe it) to spend some quality time with them and a lot of fun. Like all of our kids, these boys just thirst for any attention anyone is willing to give. Whether it was putting together puzzles, swimming in the ocean, playing Old Maid, doing homework, or just talking, the boys were usually so ready and willing to take part. Of course some of the boys are more willing than others. But those “tough” kids are really the ones that teach you how to be patient and persistent in building relationships. Though I am happy that when I return to the Finca I will be back to having only my two girls’ houses, it was a true joy to spend some quality time with some of our boys and a great encouragement to balance my time a little better between all of our children.
Another beautiful experience has been watching the continuing adjustment of our newer kids at the Finca. After a little over 3 months at the Finca, the family of four girls that arrived at the beginning of March and who were placed in my houses are doing well. They are such great girls full of life, emotion, and an eagerness to belong. I don’t think you could find a more different, but connected group of sisters. Marina, 14, is quiet (until she gets to know you), funny, hard-working, and loves to help others. Riccy, 12, is opinionated, strong-willed, hilarious, and a friend to all. Belgia, 9, and Belkis, 8, are often mistaken for twins, but they certainly are not. Belgia is affectionate, an artist, and loving. Belkis is great at doing her chores, a good friend, and has a wonderful laugh. It has been a joy to watch them find their place at the Finca and an even greater gift getting to know them individually.
May 1st is Dia del Trabajador in Honduras or the Day of the Worker. It is celebrated by most by being given the day off of work and that is exactly how our well-deserving teachers and maintenance workers celebrated. However, one of our extremely hard-working mothers pointed out to me respectfully that our house moms and tias work every day in the houses and they never get a “free” day off without taking a vacation day. Point well made! Being a mom of your own kids, let alone 5-7 additional kids, is indeed work worthy of a day off. So, a fellow volunteer and myself organized a day of rest and relaxation for all of our female workers at the Finca. All of our house moms, tias, all three of our sisters of St. Francis, and several of our female volunteers spent an entire day relaxing by a beautiful river/swimming hole, talking, swimming, eating, and laughing. It was a wonderful day of celebrating our female community at the Finca. A huge thanks was due to all of our house dads and several of our male volunteers for literally taking over the Finca and caring for our kids for the day!
At the end of May, my brother, Derek, his girlfriend, Mallori, and a very dear family friend, Dale (aka Ducky) came to visit me in Honduras. They spent 4 days getting to know the Finca and our kids. Some highlights included spending an afternoon swimming with 3 of my girls, watching a soccer game, baking cookies for the entire Finca, going on a hike and getting a bit lost, and cooking dinner for my community on the fogon. Afterwards, I officially went on vacation and we traveled our way across the Northern Coast of Honduras. We went snorkeling at Cayos Cochinos (a beautiful series of 13 islands off the coast of Honduras), flew down a mountain side on a zip-line, and spent a couple days relaxing on the beach. It was wonderful to share the Finca and my Honduran experience with my family and a huge Spanish-skills-confidence-booster to fool them into thinking I actually know all I need to about Spanish!
These are only a few highlights of the past months, but I could write forever. Overall, these past few months have been very good, and I am everyday feeling more and more comfortable and at home at the Finca. These past couple of weeks of vacation have been so wonderful and were needed. But, I feel confident that as I head back to the Finca next week, I will travel with a ready and willing anxiousness to be back with my community and my kids in Honduras. I think I will be much more at ease when I return as I know my Spanish is ever-improving, my relationships with my kids are deepening, and I now feel my two worlds are somewhat connected!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Excitment at the Finca
As I look at the calendar and realize we are two weeks away from April, I am just simply amazed. Time is a funny thing for me here at the Finca. When I look back to all that I have already done in the nearly 6 months I have been here, I realize that it is a lot. Yet, when we turned our calendars over to March, I could hardly believe it...where has the time gone?!?
As you can see from my terrible lack of keeping in touch the past two months, my time, that is so quickly passing, has been very full and busy. The past two months have been very exciting ones though! At the beginning of Feburary, the school doors opened and both our kids here at the Finca and neighbor children lined up outside the school for morning assembly in their blue and white uniforms ready to start a new year. (The school calendar here is February to October due to the fact that the rainy season makes it difficult to have classes.) This of course means that all of our teachers, who have been planning and anxioulsy awaiting the begining of school, are now in full swing of their jobs. For us social workers, the begining of school brings a sigh of relief! School means that the kids are occupied throughout the morning, giving the houseparents a break and us social workers more time to communicate and support them, as well as focus a little more on our office work. Really for everyone, the school year has brought a new and welcomed energy to the Finca.
