John's Next Step

Ethiopia is in Eastern Africa My next step in a bit over a week is to complete service and go to Arkansas to spend time with family as my house is Missouri is no longer my house. I’m looking forward to visiting and a bit of traveling. I’ve not lived in the same state as my mom and siblings in about 40 years, so looking forward to it is an understatement. I was a little disappointed when I decided not to extend in Grenada – it would have been easy. However, I think it is the best decision all things considered. Besides, easy is overrated. I’m hopefully not done with Peace Corps yet. I applied to “go anyway and do anything” and was invited to serve as an agriculture volunteer in Ethiopia departing in early January next year. Upon accepting the invitation I was greeted with a list of medical tasks to complete before I’ll be accepted. I am a little worried about the tasks because when I go back to the states I’ll have to find new doctors, get appointments, and insuran

My daughter's visit - GREAT BIRTHDAY PRESENT I skipped posting the last two weeks because my daughter came to visit. We had a great time, seeing the island – mainly the beaches and spending time talking and catching up on things. She arrived on Saturday July 12th so she could be here for my birthday, on the 16th and for her mom’s birthday on the 18th. Arriving flight Don't see her, but she is getting off The buses don’t run on Sunday buses. So after church and lunch we walked down to Mt. Carmel falls. Didn't get a picture, but she climbed a good way up the rocks under the falls The rest of the time we took the buses and she became an expert. We managed to see Grand Etang, take a hike and see one of the monkeys. Too many people around for the monkey to climb on her, but we did get in some muddy hiking around the lake. They sort of have wifi here for a phone home A bag of guinep / chenet / skinip And of cour

Goodbye to the kids School closed on Thursday and the teachers went on an island tour on Friday. It was a nice close to the school year. We were going to have a fun day in the pasture on Thursday, but the rain washed out those plans. So the students hung out in school. More pictures of the kids Island tour On Dominica I had a great homestay family and saw a lot more of that larger beautiful island in the all to short time I was there. I’ve been here for almost 18 months but I was dropped into the thick of it with school. I’m also more a site rat than a tourist.  So I was really looking forward to the drive around the island. Old airport Everyone wanted to stop and show me the mud hut We had a nice bus Looking down on the bay More about the history of the island Caribs was the name given by Columbus to the Kalinago people I’m so glad I got to see more of this beautiful island and spend a last day with the teachers. It