Farewell to the Finca

I have officially returned back to the US after about 16 months abroad in Latin America. It has been a beautiful, difficult, and formative year and a half, and I would never take back all that I have learned, all who I have met, and all that I will continue to glean from my time. 

Within the last few weeks of my time in Honduras, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend intentional time with some of the people who I grew close to and who have impacted me. Here’s a look into the last few weeks:

Dinner with the Doctors

The doctors I worked alongside, Dr. Vilma and Dr. Julio, invited Kenna and me over for dinner as a last hurrah from spending the year together. Dinner was wonderful and it was so great to be able to spend some time with the doctors and their son outside of our busy life in the clinic. Following dinner, one of the most memorable things for me (which was so reflective of the culture of Honduras), was that the doctors invited us over to Dr. Vilma’s mom’s house to meet her mother, sisters, cousins, neighbors and everyone in between. They weren’t afraid to invite us into their family and make us feel at home. That night, we spent time with the whole family, laughing and talking as the sun set over us and the street lights came on. It was a beautiful close to our time in Honduras because we truly felt a part of the Honduran family–we even got a grand tour of their next door neighbor’s house (who isn’t family, but has become a part of their family)!

Some of the extended family of the doctors

Girls Night with the Lics

My co-workers and I, which included the Director, Social Worker, and Psychologist, got pretty close over the course of the year from working together so we decided to celebrate our year together with a girls night we had been joking about for a while. For dinner we made “chilaquiles” from scratch, which are very similar to nachos. It was a beautiful time of joking around, learning how to make a new dish, and just enjoying each other’s company as one of the last times together.

Frying the tortillas for our "nachos"

The finished product! With good company

Wiffleball in the Pouring Rain

As a going away party the day prior to leaving, the whole Finca, and almost all of the workers, had a big wiffleball game out on the field. We split the teams between men and women and played our competitive hearts out, 3 to 60 years old. As the storm clouds loomed above and it started to pour, we kept on playing, enjoying the game too much to worry about getting wet. I’ll never forget these special final moments with my Finca family.

Tia Krisian, one of the caretakers, after our wiffleball victory

Doctor Vilma, Doctor Julio and their son Julio out to play some wiffleball

I am so grateful for my time in Latin America and the ways in which I have grown and loved and been loved. Though I came to serve in the heart of Honduras, I believe I have received more than I could have ever given. I have been reflecting a lot on my experiences since I have come back home and the layers of growth, perspective and lessons keep on coming. I’m sure, as time goes on, the Lord will continue to reveal more far into the future. Below is just a tiny sliver of the things I have learned from the beautiful little country of Honduras:

• Quality time is so valuable and can be as simple as sitting together and enjoying the company of another.
• Enjoy the present moment and know that it doesn’t have to be grand, in fact, most of everyday life isn’t. Live in the now.
• The simplest of joys in life are the greatest of joys. Find the good in every day.
• Invite people into your life, into your home, into your family. Family is all around.
• Slow down. Life isn’t about doing more, it’s about being.
• Life, like learning a language, can be tough and at times humiliating. Try anyways.
• The more we simplify, the more life becomes rich. 

To all of those who have made my year and a half at the Finca possible through financial support and prayers, there are not enough words to express my gratitude. The Finca is an incredibly special place that has, and will continue to impact communities far into the future, and in some ways we will never fully be able to understand. I can't wait to share a piece of the Finca with all those I meet.

Peace,
Natalie