COMP Update!

If you haven't read the "Prayer Requests," then I suggest you do because we have a big praise! Kyle received his Comp score, and did so great! All that studying during break paid off! (I took that picture while he was studying last week before the test.)



Now, we want to ask you to pray for discernment for when Kyle should take the Step. He feels prepared to take it in July, but we don't want to rush anything. All of Kyle's studying, each Mini, Oral, Presentation, and Exam have been covered in prayer. And we don't want the Step to be any different! Thank you so much for all your prayers, encouragement, and support - we're thankful for each and every one of you!

Mom's Visit Part 4: Last Day in Dominica

My mom's time here flew by, so by the time Monday came around, it seemed like she just got here! Kyle and I still planned one last day of fun for her before she left. While Kyle went off to a meeting for the welcoming committee, my mom and I headed toward the pool. I know that I should take more advantage of having the Caribbean Sea practically in our backyard, but I have to admit I love the pool, even more than the beach! It’s completely relaxing, and honestly, who likes the taste of salt water?

One more confession… up until the past few weeks, I never wore sunscreen more than a few days in my life. (Ok, maybe more when I was little, but you get the point.) I was always proud of my never-burnt skin, therefore, no sunscreen for me! Well, that day at the pool was no different. It was probably in the 90s, and both my mom and I decided to brave the pool with no SPF.

The pool was definitely the way to get our day started! We tried to lay out on the lounge chairs for a bit, but after about 2 minutes, we were already cooked. So we jumped in the pool and swam around a bit, of course having mother-daughter bonding time. It was so great – one of those times where I just look around at the surrounding palm trees, mountains, and sunny sky, and think, “Wow, I live here!”

Well a few more hours of good conversation and a little book reading, and I would say we were a little burnt. We met Kyle at the shacks to grab pizza for lunch, and I think he was little surprised to see that we changed a few colors since he saw us last. Especially my mom, I would say she turned a beautiful shade of “lobster red.” Ouch.

Our day wasn’t over though! We rented a car, picked up our friends Dan and Clay, and headed to Bense River, also known as Chaudiere Pool. It’s about 40 minutes away from our apartment, and so many friends told us it’s their favorite spot on the island. So we were off on one last adventure!

So I thought the roads were bad to Trafalgar and TiTou Gorge. Well, let me tell you, they were nothing compared to the last 15 minutes of “road” to Bense (if you could even call a dirt path with huge rocks in it a road). I went back and forth between squeezing my eyes shut and trying to block out the scraping and squeaking noises coming from the car and once again praying that we would all make it in once piece – including the car! At one point, there was a huge hole in the middle of the road. Well, that didn’t stop the guys! They went off and found a few cinder block and a few pieces of scrap sheet metal, covered the hole, and we were off again!



The ramp that the guys built. I can't believe the car made it over that 2 times!

Well, after a few more potholes and scraps to the muffler, we made it to beginning of the hike to Bense River. We didn’t think it would be much of a “hike,” so my mom and I were still in our pool cover-ups and flip-flops. After about a 20 minute walk through mud, leaves, and trees, we discovered our tennis shoes or crocs might have been a good idea!

Mom walking to Bense River

Bense River is a natural pool, surrounding by high rocks to jump off of. Also, the rocks come together to form a small waterfall, which also serves as a little waterslide! As soon as we reached the pool, the guys had their shirts off and were ready to jump in. Without hesitation, one by one they jumped off the top of the rock, making it look so easy. Well, trying to be the “cool wife,” I braced myself as I stepped toward the edge. (Please note: Andrea is definitely afraid of heights.) With a little encouragement from Kyle, and a few “Are you crazy?!” looks from my mom, I jumped off and landed bottom-first straight into the water. Yes, it did hurt, but it was worth it.


Kyle about to jump


Kyle jumping


Our friend Dan taking his turn to jump

That's my little splash after jumping!


A view of the pool, after my jump

The guys tried out an even higher rock to jump off of, and eventually we tried out the waterslide, which was a lot of fun and my favorite part. Though it may look like it, the slide was much less painful on the backside than jumping. :) Kyle and his friends went off to explore more of the river, so my mom and I waited at the end of the river. Soon, we see a white object bobbing in the water, and as it passes, I notice what it is. Kyle’s Croc! You would have thought a small child was in the water as I bolted into the water and dived in after his shoe. No worries, that Croc wasn’t going anywhere! After rescuing his shoe, we packed up and hiked back up to the car.


The "water slide"


A video of Kyle's ride down the slide


My turn down the slide, as well as a little tour of the area, compliments of Kyle's camera skills

Just so you know, I didn't change the color on this photo. That's how burnt we were!

We all made it back in one piece, and for my mom’s last night in Dominica, I made dinner & dessert for the three of us. My mom joked the whole time that it was so surreal to see Kyle and I in our own apartment, being adults. She’s used to us coming to their house and taking care of us during breaks! It was fun to get to have her as our guest. So after a dinner and a delicious dessert (If I do say so myself…) of banana cream pie, it was time to get rested up for the ride to the airport in the morning. We drove (well, Kyle drove) my mom to the airport, which was nice that we got to see her off instead of her having to take a transport back. It was also great because she got to take some books back for us so we won’t have to fit them in our bags when we move back. It was hard to have to say goodbye, because her time here in Dominica went by so fast, but I know Greg was missing her (and she was missing him!) Having her down here was like having a piece of home with us, and she reminded us just how much we miss it back there!

Saying goodbye at the airport. :(

We are still so thankful God brought her down here, and we praise him for all the memories we made!

Mom's Visit Part 3: Beach & Blue Bay

After our big "adventure day," the three of us were ready for a day of relaxation. First, we went to church in the morning. RCF still had services over break which Kyle was mostly responsible for. Well, with most everyone already gone for break, there wasn't a big crowd that Sunday. There are probably about 8-10 people! Still we had a good time!

