Caribbean Medical School

My posts on this blog are far and few between. There has been a lot that has been going on and two posts are coming up! (Hopefully sooner than later). A conversation tonight influenced this particular blog post. As most of you know, Broc is beginning his third year of medical school. Some of you might remember the crazy adventure it was for Broc trying to get into medical school. With no understanding at the time, we wondered what was in store for our future. And after a failed attempt at three years, we wondered why it was that we felt so strongly about continuing to move forward in the medical field direction. When thinking logically it seemed like such a crazy thing to continue to pursue. Broc ended up getting accepted to a Caribbean school. It really wasn't our first choice, and it definitely wasn't what we had planned- yet as crazy as it was, we felt it was the right thing for us to do.

There were many times during that frustrating application process that I thought, "it would work out so perfectly for Broc to go to med school in Utah because we had so many family members close, it would be in-state tuition and financially that would be much better". It just seemed like the best thing for us. But as perfect as it sounded, it just never seemed to work out how we wanted or planned. And why was it that our prayers seemed to not be answered at this seemingly crucial time in our lives, we couldn't understand.  It wasn't until we were there on that island that we realized one of the  reasons things don't work out how you want them to. It was during those 20 months in Dominica that we began to see how our unanswered prayers turned into one of the greatest blessings we could ever ask for. The blessings we experienced there, the amazing people we served and just being able to see the endless blessing of the Lord's hand in our lives was worth more to me than anything else. One might wonder how living in a third world country and not seeing your husband very often could bring your family closer together. Yet, it did. We got to be a part of some of the most amazing life changing experiences that no other experience could have given us.

We recognize the challenges that come from attending a Caribbean school. And we have heard it quite a few times, tonight being no exception, of people's negative views on Caribbean medical schools. And I suppose to some it is all about where you go and the basic stats of where you rank. And though those things can be important, I don't feel that anything is more important than the lessons you learn and the experiences you gain as you travel through your journey- whatever path it may be. At least that is what we have gained from our humble journey. Early on we titled this blog, "Finding Joy in the Journey". President Monson says it best, "It is my sincere prayer that we may adapt to the changes in our lives, that we may realize what is most important, that we may express our gratitude always and thus find joy in the journey." I love this. And love the humbling journey that we have been so blessed to have, even during some of the hardest times. And though some may have a hard time understanding the logics behind it, I wouldn't trade our life, journey and the experiences we have had for anything, even the most prestigious school in the world!

Feeling a little anxious!

Well, I have done a horrible job at updating this thing since we have been back. There are a few reasons for that. The big question that everyone is asking since we have been back is, "What is next?" A part of me hasn't really wanted to post anything until we knew exactly what that next step was. Over the last couple of months, Broc has had a full time job studying for a test called STEP 1. It is the first step of the boards. Basically, in this test, he could be tested on all of the bookwork he has learned in medical school. An 8 hour test, my friends!!! Which is why he has locked himself in the office, and has studied his brains out for hours at a time only to take necessary bathroom and food breaks. This huge test only determines the rest of our lives!! To be exact, it really determines what residency he will be able to get into. Huge weighted test! I have to say, I am so proud of him for his hard work, determination and dedication. But I am not going to lie to you, we (me, Crew and Jack) cannot wait to have him back! And to put this stressful test behind us!

This is the only picture I have of Broc in his lair. But you can get the picture of his set up. This was when Crew had to dress up for school dressed as what he wanted to be when he grew up. He said he wanted to be a doctor, just like my dad! Broc let him wear his white coat and let him take his stethoscope and pen light. Crew was in heaven! Oh he adores him!

So really what is next? We don't know. What we do know is sometime after the first of the year we will be making a move cross country to some mysterious place for Broc to do his clinical rotations (not residency). We won't know where that will be until he gets his STEP 1 score (sometime in December). So until then, we will be waiting...

Broc was up at 5:30 this morning to get ready to go to Salt Lake to take this test. Broc began the eight hour madness about 30 minutes ago. There is something about test days, especially tests that hold so much weight, that just make me anxious. I feel helpless and I can't relax until the test is over. This, by far, is the worst part of medical school. Broc is a rock! So calm and collected. While me on the other hand, get a little overwhelmed with all of this. Good thing he is the one taking the test!

