Abril Mayo Junio y Julio

This month started with the Bendicion of 4th year med student Nick! Such a huge help in our clinic and was my assistant when Ashley left on vacation. Semana Santa was beautiful as always though I didn´t get to participate in everything as I got pretty sick for 3 days!

I also did my first solo trip to Ceiba (about 3 hour drive) with two other adults and 4 kids in the back of the busito (Toyota Land Cruiser ...stick shift... fitting up to 25 people). I am pretty proud of that...conquering one fear at a time people!

This month also brought on some crazy and severe emergencies that I will probably remember for the rest of my life (stitches, gunshot wounds, drownings, etc.)! Rural Honduras can be a scary place at times.

In May Ashley returned from vacation and I left for the states. With in the First 24 hours Avery, mi ahijada (God child) made her first communion and Randi (my beloved cousin) gave birth to her first beautiful child!!! I told Randi, Mary Jane and I have this specially connection. She knew I was home and just couldn´t wait any longer!!! Jesse also came home for ¨Forever¨ as the nieces say. So we had a big thanksgiving celebration for him even on Armed Forces Day...how appropriate! I spent some time at the cabin, ate really good food, saw lots of friends, what more could I have asked for?!?!

By June 1str I was back at the Farm again.Well not quite. The Christ the King brigade from Little Rock, AR arrived and 10 of us missionaries helped translate for them. Last year as well as this year was a great time. I was able to see all kinds of different medical cases as well as help. It was satisfying to see some of the Clinics patients receive care that they have need for years...tumors removed...chronic meds were straightened out...beautiful. June also finished out the half way mark in the school calendar, wa-hoo! Again I love my students but I have such a great appreciation for those who teach as a profession...THANK YOU!!

This month Tami one of my closest and dearest friends, missionary at the Farm, and community member went back home early to start teaching at her home town Catholic school! We all miss her! Seven of our newest children will be baptised this month as well. So they are busy preparing and plans are being made so their Godparents can travel from far away distances to be here!

Thank you to all of those who read my spotty blogging and to all who are supporting the Finca and myself and all the other missionaries in all forms but especially prayer! Con mucho cariño y amor,
Deirdre

Marzo

Things are starting to settle down as Samana Santa, Holy Week, is fast apporaching. I had a wonderful time with my parents and their visit to Honduras. They were able to make eggs and BACON, a rarety a.k.a. we've never had it since I have been at the Farm, tried out the new lawn mower, met the new community of missionaries and relaxed by the water. Then we spent some time with my favorite Honduran teenagers in Ceiba and had dinner with my two extended siblings (Mary Kate and Nils, the encargados of the teens). After a pretty upsetting ride over the ocean we arrived in Roatan-the final destination-and made home there for the next few days! I got some sun!

The next week Dr. Nei (the dentist) and his wife came to do check ups and work on all of the children's teeth. The are a great couple from MN of course, where else?! I have enjoyed working with them for the last two years and they have enjoyed coming to the Farm over the last 7 YEARS! Thank you John and Barb!

We also had a Doc from TX who visits us every year to do a bit of training and see patients while he is helping in a brigade not too far from us. So this month we have had lots of extra hands in the Clinic. This week were final exams so Ashley and I have completed one quarter of teaching wa-hoo! I really do enjoy it and have such a greater appreciation for teachers! Thank you to all those who are teachers in all their forms!!

One thing I have really enjoyed and look forward to every night now is reading, hahaha. It sounds goofy I am sure but hear me out. My roommates and I have been reading Redeeming Love (excellent book by the way, you should read it, i won't give anything away!!!) every night before we go to bed. We take turns reading and interject when needed, predict what will happen in the next chapter, etc. It's like watching a sitcome or your favorite movie. The other night we said...people would never do this in the states! Hahaha! It is so simple but really beautiful at the same time-you'll just have to read it for yourself!

