End of Semester Excursion

My absence from the blogging world for the past couple weeks is mainly due to a lack of blog-worthy events in our life. Ryan has been working very hard to finish up the last few projects and papers for this semester. And his diligence paid off because yesterday we found out that he again made all A's! I'm so proud of him for persevering through a semester with several difficult classes, not to mention his work as president of the Public Health Student Association and captain of an intramural soccer team. He truly has found what he enjoys doing, and it's obvious that he is gifted in the areas of science and medicine. He now has about 2 1/2 weeks until the start of his third and final semester in the Masters of Public Health program.

To kick off his vacation, we took a cruise along the coast of Grenada with some of his classmates this past Saturday. I think that was probably the most fun we have had down here. We met around 9:30am on the beach and waited for our boat to arrive. The type of boat we used was called a Catamaran. They are bigger than they look and can hold about 40 people. Fortunately, we only had about 12, so we had plenty of space. Here is a picture of our boat docked on the beach.



The crew were some of the nicest people I have met down here. They were warm and friendly, and were a big part of making the over-all experience so enjoyable. The first part of the day we sailed up the coast to a city called Gouyave. It is the home to Fish Friday (stay tuned for a blog post about that experience). The water was calm and the sun was warm. Laying on a boat with friends, feeling the cool breeze, sipping an ice-cold Coke, and watching the beautiful scenery on all sides is the height of relaxation.



Once we reached Gouyave, we turned around and made our way back down the coast. About half an hour later, we reached a little bay where we docked for lunch. While the crew prepared our meal on the black-sand beach, we swam in the crystal-clear water. I was expecting sandwiches for lunch, but the meal we enjoyed was probably the best local food we've had in Grenada. The picnic table was spread with fresh tossed salad, potato salad, rice, roasted vegetables, barbecue chicken, and fresh fish. We sat on the black sand under the shade of a huge tree and enjoyed the delicious meal. Eventually everything was packed up and back on the boat, and we were off to our snorkeling adventures. We stopped at two different places along the coast. The first snorkeling opportunity was at a breath-taking coral reef.



We spent about 45 minutes with our faces in the water staring at the incredible variety of fish, coral, urchins, and other underwater creatures. One of the crew members collected several urchins for us to see up close. Then they cut one of the urchins in half and scooped out the inner portion. They mixed it into a drink with fruit punch, lime, and bitters (herbs). Ryan had a little sip, and based off his reaction, I decided not to try any of it.



Next we traveled further down to the coast until we reached the world's first underwater sculpture park. We saw four of the sculptures - a circle of people holding hands, a man's face, a man sitting at a desk with a typewriter, and a man on a bicycle. The following pictures are taken from the artist's website, www.underwatersculpture.com.





They look a little creepier up close in the pictures than they do when you are on the surface of the water. The sculptures all contain some environmental symbolism or something, but we thought they were pretty cool to look at. One of our crew members snorkeled with us and pointed out the various sculptures by diving down to them. He even brought me back a beautiful sand dollar from one of his dives!



After we were back on the boat and headed for home, the crew served us slices of fresh mango and bread with cheese and meat. They really took such good care of us. We arrived back to Grand Anse Beach around 5:30pm. Hopefully we'll be able to enjoy many more of these snorkeling excursions during our time in Grenada. I still can't believe I live in a place where all of this is just minutes from our house. We are so blessed!

Wedding Memories

Today is a celebration of the happiest day of my life. Two years ago I married my best friend. I am so blessed to have a husband that loves the Lord more than anything, but also is a daily example of Christ's love for me through his selfless, forgiving, unconditional love. I have never met anyone who has a harder time finding fault with anyone or anything. He goes out of his way to talk to the person standing by himself, and looks for ways to serve others. He never raises his voice or gets angry. I am so thankful for his calm, level-headed, rational approach to difficult situations. And I'm thankful for his funny, crazy side that provides humor in everyday life. He is my perfect match, but yet I don't deserve him.

So in honor of our anniversary, I wanted to share a few of my favorite memories and pictures from our wedding. I can honestly say that I loved every minute of that day. If I could go back and do it again, I wouldn't change a thing. I know that I owe a huge part of that to the wonderful people who gave up so much of their time to make everything perfect. Of course my parents deserve the biggest thank-you. I am so appreciative of the many sacrifices they made for me, all the work they put in behind the scenes.