Broc will be able to take a little break during the exam, so I packed him some snacks. He didn't think there would be a refrigerator or microwave so really snacks was all he got, along with a few other things that aren't in the pic. I tried to spruce them up with some good, positive thoughts!

And my personal favorite! Who doesn't smile when they see Richard Simmons? haha

 Ready to head out the door... ready or not!  

Though he has taken a few practice tests,

I don't know if you could ever fully feel prepared and ready for a test like this.

And he's off! As much sleep as I didn't get last night (poor little Jack has had some rough nights), I couldn't go back to sleep after he left. And I will probably feel this anxious feeling until he is home. He left in the dark... he'll get home in the dark.

Babe, I know you can do it! I have watched you set goals, achieve them, and then set higher goals. You are one of the hardest workers that I know. I am so grateful for you and all that you sacrifice for our family. We are so lucky to have you! We are your biggest fans! Know that we will be cheering you on the entire way! Love you~

Goodbye Dominica...

It all started out as a frustrating three years when things just didn't seem to be working out. We had a hard time understanding the "whys" when we felt like it was something he should continue to pursue. We continued, and came upon this unique opportunity and as crazy as it was, we felt it was where we were suppose to be. We knew when we moved there, it wouldn't be forever. We thought we would only be there for a little over a year. Our time ended in a blink and it wasn't our time to go... so we stayed there a little longer. I felt a good mix of emotions before our crazy move there. Wondering how I would survive without many things that made up my life before. We got there and those concerns turned into very real feelings. Yet, we were determined to find joy in this journey. And it wasn't hard as we instantly felt a love for that beautiful island. There were times that were hard... really hard. And times when it was so difficult to be away from family. But this place became our home and our neighbors became our family. The people changed my perspective as they showed me the real meaning of life. These amazing people showed me what true happiness is. I remember having hard days. Living without a car with two kiddos was not ideal, but it was in those moments when I was walking home from the store, pushing my two kiddos up hill, sweating to death, carrying my five bags of groceries (and praying that my eggs wouldn't be broken before I got home) and then it would start to rain (pouring rain) and I would think to myself, "This is so hard, seriously, could it get any worse?" and just as I would start to feel sorry for myself I would look over and see someone living in very humble circumstances, struggling to get by, and they were smiling. I was humbled everyday. Those people showed me by their example how to be strong and do hard things even when you are standing alone. Those people touched my heart. And as weird as it sounds, it was those really hard moments that made me love it the most. Because it was those sweet humbling moments that gave me perspective. 

The sweet moments during Broc's time as Branch President, were especially memorable. As there were so many times when it didn't seem that there was enough time in the day to accomplish everything that was required, yet- blessings always came. We really saw the Lord's hand in our lives helping us to accomplish hard things that we didn't know we could do. We were taught some important lessons. We could almost always plan that something would come up right before an exam, where Broc was taken away from his studies. I can't tell you of the many, many blessings that continually came as I saw the importance of putting the most important things first. And during the times when there was no other way possible for things to work out, blessings still came. I could tell you story after story where I saw first hand the Lord's hand in our life, during the time Broc served. I saw many other blessings come during my time in Young Womens. There were many moments when I really felt that we were there for more than just medical school. 

The goodbyes started about a month before we left. I got released from being Young Women's President on July 7 and the tears didn't stop. I can't explain the feelings I felt as I had to say goodbye to a place that had become my home. To say goodbye to the many amazing experiences and the constant humbling feelings we were able to feel on a daily basis was one of the hardest things I have experienced. August 7th came way too fast (the dreaded day, I never wanted to come), and we had to say goodbye to our home in Dominica. The little things that we did without helped us realize that there is so much more to life than just "things". I will say this, I am grateful for those really hard three years when things didn't work out... because those hard times led us to one of the greatest experiences of our lives. One that I will never forget. I know there is a plan for each of us. I feel so blessed to have been a part of such an amazing experience!  

The tale of the locks...

Wow, it has been so long since I have had time to blog. So much has happened and there are so many stories to tell. It has been non-stop craziness for the last few weeks. Some big events have taken place over the last month but probably the biggest was us leaving Dominica. That will have to be it's own post and hopefully I can get some posts up about some amazing stories that we have experienced. We are now on US soil and it has been so good to be with family. (Though, I still miss my home in Dominica).