Some upcoming excitements: There is a 4th year med student who will be working with us in the clinic and Ashley and I are very excited. I will be returning home for vacation in May to be there for my niece's 1st Communion!!! As well as hopefully seeing new baby Klobe (Randi and John's first baby due beginning of June)!!

I pray Holy Week is a time for you all to reflect and remember and refocus. May it be fruitful!
Much Love,
Deirdre

Por Fin!

Wow! Almost 6 months since my last entry, I am really sorry about that. Well, where to begin?

September: Our retreat in Bonito was wonderful. It prepared us well to welcome 8 new missionaries to the Farm.

October: New missionaries arrived, and in that group and new nurse!! Ashley has been a huge help to me in the clinic. Finally having someone to talk to during the day in the office I think I may have made her believe I never stop talking, oops! We have found a good balance and work really well together.

November: I was able to unexpectedly be in Ceiba for a week over Thanksgiving with one of our kids for 

health reasons. It was really beautiful to spend Thanksgiving with 9 teenagers who had never celebrated the holiday and 2 other missionaries. We (one of the kids and I) cooked all day while the other kids worked and Nils and Mary Kate ran around town doing their chores. We went to 7pm mass and eat dinner after everyone (standing in a circle) had said one thing they were thankful for. It was hard to understand this holiday was something they had no idea about. They all really enjoyed it and to my surprise took it pretty serious. This day definitely made it to my Top 10 Memories of the Finca list! Another was when one of our youth fell and cut his leg and needed stitches. After this experience we will remember the other forever.

December: Posadas ending with a bang this year as the missionary house did a live reenactment with Mary and Joseph, the Three Kings (I was one!), the shepherds, shining star, etc. We went to each house by candle light gathering those inside and continued our walk until everyone was gathered outside our house. It was tan bonito, very beautiful! Another Top 10 Memories of the Finca addition.

January: A good friend from Camp, Jackie, came to visit! We had fun eating at T-bay, walking the beach, spending the day in Ceiba, and just enjoying the simplicity of everyday life here at the Farm. This month marked the beginning of the school year…yes, this year I am also teaching! I will be teaching health in colegio (7,8,9 grades) as well as 1^st and 2^nd grade, quite the difference. I am learning teacher really have their work cut out for them, so thank the teachers in your life! We also had three broken bones and two falls out of trees…we are reinforcing the already present no-climbing-trees rule I can assure you!

February will bring my parents for a visit to the Farm and to the Islands! It must be the month of parents because two other missionaries also have their parents to come and visit. I hope all is well with every one of you, many blessings and prayers from Honduras!

Les Quiero Mucho, Deirdre Ann

Pretty Darn Quick

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 1^st 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 31^st 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

Excitement at the Farm:

The day I came back from the States we had a tropical storm-it rained for two days! Rainy season is on the way which also means: cooler weather, (yeah!) and more sanqudos or mosquitoes.

I brought back glittered heart shaped clips for house 1 and 2 girls, it was only a matter of hours before they had regular-ed them (gave them away) to other vols and their friends!

9^th graders Nolvia and Nelly just started geometry and trigonometry which makes me excited to go to study hour with them. And 1^st graders are becoming more proficient in their English and often respond in English in interesting ways. This Thursday and Friday I will be teaching 3^rd and 4^th grade, not health classes but ALL day! Good thing one is a cultural celebration and the other day is character appreciation day.

We have a pet tarantula that lives in the bathroom above the shower where the wall and ceiling meet. He/she never comes down much or out at all which is great. Except that my room is on the other side of that divide!  Also on the subject of creatures remember to always bring a flashlight with you to the bathroom in the middle of the night; you never know what will be there-RAT!! No more scorpions to report of.

New volunteers/missionaries will be here in one month!!! WELCOME TO THE FARM NEWBIES!!! We will have a weeklong retreat in two weeks to prepare for our new community, so please pray for us all.

Love you and miss you all!