The day began with a wonderful bridesmaid's brunch at my Aunt's house. She made the most delicious meal, and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to relax and enjoy the time with my sweet bridesmaids before the busyness of the day. Following the brunch, we headed to the church where several close friends of mine were kind enough to do our hair and makeup. We put on a movie, and had a great time getting ready together.





Finally it was time to see Ryan. Here we are a few minutes after we saw each other for the first time.



The next couple hours were spent getting pictures taken. . .
with both of our families


with my cousins


of the details


in the wind


and in love.


Finally the moment has arrived.





Our reception was so beautiful, and the cake and food tasted as good as they looked.





Before we knew it, it was time to go.



I can't wait to share the rest of our lives together!

Bake Sale

For the past couple weeks, I've been getting ready to help with a bake sale sponsored by the Public Health Student Association. Being the wife of the president of PHSA, I felt like I should contribute in some way. Plus, I'm the only one with tons of free time on my hands to shop for groceries and bake for hours. A few of our friends live off campus, and they let me come over and use their kitchen (and oven!). I was pretty excited to use an oven again.

But before I could start baking, I had to think through what I was going to make. Since none of the PHSA officers had organized a bake sale before, most of the planning fell to me, although I had no experience with it either. We had no idea how much to make, what prices to charge, how long we should run the sale, or even what we should sell! So we decided that as long as we broke even after the bake sale, it would be a success. A couple students volunteered to bake brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and cupcakes. The rest of it was up to me. Here are the different recipes I decided to try:

- 7-Layer Cookies (graham cracker crust topped with coconut, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, and pecans)
- Lemon Bars
- Cappuccino Brownies
- Red Velvet Cake
- Fresh Pear Pie
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I had planned to make apple cinnamon muffins and banana bread as well, but ran out of time. The grocery shopping took place over the course of a couple weeks. But I eventually was able to find everything I needed.



The only thing I had trouble finding was baking pans. A friend of ours loaned us a 9x13" pan and an 8x8" pan. And I eventually found some disposable aluminum pans at the grocery store. I could have used a few more, but at least I'll know for next time. This past Thursday was my baking night. After a quick dinner, Ryan and I headed to our friends' house around 4:30. One of the guys who lives there was nice enough to drive all the bags of ingredients over to the house in his car the night before. I brought most of my bowls, spoons, and measuring cups, and it was a good thing I did - the kitchen had almost no baking equipment. (This may be due to the fact that 7 guys live there.)

Almost as soon as we got to the house, I realized that the butter had been left sitting on the counter overnight. Ryan was very kind and volunteered to run to the store for me. That immediately changed the plan I had for the order in which I would bake everything. So I improvised and started with a cake that didn't need butter. Next, I realized that not only did I not know how to turn on the oven, but it was also in Celsius. Fortunately, one of the guys knew how it worked, and as it turns out, one of my recipes actually had the Celsius conversion! Disaster averted.

The rest of the evening went pretty smoothly. I had to guess at the length of time for everything because the timer didn't work on the oven. It was a little bit of trial and error to get the temperature and timing right, but it all worked out. We finished around 10:00pm, and again our friend gave us a ride back to school. I was glad we didn't have to figure out how to carry 7 pans of baked goods and 6 bags of ingredients on the bus by ourselves.

Finally it was Friday, the day of the bake sale. We thought we would be stationed at the Upper Bus Stop, which is also where different vendors sell food during lunch. But another organization was already having a bake sale in that location, so we had to move to a courtyard area surrounded by classrooms and the library. We were a little concerned that we wouldn't have the amount of traffic that the other location has. Ryan and some classmates helped me carry everything from our room to the courtyard around 10:30. They had to go back to class until 12:00, so one of the PHSA officers and I stayed at the table. We had planned to begin the bake sale at 11:00, but there was a steady stream of people as soon as we got there. Since I again had no experience with a bake sale, I just guessed at the prices we would charge. It turns out they were right where they should be. Here is the flyer I printed ($1EC = $0.37USD):



And here are a few pictures of the bake sale. This is one that Ryan took before other people brought the cupcakes, rice krispie treats, and a cheesecake.



