Dominica, Day Whatever

Happy 4th of July!!! This will be the 2nd time I've been out of the country on a Work & Witness Trip over the 4th of July. We had fireworks in Ukraine, but I doubt we'll have them here in Dominica, since they are pretty much modeled after the Brits. LOL

Saturday ~ a Fun Day. We got up early, made sack lunches and headed out to the Emerald Pool. What a beautiful place THAT was!!! We hiked into the pool, which was fed by a waterfall. The hike in was kinda rugged, but once we got there, off went the outer clothes and into the pool I went! Had to climb over some pretty big rocks to get there, but once in, Ohhhhhhhhhhh, how refreshing it was! We loved playing in this pool! Most of our team got wet, which was good. Once I get my pictures uploaded to my computer, I'll post them. Just trust me, it was beautiful!

After that, we drove to Roseau, the capitol of Dominica. We did some local shopping and I'm happy with my purchases. Got something for all of my grandkids, and Don got a islandy Christmas shirt. Very cool.

Next, we drove to Trafalgar Falls, which is an area where there are 2 waterfalls. One is hot, the other is cold. Very cool. We hiked, or I should say some of us hiked to the falls. The last part of the hike was over lots and lots of boulders. I made my way over boulders to a little pool of very warm water. Not refreshing at all after sweating my way over the boulders. So, I climbed back out and went another direction and found some of the men. And I found a pool of COOL water! So, Don, Jim, Frank, Arlie & I enjoyed the cool water, took lots of pics. That place is so beautiful. Sorta reminded me some of the places in Yosemite.

Hiked out, sweat alot, and then we headed to this mountain in the clouds, and the Fresh Water Lake. I think that the ride UP the mountain was classified as The Ride We Would Surely Die On... Talk about narrow mountain roads with cliffs and no guard rails! I had to shut my eyes for most of it. What you don't see won't frighten you! LOL It was so nice being in the COOL weather for a change. At least for a little while. We enjoyed a cup of coffee before heading back down the mountain to Roseau.

Once back in Roseau, Pastor Dan, Don & I went to the IGA grocery store and bought the staples that we will be delivering to needy families today. Don bought me 2 Bounty candy bars. MMMmmm...

Next, we went to a little village past Roseau, and had some really good BBQ Chicken, fixed by Barbara, a sweet Dominican lady. Roseau and this village are settled right next to the Caribbean Sea. So the views we had on Sunday were really beautiful. We got back to the mission house around 9:30 last night. I promptly went to bed. I can't remember when I've ever had such a workout! LOL Not to self: GET IN SHAPE!!!

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And that's my life so far...

Dominica.... I Forget What Day it Is....

Yes, I've forgotten what day # this is of our trip to Dominica. I know it's Friday, July 2nd, so I guess this would be day 8. Oy, I"m tired!

Okay, today we women finished painting Pastor Ray's house. It is so beautiful. The sides are yellow, trim is white and the front door is a dark green. Beautiful. He's so happy to have a new house. He spent the day clearing off the land around the house, so he can prepare it to plant flowers. Beautiful...

We spent alot of time visiting with Pam, the woman who lives across the street. She brought several things for us to sample. Cocotea was a drink she brought over. It's made out of a nut, that is roasted and it pops open, sorta like popcorn, and then it's ground up with a mortar & pestle. Then the product is put in a pot, covered with water and boiled. It's then strained, and poured into a cup and hot milk is added. It doesn't have caffeine. But it tasted yummy, much like chai tea. We all sampled it. Then she brought over fresh pineapple out of her garden. Later we sampled breadfruit & smoked herring. She also brought us a drink that was sorta like a fruit smoothie, only the fruit was something different from any fruit I've ever tasted. I'll try to upload some pics here soon...

Also, Pam came over bearing gifts. She gave all of us women a maracca and she gave me a special bread basket she wove. These are so special to me. We have exchanged addresses, and I feel fortunate to have made a new friend, a new sister in Christ here on Dominica.

I came to this island with the idea of ministering to the locals, and instead, I've been ministered to. I came to bless, and I've been blessed a hundred fold. Thanks be to God.

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The men finished the roof and pretty much finished the deck on the snack shack. They also hoisted the frame for the swing set, and planted it in about 200 lbs of concrete. Mercy.... hard work.

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Tonight, we had chicken & dumplings for dinner, and had a pretty relaxing evening, full of chatting, and solidifying friendships.