24 Things I am (was)Grateful for on My 24th Golden Birthday!

1.       My Family and Friends and those in between

2.       “Strict” Parents

3.       The strong presence Kelsey still has in my Family

4.       My College experience at St. Scholastica

5.       Farm of the Child; Finca del Nino

6.       Trujillo, Colon, Honduras, Central America

7.       All the People I have ever shared some type of living quarters with

8.       My Camp Girls!

9.       My Travel Buddy-MK

10.   Being part of people’s life: Randi’s wedding

11.   Avocados, Mangos, Baleadas, Liquados, Tostados

12.   Berries, all types, milk, red peppers, Ranch Dressing!!!

13.   Funny stories about our Kids

14.   The idiosyncrasies of Honduras that make us say, “That’s Hondu for you!”

15.   Swimming in the Ocean is like taking a bath ANY time of the year

16.   My Special Friends, and my Dorfa, who calls me her preferida (her preferred!)

17.   Teachers! After teaching a couple classes I love what they do and am glad it is not me every day!

18.   My fun experiences as a “nurse” including machetes, babies, and worms.

19.   Modern conveniences: fan, aloof, electric heater (for tea), cold drinks on a hot day.

20.   Cake mix , mixed with water for a snack

21.   Rainy day conversations and candle lit dinners with the whole community.

22.   Inside jokes, “Fatima died Amanda!”

23.   The opportunity to live and serve in another country with so many amazing people!

24.   That every day I can see hear and feel the greatness of God and his creation!

Days of June

1: Emily, the student nurse, arrived in La Ceiba. Luckily her bus was late because mine broke down on the side of the road somewhere between Trujillo and Tocoa.

2: Took Emily for an adventure in La Ceiba buying the kids medications at several different pharmacies.

5: Brigades started. SChool was canceled and 10 Finca vols headed to the Cristofer Columbus Hotel to start the week off.

6: I headed to the hospital to translate and meet some really cool people.

7: Today the OR and the front desk fought over me for their translator.

8: Spent my thrird day with Dr. Cashman, ENT, and think I have it down pretty well.

9: MK and I discovered the towering Strawberry smoothies at the hotel!

10: Assisted with a Perferated Tympanic Membrane repair (whole in the ear), first ever Dr. Cashman had done WITHOUT anethsia in a clinic room vs. The OR, pretty sweet!

12: Alisha and MK lead Family day activity and we did a mini Camino de Santiago, a very popular and well know walk-hick across Spain. I want to do the really one now, it i son my list!

13: Ismary, our director, had bread made a blessed for all the houses on the Finca. Today is the feast day of San Antonio, part of his misión was to bake bread and feed the poor.

14: Today a gorobo, or lizard fell from the ceiling in the clinic. Yes that is right. In fact it even climbed back up, so Emily and I took empty med bottles and threw them up at him to get him to leave!

17: Sheena and Emily and I ran errands all over Trujillo for hours fort he Quinceañera of the Finca. At one point Emily was in the back of truck sitting on a giant pot of cooked beans singin in the rain!

18: Quinceañera of the Finca

20: 18yo went into labor. Nils, Emily and I took them to the hospital. She ended up need to have her second C-section but we were unable to stay and see how it all turned out.

21: Hicked up to Buena Visita to visit the 5yo boy who had a hip reduction during the brigades and was now in a full body cast. He is doing GREAT given the conditions his family lives in! Dr. Chris and orthopedic nurse Katie, from a construction brigada at the Finca, join us and had a wonderful time too!

23: Emily and Nils and I were able to visit the baby and mom in the hospital who were going home the same day. She didn´t have a name for the 5lb-er yet but she was super cute!

25: Hung out with house 6 the oldest girls and gave them all a manicure.

27: First time I check my email in over 2 weeks 97 emails!

28: Did a home visit to check on mom and baby at home!

29: Went to La Ceiba to drop off Emily, Dalila, one of our adolecents, told me my scrubs were super ugly and she would not want to be seen with me!

30: To end the month off, Betsy, Amanda, Alisha and I all went to Cayos Cuchinos for a day of snorkling, SUPER fun!