Hello all!! I'm amazed at how much I have to write about! Our lives have been pretty busy the last few weeks as the pace picks up for Sam coming into the end of the semester. I know I say this alot, but I cannot believe how fast the time has gone by this semester!! When we left home in January the year we would be gone was looming ahead and seemed like a very long time. Now, realizing that we're already in April, I know that 4th semester is going to come racing up on us. It's crazy.
Like I said, Sam's been really busy getting ready for the final 10 tests he has in the next 2 1/2 weeks. As I write right now, Sam, James and Mark are in the next room enjoying my homemade pizza (and oatmeal cookies!) as they study physiology. They've been at it for almost 6 hours now. School was pretty good to me this week, last week was a lot busier though.
On Sunday, the lady who cleans Mary's house offered to bring her to her church, so Sam and I tagged along. We loved their service! It was quite different from our church at home, a lot LONGER but also a lot more active, animated and just overall very moving. It was a small congregation and we definately stood out. They welcomed us by name from the pulpit, but even if they hadn't everyone knew that we were there and were obviously new. But worship was very powerful, the preaching was challenging and easy to listen to, and the people were so welcoming. Everyone gave us hugs, asked about Sam's school and were just very friendly. As we left, Sam told me that this was a church he could easily see us becoming a part of. So hopefully that will happen. It felt like we were part of the family. It was very refreshing.
On Thursday of last week, I went on a hike with a couple of other spouses here. We went to Middleham Falls, which is near Roseau. It was a beautiful 1 hour hike in to the islands tallest waterfal. It's supposed to be 150 feet tall, and wow was it impressive! The hike was a lot of stairs and mud and tree roots, so it was really fun. I don't think the pictures really do it justice, but I put them on here anyways so you can kind of get a feel for what it's like.
Yes, that's the trail.
And so is that.
And this...
This is the whole group that went (not including me). In the front is Chicka, then Ericka, Denise and Mary. This is on the road looking down the valley towards Roseau.
This is the only way I could get the whole falls in the pictures. It's three pictures stitched together!
In the pool at the bottom of the falls, a beautiful rainbow formed in the mist that was falling.
On Friday, I had the opportunity to go on on a community outreach through Espwa Domnik, the establishing palliative and hospice care group in Dominica. The purpose of the visit is both to help out/encourage people in the Portsmouth area who have health issues and are mostly alone and also to give the med students a little bit of patient interaction. I am obviously not a med student though, so I just went to visit with people. I got to go meet a wonderful lady who lives in Portsmouth. Her name was Ma Martin, and we had a really nice time visiting. In this picture, we were having afternoon tea, eating an amazing easter cake she had left over. She used to own a store in Portsmouth and is quite a baker. The cake was delicious. In the cups is Vitamalt, a very unusual but very popular drink down here. It was a really neat experience. Espwa Dominik is the first palliative care/hospice organization ever organized in Dominica. This past semester we've been fundraising to buy two morphine pumps to help some terminally ill paitents here. When we get them, they will be the only morphine treatments available on the island. The health needs of this country are incredible.
Now I've just posted some random sunset pictures I took this week. This is taken at the beach near the house. I think every student at Ross has a picture like this, but it is beautiful nonetheless.
The sunset one night from our front porch.
Kubuli and I enjoying the sunsetting behind us!!
Well, I think that about wraps it up! I'm going to Roseau tomorrow and Sam is studying, so that's about all the excitement our weekend will hold! Hope everything is well with you guys back in the states. We love you and miss you!!
In Him,
Katrina
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