Another event that took place in February was the coming of a medical brigade from the States. The Finca has traditionally offered volunteers as translators for these brigades every year. I was able to go for two days. Now, to be quite honest, I was not so sure that my Spanish skills were up to par to translate, but I decided to give it a try anyway. It was indeed a confidence booster to see that, though I did need a little assistance from time to time, I was able to hold my own and help in-take several patients. I have never really worked in medical setting, so it was very exciting to see how it all works. I really enjoyed meeting the patients and learning more about healthcare in Honduras. Though this brigade only comes twice a year, I think they were able to help quite a few people who rarely have healthcare otherwise.
However, by far, the most exciting event of these past months, in my humble opinion, was the arrival of 9 new children to the Finca family! We are able to care for up to 50 children, and over the past year several spots had opened up due to adolescents moving on in their lives or children being placed elsewhere. We were expecting to receive several new children, but I don’t think we could have ever imagined we would have received such beautiful and joy-filled kids. The 9 kids are made up by 3 wonderful families. At the end of January, we received a family of 3, two boys (ages 8 and 6) and a little girl (age 3). At the very beginning of March, we received two more families. One a family of two boys (ages 10 and 13) and the other of four girls (ages 8,9,11, and 13). All of them came to us from foster homes, so they came to us healthy, well-cared for, and all in school. The reason they were placed with us is that the foster homes they were in are unfortunately not permanent homes. The children had to be placed in a permanent home to make room for other kids in the foster homes. Though never easy, the transition from their foster homes to the Finca has been fairly smooth. They are all in need of support, love, and guidance as they adjust to the busy schedule and structure of the Finca, but they seem to be doing well.
I consider myself fortunate because of the nine kids I took on all 5 of the girls into my two houses. That moved my caseload of girls from 7 to 12, but I’ve come to look at it as being asked to give more love and time and in return I receive 5 times more love and fun-filled moments. It has been so beautiful to see the girls become accustomed to their new home. I have seen tears of missing their old homes, but I have also witnessed bright smiles and genuine relationships being formed amongst our new and old children. It has also been a gift to watch our houseparents and tías really welcome and guide these new children, making them feel comfortable and apart of the family.
That all being said, things for me are going well here at the Finca. I find myself feeling more and more comfortable here, and I am so grateful. I still have daily challenges, and I think I always will. Yet, the Finca does not feel like a foreign place to me anymore. I really think a lot of my new found comfort comes simply out of the relationships I am forming and building everyday here. I find even more comfort in knowing that these relationships are only going to continue to strengthen through all the difficulties and joyful moments that lay ahead. I am indeed grateful for that realization.
Many blessings to you all.
As you can see from my terrible lack of keeping in touch the past two months, my time, that is so quickly passing, has been very full and busy. The past two months have been very exciting ones though! At the beginning of Feburary, the school doors opened and both our kids here at the Finca and neighbor children lined up outside the school for morning assembly in their blue and white uniforms ready to start a new year. (The school calendar here is February to October due to the fact that the rainy season makes it difficult to have classes.) This of course means that all of our teachers, who have been planning and anxioulsy awaiting the begining of school, are now in full swing of their jobs. For us social workers, the begining of school brings a sigh of relief! School means that the kids are occupied throughout the morning, giving the houseparents a break and us social workers more time to communicate and support them, as well as focus a little more on our office work. Really for everyone, the school year has brought a new and welcomed energy to the Finca.
Another event that took place in February was the coming of a medical brigade from the States. The Finca has traditionally offered volunteers as translators for these brigades every year. I was able to go for two days. Now, to be quite honest, I was not so sure that my Spanish skills were up to par to translate, but I decided to give it a try anyway. It was indeed a confidence booster to see that, though I did need a little assistance from time to time, I was able to hold my own and help in-take several patients. I have never really worked in medical setting, so it was very exciting to see how it all works. I really enjoyed meeting the patients and learning more about healthcare in Honduras. Though this brigade only comes twice a year, I think they were able to help quite a few people who rarely have healthcare otherwise.
However, by far, the most exciting event of these past months, in my humble opinion, was the arrival of 9 new children to the Finca family! We are able to care for up to 50 children, and over the past year several spots had opened up due to adolescents moving on in their lives or children being placed elsewhere. We were expecting to receive several new children, but I don’t think we could have ever imagined we would have received such beautiful and joy-filled kids. The 9 kids are made up by 3 wonderful families. At the end of January, we received a family of 3, two boys (ages 8 and 6) and a little girl (age 3). At the very beginning of March, we received two more families. One a family of two boys (ages 10 and 13) and the other of four girls (ages 8,9,11, and 13). All of them came to us from foster homes, so they came to us healthy, well-cared for, and all in school. The reason they were placed with us is that the foster homes they were in are unfortunately not permanent homes. The children had to be placed in a permanent home to make room for other kids in the foster homes. Though never easy, the transition from their foster homes to the Finca has been fairly smooth. They are all in need of support, love, and guidance as they adjust to the busy schedule and structure of the Finca, but they seem to be doing well.
