August brought me home unexpectedly. Jesse was told he would be deployed to Kuwait and Grandma was still fighting her way through her stroke. My two weeks we packed with visiting family and Friends and essentially saying goodbyes or c-ya later’s. I am happy that I did make it home and was able to spend the night with my dad and grandma caring for her even if it was only one night.
Time never stops, not even in Honduras! August flew by and before I knew Jesse’s birthday September 1st was here! September for Central America is a very important month. There is Dia de la Bandera, Flag Day; Dia de Independencia, Independence Day; Dia del Nino, Day of the Child; and It is the month of the Bible! The month is celebrated with many desfilas, or parades, which the kids got out of the last 45minutes of class everyday for two weeks to practice, marching around our little loop. This year we had another school from Trujillo come—they had a marching band, we don’t—as well as the mayor of Trujillo among our special guest! It was a kinda a big deal :D
I also had a trip to San Pedro Zula with one of our kiddos for a special consult, which made me feel like I was in several scary movies that Lily (another volunteer) and I joked about—The Ring, Casper the Friendly Ghost, and Sleepers—to name a few, eek! But we made it safely home to the Farm in quite Trujillo with an even deeper appreciation of the Farm.
There was also much planning and preparing (house cleaning day and switching of roommates) for the new missionaries who arrived on September 31st just in time for the Feast Day of St. Therese, the patron Saint of missionaries, our house Saint. All seven arrived with open eager hearts. It has been very interesting to be on the other side of the fence this year; to watch them in their awkwardness as they discover how to use the bathroom for the first time or try to speak to the kids in their broken Spanish. There are so many things I didn’t realize I too had to learn; that I didn’t arrive knowing all I do now about Honduran culture or the finca. It is an eye opening and humbling experience, two things I am always grateful for but at the same time is always hard to see.
One example: After a whole year (yes I have been here a whole year already!) I feel like I have gotten the hang of my job, which I know what is being asked of me and I generally feel like I am delivering it. But A couple weeks ago another missionary had told me about some of the complaints from some of our neighbors; it was hard not to take it personally, but I needed to hear. If the needs of our neighbors are different from what I am doing I need to know that. It was a bit uncomfortable at first but changes are being made and already I am happy with the outcomes and can tell my patients feel better attended to. God uses our weaknesses and short comings for good as well; He never ceases to surprise me that is for sure!
In this new groups comes…another…NURSE!!!! Yeah!!! I am so excited to have a companion in my job my last year. I think we will work well together and she is very excited to jump in! So please pray for her, and the others, as they are getting oriented to the Farm and their jobs, and their new lives here.
I miss you all and love you all dearly. Please continue to keeps us in your daily prayers. You are all in ours, SERIOUSLY!!!
Deij