By the time Ryan's class ended at 12:00, we had sold more than half the items, and we sold out of 3-4 items completely!



At the beginning, I was worried that we had way too much food. But as it turns out, we probably could have doubled the amount we baked. A few people actually wanted one of everything! We planned to stay there until 3:00, but by 1:00 we were completely sold out. It's a good thing, too because shortly after we packed up, it poured for about half an hour. Since we weren't under a tent or anything, that would not have been good.

In the end, we made over $600EC - more than any of us could have imagined! The money will be used to sponsor health fairs around the island, clothing drives for the poor, and various other charities. The guys all want to have another bake sale next month! I may need a little more time than that. But next time, I'm definitely making enough so we have some leftovers to bring home!

Easter Weekend

It hardly seems possible that we've been here almost 2 months. We've settled into a daily routine (more or less) and I've become pretty good at getting around on my own. But something about celebrating your first holiday away from home still seems strange. Last year we spent Easter Sunday with both of our families (it was also our 1-year anniversary that day). I remember how special my mom made that day. She decorated the table for Easter dinner in the colors of our wedding and made the most delicious meal. And having the whole family together was so much fun. Today it was just the two of us. But aside from the fact that we were missing our families and our church, we had a pretty great weekend. Plus, we got to talk to my family on Skype this afternoon. My grandparents were there for dinner, and we were able to say hi to them, my parents, and my sisters! How did people ever survive without the internet?

Ryan has been on Easter break since Thursday, and he goes back to class on Tuesday. So we've been able to enjoy a little more time together after the craziness of his schedule the past couple weeks. Thursday night we went out for dinner. We visited this little Italian place not far from campus. Actually, the front of the restaurant said "French Bakery and Cafe" but they serve pasta, pizza, and tiramisu. So I call it Italian. Last time we were here we split a pizza. This time we tried their pasta, and it was incredible! I had penne with a mushroom, garlic, and parsley cream sauce. Heavenly! Ryan had the Russian - penne with smoked salmon in a cream sauce.



It was a beautiful evening and we enjoyed sitting outside in the open air restaurant. We also ran into a really nice couple that Ryan had met last term. I was happy to finally meet them and make some new friends. After dinner we walked about a half mile down the street to Rick's for some ice cream. Now last Saturday we went to Rick's for their pizza. And I have to say it was the best pizza I've had on the island. But last week we were too full to have ice cream, so here we are again. Considering the fact that ice cream in the grocery store is so expensive, you wouldn't expect it to be very cheap at a restaurant. But you can get one scoop (which is more than enough) in a cone for only $1.69. Ryan had the mango ice cream and I tried the pistachio. Both were delicious!



After ice cream, we walked back past the Italian restaurant and to the IGA for my usual Thursday grocery run. We stocked up on milk, eggs, produce (they had some beautiful romaine lettuce) and a couple things for the bake sale I'm organizing on Friday. (More about that later.) We ended the evening by watching a movie and eating pop corn - the perfect end to the day.

Seeing as how we are here for Ryan to go to medical school, the rest of the weekend consisted mostly of Ryan studying at the library and me hanging out at home. He is so diligent, and I'm proud of him for working hard this weekend and getting some projects and papers finished. And we've still had time for relaxing meals together and good conversations. Speaking of meals, a friend inspired me this weekend with a delicious recipe for braised short ribs that I can't wait to try. And another friend gave me a recipe for Japanese hibachi - one of our favorite meals. So hopefully this week the grocery store will cooperate and I can try some new things. But this weekend, I relied on an old standby for Saturday dinner - hearty tomato soup, salad, and grilled cheese sandwiches. I forgot how much I love that meal!



Today we celebrated Christ's resurrection with fellow Grenadian believers. The service was beautiful, and I was reminded again how thankful I am that we serve a risen Saviour! My favorite part of the service was the little 7-year old girl that sang "The Old Rugged Cross" so sweetly. The song leader even asked her to sing it again when she finished! We truly look forward to each opportunity to worship with these dear people.

Usually Sunday night signals the end of the weekend, but Ryan has one more day off before returning to class. So tomorrow we're planning to go to the pool and a beginner's pottery class in the afternoon with some friends. Never a dull moment here!

