Amigas del Señor End-of-Year Finances
2025
EXPENSES 4th
Quarter Year-end
Food
and Groceries $279 $1,532
Agroforestry 0 1,303
Household
costs 204 1,106
Health
care 1,303 5,621
Construction 486 3,207
Clothing 0 51
Library 0 42
Communication 73 314
Name Change 0 19
Chickens/Eggs 116 617
Jam
& Peanuts 2 14
Taxes
0 2
Financial
costs 89 411
Immigration 109 496
Permaculture 126 991
Upper
Room 111 149
(Subtotal) (2,898) (15,977)
Alms 1,740 4,982
TOTAL $4,638 $20,959
INCOME
4th
Quarter Year-end
Chickens/Eggs $85 $588
Jam
& Peanuts 1 10
Upper
Room 14 43
Interest 1 53
Recovered money 0 400
Agroforestry 12 117
Donations 8,830 24,634
TOTAL $8,963 $25,865
Notes by Sister Confianza
Our total expenses were only two-thirds of 2024, and that is reflected in most categories. Food and grocery expenses as well as household costs were about two-thirds of 2024 costs. Why? Perhaps we purchased fewer special foods and household items. However, health care and construction were almost the same as in 2024. Last year, we bought the expensive materials for the motherhouse (mostly wood and metal roof panels), so this year's construction costs were mostly labor. Only a few details are left on the house and kitchen, though new bathroom walls will be needed at some point.
Library expenses and alms were down by half. Our focus this year was permaculture, which in some ways is alms, as much of our work on this property is for the children's feeding program. We also spent little on my name change. I got my new US passport in 2024, and in 2025 obtained the paperwork for getting my name changed in Honduras.
Also, we counted getting my name changed on my Social Security card as a
financial cost, rather than part of the name change process. Add that to PayPal fees from large online donations, and having wired ourselves more money from the US, total financial costs are up compared to last year. One category we hadn't seen in a while is Immigration. I had to renew my residency card, and we have begun to invest in our aspirant Annette's move to Honduras.
In a first since we
moved to Limon, we lost no money to theft this year.
The chicken income is only a little lower than last year. We sold most of our flock mid-year, but continue to earn a little by selling corn and chicken feed. Though we didn't break even in the end, it was closer than most years. Upper Room earnings were only a quarter of 2024. I have been going to the city less often, thus affording fewer opportunities to sell. Moreover, long COVID symptoms (including fatigue and poor breathing) kept me from making my usual sales pitch when I did ride the bus. I am doing a lot better now, but even so, we significantly reduced the number of subscriptions purchased for 2026. The hope is to sell many of the old copies that have built up in the last few years (some 3 boxes full!) to gain back at least a portion of the money spent on them.
The unusual category of recovered money came from the closure of our credit union account. Several past debit card purchases that had never cleared were returned to us. Our micro-enterprise selling jam and peanuts brought in much less than in 2024 and actually lost money this year. We ate the peanuts ourselves! The total interest earned is almost the same as 2024.
Fourth quarter donations are double compared to last year, but the year-end total is essentially the same. We are so grateful to all of you who responded to our various requests throughout the year, especially the money raised to help Annette join us. We are now working with a lawyer in Panama so she can travel through that country and finally join us. The surprise large donations in December are particularly appreciated, as they will allow me to finally get my name changed on my Honduran documents ($650 lawyer fees), and to get new glasses (time for bifocals!). It's a great start to the new year!
Bendiciones,
Sister Confianza
Amigas del Señor Monastery
Limón, Colón
Honduras