I consider myself fortunate because of the nine kids I took on all 5 of the girls into my two houses. That moved my caseload of girls from 7 to 12, but I’ve come to look at it as being asked to give more love and time and in return I receive 5 times more love and fun-filled moments. It has been so beautiful to see the girls become accustomed to their new home. I have seen tears of missing their old homes, but I have also witnessed bright smiles and genuine relationships being formed amongst our new and old children. It has also been a gift to watch our houseparents and tías really welcome and guide these new children, making them feel comfortable and apart of the family.
That all being said, things for me are going well here at the Finca. I find myself feeling more and more comfortable here, and I am so grateful. I still have daily challenges, and I think I always will. Yet, the Finca does not feel like a foreign place to me anymore. I really think a lot of my new found comfort comes simply out of the relationships I am forming and building everyday here. I find even more comfort in knowing that these relationships are only going to continue to strengthen through all the difficulties and joyful moments that lay ahead. I am indeed grateful for that realization.
Many blessings to you all.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Trust In God
If I have learned anything in the three and a half months I have been here, it has been that I am going to learn more than I ever expected during my time here at the Finca. I have already been challenged, pushed, and pulled in ways I never imagined possible. Yet, from each of these struggles, I seem to grow just a little bit. I can only wonder about the growth I will have gained at the end of my time here. I think it will be pretty incredible.
My most recent lesson here in Honduras has been a lesson of trust in God. Maybe it is because of my challenges of Spanish or that I still have so much to learn about how things work here, but I often am presented with situations that leave me thinking, “How is that ever going to happen?” Things such as directions, plans, or legal processes are usually, if not always, very vauge. So, when I was asked to plan and go on a vacation with one of our families of children along with Beth, a fellow first year volunteer, with very little direction, I was once again nervous and skeptical it would work out well.
We were to take Nolvia (13), Maria (7), Darwin (6), and Rosita (4) to Sonaguerra to meet their oldest sister Dalilia (15), who had been working in La Ceiba during the winter break from school. This seems like a simple task, but you must remember we did not have a cell phone, we had given a general time of when we would leave Trujillo, she had given us a round about time when she would leave La Ceiba, but nothing certain. Not so easy. Once we met, we were then going to get on another bus together and travel to small town about 30 minutes from Sonaguerra to stay with a father figure they had in their lives before the Finca. Oh, I should mention that we were originally going to stay with thier mother, Marlen, but we had been unable to reach her because apparently she had sold her cell phone. I think you might be getting the picture of why I was a little worried about how this was all going to come together.
After a pretty tricky 3 hour trip on a bumpy, dusty, dirt road (because the paved road has been out of commision for the past couple of months due to a bridge that washed out), we arrived in Sonaguerra with 4 tired, thirsty, and hungry children. We immediately went to the Catholic Church in the center of town where we were hopefully to meet Dalilia. Sadly, she wasn’t there. Nolvia and myself went to find some water and a snack for everyone else while Beth entertained the younger kids in the church. I was hoping and praying that Dalilia would be at the church by the time we returned, but she wasn’t.
There was a lady who was cleaning the church who so kindly walked over to us to inquire what we were doing. I can imagine that two white women with four Honduran children and a bunch of bags did look pretty peculiar. We explained we were waiting to meet their older sister there but we hadn’t yet found her. She said she hadn’t seen anyone by Dalilia’s description but that she would let us use her phone to try to find her or see if when she had left. As I was frantically calling anyone I thought might be able to help us, low and behold, Dalilia walked around the corner and into the church! This was my first lesson to not doubt God.
We then got on the bus and headed to Don Santos’ house, their father that we were going to be staying with. We arrived with no problems and the oldest girls got to work right away to make us dinner. As they were cooking, we settled in and got aquainted with our sorroundings. Don Santos lives in a very simple cinder block house with two very simple rooms just on the edge of an orange tree plantation. He does not have electricity or running water. Instead, he uses one kerosine candle, flashlights, and has a murky water well. It became very clear that the week was going to be simple. Nonetheless, we were there and safe.
After dinner, Dalilia told us that their 93 year old grandmother had been very sick, so we were going to all go visit her. We walked through the small town to the house where their grandmother was staying. It was a nice walk, and as we strolled through the town, Dalilia and Nolvia pointed out houses of relatives, their old school, the very small quaint church they had attended, and other points of intrest. I think they are related to about 75% of the town!
When we arrived, it was clear that their grandmother was indeed very sick. She was breathing very heavily and couldn’t make out any words. It was so heart warming to see Dalilia take the supportive lead of the family as she patiently sat with her grandmother and held her hand for nearly 30 minutes. I also couldn’t help but smile when Rosita, the youngest, walked into the room and so honestly asked, “Que pasó?” (What happened?) Beth is a nurse, so Dalilia asked her to take a look at her. Beth later told me, “Sara, she is very sick. It is just a matter of time.”