The Miracle of Chicken

This past week has been very interesting. I'm sure the Lord is using it to prepare me for the years of medical school and residency that are ahead. Since last Sunday, Ryan has been incredibly busy with projects, papers, presentations, and quizzes. He has been up well past midnight most nights this week and then has 6-9 hours of class every day. Usually he comes home for an hour at lunch and dinner (between classes), but this week was so busy, he often didn't even do that. So that meant we had a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch and either a quick spaghetti dinner or a sandwich on the run for supper. One night we had the sirloin again.

Tonight we had about a 45 minute window for dinner. Ryan had a paper due at 5, so he spent the day in the library. Then at 6, he played in a 4 on 4 soccer tournament. But I was determined to actually cook dinner tonight and was craving Lemon Chicken. The only problem was I had already been to the grocery store twice this week and they didn't have any chicken breasts.

I've started grocery shopping on Wednesday evenings. Ryan is in class from 5-8pm, and our friends, Ben and Karen, invited me to come to the store with them. This is a huge help because when I go with them, I can carry more back with me. But the store doesn't stock their produce until Thursdays, so I usually go back Thursday afternoon as well. Yesterday they had a huge selection of fresh produce - eggplants, portabella mushrooms, asparagus, and leeks. I bought a leek. I've never cooked a leek before (or even tasted one, that I know of), but I thought it was time to try one. I checked the meat department again and still no chicken breats (they had plenty of feet, necks, and backs, though!).

This afternoon I decided to run by the store again and see if they had gotten any more chicken today. Also, I forgot to get Ryan some yogurt at the store the past 2 days, so I needed to go anyway. Before I left, I actually prayed that there would be chicken breasts, mostly because I was sick of having the same 2 kinds of meat all the time.

On a side note, on my way to the grocery store, I met a lady whose husband teaches marketing in the undergrad program here. We started talking and I found out her daughter actually lives in Greenville, SC!! I told her I went to Bob Jones University for college, and she said she visited the Museum & Gallery recently, and was so impressed by it and the campus in general. She told me she's a Christian, too, and asked where we went to church in Grenada. I was able to tell her about the Neptune's church, although I couldn't give very good directions about how to get there. We talked the whole way to the store, and I was so thankful to have a connection with another Christian, let alone someone connected with Greenville!

Anyway, so I got to the grocery store and went directly to the back and looked in the case where they keep the chicken. I again saw plenty of other unappetizing parts and could tell they hadn't stocked it since yesterday. But then in the corner, I saw 2 packages of boneless skinless chicken breasts! I think I might have cheered out loud! The Lord must have been saving those just for me, because there's no reason why they should have been there. I was so thankful for such a direct and undeserved answer to prayer! I remembered to buy some yogurt and another gallon of milk before I left.

Back at home, I decided to make potato leek fritters to go with the lemon chicken. The fritters were just mashed potatoes and leeks mixed with 4 beaten eggs, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. I fried them in a little bit of oil for about 2 minutes on each side. For the chicken, I cut the breasts into 1" pieces, coated them with flour, and seasoned them with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. I browned them in butter until they were cooked, and then added lemon juice and let them simmer for a couple more minutes. Both dishes turned out well, and were pretty easy to make. Plus, we have a ton of the potato mixture left, so I'm going to try frying up a couple more for breakfast tomorrow morning with eggs. We also had what Ryan calls Pistachio Fluff. I have no idea what the real name is. I found the recipe on the side of a box of pistachio pudding. It's just 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip, I package pistachio pudding, 1 can crushed pineapples, and 1/2 cup chopped pecans. I love it because it tastes like summer!



I'm on my way to watch Ryan play soccer now. After that we'll probably continue our Friday night tradition of watching a movie and eating popcorn. And if I'm lucky, maybe he'll have time to come to the beach with me tomorrow! Happy weekend everyone!

You Win Some, You Lose Some

A couple weeks ago I wrote about my food/kitchen situation, and afterwards I received so many recipes and ideas from my sweet friends. I can't wait to try lasagna in the microwave one day soon! They inspired me to think outside the box and be a little more creative in my meal selections. So today I spent some time online finding recipes that used things I already had on hand. I was lucky to have a good meat selection at the grocery store this week, and decided to use the boneless chicken breasts tonight. I came up with 4 recipes, described them to Ryan, and we decided on one to try.

