After an insane sequence of events following leaving the Finca at 5am on Friday, July 7th for my month-long vacation in the United States, I finally arrived in Kansas City at about 11:45pm on July 8th! There were an incredible number of people waiting to board the ferry in La Ceiba, which the ferry regulars said it was something they had never seen before. The huge line of people was likely due to a nation-wide week off school the following week and the normal weekend traffic going back and forth between Roatan and La Ceiba for jobs and visiting family.
Regardless of the reason, our ferry left about 75 minutes late, which made Kristen and I’s chances of catching our 12:30pm flight in Roatan very slim. Any slight chance we had of getting to the airport in time quickly evaporated as we realized the ocean was INCREDIBLY rough on this Friday morning. The ferry ride took about 2 hours (about 30-45 minutes longer than normal), and it was truly one of the most horrible experiences that I have had in my 25 years of life, especially as someone who struggles from motion sickness. However, Kristen, my girlfriend who surprise visited me at the Finca for about 10 days, and I had a romantic date night in Roatan on July 7th and both made it back to our respective cities late Saturday night!
I didn’t return back to the United States last summer for my normal missionary vacation, so I am back in the US for the first time in almost two full years! I finally got to meet my two nephews that were born after I left for Honduras, who are now 17 months and almost 7 months! & of course, I have had plenty of quality time with my parents, siblings, and some of my great high school friends who are still in the area.
All of my immediate family and I, except for my sister Alyssa who couldn’t make it back from Colorado, left for a family vacation at Tablerock Lake on Sunday, July 9th, and we returned to KC on the following Saturday. These six days with my family were an AMAZING blessing for all of us! Without the normal pressures of everyday life, such as working, taking the kids to and from daycare, and the typical busyness of life, we got to spend 6 or 7 care-free days of quality time together!
It was certainly not always easy, especially as I was adjusting back to the US for the first time in two years in a setting such as a family vacation, but I thoroughly enjoyed all of our wonderful conversations and shared laughs while eating meals, enjoying the lake views from our deck, cruising around on the boat, or simply enjoying some sunshine in a cove with plenty of cold beer and a good book! I also got to spend some really amazing 1-on-1 time with Theo and Wesley, my two nephews, although 17-month Theo is definitely still warming up to his new uncle that screams and yells out of excitement all the time. Poco a poco, verdad?!
This month-long vacation in the US, and especially this week-long vacation at Tablerock Lake, has presented wonderful opportunities to rest and to reflect on my experiences during my first two years at the Finca. I have written plenty in previous blogs about the hectic yet insanely fun lifestyle that missionaries live while at the Finca, so it has certainly been a beneficial change of pace not having to get up at 4:45am on weekdays and having a lot more personal time to do things that I love. During my time at the lake, I read SO, SO much while out on the water and sitting on our deck, which is something that I just don’t have a ton of time to do during the school year at the Finca! I also took a paddleboard out on the lake for 3 hours one sunny afternoon, which I spent soaking in the amazing sunshine and praying about my first two years at the Finca, my relationship with Kristen, and my discernment for a 3rd year as a missionary at the Finca. Most people reading this blog know HOW MUCH I LOVE THE SUNSHINE!! I was an extremely happy camper to say the least.
Along the same lines, it can be difficult to genuinely pray and reflect on your experiences at the Finca while still presently at the children’s home, especially due to the crazy lifestyle during the school year! This vacation has given me MANY, MANY opportunities to reflect on why I love the Finca so dang much, why the Finca has captured my heart in such a profound way, how my life at the Finca has opened my heart to 3rd world poverty and all of the poverty around the world, what it means to love somebody with your full heart without expecting anything back in return, and so much more. I certainly look forward to reflecting on these things A LOT more because….
I am going to have a ridiculous amount of time on my hands over the next week or so. I am prone to basal cell skin cancer on my face, so I had two more basal cell spots surgically removed this week. One of the spots was right under my eye and resulted in another much more complicated surgery that took place yesterday at KU Med. That eye was stitched shut in order to allow the scar to heal as best as possible over the next week, but I am more-or-less limited to my house until next Monday. I will have almost 6 full days with PLENTY of time to rest, pray, and reflect on my experiences at the Finca, although I am bummed that I had to cancel so many fun plans with family and friends that we were going to do this coming week. Pero es la vida!
With these two basal cell spots removed this week and three more potential basal cell surgeries coming up that were biopsied yesterday, my missionary funds are quickly draining due to not great insurance and a very high deductible. It is always an intimidating task fundraising for any purpose, but the Finca is something that I am incredibly passionate about and I am heavily leaning toward staying for a 3rd year of service at the Finca.
If you would be willing to make a one-time or a monthly donation to my mission at the Finca, please visit kctothefinca.com, click the donate tab, and be sure to put my name in the “missionary name” drop-down box. Thank you for your generosity and for your help in continuing my service at the Finca!
Please pray for my continued healing from all of my skin cancer surgeries. Please also pray for relationship with Kristen, as she is coming to KC in the next few days and then we both go to Philly in about 2 weeks.
Please let me know how I can pray for you!
God Bless!