Our Story: Blessed

I've had an interesting couple of weeks. A lot has been on my mind. I just need to say how blessed I am to have the life that I have and how it has ended up so far, especially with it bringing me to Dominica. A lot of people think that I don't enjoy living here in Dominica, probably because I joke about disliking it a lot. Then in the last week or two it has hit me that we really aren't going to be living here much longer, and it is making me a little sad. It is crazy to think that we have almost lived here a year now and move back to the states in 5 months! I have made some amazing friends here who have gotten me through some tough times and I'm really going to miss them. Some of them I will probably never see again. Knowing that I have made such awesome friends has really made me realize that I don't hate living here. I am actually getting to a point where I almost enjoy it. There will always be those annoyances that come with living in such a poor country but besides those it is an amazing place. The community on this island is something you won't find anywhere in the states. I feel so blessed to have been given this opportunity to live the way we live here and to have met the people we have. This is an experience I won't ever forget and I'm so glad I have this blog to keep forever to look back on some amazing times here.

With that being said it is the 4th of July today and I am so extremely bummed that I'm not back in the US to be with family and friends to celebrate and watch the fireworks. Living outside of the US has made me the most blessed I've ever been to know I live in the United States of America. I am so grateful for all of the servicemen and women who fight for our freedom and who have fought for it. I never thought I took advantage of what I had back in the states and always felt like I was grateful. Now I know just how lucky I have been my whole life. I am so proud of my country and even more proud and blessed to have my religion. I don't know where I would be without having the Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder Day Saints in my life.

We have such a strong branch here on the Island full of loving and kind locals and students with their families. A couple weeks ago Elder W. Craig Zwick who spoke in our last general conference came to our Island to dedicate our new church building and to visit the branch. He is currently our interim Mission President and has been visiting all of the islands in the San Juan, Puerto Rico Mission. Our church meeting with him there was so powerful and had such a strong spirit. It was an incredible hour and a half meeting. I don't say often enough how blessed I am to have the gospel in my life. I am so grateful to be married to someone who feels the same way and that we can have children some day and raise them in the Church. I'm so thankful to my loving parents who raised me in the church and who have always taught me by example to be the best I can be. I am also so grateful for Stephen's parents as well for raising such an amazing man. I know he has gotten where he is today by being raised by such amazing examples.

Our beautiful branch here in Dominica!

June 22, 2014