Congratulations Arturo!

 

This past Saturday one of our beloved teens, Arturo, got confirmed!  He looked very stellar with his white shirt and black tie, and Scott Satterlee stood proudly by his side as his sponsor.  His big smile after the mass was a true testament to the beauty of the day and the moment.  Afterward we celebrated with dinner at Pizza Hut with all the Phase II teens, Nils, Scott, Saul (Arturo’s older brother), Memo (Arturo’s friend), and Margine, Haydee, Harrison, David, and Luz, all visiting from the farm to support him on his big day.  He then took the giant chocolate cake I made him to his youth group that night; he wanted to share with his friends as he always does.  It was a simple yet beautiful day, one dedicated to an amazing teen, whom we now congratulate for reaching yet another milestone in life.

Finca Visit!

After a two and a half month gap due to vacations and school exams, this past week on June 21 and 22 Nils and I were able to visit the finca in Trujillo.  Sor Keidy stayed and covered as the teens all had school, and Nils and I enjoyed a little time off.  A fellow volunteer from our class, Tami, is leaving early to take a job as a vice principal at a Catholic school in California, so we wanted to take a chance to have one last day together as a volunteer class before Nils left on vacation this past Monday. 

It was a true delight to go swimming with the kids, hang out in the vol house, and simply be surrounded by beautiful nature and its harmonies.  Some of my favorite moments were morning prayer with all the kids in the chapel, getting so many hugs from old students as the school day got out, flying a kite with my little friend Rony, and swimming in the ocean with the house four boys and the ever adorable Joel and Brando. 

Two moments stood alone from these, as I realized I would most likely never forget them.  First, my dearly beloved student and friend Magdalena will soon be moved to a new home where they work with children with special needs in Comayagua, Honduras.  It sounds like a wonderful place, and they say the director is like the Honduran Mother Teresa.  As this was one of my last visits to her I took her on a little date.  We went to the little soda stand next to the farm and them came back to read Little Red Riding Hood together.  When I met her in October of 2010 she was climbing trees to avoid people and learning vowels.  We sat calmly for 20 minutes as she read me a book full of new words with ease and confidence.  My heart smiled inside.  Afterward we went around for 10 minutes to say thank you to all the people who helped us during our day, she loves doing this, and it is so sweet to watch.  The next day as I got my see you later hug she brought me a picture with a note, which she made sure I knew that she wrote all by herself.  She is a true example that little miracles and love surround us daily if we simply open our eyes to their presence.

Second, I realized for the millionth time why Tami is so amazing.  She not only made pizza with Deirdre for the entire vol community at a dinner celebrating her, she took extra time to talk with Nils and I despite the fact that she is super busy training others and getting ready to leave.  Even as we were leaving she made sure I knew I would see her in Ceiba on her way out, and told me not to worry about the sheets I left on the bunk bed I slept in above her, she would take care of them.  She took care of me even when we visited to celebrate her.  She is a true angel, and a blessing to every person who crosses her path.  She will be dearly missed, and her community in California is lucky to have her once again.

Friendly Travelers…times eleven

This past weekend was just a normal weekend in La Ceiba, but warrants its own citation of merit for the number of visitors passing through. 

·         
 Sara and David passed the entire week here in their first visit as they began to train to become the caretakers of our teens for next year.

·        
On Thursday morning Sor Keidy arrived as normal, and about an hour later Erin Marina, Allison, Erin Lucia, and Erin Lucia’s little brother (after a visit to his big sister at the farm) arrived on their way home for their first vacation back to the states.  In true finca fashion we celebrated their big day with baleadas, ice cream, and mass. 

·        
The next day Tami and Lily, fellow vols from my class at the farm, arrived to spend the weekend with us simply to visit and share time together.  This was a true gift as they are dear friends to all members of Phase II. 

·        
Then on Sunday afternoon the blessings continued as former vols Kristina and Nely passed through on their way to visit Nely’s new job in Comayagua. 

·        
That night to top off the weekend Betsy arrived back from her vacation with hugs for all, topping us off with eleven visitors in a four day period.

Monday afternoon the house was quiet, and as the girls took a nap after a very full weekend, I took a moment to recognize how truly blessed and lucky we are to be so supported by our extended finca family and all our loved ones.  We are truly grateful everyday for their amazing support and prayers.

Arturo’s Confirmation & Marina’s Service Trip to Comayagua…Fruits Flourishing in Phase II

Everyday Nils and I try to teach our teens good values, especially those of gratefulness and a commitment to service of others.  As with most elements of our job here in La Ceiba, we do not see the fruits of this work in majorly visible ways on a daily basis.  This week proves unique. 