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Tomorrow, the plan is for us to have a "fun" day. We will be driving to the emerald pool, to Trafalgar Falls, lots of swimming and playing in the water. We will also be doing some shopping. I'm hoping to find something cute for my precious grandbabies. We are also climbing a 4000 ft mountain and hiking around a lake, and experiencing the coolness on the island. Should be a fun-filled, picture takin' day.

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And that's my life so far...

Dominica, Day 7 of our Trip

Day 7



I thought I'd start today's blog with some pictures of Dominica. This first one is a picture of the OceanView Retreat Center for the Church of the Nazarene. It's taken while standing up at the Dining Hall. The Snack Shack is the unfinished building down the hill on the right. That hill is a long & steep hill to climb, let me tell ya... but the view from the top is breathtaking.
(EDIT) The first picture here was supposed to be the last picture, but it got deleted, and so I re-uploaded it, and not I can't get it to go back to it's rightful place... Oy... So, the caption for it is at the bottom of the picture segment... (EDIT #2) Okay, so I just realized that the date on my camera is wrong... LOL I will change it tomorrow, ROFL


Here is the Snack Shack, in the state it was when we arrived. It now has a roof on it, and the men are working on the deck out front. Tomorrow or Monday, we women will start priming the wood for paint.

This picture is one of the many beautiful plants here on Dominica.

THis river is next to the airport, and is one of the many beautiful rivers in Dominica. Looks so cool & refreshing, and positively inviting!

Another view of the retreat center, from the top of the hill by the dining hall.

This next picture is the view from our back deck at the Mission House. I have blogged while looking out at this beauty.

Flying over a rainbow. Wow!!!

Black sand at the beach. I have never seen black sand before. So beautiful.

An afternoon at the beach. The cliff was beautiful and fun to be next to. The black sand was near the cliff. This whole place is simply breathtaking. (See picture above, lol)

Okay.. so some thoughts about today....

While working on Pastor Ray's house, we have befriended a lady named Pam who lives across the street from Pastor Ray. She is a doll. She has shown us around her home, and has talked to us about how they live here on the island. She is a Christian, but doesn't attend the Naz church here. I believe she's Methodist. Anyway, we have become good friends here, and we have enjoyed getting to know her.

Today, she was so excited to get the school report on how her son did in school this year, that she had to run across the street to show me his report card, even though I was standing on a bench on the side of the house painting the trim of a window. She was so excited!!

Yesterday, Pam showed us how to do the basket weaving. She allowed Janet to practice, and then today, at the little bazaar set up after our lunch, Janet bought the basket that she helped weave yesterday. That was so cool...

Three of the ladies from Batacca came to the campground after our lunch and set out their wares for us to peruse and purchase. Their crafts here are extraordinary. I think our team of ladies spent most of our cash, and in turn we are bringing home beautiful items, and we contributed to the economy of these ladies' families. We are making great friends and forming bonds with them, which is what Christ would have us do.

I look at the humble surroundings around me when I'm painting Pastor Ray's house. These people have very little in the way of creature comforts. And yet, God has provided for their every need. Pam lives in basically a shack. It consists of 2 buildings made of scrap wood, with a connecting passageway between the main room & the bedroom, and a corrugated metal roof held in place by large rocks. Her running water is from a spigot located behind this shack. Her kitchen is a separate smoke house, where she keeps a wood fire burning. Her living room is up a slight hill, and has 2 wooden benches in it, and the ceiling is a canopy of trees. You need to climb a steep hill to get to some herbs & the plants where she gets the materials to weave her baskets. Climb up further and you get to her clothesline. Climb even further and you will get to her garden where she grows vegetables to sell for profit. She has basically very little, and yet, she has all she needs. There are fruits and nuts growing for them to eat. She even grows pineapples for her family to eat. Her clothes are rags. Yet she prides herself on looking as neat as possible. She has no transportation of her own. She walks or catches a ride with someone going her way. She has no TV, but she does have a radio. I don't know if she has electricity. She barely has anything, yet she is so happy! There is something to be learned here, from observing her life.

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Tonight, the men are playing Dominoes with the local men, and the women have gone to get some cheesecake. Frances & I stayed behind, at the mission house. I stayed in tonight because I am tired. This work is wearing me out. BUt, I cannot wait to see the finished house tomorrow! We will get it finished, and Pastor Ray, a preacher with literally no worldly possessions, will have the nicest house on the road, thanks be to God! Someday, I will return and Pastor Ray will serve me coffee in his new house. :) Isn't our God so good??? He provides for our EVERY need.

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Perhaps when I get home, I will get rid of things I don't need. I am humbled by this experience. I am blessed by my new friend, Pam.

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The end of Day 7 of our journey.