The beginning of the week brought with it several days of cold weather and blustery winds. Several times the electricity went off, and Dwain had to run the generator to keep the two chest freezers full of recently-butchered chickens cold.

Demolishing and rebuilding of the dining room area has begun in earnest this week.
Preparations for leaving have consumed some of our time this week. We’ve already said many good-byes over the past weeks with those children who have left on “prestado” with family members and did not plan to return to La Finca until after our departure date. On Monday we conclude our year at La Finca and return to the States for several days of re-entry sessions in Harrisburg before arriving in Lancaster.

Audrey’s afternoon literacy work with the first graders continues. As a special project this week, they made soft pretzels (in the shapes of letters and words).
Corn harvest in January? Yes, in Honduras. It is a bit earlier than necessary, but community members were beginning to help themselves to the corn, so Alonso said it was time to harvest. The children eat the corn and the stalks are sent to La Otra Finca for the cows to consume. All corn is harvested by hand.
Sledding down a hill gave a passel of boys entertainment one afternoon this week. No, it does not snow in Honduras, but cardboard boxes, plastic jugs and old PVC pipes on a grassy hill work just fine.

Today was the final chicken butchering day – 194 birds, 785 pounds of meat with the average of 4.05 pounds per bird. Some children wanted to wear masks because of the odor.
The chickens before butchering day:
Some photos of the garden:

Dive, swipe, crack, OUCH! In attempt to catch a rooster that was where it didn’t belong, Dwain caught his left hand pinky in the chicken wire fence and fractured a bone in his hand. Despite icing the hand, the pain did not subside, and the swelling increased. Wednesday morning an X-ray confirmed the fracture. The doctor that specializes in bones here in Valle was on vacation, so we were sent to a specialist in Tegucigalpa. The specialist had not planned office hours on Wednesday due to the upcoming holiday. However, he was called in for another patient, and when he received a call from the Adventist Hospital here in Valle, he volunteered to stay and wait for us. He said Dwain’s hand needed to be immobilized for several weeks and suggested that instead of using the hospital’s services, we could save money by driving to a nearby store and purchasing materials for him to make a cast for Dwain. On second thought, he volunteered to drive us to the store since we were unfamiliar with the area. He fitted Dwain with a removable immobilization device that allows Dwain use of all fingers except his pinky. Dwain needs to report to the hospital here in Valle on Monday for another X-ray specifically of his pinky. For now, he’s taking anti-inflammatory medication and wearing the removable cast except for every 4-6 hours when he takes it off to ice the hand.
In Honduras New Year’s celebrations usually occur on New Year’s Eve. La Finca makes a whole day celebration of it. A group from Texas was here to help celebrate. Piñatas were the primary focus of the morning, followed by a Kentucky Fried Chicken lunch brought from Tegucigalpa. In the afternoon, children eagerly waited outside one of the houses to be allowed to enter and be fitted for a new jacket, a gift from the Texas team. Evening activities included a program (chimes, choir, photo slideshow of the year, etc.) and a huge camp fire with hot chocolate and marshmallows. The children were allowed to stay up to welcome the new year. At midnight the valley echoed with noisemakers and fireworks.
On New Year’s Day we invited the tone chimes choirs for a Daffy Meal. Place settings included serving spoons, spatulas, cooking pots, mixing bowls, etc. Eating spaghetti and salad with these cumbersome items provided much laughter.
A couple from England has been staying at La Finca. They come every two years for a three-month stay. Ray specializes in fixing the children’s toys. Also, during their stay, 4:00 p.m. becomes a magic time for many children as this is when Ray brings out the bicycles. He provides maintenance for them as needed while the children ride circles around la cancha. His wife, Christine, has become known for providing cross-stitching materials and patterns for the children.
Saturday was another chicken butchering day.
Dwain continues to collect “basura organica” (compostable garbage) from local markets in town. Children still scramble for the opportunity to go with him in the truck. The compost pile is heating well and is useful for the garden.

On Monday evening the staff and volunteers at La Finca shared a Christmas dinner. Ernest and Doris Soady, founders of La Finca, traveled from California to participate in this and other Christmas activities throughout the week.

December 23 was designated as the day to celebrate Christmas at La Finca. In the morning each child received clothing. Sporting their new attire, they liked posing for photos.
Piñatas were a highlight for all ages. Because of the crazy scramble for candy, many of the younger children ended up with tiny pieces of broken candy sprinkled in their hair like confetti.

Everyone, including the adults, ate lunch in the dining hall – Kentucky Fried Chicken delivered from Tegucigalpa. After lunch each child received a bag of presents.
In the evening many of the children (choir, tone chimes, etc.) participated in a program at the Vision Church (within walking distance of La Finca). Following this program, they returned to La Finca and gave another presentation. Following the programs, we drank hot chocolate and ate cookies around a large campfire.

On Christmas Eve Day we took the Horsts to the airport. They will spend several weeks in the States before returning to La Finca. In the evening we attended a Christmas service at a local church in Valle. The program consisted of a drama from the perspective of the angels on the night of Jesus’ birth interspersed with a choir singing Christmas carols.

On Christmas Day we baked cookies and delivered them to the staff and volunteers at La Finca. Baking Christmas cookies in 80 degree weather was a new experience.