New Missionaries and Life Update

It has been a wonderful month beginning with the arrival of four girls and a family of four. After their language school in Antigua on October 5^th they came to the Finca wide-eyed, excited, spirit-filled and ready to learn!

From 7 (L to R: Laura, Emily Cook, Selena, Me, Kassidy, Emily Wilson, Melanie not pictured)

To 15! (L to R: Selena, Me, Kassidy, Olivia, Eric, Dayelle, Chiara (7yo), Anna, Adelina (5yo), Nicole, Ally, Laura, Emily Wilson, Emily Cook)

I am especially grateful to have some fantastic help and companionship in the clinic with Dayelle, the new nurse. Managing things on my own was do-able this past year, but it is so welcome to have another person coming up with good ideas as well as another person mopping the floor 😉 Some highlights of our time in the clinic so far have been:

•  Killing a tarantula

•  Organizing all of the neighbor’s health records by birth date instead of last name…(my conversations with patients used to go something like this: “what is your last name?” and then I’d flip..flip…flip through the binder to try to find them before finally giving up – “do you have another last name?” flip…flip…flip…still cannot find them. Sometimes it wasn’t until the third apellido that I would finally find it. So now, it is much better! It’s just a wonder it took me so long to change up the process…
• Drawing blood from all of our 26 kids to get their blood type. I don’t often get to practice nursing skills like that, so despite the occasional squeals, it was rather….fun?!
• Chatting with our Honduran doctor about the benefits of socialized healthcare in Cuba. (He went to medical school there, and he’s a huge fan of Cuba.)
•  Seeking medical care in Trujillo for sore molars and an almost-broken bone. Thankfully, no teeth were pulled and the arm was not broken!

The school year is wrapping up now. Next week is exams! Then, we will have winter break until February. The long break of the school year is from November-February because of the rainy season which sometimes leaves the bridges flooded. My 8^th and 9^th grade English classes have been such a learning experience this year. I never thought that I’d be a teacher, but there have definitely been blessings from this opportunity. Teachers always talk about "the joy of seeing the light bulb light up in the little ones' faces when they finally understand a new concept" and I must admit I have been witness to a few of these alleged "lightbulb moments." It is a joy.

I guess I haven’t officially announced to the greater community of the World Wide Web that I have decided to stay in Honduras for another year. I have committed to stay until December 2020. It has been such a beautiful and peaceful experience making my decision to stay. I have been able to grow so much over the past year – in my nursing work, Spanish, understanding of how the Finca operates, learning how to drive again – this time on Honduran roads with a manual transmission. I have come to a deeper understanding of how much I need the Lord for everything. I know that Jesus has so much more to do this next year and I want to keep building relationships with my friends here. One year under my belt makes me so much more confident to go into this next year. I keep on making mistakes, but I have become more accepting of my failures. I do this work very imperfectly, but Jesus is the most patient teacher. 

This next year, my roles are changing slightly. I will continue working in the nursing department of the Finca, as well as teach 9^th grade English, coach women’s soccer and organize the women's group in Mojaguay, the neighboring village. However, I will also be the spiritual life liaison between our missionary community and the Franciscan religious sisters and head up Recreation Activities with another missionary, Ally. One of my other small jobs is to repair our outdoor cooking oven and stove – this means I get to play with squishy clay every week and pretend to be a potter. I’m pretty pumped about that job actually. I already have it looking pretty shnazzy.

All in all, I am doing quite well! I look forward to coming home for my sister, Theresa’s wedding in December – spending Christmas with the family and heading back down here in mid-January. But until then, I remain trying to be HERE, soak in life and relationships here where I am. This life at the Finca is such a gift, but no matter where we are can’t it be so easy to "be" in another place? But God is here in the now. I think we all could use that reminder. Blessings to you my friends as you life in your "here" and "now." 

Thank you for your prayers and support! If you have any questions or would feel called to support me financially for this upcoming year, do not hesitate to contact me at ruthgross360@gmail.com or click the link to donate: https://co.clickandpledge.com/sp/d1/default.aspx?wid=128712