It's hard to believe that it's already time to say goodbye to this wonderful Nature Isle...These past sixteen months, while not always easy, were an amazing adventure... 

I remember writing from Kansas City the month before we moved...something about how I hope I learn something during my time here.  Well I sure did...



I learned that sometimes you have to made do with what you can get...even if there is no flour or tortilla chips, because in the end, you still get fed.

I learned how to cook and bake from scratch and no longer from pre-packaged boxes...and I will take that knowledge with me everywhere.

I learned that walking is the best mode of transportation....it keeps you in shape and makes you stop and interact with others, which is what I'll miss the most.

I learned how to pour and test concrete....though I may never do it again, it sure was an experience!

I learned that if you work hard, the rewards are worth it, both in Brian's case as well as my own.

I learned that driving on the left isn't as difficult as I imagined...but driving a stick shift on the left is.

I learned that when you truly rely on God to provide a strong future, He pulls through.  His plan, though unknown at times, is always the direction we want to be heading.

I learned that underwater cameras are very expensive to replace...but the photos taken with them are priceless.

I learned that patience is a virtue...and that a smile on your face gets you so much farther than a frown.

I learned that making friends in a completely foreign place is vital.  I couldn't imagine my life without these girls.

I learned to appreciate the absolutely beautiful landscape around me...one that no photograph will ever do justice but will remain ingrained in my memories forever.

I learned that breadfruit pie is one of my favorite dishes to eat.

I learned to take every advantage of the stage of life you're in...if you're near an ocean, go dive.  If you're close to a waterfall, go hike to it.  The adventures we've taken in the past year and a half have been simply amazing.



To those of you who kept up with us on this blog, thank you.  We have appreciated your support, love and prayers more than you can imagine.  Please continue to pray for Brian next week as he completes his second year of medical school, and remember to always learn from every situation in which God places you.  And for now and forever,

Goodbye from Dominica!

Looking around today it's interesting to think about how different things were just sixteen months ago.  I know, I know, it's a third world country that Columbus would still recognize if he were alive today....but the campus of the Ross University School of Medicine has changed quite a bit since we came to Dominica...and the cool thing is that I've gotten to help with all the new construction! 

The RUH Pool....sure, it doesn't look bad from this shot, but in actuality, the walls are literally breaking away beneath the scrubby tiles...it's just a dam waiting to burst forth!


January 2007



April 2008

It didn't take that long to do the construction, but what a difference it made!  We repoured all the concrete walls as well as a new floor for the pool (yes, it's now smaller by 6" on each side), set up a new pump system and underwater lighting, expanded the pump house and replaced the icky tile with a beautiful blue waterproof sealant with dark accent tile.  The pool looked so good that the University had to buy new lounge furniture as well!

Swing I....which actually didn't exist at all when we got to Dominica.  The steel building had been in the plans, but no construction work had been done until I found my calling with Ross, so I got to be there for the ground breaking ceremony!


January 2007



April 2008

Woah....a whole new building!  It's currently used for study space and intended as flexible square footage so the University can grow and adapt a little more easily.  Students call it "The Barn" (hmmm, wonder why....), but they really do enjoy studying there.

Swing II....Another building in the planning process, but definitely nothing more than a grassy, tree-filled field when we arrived here.  Amazing what can get done in a year!


January 2007



April 2008

The 6,000sf building (identical to Swing I other than door and window placements) is functioning as a much-needed new warehouse for the University. 

Seaside Deck Roof....The deck off of the Subway/Bank building has always had a great view of the Caribbean, but when we got here it wasn't covered at all, so in the frequent showers of the March-April months, it wasn't a pleasant place to spend any amount of time.  Luckily, the first project I worked on was to help create a cover for this space....and that we did!


January 2007




April 2008

You can't really tell from the picture, but the butterfly roof is absolutely beautiful....and people are now constantly using this space.  Wow!

Gym & Campus Life Center....this was another of the grassy fields when we moved here, but is now commencing the 3rd floor construction....in an area right off of Lizard Trail, the already designed but not under construction Gym building took several months to build out of concrete and reinforcing, but it ended up becoming a wonderful place for the students to use....the old gym didn't have a single restroom in it; this has separate locker rooms with showers and everything!  The second floor has become a meeting space, and RCF actually meets there every Sunday.  It's really turned in to a heavily-used building!