After dinner, I asked Ryan if this should be something we put on the regular rotation. His response, "I'd probably try another recipe before we had this again." Haha! Of course, he also said it was very good and there was nothing wrong with it. But coming from the man who is probably the least picky eater in the world, I could tell this wasn't a favorite. I asked what he didn't like about it, and he said there were too many different flavors going on.

For my part, I thought it was pretty good. The chicken came out juicy and not overcooked. I served it with brown rice and broccoli. But that's okay - I'm more than happy to move on and experiment with a different recipe next time! In case you're curious, here is the recipe (with the changes I made, in case one of those was the problem):

Ingredients:
• 3 to 4 boneless chicken breast halves, cut in 1-inch pieces or strips
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 leeks, white part, cleaned and thinly sliced (I used green onions)
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (I used more chicken broth instead)
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes (I didn't have any, so I cut up a fresh tomato)
• 1 jar or can (about 15 ounces) artichokes, drained and cut up (I didn't have this)
• 1 can (3 to 4 ounces) sliced black olives, drained (I didn't have this either)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and leeks; sauté until leeks are tender, stirring frequently.
Add mushrooms and sauté for about 3 minutes longer. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer.
Add the broth and wine; simmer briskly for about 7 to 10 minutes, or until reduced by about 1/2.
Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for a minute or two longer.

The Weekend

I know that basically my life right now is one long weekend. But the difference between that and the real weekend, is that Ryan has a little more free time Friday-Sunday and we actually get to spend some time together. Here is a little bit of what we did this weekend.

This semester Ryan doesn't have class on Fridays, so I count that as the start of the weekend. However, this past Friday, he had a field trip to the nutmeg factory, so he was gone most of the day. Did you know that Grenada produces 20% of the world's nutmeg? And in case you were curious, Grenada is called The Spice Isle because it is a major exporter of additional spices such as cinnamon, ginger, mace, allspice, and cloves. Here is a picture he took of a nutmeg.


He spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening studying and then went for a run. For dinner, we got a pizza from the snack place on campus. It's about a 2-minute walk from our apartment. They have a really good Hawaiian pizza that we like. We watched a movie while we ate, which was something we haven't done in quite a while. Also that night, some friends of ours had a housewarming party, so we went there from about 9-11pm.

Saturday morning we slept in a little bit and then went to the beach. Ryan hasn't been to the beach in a couple weeks, so this was a nice break for him. On the way back to campus, we stopped at the grocery store. I usually go to the store during the week by myself, but I can only carry so much with me. So I always appreciate when Ryan can come and we can bring a little more back with us. The nice thing is that it doesn't cost me anything to make an extra trip to the grocery store - the bus from campus to IGA is free, so I could go every day if I wanted to!

That afternoon Ryan worked on a group project for a few hours and I relaxed in the room. Around 6:30 we met some friends and headed to La Luna, one of the nicest resorts in Grenada, to celebrate a couple birthdays. Although it was dark when we got there, the resort looked amazing! I've heard it's right on the water and the view during the day is incredible. They also have an outdoor lounge with a pool, couches, and a bar area.


The restaurant is open-air and is under a thatched roof. The food was expensive, but so good! I had a pumpkin soup appetizer and the sea-crab linguine entree. Ryan had the sirloin and the best tasting tiramisu EVER! There were about 30 of us there, and at the end of the meal, the waitress handed us the total bill and made us split it up among everyone. We were responsible for adding in the tax and tip and then bringing them the total amount. I thought that was interesting. It definitely took about 45 minutes to do all that. After dinner we took a drive with a couple friends and scouted out banquet locations for the MPH dinner in July. Never hurts to get a head start on planning!

Today we again attended Westerhall Berean Bible Church. But this time we drove with our new friend Roy. He is a member at the church and also works on the maintenance staff here at St. George's. He lives just a half-mile or so from school, so he volunteered to bring us to church each week. We've really enjoyed our time with him. The service this morning was a blessing. And we were able to observe the Lord's Supper this week. After church, Roy drove us through Westerhall Point, a gated neighborhood with some huge homes. I wish we had brought our camera with us!

