While re-reading my blog from this time last year explaining why I felt called to stay a second year at the Finca, I realized that the majority of those reasons still hold true today. After a week of rest and reflection this summer due to surgeries, a discernment retreat in early September, and a whole lot of individual and communal prayer, I HAVE DECIDED TO STAY A THIRD YEAR AT THE FINCA!!
AHHHHH, I AM SO, SO, SO, SO EXCITED!!! This children’s home in rural Honduras continues to hold such a large part of my heart and continues to challenge me every day to be vulnerable, grow outside of my comfort zone, and to simply love the person in front of me, whether that be Natalie or Kenna, the children and teachers in our school, our Lics (our director, social worker, and psychologist), our security guards, our maintenance staff, the individuals that live in the nearby communities, our religious sisters that live onsite with us, our beloved Finca children, or our tías that care for our children.
Unless you have seen and personally experienced the Finca life, it is a touch challenging to explain how incredibly special this place is. When Luke and I visited another children’s home in western Honduras during our in-country vacation last December, I was reminded of just how unique and special the Finca is! The other children’s home has a similar model to the Finca, was founded by a former Finca missionary, and does incredible work for so many kids, but they have over 150 children under their care. On the other hand, the Finca ranges between 18 and 22 kids living within our fence, and it is hard to explain how important that low number of children is to our family unit model. The kids’ houses at the Finca, which ranges from 2 to 5 kids depending on age and gender, legitimately feel like a family, and all of the people living within our Finca fence legitimately feels like one, big family!
I am so incredibly blessed to feel called to stay another year at the Finca and to continue to grow relationships with all of the people that I love SO, SO much in this beautiful country! I am excited to spend another Christmas and New Years with my Finca family and to share in those lifelong memories. I am thrilled to continue going to the beach 2 or 3 times every week with our boys from Casas 2 and 3, as well as play in the random soccer games that break out every Tuesday and Thursday afternoons after rosary and holy hour. I am excited to deepen my relationships with our security guards and maintenance staff that work at the Finca by cherishing our time together at the portón or elsewhere around the Finca. I am excited to further my relationships with our religious sisters and our Lics, especially as my Spanish continues to improve every day.
I am thrilled to spend amazing times with our girls from Casas 4 and 6 at kid video every three weeks, as well as our random games of tag around the kitchen table and our interesting conversations at their outdoor pila that ultimately returns to Kristen and I’s relationship and their pure amazement at the fact that I have a girlfriend. I am excited to spend time with our teenage girls in Casa 5 at their outdoor hammock or at their pila as they wash clothes, especially digging deep into the latest crushes at our Finca school and about the latest movie they watched last Friday afternoon during their weekly movie time. I am also extremely excited to continue teaching in our Finca school and to have the opportunity to deepen my relationships with our teachers and kids from the outside communities.
I am so excited to meet our new missionaries that come to the Finca in 2 days, knowing that we will have SO, SO many memories and laughs over the next year and that lifelong friendships will hopefully be formed! Although we come to the Finca to serve our children and others that work here or live nearby, your missionary community is such an incredibly important part of your Finca experience! We eat together almost every lunch and dinner, play together almost every day in the campo or at the beach, pray together daily, work together in the school and clinic all morning or afternoon long, and share SO, SO many laughs along our Finca journey. It isn’t always the easiest thing to live in intentional community, but it is ALWAYS worth it!
Natalie, Kenna, and I have formed INCREDIBLE friendships over our past year together, and I love those two girls SO, SO, SO much! Natalie and Kenna have both discerned to leave the Finca to return to the US in early December, and I am going to miss them so much at the Finca next year! I have been very blessed to live with two AMAZING missionary communities at the Finca that have resulted in lifelong friendships, including my girlfriend of just over 10 months, Kristen, and one of my best friends in the world, Luke. Natalie, Kenna, and I have shared so many amazing moments, laughs, and a few hardships along our journey at the Finca together, and I will be forever grateful for the year that we have spent together!
All in all, I am incredibly excited to form a new thriving missionary community with our incoming missionaries and to love and help one another on this amazing, yet sometimes difficult journey at the Finca. I have decided to stay at least a third year at the Finca, AND I LITERALLY AM SO EXCITED!
Please pray for Natalie and Kenna as they enjoy their last two months at the Finca and transition back to the US.
Please also pray for our incoming missionaries that arrive on the 16th, which includes the Looby family and Chloe!
Please let me know how I can pray for you!
God Bless!