Newbie no more!
- Theresa Crawford
- Nov 15
- 5 min read
Sept 30th marked one year of Teddy, Rachel, and I arriving in the Finca del Niño. It also marked the arrival of three new long-term missionaries! The presence of Emmet, Isabella, and Emily has been incredible, not only for the Finca community, but also for our missionary family. I loved our small community of four last year – Nate, Teddy, Rachel, and I – and will always treasure all our memories and shenanigans. Having seven people in the house brings a new energy and joy to our everyday events, especially having 2 more women(Rachel and I were excited for more girl power in the house). Not to mention walking with the new missionaries provides the unique opportunity to reflect on my own arrival to the Finca a year ago. I’ve enjoyed remembering what those first few weeks were like, what I was feeling and what was happening, reminiscing on all the firsts and all the introductions to people I now consider my family. Everything was so scary back then!
Beso de bomba
Before I get into what all has been happening, though, I have to share one funny – I think you can say funny – incident that happened mid-September. The other missionaries and I were playing in the ocean with all the boys for our weekly Campo time. While playing tag with some boys right before heading home, I dipped under water and got stung in the face by a jellyfish! To provide some calming context, being stung be a jellyfish is common here. There are a few different types of jellyfish – or what the locals call ‘bombas’ – that leave various stings that are fairly harmless and don’t last long. It’s not a huge deal and NOBODY pees on the stings. I, however, am known for having piel delcado(delicate skin) and typically have a larger-than-average reaction to the stings, ranging from blisters to itching to long-term scarring. I figured after this face sting, I would have a similar reaction as normal, so I took steps to avoid that(Google said hot water). Popped a benadryl and went to bed expecting - at worst - slightly puffy eyes in the morning.
Puffy eyes would’ve been the BEST case scenario, it turns out. I woke up in the morning with half my face SWOLLEN LIKE A BALLOON! It wasn’t painful at all, just a little uncomfortable, mostly really comical. Nurse Rachel and the Honduran nurse and doctor took good care of me and within a few days, I was back to normal. Those days provided a good opportunity to hide away in the clinic and rest up watching some movies and Hannah Montana! I have yet to spend much time in the ocean since then, but I imagine I’ll be back in there sooner rather than later!
Dance, dance, dance!
A few weeks after the three new missionaries arrived, we celebrated the 15th birthday of one of our girls – let’s call her “Di”, for privacy. Fifteenth birthdays, called Quincerñeras, are a huge cultural milestone in the life a young woman here and in all Latin American countries. It represents the shift from girlhood to women hood. So, there was a lot of prep and planning to make sure this party for Di was a special day she’d always remember. I was put in charge of creating a Surprise Dance for Di and her court – other girls from the Finca – to perform for the guests. Like the rest of the world atm, Di is obsessed with K-Pop Demon Hunters from Netflix and requested we dance to Golden. This was a great choice of song and choreographing to it came easy. Teaching the girls was so fun because they had their own ideas of things to add in and were really excited to do the dance well. The whole process reminded me of how much I love dancing and why I spent 11 years dedicated to studio dance. It motivated me to tap more into that passion and share it with our girls, who also love to dance and could learn so much from the experience.
The quinceañera was incredible! Celebrating Di for the night was easy – she’s so incredibly lovable and has the biggest heart ever. It was beautiful to see the whole Finca community – including employees, kids, missionaries, and former house parents – come together to make Di feel special and loved. We started with a mass, ate great food, watched a slideshow of pictures of Di throughout her life, and danced the night away! It’s hard to explain how explain how perfect and special everything was, especially in a community and family as close as ours. I know that I’ll remember the night as one of my favorites in the Finca, and I hope Di does as well.
Profa Theresa
This past week marked the end of our school year(which runs from February-November)! While I’m sad I won’t be teaching more of my students anymore, I’m really grateful I’ll still see them around in the communities and be able to get to know them more outside of the classroom. I’m also so grateful right now that I have two years of teaching here in the Finca – I feel like I learned so much this year that I’m excited to continue applying and growing on next year. This past year I taught 4 classes in elementary school. Four classes were great, but next year I’ll only be teaching three, which means I’ll be able to put more time into planning in each class in more detail. I’ll also be teaching one class in middle school, which, hopefully, means I’ll be able to go more in-depth on complex topics.
With the end of the school year, we’re currently prepping for our vacation time activities – a trip with the older kids to Choluteca, winter school, and the Christmas and New Year’s parties!! I’m also excited to do have more time to dive into new ministries – a Science Week for the kiddos, visiting the mountain town, and spending more time with friends in the community!
Ups and downs
During the orientation talks with Nate a year ago, he showed a diagram that mapped out how, emotionally, missionaries tend to adjust to the Finca. The diagram included several ups and downs throughout the year as people adjust to the new environment and to missionary life. I remember looking at that diagram thinking how it all seemed so far away and distant from me. Now, I’m sitting on the other side of it, having experienced the high highs and low lows. I’ve changed and grown a lot during this year and have learned so much in how to love purely and turn to Jesus in every aspect of my life – which He continues to teach me every day. I’m grateful that God has turned the Finca from just the place I’m at to a place I call home and where I have a family, in and outside of the fence. Looking forward, this past year went so fast that the next year I’m sure will be too short. I know I will change so much in that year; I hope to always be open to what the Lord gives me and to continue to love with all my heart. As always, I’m so excited to see what adventures are yet to come.
Snapshots of Finca Happenings
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