April 2008

There are several other areas that have undergone some major changes in the past 4 semesters, such as the Supply Chain offices turned Microbiology faculty offices, the RUH Warehouse turned Supply Chain offices turned RUH offices, the Post Office and Customs expansion off the Library, the addition of a Security Booth down at Princess Margaret Hospital in Roseau, the addition of 3 trailer office structures for the facilties team, the complete renovation of the Administrative/Dean's area, the renovation of the Laptop Lounge study area into visiting faculty offices, the removal of Classroom 7 altogether to create more faculty and support staff offices and several other projects that students may not even see on a regular basis.  It's been exciting being a part of all of this change, and I'm even more excited that I continue to be a part of it on some level.  While I won't get to help manage the renovation of the Admin. Building, the Old Gymnasium or the construction of the 3rd Floor, I'll hopefully always know what's going on and will surely be back in Dominica some day to see all the changes this campus goes through....

What many people may not realize about our past year and a half in the Caribbean is that it came without a car.  That's right; Rachel has not been able to get a speeding ticket for 16 months, which may be the best part of moving down here!  So how do we get around, you may ask...Well I'll tell you!

Option 1:  Catch a transport.  Transports are old rusty vans that run up and down the main highway at any given time, though when you are looking for one they never seem to come.  It's the most popular form of transportation because it's easily available and very cheap; only 1EC to get from the Ross campus all the way to the bus depot 2 miles away in Portsmouth.  They run to Roseau as well, which only costs 7EC for the 26 mile trip, but in order to catch a Roseau bus it's easiest to ride up to the bus depot in Portsmouth to find a bus going to Roseau originating there.  Yep, go north to get south.

The best part about riding in a transport is that you get to sit with all the locals and try and interpret their creole dialect while listening to some form of reggae music, which is always just the one song that happens to be popular at the moment playing over and over again....currently it's "She's Royal" and don't worry; I've got it on my iPod to share with you when we get back to the States.  The downfall to riding in transports is that the drivers, in order to make as much as they can on one trip will pile as many people as possible into the van, utilizing the aisle "jump seats", laps, pretty much any available space, and more times than not someone has just come from Roseau so the whole place smells like a bucket of KFC chicken.  No joke.



The way you catch a transport is similar to that of a taxi; stand on the correct side of the road (which here is on the left) and flail your arms repeatedly.  If it's full (or if your flailing technique is a bit off...) it'll just keep driving.  Only the vans with plates starting with "H" are licensed transport drivers, so don't try hailing the cute little SUVs with "P" license plates...they definitely won't stop for you!  To let the driver of the transport know where on the main road you want to be dropped, you've got to alert him, but not too soon because they'll stop on a dime no matter how full the van is!  Most locals do it by saying "stopping here" which just always sounded a little weird to me....I always mutter something about "here, please" and it's worked well.

Option 2:  Call a taxi.  And when I say taxi, what I really mean is a little Suzuki jeep looking vehicle...A1 is the main taxi company here in Picard, and that's pretty much all they drive.  It's handy when you want to be dropped off at your front door instead of walking back from the main road, but they take awhile to arrive, so you've got to call them 20 minutes before you plan on taking your trip.  Plus, they're pretty expensive.  A trip from our place to Tina's grocery is roundtrip 12EC, which, if you took a transport from Banana Trail to Tina's and back is only 2EC...but you have to walk back to the apartment...and hope that there even is a transport.  So taxis are nice for lazy days or times when a propane gas tank refill or heavy Kubuli case refill is in order.

Option 3:  Rent a car.  This is the most expensive option, but allows for the most flexibility.  We've rented cars several times; mainly when company comes or we plan hikes that aren't in the Picard area.  There are two rental places to call--JX and Silver Lining.  JX is nice because it's right across from campus, but they're pretty unreliable on what car will actually be on the lot when you show up to pick it up, even if you reserve it the day before.  Dominica lifestyle, I guess.  Silver Lining is a great place to rent, but it's all the way in Portsmouth so you have to catch a transport to get there.  In order to rent a car, you've got to have a Dominica driver's license, which requires a whopping 15EC for a 3 day license.  No tests or anything.  Wow!  Car rentals are about 220EC/day but are much cheaper than hiring a driver to take you to a waterfall or hike...plus you get to drive on the left!

Option 4:  Walk.  Yep, this is usually what we do....because honestly, unless we're taking a special break to go somewhere, everything is less than a mile and a half away.  Our calves are totally in shape and I can stand a 90 degree sunny day without breaking a sweat now, but when you get caught in the rain without the umbrella you should never forget, it kinda' sucks.  Okay, it really sucks.  But it keeps me from getting tickets and will really make us appreciate our vehicles when we get back.  Plus, it's been really nice this past year and a half to skip the car payments, gas prices and insurance rates as well.  Way to go on our own two feet!



And there you have it; our modes of transportation here in Dominica!