July in a Nutshell - Adventures at the Finca

18 Dec

18Dec

Jumping back into Finca life was quite quick and easy as the first week I returned we had a whole slew of celebrations. From a Fourth of July party, to a Quinceñera and a going away party for the missionary family and the Bishop, we were busy! Just as the first week back was full, so was the rest of the month. Here is a quick snapshot of July at the Finca!

Fourth of July Party

This was arguably one of my many favorite days at the Finca. As the missionaries always do, we planned out a Fourth of July celebration amongst ourselves full of cornhole, baseball (wiffleball), hot dogs and country music–the most American you can get on the beach in Honduras! Despite the fact that the Fourth is a US holiday, we invited the kids, tias and religious sisters to our celebration on the beach thinking that they would only stay for half an hour. However, we were wrong. Kids, tias and the Sisters were playing cornhole (or their own version of it), swimming in the ocean, digging in the sand, playing wiffleball on the shore, and just enjoying the beautiful evening on the beach for hours until it was dark outside. My favorite moment from the evening was playing wiffle ball on the shore with the Honduran sunset in the background, kids running around screaming with joy, and Sister Azucena showing off her mad change-up.

Seizure Class

With the help of some amazing nursing student summer volunteers, we planned a seizure response and first-aid class for the workers of the Finca to provide them with the basic knowledge and skills in case of a seizure. After a briefing and conversation of what to do in case of a seizure, we had surprise scenarios for the workers as they had to navigate clearing the space of any dangers, stabilizing the patient and calling for help. It was such a fun scenario environment as the workers were very involved and asking questions while sharing many many laughs in the process.

Mango season

Be careful where you’re walking because a mango just might fall on your head if you walk under a mango tree! July was a huge mango-falling season at the Finca. Kids could easily be caught running around picking up mangoes off the ground or with mango smeared across their face or shirts–a nurse and caretaker nightmare (parasites and laundry). A common activity amongst the adventurous kids at the Finca was to throw sticks up at the trees and try to hit down the ripe mangoes for immediate consumption or for mango-related dishes. At the Finca, there are two different types of mangoes–a small, yellow, sweeter mango, called an Ataulfo, and a larger purple-red mango called a Lancetilla which is great for dishes, such as a fan-favorite mango-avocado salsa to go with tacos.