We got back to school around 2:00, and Ryan again met for a group project at 3:00. I was able to get our laundry done this afternoon. I also had plenty of time to make dinner tonight.


On the menu was a sirloin tip topped with sauteed mushrooms and red onions (not pictured), garlic-cheddar mashed potatoes, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, and spinach salad with green onions, caramelized walnuts and fresh raspberries. I thoroughly enjoyed experimenting a little bit and cooking a real dinner! The raspberries are usually around $9 for a little container like we would buy at home. But yesterday, for some reason they were on sale for $1.10! I couldn't pass that up, so I bought a couple containers, and they were delicious! We also had chocolate pudding with whipped cream for dessert.

And so ends the weekend. Tomorrow it's back to reality. For Ryan that means 9 hours of class. For me, going to the pool, working out, shopping, and cooking dinner. I love medical school!

No Oven, No Problem. Well...

So today I started making a list of all the things I want to eat when I go home in July (things like steak, coffee, chocolate cake, and Caesar salad). Not that I couldn’t buy or make those things here, but without an oven or a grill or even an outlet in my kitchen, it’s probably not going to happen. I was thinking about this today as I made my grocery list for the week and tried to think about tonight’s dinner (should we have spaghetti for the 5th time or Mexican for the 4th time?) and a meal plan for the rest of the week.

There are a couple factors involved in my choice of meals. First, my selection of groceries is somewhat limited – not only by the lack of variety in the store, but also by the prices of certain items. I’m thankful to have an IGA in town. They have a lot of familiar brands of food, such as Kraft cheese, Mueller’s pasta, and Prego spaghetti sauce, and a lot of American cereals. And I recently discovered a store called Food Fair, where the prices are a little lower than at IGA. But after spending a couple hundred dollars on our first few trips to IGA, I decided we would be frugal and just buy necessities and whatever was cheap. Plus, we needed to be on more of a healthy diet anyway. So for the first few weeks we had Kashi Go-Lean cereal or oatmeal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch (I broke down and bought deli meat), and some sort of pasta or Mexican meal for dinner. However, after more than a couple nights of me complaining because I was STARVING at 8:00 at night and Ryan wanting something to snack on most of the day, I had to rethink our supply of food. Let me say, though, that I am blessed to be married to a wonderful guy who really is okay with eating the same thing every day. He is not the least bit picky about what we eat – as long as there is something to eat, he’s fine. He asks for spaghetti almost every night, anyway. So a couple weeks ago we stocked up on some snack food during our normal grocery run. He got some crackers, juice, and apples. I bought popcorn, hot chocolate, and pudding. (Can you tell how my diet is going so far?) But the good thing is I can make things last a long time – I’m not eating it all in one week. I’ve only had one cup of hot chocolate so far! It just makes me feel better knowing those things are in the cabinet.

The other problem, though, is the cost of the food. Here is a sample of our receipt:

Yogurt - $1.10 each
Kraft Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese - $4.91
Prego Spaghetti Sauce - $5.36
Florida’s Natural Orange Juice - $7.44
Mueller’s Spaghetti – $2.90
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1 Liter) - $14.32

On top of that, Grenada now charges a VAT (value added tax) of 15% on everything except things like milk, bread, meat, and most produce. And they don’t have buy one get one sales like I’m used to at Publix! At IGA, they only stock the store once a week, usually Wednesday. And things like milk and the good kinds of bread go fast! They’re usually gone by the next day or so. I think produce may be stocked on Thursday – I haven’t quite figured out the routine yet (if there is one). With that said, even shopping on Wednesday doesn’t guarantee they’ll have what you are looking for. So my meal planning has kind of been non-existent. I’ve tried to stock up on non-perishables when they are available and then supplement with what is in stock. But even buying meat has been a problem. One time I saw dolphin (which someone told me is actually Mahi Mahi) and chicken feet. On occasion I find something I can use. We have had hamburgers, chicken breasts, and beef tips.

