We enjoyed spending several days with a team from Metzler Church (Lancaster, PA). The team provided meals for us during their stay. What a nice gift! The team helped with various construction projects. Scott, David, Aaron and Harlan were willing participants in fire-bombing zompopo entrance holes. For an organic garden, these are measures of desperation. Long term, our more peaceful solution to the zompopo infestation will be to cultivate canavelia beans. Reportedly, the beans are toxic to the farming operations of these amazing ants.
One of the team’s priorities was to spend quality time with La Finca children. Harlan organized a Sunday afternoon hike to a beautiful waterfall. About 20 children enjoyed the outing with us. An old mining road led us most of the way and some adventuresome climbing brought us to the falls. 
Chilly nights made fireside chats and popcorn appealing. We enjoyed catching up on news from Lancaster.
On Sunday we had a First Fruits offering of radishes and lettuce – the first fruits of our garden. Several children held the bowl of vegetables and prayed in the church service. Following the service, the children decided upon a recipient in the community for our small bag of vegetables, which by now had expanded to include a loaf of banana bread, a set of blankets and some sheets. Two hours a lot of hiking later a household high in the mountain had received the first fruits of our garden. Since then, La Finca children have enjoyed radishes in their meals.
For Spanish class, our teacher, Sylvia, took us up the mountain to practice speaking with her abuela (grandmother). The 40-min. climb provided many beautiful views of other mountain peaks and communities scattered on the side of the mountain, small fields (of bananas, coffee, and cabbage), and flowers. A new discovery for us was the delicious honeysuckle-like flavor of freshly picked coffee. In between the outside red husk and the coffee bean there is a sweet fruit.
Upon our arrival we met Sylvia’s mother, grandmother, sister and sister-in-law along with a passel of children and three dogs running around. Flor, a scarlet macaw (national bird of Honduras), viewed the newcomers from his perch high in a tree. At 86 years old, Abuela was still erect and spry. In the tiny 8’x10’ kitchen with two small windows and the radio as background, we toasted sun-dried coffee beans over the warm fogon (traditional Honduran stove). As we chatted, we smiled wryly as Abuela answered her cell phone and later told us about her son living in North Carolina. When asked if she ever visited the States, Abuela thought a moment, laughed and said, “Yes.” Then she clarified – “in my dreams.” We helped grind the toasted coffee and watched as Sylvia’s mother brewed it using a traditional Honduran coffee strainer. Sipping the best cup of coffee available . . . one consumed within feet of its growth . . . we viewed the mountainside with the sense of peace that comes in joining a family whose presence personified this place.
We were entertained by Flor eating a cookie and dancing with Abuela. School ended that day with a moonlit walk down the mountain back to La Finca.
One of the team’s priorities was to spend quality time with La Finca children. Harlan organized a Sunday afternoon hike to a beautiful waterfall. About 20 children enjoyed the outing with us. An old mining road led us most of the way and some adventuresome climbing brought us to the falls. Chilly nights made fireside chats and popcorn appealing. We enjoyed catching up on news from Lancaster. On Sunday we had a First Fruits offering of radishes and lettuce – the first fruits of our garden. Several children held the bowl of vegetables and prayed in the church service. Following the service, the children decided upon a recipient in the community for our small bag of vegetables, which by now had expanded to include a loaf of banana bread, a set of blankets and some sheets. Two hours a lot of hiking later a household high in the mountain had received the first fruits of our garden. Since then, La Finca children have enjoyed radishes in their meals. For Spanish class, our teacher, Sylvia, took us up the mountain to practice speaking with her abuela (grandmother). The 40-min. climb provided many beautiful views of other mountain peaks and communities scattered on the side of the mountain, small fields (of bananas, coffee, and cabbage), and flowers. A new discovery for us was the delicious honeysuckle-like flavor of freshly picked coffee. In between the outside red husk and the coffee bean there is a sweet fruit.Upon our arrival we met Sylvia’s mother, grandmother, sister and sister-in-law along with a passel of children and three dogs running around. Flor, a scarlet macaw (national bird of Honduras), viewed the newcomers from his perch high in a tree. At 86 years old, Abuela was still erect and spry. In the tiny 8’x10’ kitchen with two small windows and the radio as background, we toasted sun-dried coffee beans over the warm fogon (traditional Honduran stove). As we chatted, we smiled wryly as Abuela answered her cell phone and later told us about her son living in North Carolina. When asked if she ever visited the States, Abuela thought a moment, laughed and said, “Yes.” Then she clarified – “in my dreams.” We helped grind the toasted coffee and watched as Sylvia’s mother brewed it using a traditional Honduran coffee strainer. Sipping the best cup of coffee available . . . one consumed within feet of its growth . . . we viewed the mountainside with the sense of peace that comes in joining a family whose presence personified this place.
We were entertained by Flor eating a cookie and dancing with Abuela. School ended that day with a moonlit walk down the mountain back to La Finca.
Thanks to those of you who remembered our anniversary.
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