Last week Broc's parents rented out a huge house so we could all be together. It was loads of fun, amazing food and some good ol' hearty laughs! Seriously, my belly hurt after a few rounds of Catch Phrase. Haven't laughed that hard in a long time! This was the first time in two years his family was able to have everyone together. So of course family pics were on the agenda.

Some of you might remember this post about our sweet niece Kaelyn. She has been undergoing chemo treatments and just recently started loosing her hair.

After the photographer had snapped a few pics of us, all of the guys had decided they were going to shave their heads in honor of Kaelyn. Earlier that day, Crew heard that the guys were doing this and told me that he wanted to shave his head. When we ask him why he said, "because I want to do it for Kaelyn. I thought it would be nice to do, so she wouldn't feel bad." How can you say no to that?

 The guys were draped with garbage bags and the head shaving began. 

I actually think the shaved head looks pretty good on Broc! I was always dreading the day when he would start loosing his hair, but I think he wears it well.

This sweet girl was probably feeling a little overwhelmed from all of the excitement. 

It was finally Crew's turn. It was a little emotional for me to watch. Not that I was sad about him not having his curls (well it kind of was), but it was really more amazing to watch my 5 year old want to do something like this. Knowing how much he loved his curls and watching him give them up for someone else was just about the sweetest thing ever.

He rocked a killer mullet for a few seconds!

I just couldn't quit thinking about how Crew had a choice to cut his hair, but there are sweet innocent kids who have to go through so much pain who don't get a choice. It was a moment that made me very grateful for my healthy boys. And recognizing the bigger picture- it is just hair.

 So proud of this one! Loosing the curls made him look so much older. 

Both Broc and I were really surprised that he wanted to do it. I would have never thought that he would ever want to shave his beautiful golden spiral locks. Because he has told us he would never want to shave them. If any of you know Crew, you know how attached he was to his curls. But he made the choice and wanted to do it. I was so impressed that he was capable of making a decision like this to sacrifice something to try to make someone else happy. Sweet sweet Crew and his huge heart! I just love this boy!

He was so fascinated with the feel of little Rae's head! He just had to keep feeling it!

I was worried about how he would feel about it the next day. But he just kept feeling his head and saying, "my hair feels pokey!" He hasn't been sad about it at all!

This is for you sweet girl! We love you!

The "CALL"

My mom and Lynn received their mission call on June 15. Just when they thought it wasn't going to come that week (they usually only come on Wednesdays and Thursdays), miraculously, Friday morning at 6:30 AM they got a phone call from the post office telling them the awaited letter had finally arrived! I love Morgan, it is a small town where I grew up, and it will always be home to me. Seriously, what other post office would take the time to make a special phone call to let someone know their letter is there?!

So thankful for technology, so that we could be present- or at least able to watch them open it! 

Here she is with the call in her hands! 

She was like a little kid at Christmas! Singing and dancing up a storm! Oh my how I love her! 

It wouldn't be a normal day without her made up songs and dances!  

It was a last minute "get-together" but somehow it worked out perfectly to allow almost everybody to be there! I got to meet my new baby twinner cousins! (That's my beautiful sister Jen holding one of the twinner grandbabies!- She definitely doesn't look old enough to be called Grandma!)

We were all so excited to find out where they were going to be serving!

After waiting for a bit until everyone arrived... they finally opened the "call". 

They will be serving a full time 18 month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in the Johannesburg, South Africa Mission! 

We were all a little emotional as they read where they would be serving. 

Crew giving loves to Grammy and my other beautiful sis! 

Isn't my mom so beautiful!

I didn't expect to feel some of the things that I felt as they opened up their call. 

Up to this point, I have been so excited for them ... and don't get me wrong- I still am! 

They leave September 3. Which means I only get to see her for a couple of weeks before they leave. 

They will be serving their mission in South Africa for 18 months.

I try to think that I am strong. But selfishly, I wonder sometimes if I will be ok without her. 

I know I have already lived 18 months without her as we have lived over seas...

And I guess I have learned during our experiences here that when you put the Lord first, 

everything always works out. And blessings come.

I really can't think of a better way to strengthen a family than to serve the Lord. 