Even if I could buy all sorts of good food at amazing prices, I think our meals would still lack variety and creativity. The reason for this is my kitchen. We have a two-burner stove and a microwave . . . and no oven. I have exactly 6 cabinets and 1 drawer. And a total of maybe 8” of counter space. Here are a couple pictures of my little kitchen:




So preparing meals has been a challenge, to say the least. In addition, we have 1 sauce pan and 1 small skillet. If I want to make anything involving more than one pan, I have to put the food in a bowl, wash the pan, and then reheat all the food when we’re ready to eat. After scorching a couple chicken breasts in the skillet and over-cooking pasta (because it cooked in about 5 minutes on medium-high heat), I finally realized my stove is a lot hotter than I’m used to. But tonight’s meal was somewhat more of a success, mostly because it didn’t involve spaghetti or salsa. I had some beef stew meat from the store and found a recipe online that used things I already had on hand. I sautéed some onions, browned the meat, and then added water, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. After bringing it to a boil, it was supposed to simmer for 1 ½ - 2 hours. I had it on low, but after about an hour, the liquid was almost gone and the bottom of the pan was turning black. So we ate a little earlier than I was planning. And since I didn’t have time to scrub the pan before dinner, I cooked the brown rice and broccoli in the microwave. It turned out pretty good. Ryan already wants it again, which is always a good sign.

So my goals for the next few weeks (months) are to plan more creative meals, try new recipes, and try to find the best prices on groceries. Someone told me they baked brownies in their microwave last week. Maybe I should give that a try!

Worshiping in Grenada

Out of all the things we left behind when we moved to Grenada, I think I miss our church the most (besides our family, of course!). I miss the routine of our service - the music, preaching, and fellowship. Yes, John, I even miss choir! And I miss being home during the construction of the new building and seeing the changes that will take place. But more than that, I miss each and every person at church. Some of my dearest friends, and a lot of the most godly people I know are at Cornerstone.

So I knew that trying to find a church family while we are here was not going to be easy. The first Sunday we were here we attended a service on campus with others in the Christian Student Association. Over 100 students, faculty, and staff members assembled in an auditorium for about an hour. An African team led the praise and worship and a lady introduced the speaker who was from Venezuela. It's a very non-denominational service.

The next week, however, we were able to attend a local church. Ryan went to school with a guy who grew up here in Grenada. His father pastors a church just 15 minutes from campus. We contacted the pastor and he graciously volunteered to give us a ride on Sunday morning. We met him at one of the bus stops, and climbed into his car . . . along with his wife, daughter, son Philip, his wife Marva, and their four young children. In Grenada, apparently there are no laws about how many people can ride in a car at one time. Also in Grenada, start times for events are just suggestions. The service is scheduled to start at 11. We didn't get to church until 11:05, and the service started around 11:15. Every person we met at the church was warm and friendly, though. I think we shook hands with the whole church on our way to find a seat. They have about 60 people at their Sunday service.

The service began with singing a few choruses and some familiar hymns. Psalm 100 best describes the enthusiasm and sincerity of these dear people.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into His presence with singing!

Each person sang with joy and from a heart overflowing with gratitude. The song service lasted for about an hour. It included the offering, Scripture reading, and a time for public prayer focusing on the character of God ("Let's take time out to give praise.") We all stood with our heads bowed as various people thanked the Lord for Who He is and what He has done. Each phrase is ended by a chorus of Amen's from the congregation. Then they welcomed visitors, and Ryan had to stand and introduce us. The preacher of the morning was visiting from Trinidad, I think. As Pastor Neptune introduced him, he told him to "Take lots of time. We're not in a hurry." How convicting! After sitting in church for an hour, these people were more than happy to sit for another hour and a half and listen to God's Word preached.

I think what I love most about the church is the openness of the people. The service closed with Pastor saying that anyone who needs prayer can come to the front. So about 7-8 people walked to the front of the room and stood in a circle as Pastor prayed out loud for them (in general, not by name). But the rest of us just stood there silently while this was taking place. There is no pretense among these people, which is very refreshing.

After church, the Neptunes showed us the rest of the building. The roof of their building was torn off by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. They are still in the process of rebuilding it. So right now they are meeting in the basement of the building. It is a small, concrete room with wooden pews. There is no nursery, so all the children are in the service as well. They have a keyboard that someone brings each Sunday and a small podium. The doors are left open, and the windows do not have panes, so there is a nice breeze throughout the building. Here is a picture of the inside of the auditorium upstairs under construction and the outside of the church.