This week Carlos, Nolvia, and Nelly go back to school after a week off for their semester break.  Meanwhile, Arturo and Marina have a second week off as they attend a technical institute high school.  Arturo is spending the week working at the pier and preparing for his confirmation on Saturday.  We are all very excited for Arturo, and our prayers are with him as he prepares for his big day this Saturday.

Marina, already confirmed, asked Sor Keidy and me if she could spend her second week on a service trip in Comayagua with the Fransiscan Friars and Missionaries of Charity she met during a retreat this past spring.  She, at age 17, actively chose to go serve others on one of her few weeks off during the entire year. 

It is not every week in Ceiba that the fruits of growing values flourish so beautifully, but it seems the unseasonable rains we have seen throughout the week have brought about much growth in our teens as well as the fields.  They are truly amazing kids, and we are lucky to have them in our lives.

Galletas Goretti

As most of you already know, I have a love for both baking and eating cookies.  One day the girls were telling me after school that their friends were asking where they could buy the yummy cookies and breads they bring for a snack to school some days.  They laughed and said they weren’t bought, they were from Mary Kate.  This sparked an idea; maybe I could sell cookies at local stores to help out the finca.  When I proposed this idea to Sor Keidy she told me that she had been thinking the same thing.

After getting all the necessary approvals at the farm and three local stores, all we needed was a name.  Sor proposed “Galletas de Maria” (Mary’s cookies), as she calls me Maria.  We decided we needed something catchier.  Nolvia then came up with the golden name, “Galletas Goretti” (Goretti Cookies).  The apartment for the teenage girls is named after the Italian saint Maria Goretti, and as the cookies come from our house, what more appropriate name could one think of. 

Sara and I then spent Monday afternoon making over 100 cookies to sell.  She was excited to help, and wants to continue the mini venture next year when she takes over as the girls caretaker.  The next morning when we dropped of the first batch all three store owners were very helpful and excited to try the new cookies. 

So if you are in La Ceiba, make sure and stop by Kibok, Tipicafe, or Cyma Joyeria and try out some wonderfully yummy Galletas Goretti, freshly delivered every week and helping out the finca daily.

Thank You Sara and David!

This past week (June 10-16) Phase 2 was doubly blessed with the presence of Sara and David, the caretakers of our teens in La Ceiba for the year to come. 

This past May both were offered Nils and I’s current job for the year to come (Nils and I are both scheduled to finish our service this coming December), and both graciously and generously said yes!  As school was out for the week, and Sara is the current middle school math teacher, they both came for the week to begin to get to know the ropes of the city, and to better know our amazing kids.  They provided great company for Nils and I, and passed many hours getting to better know our teens. 

I am happy to report that Sara is not only a current rock star fist year volunteer, she is a also a fellow lover of baking and reading.  I also am happy to report that her fellow rock star first year volunteer David is peace studies major form Notre Dame like me.  This is a becoming somewhat of a Ceiba tradition as Erin Ramsey, my predecessor, was also a peace studies major who enjoyed baking and reading.

It is not an easy decision to move to a crazy city after finally adjusting to life on the farm after one’s first year of service, but Sara and David have generously offered to serve as the primary caretakers to five truly amazing kids.  They will face their struggles, but also find true beauty and grace in the many mini miracles one witnesses here in La Ceiba.  Nils and I simply offer our thanks for their amazing yes, and our prayers as we all approach another time of transition this coming fall.

Confirmation Retreat Talk…life comes full circle

When I was in eighth grade I received the sacrament of confirmation.  My friend Grace and I were not what one would call ideal Sunday school students.  We spent most of our time passing fake notes between the school desks and talking with one another and our friend Katie.  We were not crazy rebels, but we were also not angels in any sense.  When we arrived on the confirmation retreat the confirmation director thought that if she placed us in small positions of leadership this would amend our attitudes.  We ended up getting an entire group of girls lost in the woods for an hour and then making fun remarks throughout the entire morality talk under our breaths. 

We made it to the night of our confirmation nonetheless, and I can still remember feeling that the mass was one I would not forget; it had a special feeling to it.  That night I took the name of Elizabeth Ann Seton as my confirmation saint, the patroness of Catholic Schools in America.  Since then I have attended catholic high school, the University of Notre Dame, and am currently mentoring teens attending catholic high schools in Honduras after a year of teaching at the finca’s own catholic elementary school.  I cannot explain it, but this sacrament has stuck around with me in a very special way.