After our visit, we walked home as the town fell into nearly complete darkness due to the lack of electricity. When we got home we sat under a clear sky full of stars and joked and chatted before going to bed at 8pm. (Sidenote: When you do not have light, there really is not much to do other than sleep at night. During the week, our bedtime usually ranged from 7:30pm to 8:30pm, expect for New Year’s eve when we pushed ourselves to 10:30!) At this point, I thought our vacation was just going to be a simple vacation of visiting family and passing time. I was not quite right.
At 5am, the next morning, we were all awoken by a pounding on the front door. It was one of their cousins who had come to tell us that thier grandmother had passed away in the night. Immediately, everyone jumped out of bed. There were was a lot of commotion of what to do next. But, again, Dalilia took the lead and said, Nolvia and I will go the the house, Beth or I should go with them, and the other should stay behind to watch the younger kids. I decided again to trust what seemed to be right and followed her lead. I chose to stay behind and Beth went with them.
Beth told me that when they arrived at the house, the girls again acted so maturely and beautifully as they paid their respects but then began to help prepare the body for viewing. In Honduras, funerals are done in the home and the family prepares everything. Within hours, their one room, mud house was turned into a simple, yet delicately decorated funeral parlor. The girls used their own shampoo to clean the body, and Nolvia gave her rosary for her grandmother to hold. Then, for the next 24 hours, family members and friends gathered in the house to pray, cry, and join together in celebration of their mother/grandmother’s life.
It was a beautiful expereince to witness, but an exhausting and emotional one. My heart broke a little bit as I saw the girls sob at the thought of losing their grandmother and the younger kids cry in unison because that seemed like the appropriate thing to do. I tried to comfort them as much as I could by offering a hug or supporting pat on the back, but it seemed so insufficient.
After the 24 hour vigil, it is then customary to have a novena after the death of a loved one. So, in the days following, we spent our days sitting, spending time together, cooking, washing laundry, and then in the afternoons we went back to the house to pray together. Again, I was so amazed by the dedication, respect, and love that especially Dalilia and Nolvia showed continuously. It was so touching.
At one point I mentioned to Nolvia, “I am really glad we were able to come here when we did. I am happy you go to see your grandmother before she passed away.” She said, “Yes, I think she was waiting for us.” And, I couldn’t help but think that was the case. So, again, I noticed a trust in myself that though the vacation was very uncertain up until we arrived at Don Santos’ house I think God had it planned all along.
As if the week hadn’t provided enough excitment already, another big surprise came on New Year’s eve. Remember how we had originally wanted to get ahold of their mother, Marlen, but couldn’t? Well, as we were eating a traditional, Honduran New Year’s eve meal of chicken sandwiches and Coke, a neighbor came running over to the house shouting that Marlen was on their phone. (Often in Hondruas, people will give out the number of their neighbor as their own.) The house was filled with screams of excitment and immediately the girls ran over to talk to their mother. Apparently, Marlen did not sell her phone. It had been stolen from her. Someone from where we were staying, who knew her, called her to inform her to that the kids were in town. So, she decided last minute that she was going to come visit as well! How crazy is that? We found her without even really trying. Now, I know there are many explainatinos of how this all came together, but it seemed that a little bit more was at work here as well. Yet again, I was reminded that I had failed to trust in God that things would come together but they did anyway.
I could write so much more about some pretty amazing expereinces that happened throughout our week with this beautiful family. I could also tell you about more challenges and many doubts I had in both myself and what we were doing. And, maybe I am being a little bit dramatic about the week we shared. But after having some time to reflect on it, I think there were quite a few things that God wanted me to take from our week there. While there, I got to know all 5 of these amazing kids a little better, witnessed the existence of a deep family love despite family brokeness, expereinced my first Honduran funeral, gained an appreciation for the hard work it is to be a parent, and, for the first time, thought of the Finca as my home. Ultimately, though, I was reminded that I should not lose trust in God’s daily plan for us. There are so many times when life is so uncertain and unclear, yet there is a plan. We just have to recognize that we aren’t always in control of it.
My most recent lesson here in Honduras has been a lesson of trust in God. Maybe it is because of my challenges of Spanish or that I still have so much to learn about how things work here, but I often am presented with situations that leave me thinking, “How is that ever going to happen?” Things such as directions, plans, or legal processes are usually, if not always, very vauge. So, when I was asked to plan and go on a vacation with one of our families of children along with Beth, a fellow first year volunteer, with very little direction, I was once again nervous and skeptical it would work out well.
