One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure

I woke up this morning and went to the 4th semester sale that began at 8:00 a.m. This is a sale at the end of the semester where the 4th semester students who are leaving the island sell their stuff that they don't want to pack or ship back to the US. Now basically it is like a garage sale but here in Dominica it is like going to a local department store. My dad has always said "one man's trash is another man's treasure" and I think that this statement has great importance her in Dominica. Any way being the first 4th semester sale here since we have been in Dominica I decided to go and check it out. They were selling things from computer chairs, textbooks, notecards, notebooks, pens, and highlighters to clothes, packaged foods, blenders, toasters, and medicines. It was really crazy. I think that the locals enjoy this sale more than the students because they don't get "American" things here very often. I really didn't end up buying much, I just got us a Brita water filter, some extra large notebooks for Christopher, and also a textbook that Christopher wanted. It was really kind of fun to see all of the weird things that people don't want anymore. They basically try and sell everything they think they might be able to get any money out of.

Christopher has been studying like crazy for his final. Yesterday he studied like 11 hours and I think he will continue to put in 11 hours today, tomorrow, and Monday. We are so close to be done with first semester and we could not be more excited to get done. Christopher did really well on his Histology and Anatomy practicals so we are really excited about that. He thinks he did well on his last Mini Exam but we have not gotten his scores back. Tuesday is the Final. He is going to do so great. I am so proud of everything he has accomplished this semester.

Yay! We will be home on Wednesday! We can't wait!

HOME = 8 DAYS!!!!!!

We are so close for it to be time to come home, only 8 more days until we are in the "promise land" as Christopher calls it. We just can't count the days any faster. Christopher has two more tests remaining. One is this Thursday and his final is the following Tuesday. Please keep him in your prayers as he continues to study.

Recently our good friends Kyle and Andrea have gone back to the US for good. They have spent 5 semesters here in Dominica and are now going to begin their clinicals somewhere in the US, probably in Chicago. We are really going to miss them. They have been such great friends and neighbors to us in the short time we have been here. They have such a love for our Lord and it has been great to have Christian friends here when we are so far away from home. Last weekend Ashley and Ryan threw a surprise going away party for them at a local restaurant here called Blue Bay. We had such a good time with all of our friends and we are really going to miss them in the upcoming semesters here in Dominica. It is a shame that we were unable to spend more time with them here on the island.

Ryan, Kyle, Christopher
Ashley, Andrea, and myself

Exam Time

Tests, tests, tests. That is what we have coming up. Christopher has 4 tests in the next 2 1/2 weeks. We are so ready to get home but we are focusing on one day at a time to get through the next few weeks. Christopher has been studying so hard. The only breaks he gets are the ones that he takes for meal time. He has been working so hard and I know that his hard work will pay off. Please keep him in your prayers as he continues to prepare for the upcoming exams. Here is his schedule for the upcoming weeks.

August 7: Anatomy Practical
August 7: Histology Practical
August 14: Mini 3
August 19: Final Exam

We will be home August 20. We can't wait to see everyone! We miss you all very much!