Sunday July 10, 2016

THREE weeks from today will be our last day on the island!! The time is starting to fly! We are trying to fit in a few more trips to waterfalls and beaches. I'm trying to soak in all the good that I will miss. The flowers, the trees, how green everything is. The slow pace of life! There are things I will NOT miss and I really am ready to be back with family in Idaho. But this island has been good to us. I have learned and grown. I now see that so many things I thought I needed are really just wants and conveniences. I have learned to be more grateful. I have learned and will continue to see that the Lord is so mindful of each of us individually. I know He wanted us to come to Dominica.

Mark was released as the branch president today. He served well. I am glad to have had the opportunity to watch him and support him in that calling. It would not be an easy calling anywhere at anytime but to do it here in Dominica (where there are MANY reasons it is so difficult here...) and to do it as a medical student is next to crazy. Not to mention he was the SGA president for much of that time! The Lord helped Mark to juggle his calling, school and family so well. I am incredibly proud of him. 

I have faith that the Lord will guide us on our journey and help us get to where he wants us to be when he wants us to be there. I hope that once we leave Dominica I will remember the things I have learned and be grateful. 

I can't wait to go to a grocery store in the states. I'm afraid I may actually cry!!! Full shelves where I can find anything I want! And if by some chance what I want isn't there I can get in a VEHICLE and DRIVE (I haven't done that in 19 months!!!) and go to ANOTHER grocery store NEARBY and find just what I want!! I bet there would even be a VARIETY of brands, flavors and prices which would be MARKED on the shelves for me to choose from. 

I can't wait to eat a GOOD hamburger and fries with a MILKSHAKE!!! At that note I can't wait to buy milk for way less the $9USD! I really am very excited but I still have a little more time here to enjoy the good and breath through the bad and frustrating parts. I'm almost off the rock! I'm excited to see where this adventure will take us next. We will be in Idaho for a good few months while Mark studies, takes huge exams and then he will be in Florida for 6 weeks before rotations begin... somewhere...   Someday I will come back to visit as a tourist. That will be a lovely happy humid day!