We were to take Nolvia (13), Maria (7), Darwin (6), and Rosita (4) to Sonaguerra to meet their oldest sister Dalilia (15), who had been working in La Ceiba during the winter break from school. This seems like a simple task, but you must remember we did not have a cell phone, we had given a general time of when we would leave Trujillo, she had given us a round about time when she would leave La Ceiba, but nothing certain. Not so easy. Once we met, we were then going to get on another bus together and travel to small town about 30 minutes from Sonaguerra to stay with a father figure they had in their lives before the Finca. Oh, I should mention that we were originally going to stay with thier mother, Marlen, but we had been unable to reach her because apparently she had sold her cell phone. I think you might be getting the picture of why I was a little worried about how this was all going to come together.
After a pretty tricky 3 hour trip on a bumpy, dusty, dirt road (because the paved road has been out of commision for the past couple of months due to a bridge that washed out), we arrived in Sonaguerra with 4 tired, thirsty, and hungry children. We immediately went to the Catholic Church in the center of town where we were hopefully to meet Dalilia. Sadly, she wasn’t there. Nolvia and myself went to find some water and a snack for everyone else while Beth entertained the younger kids in the church. I was hoping and praying that Dalilia would be at the church by the time we returned, but she wasn’t.
There was a lady who was cleaning the church who so kindly walked over to us to inquire what we were doing. I can imagine that two white women with four Honduran children and a bunch of bags did look pretty peculiar. We explained we were waiting to meet their older sister there but we hadn’t yet found her. She said she hadn’t seen anyone by Dalilia’s description but that she would let us use her phone to try to find her or see if when she had left. As I was frantically calling anyone I thought might be able to help us, low and behold, Dalilia walked around the corner and into the church! This was my first lesson to not doubt God.
We then got on the bus and headed to Don Santos’ house, their father that we were going to be staying with. We arrived with no problems and the oldest girls got to work right away to make us dinner. As they were cooking, we settled in and got aquainted with our sorroundings. Don Santos lives in a very simple cinder block house with two very simple rooms just on the edge of an orange tree plantation. He does not have electricity or running water. Instead, he uses one kerosine candle, flashlights, and has a murky water well. It became very clear that the week was going to be simple. Nonetheless, we were there and safe.
After dinner, Dalilia told us that their 93 year old grandmother had been very sick, so we were going to all go visit her. We walked through the small town to the house where their grandmother was staying. It was a nice walk, and as we strolled through the town, Dalilia and Nolvia pointed out houses of relatives, their old school, the very small quaint church they had attended, and other points of intrest. I think they are related to about 75% of the town!
When we arrived, it was clear that their grandmother was indeed very sick. She was breathing very heavily and couldn’t make out any words. It was so heart warming to see Dalilia take the supportive lead of the family as she patiently sat with her grandmother and held her hand for nearly 30 minutes. I also couldn’t help but smile when Rosita, the youngest, walked into the room and so honestly asked, “Que pasó?” (What happened?) Beth is a nurse, so Dalilia asked her to take a look at her. Beth later told me, “Sara, she is very sick. It is just a matter of time.”
After our visit, we walked home as the town fell into nearly complete darkness due to the lack of electricity. When we got home we sat under a clear sky full of stars and joked and chatted before going to bed at 8pm. (Sidenote: When you do not have light, there really is not much to do other than sleep at night. During the week, our bedtime usually ranged from 7:30pm to 8:30pm, expect for New Year’s eve when we pushed ourselves to 10:30!) At this point, I thought our vacation was just going to be a simple vacation of visiting family and passing time. I was not quite right.
At 5am, the next morning, we were all awoken by a pounding on the front door. It was one of their cousins who had come to tell us that thier grandmother had passed away in the night. Immediately, everyone jumped out of bed. There were was a lot of commotion of what to do next. But, again, Dalilia took the lead and said, Nolvia and I will go the the house, Beth or I should go with them, and the other should stay behind to watch the younger kids. I decided again to trust what seemed to be right and followed her lead. I chose to stay behind and Beth went with them.
Beth told me that when they arrived at the house, the girls again acted so maturely and beautifully as they paid their respects but then began to help prepare the body for viewing. In Honduras, funerals are done in the home and the family prepares everything. Within hours, their one room, mud house was turned into a simple, yet delicately decorated funeral parlor. The girls used their own shampoo to clean the body, and Nolvia gave her rosary for her grandmother to hold. Then, for the next 24 hours, family members and friends gathered in the house to pray, cry, and join together in celebration of their mother/grandmother’s life.
It was a beautiful expereince to witness, but an exhausting and emotional one. My heart broke a little bit as I saw the girls sob at the thought of losing their grandmother and the younger kids cry in unison because that seemed like the appropriate thing to do. I tried to comfort them as much as I could by offering a hug or supporting pat on the back, but it seemed so insufficient.
After the 24 hour vigil, it is then customary to have a novena after the death of a loved one. So, in the days following, we spent our days sitting, spending time together, cooking, washing laundry, and then in the afternoons we went back to the house to pray together. Again, I was so amazed by the dedication, respect, and love that especially Dalilia and Nolvia showed continuously. It was so touching.
