Seasons of Grace: September 2012

Hello from Grenada!!

Well, we have officially been in Grenada, West Indies, for almost two months. Our little house has begun to feel more homey for us. It took a long time for us to receive the boxes we had sent before we left NC. Matthew had to go to the port five different times before they finally went through them. We have realized the term "island time" is an actual thing and EVERYBODY follows it!! They work when they want and leave when they're ready. Places close earlier than what we are used to and are, at times, not open when you need them to be. Needless to say, it's been quite the adjustment. Matthew seems to have adjusted fairly quickly where as I have struggled along. I guess that's to be expected though. :)

Matthew has been studying hard!! He started classes about a month ago and has already had four tests with two more tests within the next week. He has a full schedule every day. He starts his days with a lab in the morning at 8:30 that lasts about two hours. Then has a break till 1:30 when he starts lectures for the afternoon from 1:30-5:30. Some days he's finished at 4:30 and some days he doesn't go in till 10:30AM. I'm still trying to adjust to his schedule. :) He is playing on the intramural soccer team which I know he is enjoying. It's fun to go out and watch them play. As soon as he's done with school in the afternoon, he is hitting the beach!! Snorkeling or just swimming, he says he needs the water. Guess we picked the right place!! :) I am thankful that he plans his time of studying to be able to hang out with me as well. On the weekends, he tries to only study in the evenings so we can do things together during the day. I'm happy for that. :) Very proud of his hard work and determination to stay focused. Although his classes are getting a bit more detailed and hard to understand, I can see he is keeping a level head and staying on top of everything.

I have also been trying to stay busy. The heat and humidity here is almost unbearable!! I thought Wilmington was hot in the summer!! At least back home there was central A/C in all buildings. Running the A/C unit can get pricey here. In our house, there are only units in the two bedrooms that cool those two rooms only. Running it all the time is way to expensive so we only run it at night when we are settling down. So, what do I during the day?? I try my hardest to find things to do outside my house!! I'm fairly certain the temperature INSIDE can be upwards of 85-90 degrees. There is a nice breeze that blows but its not always constant. I try to get to the beach or pool every day to keep cool. :) I am thankful to have found a great group of girls who are in the same position as I am. Their is an organization called the Significant Others Organization (SO for short). It is basically all the wives or husbands of the students. So, those of us who are just here for the support of our spouse. I have met some awesome girls to hang out with!! It's very encouraging to be around other people who are feeling the same way I am and going through the same struggles. The SO's have created different things for us to be a part of. Of course I can pick and choose what I do. For example, there is an after school program called Limes with some of the Grenadian children here. (It is similar to the Pink Hippo Project at LifeCC.) Their ages range from 1-16. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday there is a group of SO's that goes to hang out with them for about two hours in the afternoon. We play games, help with homework, or just be there to give them some love and encouragement. They get really excited when they see us. It's a fun time!! I personally am not going every day because I feel it's just too much for me. I go at least one day a week if not two. On Mondays and Thursdays, we can go to the University Club and swim in the pool. That's a highlight for a lot of the SO's, myself included. :) On Friday evenings, I attend a ladies Bible study which has been very encouraging and a great support. I have made some great friendships through that as well. There are lots of families here which means more moms for me to lean on and ask questions!! I am certainly getting bigger. Baby sure likes to kick and squirm around especially when I'm sitting in a position that it doesn't like. The heat and being pregnant are NOT a fun combination that's for sure!! I have struggled getting comfortable living here and transitioning into a new life style but I am thankful for the ladies I have met and the support Matthew has been able to give. I'm sure a lot has to do with the crazy hormones running through my body but moving out of the country to a place you've never been is very hard to adjust in a short amount of time. I am sure by the time we leave, I will miss this place but I am very grateful that this is just a season the Lord has us in for now.

The most recent thing that has happened is that we got a puppy!!! :) One of Matt's teachers was trying to help a friend, who breeds German Shepard's, find a home for a 14 week old girl puppy. His teacher brought the puppy to school on Monday and Matt of course jumped all of the opportunity!! His teacher told him to take the puppy home and see what we thought and if we could keep her. Well, she just completely stole our hearts. :) She is absolutely precious, so loving, and her fir is very soft. I was a little hesitant at first to get attached to her because we weren't sure we were going to be able to keep her. Matt wanted to check with our landlords first to make sure they were ok with it and they are. German Shepard's are known to be very protective of their owners and children. If I'm going to be home alone a lot here, it will be nice to have her. Especially when the baby comes. She already follows me everywhere and doesn't leave my side. :) So!! She's ours!! Matt's teacher is bringing him all the paperwork this week. We were talking last night what we were going to name her and I figured that she needed a Grenadian name since we are getting her from here. What better name than the national spice of Grenada!! Nutmeg!! :) I think her fir kind of resembles nutmeg also. So, Nutmeg is her name.

I am attaching several pictures from our time here already. There are a lot so if you want more, just go check out my albums on Facebook. We miss our families and friends very much!! Although it is beautiful here, I am anxiously awaiting the time to return home. :)