The Finca is an incredible gift in my life, and I am so grateful every single day to be a missionary here and live alongside some of my favorite people in the world, including our security guards, kids, tías, employees, Sores, and amazing missionary community. However, like anywhere else in this modern world, sometimes life at the Finca speeds up and becomes so busy that is difficult to take a step back and to see things from the bigger picture.
Three things have recently happened or will happen very soon that has allowed me to take a step back and to be genuinely grateful for EVERYTHING in my day at the Finca! These three things have allowed me to be sincerely grateful when my English students at the school seemingly forgot how to listen to me, when I am tired after a long day at the Finca and didn’t get a great night’s sleep, when I need to have a tough conversation with our psychologist about a child at the Finca, or when our kids are more interested in dancing on the tables during Tema instead of listening to a single word that I say. It is easy and natural to express gratitude when you see a beautiful sunset, have a great conversation with a security guard or a tía, or share so many laughs and experiences with our kids, but the following three things have enabled me to be grateful for every moment, good and bad moments alike, at the Finca!
1… Ryan, our new missionary coordinator at the Finca, arrived on May 6th to a warm welcome from our Finca community! Whenever there are new missionaries or visitors at the Finca, it is incredibly motivating and encouraging to watch them take in and enjoy the natural beauty at our children’s home along the coast of northern Honduras. Ryan LOVES going to the beach and swimming laps in the ocean during the mornings after spiritual events or perhaps in the afternoon sun if there is a calm day.
Ryan has expressed many times to our missionary community how beautiful the beach is and how lucky we are to have the ocean in our backyard, AND HE IS SO RIGHT!! THE OCEAN IS LITERALLY IN OUR BACKYARD! HOW COOL IS THAT?!?! I have been at the Finca for about 20 months now, and I sometimes just need the reminders of new missionaries and visitors of how unbelievably blessed we are to live along the beach with mountains in the near distance. My morning prayer spot is in a hammock outside of our house with a clear view of the ocean in front of me and the sunrise to my right. HOW UNBELIEVABLY LUCKY AM I?!?! Ryan’s arrival has reminded me to give thanks to God for every little thing in my surroundings because what a gift it is to be alive and to be called to live at the Finca!
2… Kenna, one of the missionaries who lives in CST with me, broke a bone in her leg close to her ankle while playing soccer during boys’ campo this past Monday, and she had to return to the US on Thursday to evaluate her medical options and possibly get surgery. Especially with quality healthcare not being available in Honduras, Kenna’s only option was to leave the place she loves SO, SO much for at least a month and perhaps as long as three months. Kenna and our entire Finca community are devasted that she had to return to the US, and we are going to miss her SO unbelievably much over the next month or two!
Kenna’s injury and subsequent return to the US for medical reasons has reminded me of how truly blessed I am to live at the Finca and to call this my home. Especially with the lack of reliable medical care in Honduras, missionaries never know when their last day at the Finca will be and if they will be forced to return to the US for a short or perhaps significant amount of time. Kenna’s return to the US has encouraged me to enjoy every single part of my daily life at the Finca, especially the tougher moments when I have a rough day in the classroom or seem to not have as much time with the Finca kids, tías, and others within our Finca community as I desire.
3… The Finca’s birthday is May 23rd, and this year the Finca is turning 27!! WOW! We have a huge party every year for the Finca anniversary, and this year we are having the anniversary party on Saturday, May 27th! All Finca kids that have aged out of the institution are invited to come back to the Finca for the party, so it will be unbelievably awesome to hear epic stories of their Finca childhoods and to spend quality time with Finca kids that have left since I have been a missionary here.
THIS PLACE MAKES ME SO, SO, SO HAPPY, and the Finca anniversary is always a good opportunity to give gratitude for all the people that make this complicated mission operate smoothly! From the Board of Directors in the United States and in Honduras to our Director, Lic Lorena, to our security guards to our Sores to our missionaries to our tías to our psychologist and social worker, the people here are what make this mission so incredibly impactful for so many of our kids! I am so incredibly blessed to live here with all of these incredible faith-filled people that are working for and serving Jesus with their entire hearts!
Please pray for Kenna as she transitions back to the US for hopefully only a month! Please pray for her peace and joy as she is not able to be at the Finca right now, which is the place that she loves SO, SO much and feels a strong calling from God to live and serve here.
Please let me know how I can pray for you!
God Bless!