At one point I mentioned to Nolvia, “I am really glad we were able to come here when we did. I am happy you go to see your grandmother before she passed away.” She said, “Yes, I think she was waiting for us.” And, I couldn’t help but think that was the case. So, again, I noticed a trust in myself that though the vacation was very uncertain up until we arrived at Don Santos’ house I think God had it planned all along.
As if the week hadn’t provided enough excitment already, another big surprise came on New Year’s eve. Remember how we had originally wanted to get ahold of their mother, Marlen, but couldn’t? Well, as we were eating a traditional, Honduran New Year’s eve meal of chicken sandwiches and Coke, a neighbor came running over to the house shouting that Marlen was on their phone. (Often in Hondruas, people will give out the number of their neighbor as their own.) The house was filled with screams of excitment and immediately the girls ran over to talk to their mother. Apparently, Marlen did not sell her phone. It had been stolen from her. Someone from where we were staying, who knew her, called her to inform her to that the kids were in town. So, she decided last minute that she was going to come visit as well! How crazy is that? We found her without even really trying. Now, I know there are many explainatinos of how this all came together, but it seemed that a little bit more was at work here as well. Yet again, I was reminded that I had failed to trust in God that things would come together but they did anyway.
I could write so much more about some pretty amazing expereinces that happened throughout our week with this beautiful family. I could also tell you about more challenges and many doubts I had in both myself and what we were doing. And, maybe I am being a little bit dramatic about the week we shared. But after having some time to reflect on it, I think there were quite a few things that God wanted me to take from our week there. While there, I got to know all 5 of these amazing kids a little better, witnessed the existence of a deep family love despite family brokeness, expereinced my first Honduran funeral, gained an appreciation for the hard work it is to be a parent, and, for the first time, thought of the Finca as my home. Ultimately, though, I was reminded that I should not lose trust in God’s daily plan for us. There are so many times when life is so uncertain and unclear, yet there is a plan. We just have to recognize that we aren’t always in control of it.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Feliz Navidad!
¡Feliz Navidad a todos! I hope that this entry finds you full of the Christmas spirit and with warm hearts of love and gratitude. As I write this, the day after Christmas, I find myself reflecting on the beauty of Christmas here at the Finca. This was my first Christmas away from home, and, to be honest, I must admit I was dreading being away from all my family traditions and home this year. Very few things signified Christmas to me as I know it. A few weeks ago, I mentioned to Liz, our sub-director, that I was having a hard time recognizing it was Christmas time. She agreed that Christmas has a very different feel here but that there are in fact signs that Christmas is on its way, you just have to realize they are different. I decided to wait and see.
On the 16th of December, we started “Posadas.” I am sure some of you are familiar with the tradition. Here at the Finca, Posadas take place for several nights leading up to Noche Buena (Christmas Eve). All of the Finca and several of our Finca neighbors gather together and walk from house to house looking for “room in the inn” or “posada,” just as Mary and Joseph did. At each house, we sang a song back and forth between us looking for posada and those in the houses. I could not help but smile when, after being denied at the first couple of houses, all the kids groaned in disappointment. Thankfully, every night, at the last house, we were allowed to pass and then shared in prayer, reflection, and song.
While traveling from house to house, we caroled underneath the stars. I was touched at how beautiful it was that we all gathered together, young and old, to remember the probably very difficult and frustrating journey Mary and Joseph endured. As I took time to look up at the stars on our walks between houses, I often found myself asking, “I wonder what it was really like for them?” This is a question I had never asked myself before. While I have always been aware of the time of advent and preparing myself for the coming of Jesus, I have never considered the journey of Mary and Joseph as concretely as I did here. And then I thought, this must be what Liz was talking about, Christmas is almost here.
On Christmas Eve, it became very clear that, though we have warm weather and nearly all the cultural traditions are very different (including the fact that Santa Claus comes on the evening of the 23rd and not the 24th!), Christmas had arrived. As a Finca community, we gathered together early in the morning at all of our fogons (aka - wood burning stoves) to prepare the traditional meal of tamales and chicken sandwiches. It was beautiful to see everyone offering a helping hand and coming together as a community.
Christmas most clearly arrived for me at Christmas Eve mass. As I entered our small chapel and sat down to pray before mass, a calming sense came over me as I took in the beauty that surrounded me. I found great joy in seeing the faces of our children, houseparents, tias, volunteers, sisters, and neighbors all gathered together to celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus. It was beauty in its most simple form and I was so grateful to be a part of it.
So, though I think there was still a part of all of us that missed being with our families on Christmas, the Christmas Spirit filled our hearts here at the Finca. Yes, all the Christmas signs were different, but just as Liz assured me, they are there if you open your eyes to them. Overall, it was a beautiful and blessed Christmas here at the Finca.