We are so excited for you both! I can't wait to hear the incredible stories of how you help the gospel touch lives in Africa. Thank you both for your amazing examples to all of us! I know that the Lord leads us to where we need to be. And right now the people of South Africa just need you more than I do! What a blessing you both will be there! Love you guys so much! xoxo

Dominican Moment: Beds for the boys

Sleeping arrangements lately have been a bit amusing at our house. Four people living in a ONE bedroom apartment is lots of fun! The idea when we first moved here, was that Crew would sleep on an twin sized air mattress on the floor and Jack would sleep in the pack n' play. Well recently, Jack has decided to boycott the crib. I don't blame him- he feels confined and it squeaks anytime he moves around. (I think the humidity here has rusted it). So Jack has been in our luxurious - full sized bed- with us.

Crew's poor little air mattress has a leak in it. (Probably from one too many jumps from our bed to the air mattress). So we have to blow it up every night and by morning he is on the ground because of the hole. He hates it. I feel awful because there is nothing else we can do to make this situation better. 

The other night, Crew decided that he was going to sleep in the vacant pack n' play. 

With Crew's bed (aka- air mattress) now available Jack was happy as could be to sleep in Crew's big boy bed. (He loves anything of Crew's!)

My five year old is in the pack n' play and my one year old is on the air mattress. Not ideal and pretty ghetto- but it works... and they are happy!

FIRST YOUTH CONFERENCE IN DOMINICA!!!

On June 23, the first LDS Youth Conference in Dominica was held. Some of you not of our faith, might be wondering, what is so significant about a youth conference? Well, every year kids ages 14-18, from all over the world, have the opportunity to attend youth conference. The purpose of youth conference is to build faith in Jesus Christ, strengthen testimonies, develop talents, make new friends, and have fun with youth who share similar beliefs and standards. The church is still pretty new here in Dominica. To be a part of the firsts of so many church related things has been amazing. To see the church grow in such a short time is even more amazing. But to see this day unfold and watch these amazing youth come together for this first youth conference was incredible.

I feel privileged that both Broc and I had the opportunity to be a part of it. Broc is serving as the Branch President here in Dominica, which means- he is over all of the young men here (aside from a lot of other things). I am currently serving as the Young Women's president. Getting to experience this together was an amazing experience that I will treasure forever. Preparing and planning was a lot of work to say the least. And sometimes it was really hard in wondering what to do- with limited resources, or how to make it all come together. But after many prayers and lots of work, I feel that inspiration came.


We dragged the kiddos out of bed at 3:00 AM and planned to leave Portsmouth at 3:15AM. Broc and I didn't go to bed the night before to make sure we didn't sleep through our alarms. We were a little later leaving as there were a few stops that took longer than expected.

We took two car loads of kids in cars that we had rented (since none of us have a car). One car drove to the church in Roseau to pick up the Roseau kids, and the other car (our car) drove to pick up Vanessa, one of the young women that lives in Sylvania, a town a little ways out there. After a wrong turn that added 20 minutes to our drive, we were rushing to beat the sun.

We finally got to Scott's Head and were able to begin the Youth Conference! 

We started it with a "Faith Hike". Where the kids had to close their eyes and walk up the mountain. They had a rope they could hold on to and leaders that were there whispering directions to help them be able to make it up.

We wanted the kids to think about how they could apply this hike to their lives. 

Sometimes the road seems pretty straight and smooth.

And sometimes the road is a really rocky uphill climb.

Sometimes we come to things that obstruct our course. 

And force us to have faith in someone other than ourselves.
Someone who can see the way beyond the boulder.
Are you listening, enough to hear the direction that is whispered, ever so softly?

And at times when we feel that we are walking in the dark, alone,
there is one who is there waiting to help us over whatever obstacle we come across. 

No matter how big the obstacle in our way, 

There is one who is always there guiding us along...

whispering "don't give up, you CAN do it".
Because that someone, has faith in us. He knows we can do hard things.
We wouldn't be sent on this journey to fail.

Sometimes we trip and fall. 

Lucky for us, there is someone waiting to help us up. 

And a rope that continues to lead us in the right direction- if we just keep holding on, 

even during the hardest times. 

And as we continue to climb along the course with faith, it can lead us to something great. 

We led the youth to the top of the mountain. 

We reached the top just in time to see the sun coming up over the mountains. 

