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.