On the 16th of December, we started “Posadas.” I am sure some of you are familiar with the tradition. Here at the Finca, Posadas take place for several nights leading up to Noche Buena (Christmas Eve). All of the Finca and several of our Finca neighbors gather together and walk from house to house looking for “room in the inn” or “posada,” just as Mary and Joseph did. At each house, we sang a song back and forth between us looking for posada and those in the houses. I could not help but smile when, after being denied at the first couple of houses, all the kids groaned in disappointment. Thankfully, every night, at the last house, we were allowed to pass and then shared in prayer, reflection, and song.
While traveling from house to house, we caroled underneath the stars. I was touched at how beautiful it was that we all gathered together, young and old, to remember the probably very difficult and frustrating journey Mary and Joseph endured. As I took time to look up at the stars on our walks between houses, I often found myself asking, “I wonder what it was really like for them?” This is a question I had never asked myself before. While I have always been aware of the time of advent and preparing myself for the coming of Jesus, I have never considered the journey of Mary and Joseph as concretely as I did here. And then I thought, this must be what Liz was talking about, Christmas is almost here.
On Christmas Eve, it became very clear that, though we have warm weather and nearly all the cultural traditions are very different (including the fact that Santa Claus comes on the evening of the 23rd and not the 24th!), Christmas had arrived. As a Finca community, we gathered together early in the morning at all of our fogons (aka - wood burning stoves) to prepare the traditional meal of tamales and chicken sandwiches. It was beautiful to see everyone offering a helping hand and coming together as a community.
Christmas most clearly arrived for me at Christmas Eve mass. As I entered our small chapel and sat down to pray before mass, a calming sense came over me as I took in the beauty that surrounded me. I found great joy in seeing the faces of our children, houseparents, tias, volunteers, sisters, and neighbors all gathered together to celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus. It was beauty in its most simple form and I was so grateful to be a part of it.
So, though I think there was still a part of all of us that missed being with our families on Christmas, the Christmas Spirit filled our hearts here at the Finca. Yes, all the Christmas signs were different, but just as Liz assured me, they are there if you open your eyes to them. Overall, it was a beautiful and blessed Christmas here at the Finca.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
A Beautiful, Blessed Thanksgiving
Though this past Thanksgiving was not my first holiday away from home, I was not completely comfortable with idea of missing this one. I really look forward and enjoy holidays at home. With all the delicious food and quality time spent with family and friends, who wouldn’t want to go home to give thanks for all of God’s blessings?
I had heard from all the experienced volunteers that Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays to spend at the Finca. Traditionally, Thanksgiving has become our day to share a piece of our culture with our Honduran community members and neighbors. We all pitch in as a volunteer community to make a huge Thanksgiving meal with all the fixings, then invite nearly fifty people over to our house to share in food and conversation. I must say the day certainly lived up to its reputation.
My day started at 5:15 am! I headed in to Trujillo on our weekly food buying trip in the hopes of calling home. Lucky for me, I was able to get a fairly good connection home and talk to Mom, Dad, and Derek! It was so wonderful to hear their voices and got my holiday off to a solid start. Then, Annie, Theresa, Nate, (some of my fellow volunteers) and myself did a four-mile “Turkey Trot” back to the Finca. This was my first-ever Turkey Trot and one of the longer runs I’ve had since being here, so this was exciting for me. We arrived back to the Finca just in time to play in the annual Finca Futbol Americano game. Now for those of you who know my athletic skills well, know that playing football is not my forte. However, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. We turned our soccer field into a football field, all the kids and house parents surrounded around to watch, we all got in on the action, and there was a friendly level of competition. My team lost 21 to 14, but we all agreed it was a good game. After the game, it was time to get serious in putting the finishing touches on our feast. My contribution to the meal was helping make the gravy, one of my favorite parts of the meal! I was amazed at how well the meal came together. Everyone really put forth their best effort and it showed come meal time. I think the most touching part of the day was when we said grace befor the meal. We all gathered in the Sala (our shared community space). This room is rather big for 15-20 people. However, when you add 30-40 more people, things get a little crowded. Yet, we all joined hands and people shared what they were thankful for. I am not sure our Honduran friends really understand the significance of Thanksgiving, but it was beautiful to see some of them joining in and giving thanks for blessings in their lives.
After the blessing, we got serious about eating our delightful meal! It was so good. And it tasted just as it would have if we were back at home, not in 75 degree weather, looking out on the Caribbean Sea! Before Thanksgiving, we had taken a volunteer poll to see what our favorite Thanksgiving dish was. Hands down, stuffing won. So, it was very ironic that if you were to poll our Hounduran guests, you would have found that stuffing is their least favorite dish. It was funny to see all the food on their plates gone, except for a mound of stuffing on nearly every plate! I guess our taste buds are just another cultural differece among us.