On our way home, they were eager to take us to their favorite bakery for a drink and pastry and then show us the new home Philip is building. By the time they dropped us off at campus, it was after 3pm. There's no evening service at the church, so we spent the rest of the day at home and were able to call my parents before they left for church.

The service today was very similar; the music was worshipful and energetic. The message focused on Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King. During the announcement and welcome to visitors time, they insisted on hearing from "Ryan's wife". The women in the church are all very vocal in giving testimonies, so this was not unusual for them. I gave in and just said how we counted it a privilege to worship with them and told them a little more about us. At the end of the service, we were supposed to have Communion, but the person responsible for bringing it, apparently forgot and left early. So we'll have it next week.

We are truly looking forward to being a part of this church for the next couple years and getting to know the people here. And I love the fact that we can move thousands of miles away and live in a different country, yet have an instant bond with these people through Christ. However, Cornerstone is, and always will be . . . home.

Limes

Limes is an after-school program for some of the underprivileged kids on the island. It's sponsored by the SOs (Significant Others) and runs Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3-5pm. Last Wednesday I joined them for the afternoon and had such a great time! (I wasn't there today because I sat in on one of Ryan's classes - Maternal and Child Health.)

So here's what typically takes place at Limes. We rent out the upstairs of a building not far from one of the schools in the area. I'm told there can be anywhere from 20-60 kids, depending on the day. When I went, we had about 30 children. At the beginning, one of the SOs has the kids sit in a circle and talk about their day - basically just getting them to calm down. Then we usually have some sort of craft or project for them. The day I was there, they were celebrating all the January/February birthdays the next day, so we made party hats. Here's a picture of two sweet little children as they decorate their hats.



After craft time, we get them together in a circle again for snack time - today it was bread and juice. You can tell that most of these kids are in desparate need of attention, love, and good nutrition. I loved the fact that after being there for maybe a minute, the kids instantly love you and want to hug you. It broke my heart to see the little ones that come in bare feet and walk home the same way. But thankfully we have this opportunity to spend time with them, show them love, and provide a safe place for them to spend a couple hours after school. What a privilege!

Pool Day

Mondays are an exciting day here in Grenada. Not only do I get to enjoy this beautiful, sunny weather, but I get to spend the morning at one of the nicest pools I've ever seen. The school owns a resort-like area about 15 minutes from campus, called The University Club. It's used to house visiting faculty members and give faculty/staff members a nice place to relax. On Mondays and Thursdays, spouses of students (or Significant Others, as they are known here) are allowed to use the pool free of charge for the day. So this morning, my friend, Kelsey, and I headed over there around 9:30. The pool is on a hill overlooking the beach surrounded by palm trees.





We were the only ones at the pool for most of the morning. Although we just stayed for a couple hours and I applied lots of sun screen, I definitely got burnt! The sun must be more intense down here for sure. When I got back home around 12:00, Ryan had already finished his morning class and made himself a sandwich. I ate a quick lunch and then headed down to the bus stop with Kelsey again. This time we took a 10 minute ride to a grocery store I hadn't been to yet - Food Fair. This grocery store is reported to have better prices, although not as wide of a selection, as the IGA where most students shop. I found the prices to be a little bit cheaper than IGA - enough for me to buy a few things, like salad dressing, juice, cucumbers, spices, and a loaf of fresh yeast bread. There was a also a housewares store next door. They have everything from skillets and drinking glasses to car parts, plants, and sharpies! I need to come back to this store after I make a list of things I actually need.

After our shopping excursion, we waited over 45 minutes for the bus to come. I got a little hungry and ate some of the loaf of bread I had just bought. Eventually the bus came, and we got home a little before 3:00pm.

Tonight Ryan has class from 5-8pm and a soccer game at 8:10. So we ate an early dinner - around 4:15. He requested pasta, which he wants almost every night. At least I had good bread and salad dressing this time! I'll probably go the soccer game and take some pictures for Ryan tonight. He hadn't been here more than a couple days and was already captain of one of the intramural socccer teams. Most of his friends from the MPH (Masters of Public Health) program are also on the team. Last week the African team beat them. Tonight they play the Cuban Raft Riders (yes, that's really their team name). Wish them luck!