Timing couldn't have been better.

It was a perfect way to start of the conference with our theme, 

"Arise and shine forth that thy light may be a standard for the nations."- D&C 115:5

The breathtaking view from the top of the mountain at Scott's Head.
~Caribbean Sea on the left, Atlantic Ocean on the right~

Shortly after we arrived at the top, Jesse Dunn related the "faith hike" to our lives.

We had planned to have a speaker fly in from Puerto Rico. With only 2 days before the conference, we received a phone call to tell us that they were unable to get us the speaker they were planning to send because there were no flights. We (the leaders here in Dominica) had put our hearts and souls into this conference. After some looking, a few phone calls and some prayers- the people in San Juan were able to find him a ticket and we were able to get our speaker!

Brother Alvarez came and spoke to the youth about the theme "Arise and Shine Forth". I am so grateful we were able to make things work out so that he could come. His words were powerful as he spoke to the youth specifically regarding the theme, "Arise and Shine Forth".

By this point we were all feeling spiritually fed, but we were also feeling physically hungry. So we hiked back down the mountain and had breakfast.

The car was loaded with goodies! 

The leaders! 

From left to right: Jesse Dunn, Heidi Wilkins, Nate Russell, Pres. Durrant, 

Josephine Valmond and me (the picture taker)

We had made "sack breakfasts" for everybody. 

Attached to each bag was a yellow wrist band that said, "Arise and Shine Forth".

The goodies inside brown paper bag!

Josephine, is one of the local leaders here. 

She is serving as second councilor in the Young Women's Program. I just love her! 

We had planned to swim in the beautiful clear water on the Caribbean side. Unfortunately, none of the kids wanted to swim because there was a dead dog in the water. (I don't blame them- it was such a sad and nasty sight). Despite the no swimming, the kids still enjoyed themselves at the beach!

Sweet Esha wrote my name in the sand!

We piled them all on a bus and headed to find another place to let them swim. 

 We ended up going to a natural sulpher springs. 

After everyone had turned into a raisin, we headed to the church in Roseau,
for some more activities and lunch!

While we were wating for the pizzas to arrive, I did a fun little activity relating soda to our lives. 

~Idea taken from here~

I gave each person a cup with mostly water and just a little bit of soda. 

Obviously, it didn't taste good. 

When we only live the gospel part way, it's like watered down soda. 

You don't experience the sweet, powerful, and good taste that comes from living the gospel.

Then I added about a tablespoon of salt to each of their drinks.

When we add sin to our lives, the blessings of the gospel aren't just watered down, 

but it actually makes life taste terrible.

After much gagging, I took each of their cups and dumped out the salted water soda. And rinsed them clean. I gave them back to the kids and asked them how we can get rid of salt (or sin) in our lives?

...REPENTANCE!

Then I poured some soda into their clean cups.

When we live the gospel fully, we experience the sweet, powerful, and pure goodness of the gospel. 

Broc and Jesse finally returned with the PIZZA!

And I am pretty sure if you ask any of the kids, they would say this was the best part!

After we had polished off the pizzas, we took it to a more spiritual level. Since the church is still so new here, we thought it would be a good idea to teach the youth how to do family home evenings. Most of the youth had never even heard of family home evening. Family home evening is a special time set aside each week that brings family members together and strengthens our love for each other, helps us draw closer to Heavenly Father, and encourages us to live righteously. President Gordon B. Hinckly has said, "We have a family home evening program once a week {Monday night} across the Church in which parents sit down with their children. They study the scriptures. They talk about family problems. They plan family activities and things of that kinds. I don't hesitate to say if every family in the world practiced that one thing, you'd see a very great difference in the solidarity of the families of the world."

Nate Russell gave a great introduction/ explanation to Family Home Evening. And taught the kids how to implement Family Home Evenings in their own homes. We gave each of them an FHE kit to take home to begin to start family home evenings with their families. Each FHE kit came with: a Family Home Evening Resource Book with lessons, Gospel Art Book (compilation of pictures to help teach scriptural stories and gospel topics), and a "How- To" Guide with a few talks about the importance of family home evening. I hope they put these kits to good use. I have seen the blessings that have come in strengthening our little family, as Broc and I continue to do our humble family home evenings every Monday with our kiddos. What an amazing opportunity it is to have an excuse to do something together as a family each week that can draw each of us other closer together and closer to our Savior.