This past weekend a local youth group leader asked Nils and I if we would talk on the diocese’s confirmation retreat about the themes of commitment to service and faith.  We both decided it sounded like a good idea, so we said yes.  I could only laugh as I saw several teens texting while I spoke, while others rolled their eyes.  Most listened well and seemed to really hear our message.  I personally am pulling the for distracted ones, if history repeats itself, they may have a future in service mission work with children and teens in the future.

Love Languages: Maria Goretti Style

When I informed my friends this past fall that I would be switching jobs for my second year at the farm, all were very supportive.  While some told me that this seemed like an obvious fit for me, others spoke more bluntly and asked me if I was totally crazy or if I was unaware of how hormonal teenage girls can be.  I informed them that I grew up in a house with only sisters, and that I was aware of what amazing love teenage girls can share in their own ways as well.

When I returned from vacation the girls would not confess to it, but Nils and Janet Satterlee informed me that they actually admitted to missing me a little bit while I was on vacation.  Don’t tell them I told you, they would be so embarrassed! 

They definitely proved true teenage girls, raging hormones and all, upon my return, but they also showed me and our entire Phase II community amazing love in their own unique ways.  Marina brought my clothes in off the line when the rain came one night; she then spent two hours on a Friday afternoon making delicious ham and cheese pastelitos (like Honduran hot pockets) so that the whole house could enjoy a yummy dinner.  Nelly and Nolvia swept and mopped after dinner without me even mentioning that it was a chore night.  All three smiled while they thought I was not watching as they saw the fresh coffee cake I made for them one day just for fun.  Marina invited me to see a special matinee showing of “Men in Black III” for her school with her friends.  Nolvia walked and talked with me in public while we walked around Ceiba with Lily and Tami this past weekend. Nelly cleaned up my dirty dishes from lunch just to be kind.  Quietly and subtly they all spoke in their own love languages to express their care for our small community here in La Ceiba.

Then last Tuesday during their week off from school, they decided that for Sara (next year’s careteaker) to be truly welcomed to Phase II, we needed to have a late night pajama party.  We laughed and watched chick flicks till one in the morning.  A house rule since November has been that the first one to fall asleep at a pajama party gets a mask of toothpaste on their face.  Despite the readied toothpaste on the table, they spared me as I fell asleep for part of the third movie.  If that’s not true love, I do not know what is.

Happy Half Birthday Nils!

Nils serves as the caretaker of the boys next door here in La Ceiba, he arrived at the same time I did to the farm in October of 2010.  He also happens to have the worst possible birthday in the finca, December 3.  For the past two years, his birthday has fallen on the day of and day after the farewell mass and dinner for volunteers finishing their two years of service.  Literally everyone has been depressed and anti social if not crying in their room for the entirety of his two birthdays while at the farm. 

Janet and I decided that after all he has done for our volunteer community, the kids, and our smaller community here in La Ceiba, he deserved a happy birthday celebration of some form.  Then we realized that his half birthday was the following Sunday.  So we secretly planned a brunch at Kibok café with the Satterlees, Nils, and I, and had a secret cake for after mass.  Most amazingly, I managed to keep this secret from both Nils and all five teens for an entire week and a half.

That morning Nils was very happily and honestly surprised when he realized what our brunch was actually for.  He thanked us for being so thoughtful and kind, and ate a yummy breakfast. 

After mass that night I walked over and sat next to him in the pew.  He told me that he was very tired and ready for bed.  As most of you know, I am a horrible liar.  I told him he had to stop by the girl’s apartment briefly first.  He asked why.  I then told him that the Satterlee family and a cake were waiting for him.  He smiled, laughed, and then walked with me across the street to the apartment.  Everyone was there waiting.  We ate cake till we were full, and then he went back with his boys to their side. 

The next day he told me thank you again in his ever humble and grateful style.  I told him it was our pleasure to finally joyously celebrate the life of our fellow community member and friend.  We all also agreed that any excuse for brunch and cake on a random Sunday in June sounds like a wonderful idea. 

Buen Camino...Feliz Pentecost

Three years ago I spent a semester studying abroad in Toledo, Spain.  I finished my time abroad by taking a week long hike along the “Camino de Santiago” (Way of Saint James).  This ancient pilgrimage is a truly special route which now attracts a full range of people, from FC Barcelona season ticket holders, to old Italian Grandpas, both of which I met during my week long excursion.  This path is truly inspiring in an indescribable way. 

