Coming Home
We’re back! It has been a minute since I posted a blog! Between the busyness of nursing and some time at home for vacation, the blog took a back seat. Now that I've been back at my Finca home, I wanted to share the past month and some news!
O Lord, you are as sweet as honey
Discernment
As you may know, when I committed to the Finca, it was for 27 months. I am about to complete my second year of living here in Honduras, which meant it was time for our discernment retreat. As a community, we decided to go to “the Cabañas” for this particular retreat. It was a 12-hour car ride to Comayagua, followed by another three-hour drive the next morning, straight up into the mountains! We did the same retreat at this time last year; the only difference was that this year, some of us had a next step to discern.
This exact retreat house, tucked away in the mountains of Honduras, is where I felt Jesus call me to mission back in 2022. Quite the full-circle moment! During the retreat, we were blessed with the sacraments of Confession and Mass, Holy Hours, and a couple of days of silence. It was such a gift to step away from the busyness of life at the Finca and simply be in the Lord’s creation. And, coming from the tropical beach, the cool mountain air and fresh smell of pine trees were especially restorative.
The way I have noticed Jesus work in my life is that He tends to plant seeds early, and by the time decision-making comes around, those seeds have grown into a patch of wildflowers. What once felt like little, scattered seeds have come together into something beautiful and clear. That is how I felt called to the Finca. I had desired to be a missionary nurse since my sophomore year of college, so when I found the Finca, saying “yes” felt as easy as picking a beautiful flower!
This time around felt a little similar. Jesus began planting seeds of new potential missions back home, along with an excitement for a new job—and, of course, a growing desire to be closer to my family, which just keeps growing! There were seasons of life at the Finca when I thought Jesus was calling me to stay, but after this time of discernment, I believe it has become clear that it is time to move home.
I am not totally sure what is to come, but when I came to the Finca, I was inspired by advice given to Mother Teresa before she began her mission: “Put your hand in Jesus’ and never look back.” So, that is what I will do. I will put my hand in His and trust that this is where He is calling me.
Theresa, Teddy, Alicia and I right after sharing with the missionaries our discernment decisions.
I still have a couple of months left, and Jesus has invited me into the disposition of cherishing rather than grasping. I think as I begin to come to the end of my time here, it will be tempting to try to squeeze in every last thing I can—whether that be time with the kids, friends, patients, or anyone else who has become part of my life here. But I trust that Jesus will guide me through these final months with my Finca family. Instead of trying to hold onto every moment, I can simply cherish each one for the gift that it is.
Please pray for us missionaries in this time of transition! Especially the five new missionaries who come in 2 weeks: Carol, Carter, Hailey, Josh, and Will!
