Remaining Close to Mama Mary
Come Holy Spirit, living in Mary. Help me to find the love of the Heart of Jesus hidden in the darkness.
This prayer from the book, “33 Days to Morning Glory” really struck me this week. Within this adjustment period here at the Finca there are days of really high highs and some pretty low lows as well. The Lord is continuing to show me how joy and sorry go hand in hand. Mother Mary demonstrated this to us at the foot of the cross. A deep sorrow that no one else could understand pierced her heart at the foot of the cross, but it was necessary for the abundant joy that she experienced in the resurrection. It was necessary so that we, her children, could be brought back to our Home. And I am seeing that even my lows, such as homesickness, is such a gift because it allows me to share in Jesus’ thirst. He has allowed me to see a small glimpse into the way he yearns for me the way I yearn for my home. It is difficult, but what a beautiful reminder that my true home is the one He has prepared for me in His Kingdom.
A glimpse into a piece of my great joy. There is no shortage of hugs here!
Above are some random moments that I was able to capture the past month! The first is when we first learned to make Baleadas! Baleadas are a typical Honduran breakfast food that consists of red beans, queso duro, and with avocado and eggs if you’re lucky, which is then folded in a freshly made flour tortilla. It is definitely a favorite in the missionary house.
Next, is a picture of our fogón (outdoor stove) while I was making beans for the weak. We use the fogón for beans because it is about a 4 hour process and we don’t want to use up our gas.
Continuing on, is a picture of Theresa and I spending time with some of the girls and the Tia Yeni. We had just had our hair done by Dariela, one of the girls.
Currently, they are working on a project to install running water within the Finca, so there are large trenches and we enjoy running in them to play tag and have mud fights. I truly am a child here most of the time and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Every single grade had a dance that they presented one day for school and pictured here is the 7th grade class.
Lastly, is a large iguana that some of the kids caught, and then Tia Rubi made into a soup which she so kindly shared with us missionaries. Eating an Iguana was not what I was expecting to be in my future when I decided to move to Honduras but oh the gifts of the Lord come in funny and delicious forms!
Nursing Life!
Pictured here is Fatima, my co-nurse, and Christian, our motorista, with two kiddos and Tia Yeni in the backseat. We were on our way to Tegucigalpa, roughly 9 hours away, for some medical appointments for the girls.
Learning my role here has been overwhelming, but every day gets easier. Clinic days (Monday morning and Thursday afternoon) are pretty hectic with the Finca kiddos or staff coming in as well as outside communities.
Apart from clinic days, I have the freedom to do things that need to be done in the clinic, as well as just being a missionary. This looks like being present with the people such as cooking with a Tia, taking some kids to the beach if they don’t have school, or chatting with the security guards. Once I was able to instill this balance between nurse and missionary, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Nurse burnout is very prominent here because there is always work to be done and often a sick child that needs to be tended to. Because of this, “poco a poco” has been a motto that has helped me greatly. It means “little by little”. I learned pretty quickly that there will never be an end to the work that needs to get done. This was quite overwhelming because I had the mentality that I had to finish everything and learn everything about the Finca before I could enjoy the people in front of me. However, I have learned that this is not the case; I can only take it day by day and love the person in front of me at all times, regardless of what needs to be done because that is my true mission.
All Saint’s Day
Here, we don’t celebrate Halloween but we still dress up! On All Saint’s Day, at 3:30 pm everyone in the Finca gathered in the church for a Communion service, but dressed up as a Saint. After the service, we processed singing and saying a rosary to every house where the kids recited which Saint they were, the year they were born, the year they died, and what they are known for. I was Saint Mary Magdalene and Theresa was Saint Jacinta. The trick-or-treating aspect of the evening was that every house prepared a different “merienda” or “snack”. The snacks consisted of guineos fritos (fried green bananas with sugar), banana bread, chocolate-covered frozen bananas, honey-soaked pumpkin, and more!
Thank you for reading my blog this month! I thank you all for your prayers and support of my mission. I will be continuing to pray for you as well! God Bless!
