Three weeks with no teams on the ground calls for lots of exploring and enjoying our time off. Following our break, we will begin a busy spring and summer schedule, with just a few weeks off. I look forward to having teams, but it’s nice to have time to relax and take advantage of the beautiful Island that I live on.

If you grew up in the midwest, you know there is not much exploring to do. Yes, we have small areas to hike, but we do not have the beach and the mountains at our fingertips. Here, I do, how cool. I think I have traveled and explored more in the last few weeks than I have the whole time I have lived here.

Before the break started, we hosted our final winter team. This group of six was from Nashville, Tennessee. They provided barrio medical clinics to local communities outside of San Juan. It’s amazing to hear how much a team is able to do, no matter their size!

So, what exactly have I been up to? Well, during the first week off, I went to the beach one evening with friends, and on the way home, I tried a new Dominican street food, a Johnny kk (I’ll have a picture at the bottom). Following that week, the Bucher’s and I spent five days on the north coast in Las Terrenas. We relaxed by the pool and at the beach. We also went out to eat a few times and even got brunch one morning. One day we went to the beach, and Jeff and I snorkeled and saw a turtle and a big stingray! I wasn’t convinced we had turtles around us, so it was a fun surprise. I had been looking for a turtle every time I went snorkeling and had not seen one yet. The day before Easter, I went on a hike with friends. Our end goal was to find a waterfall that we knew was in the area. Unfortunately, we did not find the waterfall, but it was still a great day. We brought hot dogs, and made a fire along the river. Osa tagged along, and enjoyed every minute of the hike. It was definitely an adventure. The last big “adventure” of the time off was a trip to the capital. I wanted to take Osa to the vet since she had not been since I got her. Thankfully she got a clean bill of health and now has all the necessary shots. Kailey took her two dogs as well, and Sarah, our new medical coordinator, tagged along. We went to Ikea, the mall, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and a few grocery stores. When you travel to the capital, you have to take advantage of the luxuries that come with being in a big city.
This week we are hosting a group from West Clinton Church in Wauseon, Ohio. There are eight in the group. They are painting at the new Revolution Clinic and also painting a few rooms at the guesthouse. It’s amazing how a fresh coat of paint looks and freshens up a room!

I am so thankful to serve in such an amazing country. Though it is great to explore the Island, I’m excited to get back to serving this summer. We have a busy schedule ahead of us. In the next 15 weeks, we will host 12 teams. This calls for a busy summer, which is what I really enjoy. God is good!

Prayer Requests:

• School (GCU added two more classes to graduate 😥)
• Spanish (Still so much to learn)
• Group travel
• Training Osa
• Health