I arrived at the cathedral in Santiago by coincidence the day before Pentecost.  Every day at midday there is a special mass for the recently arrived pilgrims.  When I arrived at mass I almost had chills, I realized that I had basically lived Pentecost in the week leading up to this mass.  I walked together with people with whom I shared no common language, simply a heart which felt like walking.  Yet the magic of the path bonded us in a very special way.  Then as we all began to arrive at the cathedral we celebrated the mass of Pentecost, a day to celebrate the great beauty of the Holy Spirit and its ability to bond us all despite our many differences. 

The beauty of the camino is that it never truly ends, once you begin, you continue walking along the path wherever life takes you.  This past May 27, I celebrated my third anniversary of arriving at the Cathedral.  It comforted my heart to see that while much had happened in the past three years, many underlying good things remained the same. 

I arrived back from vacation May 21.  The girls even smiled and gave me a hug when I got back, this was big.  During the week I caught up with Nils and Sor Keidy about what had happened during my two weeks off.  I received several notes from community members at the finca who had passed through while I was away simply saying hello and wishing me all the best.  On Friday I read the second reading at the first English mass in the cathedral (we have a new Bishop from Ireland).  Then that weekend we spent Saturday night at the Satterlees (who live in a neighborhood outside downtown) to avoid the major crowds and incredibly loud noise that lasted all night due to the big celebration of the Carnaval of San Isidro.  We then returned to the apartments on Sunday morning, and attended a beautiful Pentecost mass that night.

This may seem like a typical week in Ceiba, but it was specially beautiful in its own way.  I continued walking along my life’s path with people from completely different backgrounds than my own, yet bonded in the great love that founded the finca 16 years ago.  I received notes from friends who walked alongside me presently and in the past during my life’s camino.  I read at the first mass in English in a Spanish speaking cathedral, two languages, one spirit.  We then spent the night before the big holiday in the upper room of an apartment apart from most of the town similar to the disciples before Pentecost.  I still live the camino, it never ends, yet I currently am walking a new section of my path with new people.

That Monday night for community night with the teens I had a special Camino/ Pentecost themed night complete with memory cards and a scene from “Up!” To close the night, each person had to share how they saw the fruits of the Holy Spirit (kindness, peace, generosity, etc) living in each person living here in Phase II.  I was overjoyed when each teen shared truthfully and positively about every member of our small community.  Afterward instead of blasting music or complaining about homework, they all simply remained calm, did their chores, and then went to bed with pensive faces, they were thinking, they were getting it, they were beginning to recognize their own camino, what a truly beautiful thing to see.

Vacation in May…a true gift

This past May 5-21 I had the true pleasure of taking a long awaited vacation back to my home state of Virginia.  I was able to spend mother’s day with my mom, celebrate my dad and sister’s birthday with them in person, visit my other sister’s school where she works, eat dinner with all of my cousins, spend quality time with and/ or talk to so many wonderful friends, go to ballet class at my old studio, run alone with my ipod (a true treat), sleep in, go to mass in English, helped by many amzing people raise money to fund a scholarship for one of my girls, Marina, watch Grey’s Anatomy with my sister, …I even got to got to the zoo and see the prarie dogs and panda.  It was truly a wonderful gift to be able to spend quality time with so many loved ones.

I therefore simply say thank you to all at the finca who helped cover my work to make this trip possible and to all who made my trip so amazingly special and wonderful stateside.  I am ever grateful for you all. 

Rachel...Quality Quierida Companera

Within our volunteer community here at the finca we have a special friend program or "quierida companera" system.  Every two weeks you are paired up with a fellow vol and you take a special intentional time together.  I have done everything from reading quietly in the same space, to taking a run, to eating cookies. 

May 2, Rachel, a fellow volunteer from my class was visiting for a doctor's appointment.  She and her husband Jacob, another volunteer, are expecting their fourth child.  She invited me to go to the doctor with her to hear the heartbeat.  I met her at the hospital that morning.  Soon after we got to hear the most beautiful little heartbeat ever, truly a beautiful sound. 

The next day, Rachel called me from the farm, we did not realize it, but we were quieridas companeras, and she not only called me in the city, but visited me and shared the harmonic sound of her unborn child's heartbeat with me.  Talk about special special friend time.  Definitely at the top of my list for all my special friend times in the past two years.

Sanity and Silence in Pico Bonito

On Tuesday, May 1st, Honduras celebrated labor day.  So the Satterlee Family, Nils, the teens and I headed up the mountain to Pico Bonito.  We spent the day relaxing by the river, resting in hammocks, and in general taking a break from the endless white noise and distractions of the city.  Everyone simply needed a break and space with some fresh mountain air.  We all returned in much calmer and relaxed states, ready for real life to start again the next day.  Nature's healing power never fails.