How Has it Been a Month, Already?

Where even to begin??

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This past month has flown by, full of new experiences each day. It’s funny to think that many of these new experiences will become my “new normal” soon. But for now, I still marvel at the beauty and joy of each moment—and I hope that stays with me for the rest of my time here.

Sticking to the Status Quo

A large part of the past month has been adjusting to the everyday life of the Finca—which at times feels like nothing is normal here! In my first three weeks, we had several parties to celebrate our arrival, saints’ feast days, birthdays, and more. In our fourth week, an immersion group of students came from Notre Dame, and this past week we had more parties for Nate’s birthday and for All Saints’ Day. There’s always a reason to celebrate and make great food at the Finca! (Peep the Sopa Marinera and THREE birthday cakes we had for Nate's birthday)

Also this week, we were officially assigned our jobs for the year! I’ll be serving as the

English teacher for four different grade levels, librarian, tutor, and helping with a few other smaller tasks. Teaching won’t start until the new school year begins in January, so

until then, I’ll be lesson-planning and working on my other duties. My first project is to clean and reorganize the children’s library in the school—it’s quite a beast, so pray for me!

While many things here now feel familiar, I’m still transitioning into this very different life; there’s so much I don’t know yet. I’m learning how to distribute the weekly vegetable order, memorizing all the prayers for spiritual events, figuring out how to tend the fugon (fire) to cook beans, and more! At times, I’m tempted to be hard on myself for not being perfect at everything yet, but I’m also learning to give myself grace. I often say to myself, “I’m still learning”, as a reminder that it’s okay to make mistakes. And there’s so much joy in that! Asking questions and being vulnerable with everyone—from my bosses to the children—gives me the chance to build meaningful relationships and connections. It’s also a chance to rely on Jesus and grow in humility.

Moments of Laughter

Every day here brings something to smile about. I wanted to share a couple of moments that, to me, capture the chaos and joy of life at the Finca.

About a week ago, Teddy, Rachel, and I were picking up some boys from their houses to take them to the beach. On the way, they noticed the chickens had escaped from their coop and were running free. Immediately, the boys started chasing and corralling the hens, diving to catch them and throw them back into their pen. I couldn’t stop laughing at these small kids crawling and running through the trees and mechanic shop, jumping after the chickens and catching them by their claws—all yelling and laughing. At one point, I tried to help by cornering a couple, but when they flapped their wings aggressively, I jumped back, yelping. The boys yelled out to me, “No puede tener miedo, Theresa!”—“You can’t be scared!” Wise advice from boys who think farting is the pinnacle of comedy.

Beans are a staple at almost every meal we have, so each week we take turns making a big pot of beans to eat throughout the week. A couple of weeks ago, it was my first time making beans for the house. Not only was I cooking for the four missionaries, but also for the visiting immersion group—two full pots! The fugon is an outdoor stove we use for long-cooking items, to avoid using too much of our allotted chimbo (propane) on the regular stove. Teddy started the fire in the fugon, but I had to keep it going as the beans cooked, which usually takes three to four hours.

At first, it was touch and go, but after about an hour, I was SO PROUD of my fire.

I thought I was all set—I even brought out my book, coffee, and breakfast, looking

forward to a couple of hours of relaxing while the beans cooked. Probably only 30-40 minutes later, the fire had burned down to embers, and I was stressing to get it back. Thankfully, one of our watchis (security guards) passed by and helped me restart it. Over the next several hours, I battled with the fugon, feeding it cardboard, twigs, palm bark, and any other dry thing I could find. It didn’t help that it’s the beginning of the rainy season, so almost everything was wet. Finally, after seven hours, I took the pots off the fugon. Only after eating them at our next meal did I realize they still weren’t fully cooked!

While this could’ve been a frustrating day, I couldn’t help but smile. Working with the fugon made me excited to learn more about it over the next two years (and maybe even master it one day)! It was also a great reminder of the strength of the community here at the Finca. I started the process thinking I’d cook the beans all by myself, since it was my chore for the week, but I quickly realized I couldn’t have done it without the help of so many people—from Teddy, to the watchi, to the little boy who sat with me drinking coconut water while we waited. Who could be discouraged while cheers-ing coconuts alongside a four-year-old?

Looking Forward

This week marks the last week of the school year for the kids. In the coming months, we’ll have winter school, potentially a trip to Comayagua, and big celebrations for the holidays (including Thanksgiving!). There will also be a lot—so much—rain.

The best way I can describe my feelings about life at the Finca is contentment mixed with excitement. Contentment because I know this is where I’m meant to be, despite any discomfort I have. One of my biggest fears when discerning the Finca was regret, but now I’m sure that these years will be some of the most joy-filled and formative of my life. And excitement for whatever comes next. The next few months will be very different from the past one, my Spanish will continue to improve, and I’ll keep learning and growing as I become more accustomed to my new life. I know the Lord has incredible plans and the Holy Spirit continues to move in beautiful ways. I’m excited to see what’s in store.