After that amazing part, we packed up our stuff and drove a few blocks to the Botanical Gardens, where we held a testimony meeting. (This is a time when everybody has the opportunity to share their feelings about what they felt at Youth Conference or principles of the gospel that they know to be true).

This was the backdrop for our testimony meeting! Ahh-mazing!

Broc President Durrant closed the conference by tying everything together along with our theme

"Arise and Shine Forth". It takes faith to arise and shine forth... we can arise and shine forth by living the gospel and keeping the commandments... we can help others see the light that we have as we share our testimonies with others. Especially our families. We can do that as we set aside time each week and make family home evenings a part of our lives.

It was a spiritually powerful day.
I can't even begin to describe what an amazing feeling it was to experience this day
with those incredible young men and young women. 

We wanted each person to be able to take something home to remember this day. 

I made a compilation of songs that I felt shared a message of how to Arise and Shine Forth! 

I took advantage of the free downloads that the church offers and
downloaded 18 songs from here and burned them to a cd. 

The kids here don't have the luxury of going to Deseret Book and purchasing LDS music.
Things like that are just not available here.

I hope that they remember the feelings they felt at this youth conference, 

as they listen to this music. 

Esha, Cassie, Vanessa, Faith, Jemulla, Jemuel, Jemulyn, Riri, Krystal, Patricka, Carlyn (Terry- the other boy, left early) 

It is going to be a sad day when I have to say goodbye to these guys!

When we first came here to Dominica in December 2010, we initially came for medical school. I had no idea what was in store for us. I had no idea how amazing this whole experience would be. I feel so blessed and overwhelmed that the Lord would entrust us with such a great work. When we first got here, there was only one young woman- that I knew of, Jemulyn Francios. Patricka turned twelve shortly after and then got baptized a couple of months later. So for quite a while I only knew of the two girls. Over the last 18 months here, there have been many doors that have been opened to find the other girls who seemed to be lost and impossible to find. It has not been easy being over the young women on this island. There have been a lot of things that have been hard, trying to do most of it alone with two kids (remember Broc- he is still in Medical School... with a demanding calling) and not having a car, or the financial means to hire a driver to take you around every time you want to go visit one of them. And relying on faith because you have no street addresses to go off of. Yet, I know without a doubt that the Lord has a way of placing us at a certain place and at a certain time to be an instrument in His hands. All he asks of us is to be willing to serve. I too have felt that I have been on a "faith hike" here. Wondering how to do something I had never done in a place that I didn't know. I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who didn't leave me alone. Who has led me the entire way, even during the rocky times when I wondered if I could do it or how it was possible.

To get to experience this amazing day with TWELVE kids, ten girls (3 of them were not members) and two boys, was incredible. Words can't express how powerful it was to sit together at the Gardens and listen to so many youth share their testimonies and feelings that they felt at this first ever Youth Conference. These young men and young women are amazing. They have taught me so much during the short time I have known them. They have strengthened my faith as I watch them continue on their journey, strong and faithful, despite their difficult and humble circumstances. Most of them are the only member of the church at their school or in their families. It has been amazing to see the church grow during our short time here. And I can't wait to see the growth of the church that comes because these special young people are willing to "Arise and Shine Forth". I feel so blessed that we were able to be a part of something so great. I will treasure this day forever!

If there are any of you reading this, who wonder why we would take so much time and put so much work into something like this. I will tell you this, that I would not be able to do it if I did not know with all of my heart that this church is true. I have felt the hand of the Lord so strongly in my life, and even more so as we have been here in Dominica. There have been so many times when things have worked out to allow us to fulfill our callings. Especially at times when it seemed like there was no other way possible. When it seemed that there wasn't enough time in the day to accomplish all that we were trying to do, somehow, things have worked out. And blessings have come as we have put the most important things first. I have recognized that there is so much more to life. And sacrificing a little to get to help someone else enjoy the happiness and blessings that this gospel brings, is one of the most rewarding things I have ever experienced. I can honestly say that without believing in these principles, I wouldn't be able to teach them. And truly, I feel that these young men and young women have taught me more than I probably will ever be able to teach them. I feel so grateful to get to have this special opportunity to be here.