The whole day was simply beautiful. Perhaps somewhat selfishly, I really tried to make Thanksgiving feel like a holiday by just really taking in all that was familiar to me about the day. Of course the surroundings and people were all different from what I am familiar with, but it was apparent beyond the delicious tradtional meal that we do have so many blessings here. We have an amazing community, very giving neighbors and community members, and a shared mission that is doing its very best to bring love and peace to the lives of our children. At the end of the day, I couldn’t help but notice I felt very contented. My transtion here at the Finca has not been an easy one, and I know there are many more challenges to come. But, the “full” feeling I had at the end of the day on Thanksgiving, and I am not just referring to my physical fullness of turkey, stuffing, and pie, was an encouragement that the Finca is where I am suppose to be right now. I am not sure if that feeling was just me taking one more step in feeling more at home here or maybe a little piece of grace from up above or maybe both, but it is a feeling I am very grateful for this holiday season.
I hope Thanksgiving was just as beautiful for you all. I hope your day was blessed with yummy food, football games, good conversation, and a time to reflect on all the good you have in your lives. Not to get to sappy here, but also know that this Thanksgiving, in a speacial way, I was thankful for all of you and your generous love and support that you have shown me and our children here at the Finca. It has been a beautiful blessing in my life this year. Thank you. And...Happy Holidays!
I had heard from all the experienced volunteers that Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays to spend at the Finca. Traditionally, Thanksgiving has become our day to share a piece of our culture with our Honduran community members and neighbors. We all pitch in as a volunteer community to make a huge Thanksgiving meal with all the fixings, then invite nearly fifty people over to our house to share in food and conversation. I must say the day certainly lived up to its reputation.
My day started at 5:15 am! I headed in to Trujillo on our weekly food buying trip in the hopes of calling home. Lucky for me, I was able to get a fairly good connection home and talk to Mom, Dad, and Derek! It was so wonderful to hear their voices and got my holiday off to a solid start. Then, Annie, Theresa, Nate, (some of my fellow volunteers) and myself did a four-mile “Turkey Trot” back to the Finca. This was my first-ever Turkey Trot and one of the longer runs I’ve had since being here, so this was exciting for me. We arrived back to the Finca just in time to play in the annual Finca Futbol Americano game. Now for those of you who know my athletic skills well, know that playing football is not my forte. However, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. We turned our soccer field into a football field, all the kids and house parents surrounded around to watch, we all got in on the action, and there was a friendly level of competition. My team lost 21 to 14, but we all agreed it was a good game. After the game, it was time to get serious in putting the finishing touches on our feast. My contribution to the meal was helping make the gravy, one of my favorite parts of the meal! I was amazed at how well the meal came together. Everyone really put forth their best effort and it showed come meal time. I think the most touching part of the day was when we said grace befor the meal. We all gathered in the Sala (our shared community space). This room is rather big for 15-20 people. However, when you add 30-40 more people, things get a little crowded. Yet, we all joined hands and people shared what they were thankful for. I am not sure our Honduran friends really understand the significance of Thanksgiving, but it was beautiful to see some of them joining in and giving thanks for blessings in their lives.
After the blessing, we got serious about eating our delightful meal! It was so good. And it tasted just as it would have if we were back at home, not in 75 degree weather, looking out on the Caribbean Sea! Before Thanksgiving, we had taken a volunteer poll to see what our favorite Thanksgiving dish was. Hands down, stuffing won. So, it was very ironic that if you were to poll our Hounduran guests, you would have found that stuffing is their least favorite dish. It was funny to see all the food on their plates gone, except for a mound of stuffing on nearly every plate! I guess our taste buds are just another cultural differece among us.
The whole day was simply beautiful. Perhaps somewhat selfishly, I really tried to make Thanksgiving feel like a holiday by just really taking in all that was familiar to me about the day. Of course the surroundings and people were all different from what I am familiar with, but it was apparent beyond the delicious tradtional meal that we do have so many blessings here. We have an amazing community, very giving neighbors and community members, and a shared mission that is doing its very best to bring love and peace to the lives of our children. At the end of the day, I couldn’t help but notice I felt very contented. My transtion here at the Finca has not been an easy one, and I know there are many more challenges to come. But, the “full” feeling I had at the end of the day on Thanksgiving, and I am not just referring to my physical fullness of turkey, stuffing, and pie, was an encouragement that the Finca is where I am suppose to be right now. I am not sure if that feeling was just me taking one more step in feeling more at home here or maybe a little piece of grace from up above or maybe both, but it is a feeling I am very grateful for this holiday season.
I hope Thanksgiving was just as beautiful for you all. I hope your day was blessed with yummy food, football games, good conversation, and a time to reflect on all the good you have in your lives. Not to get to sappy here, but also know that this Thanksgiving, in a speacial way, I was thankful for all of you and your generous love and support that you have shown me and our children here at the Finca. It has been a beautiful blessing in my life this year. Thank you. And...Happy Holidays!
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