The whole time my mom was here, the Internet was out. So we were all going through a little bit of withdrawal, especially my mom since she wasn't able to talk to my step dad Greg! Well, after church we snuck into a classroom with computers and finally got to use the Internet! Kyle was very thankful to get his Cubbies updates!

We headed down to a new coffee shop in town (I hope you're not picturing Starbucks right now...) and grabbed some lunch and the best banana smoothies we've ever had. Now, it was time to kick back and relax! The rest of the afternoon we spent our time at Purple Turtle Beach. It's gorgeous there! And as you can tell, Kyle loved this much needed break from studying!





We left Purple Turtle with just enough time to head back to our apartments and get all dolled up for dinner at Blue Bay. (If you haven't put it together yet, Blue Bay is our favorite restaurant on the island!) My mom and I loved the Mahi Mahi - and I don't even like fish all that much. The drinks there are perfect, fruity island drinks. The only thing we didn't really prefer is a dish called Bread Fruit. It's like mashed potatoes with no flavor at all.. but no worries! There were plenty of stray cats on the beach nearby who ate well that night. We had a great night sipping our drinks, talking, & laughing.

COMP EXAM!!

Kyle just left to take his Comp exam!! This is the test every fifth semester has to take at Ross, and in order to take the Step, they have to pass the Comp. Kyle has been studying nonstop for the past 4 weeks, so we're just praying God will help him recall all that information he crammed in his head!

Thank you so much for all your prayers and encouragement. If anyone wants to celebrate afterward, come meet us at the beach! :)

Mom's Visit Part 2: Adventure Day!

Saturday was our “Adventure Day,” and though we did plan most of the activities, there were a few things that sprung up along the way that made the day even more interesting and adventurous.

Let me start by saying that not only did I love having my mom here, I loved that Kyle was done with classes and had nothing to worry about for school! Normally I get to explore the island with friends and other spouses, but it meant so much to spend so much time with two of my favorite people!

Our first destination was Trafalgar Falls, but the drive there was quite the adventure. It takes about an hour and a half to get to the falls, and the roads there aren’t the greatest - at some points they aren’t even paved! We were driving Ryan and Ashley’s car, and the entire trip I was covering that car with prayers that it we would make if safely, and the car would still be in one piece. My mom sat quietly in the back seat, and though she seemed cool and collected, I know she was freaking out a little bit too with every pothole (there had to be millions) and every car that zoomed past. But I can’t thank Kyle enough for driving that day!!! We all joked that he definitely needed a stiff drink when we got home for how hard he was gripping the steering wheel! And thankfully, two other families were driving cars along with us, so if anything were to happen, we could get a little help from our friends.

So my fervent prayers were answered and we made it safely to Trafalgar! Trafalgar Falls is made up if 2 waterfalls - “Mama” which is cold and “Papa” which is hot. The hike there is pretty easy, and just takes 10 - 15 minutes. Last time I was at Trafalgar, we stopped at the viewing deck where you can see both falls, but they’re still pretty far away. Well, with this being “adventure day” no way we were stopping there.


View of Mama Falls from the deck


Kyle and I on the deck with Mama Falls behind us


Me and Momma in front of Mama!

After the deck, there is a path that leads you all the way to the bottom of Mama Falls. To get there, we trekked through several natural sulphur springs - as warm as hot tubs! I think we could have stayed there and relaxed all day! Water from these springs came from the warm Papa Falls.


Me and Mom in one of the sulphur "hot tubs"


The gang at Trafalgar:)

We followed the water, and it leads toward the bottom of Mama Falls. We went from hot water into frigid cold water in just seconds! The view from the bottom of that waterfall was beautiful, and we could see all the way to the top of Mama Falls.


Kyle and I at the bottom of Mama Falls. The water we're standing in was freezing!


Mom and Me :)

We explored and found the point where the two falls come together. I had one foot in hot water and one foot in cold - it was so cool! And then Kyle found a ledge to jump off of - and though it looks tiny, it was higher than it looks! We made sure we followed Greg’s advice to be adventurous!


Mom and her crocs where the warm and cold water came together!


Mom waving hi from Dominica!


Kyle jumping off his "little cliff" into the bottom of Mama Falls

After our little exploration through Trafalgar we found some picnic tables and ate the lunches we packed. I made some of Ashley and I’s bread so my mom could try some! After eating, taking a little rest, and saying a little prayer for the car, we continued on to our next adventure…

From Trafalgar, we drove on to TiTou Gorge, which was only about 15 minutes away, though the roads didn't get any better! TiTou Gorge is one of my favorite places to see on the island. They also filmed a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean 2 there! (I've never seen it, but Kyle tells me it's when they are being keep in these huge round cages by ingenious people, and then they cut them down and they fall into water. Well, they fall into TiTou Gorge!)

The only way to get into the gorge is by swimming, which doesn't sound bad until you found out the water is FREEZING! When you get in the water, your body tingles all over and then eventually just goes numb! I was a little nervous because the first time I went, Ashley and I were a little hesitant to swim through, but being the trooper she is, my mom got right in the water! And after a few yelps of "Are we crazy?! This water is freezing!" we started doggy-paddling and we were off through the gorge!

Kyle led the way through, and I can't tell you how gorgeous it is inside! (We did find a spot above the gorge where we snapped a few pictures, but it doesn't look nearly as beautiful as it does in person!) Only a small amount of sunlight comes through the top. We swam a few minutes, and then reached a spot halfway through the gorge where we could touch the bottom. The next stretch of swimming leads to the end, where a waterfall falls right inside of it! It's a little tricky to swim through because of the current of the waterfall. We made it to the back, where there is a rock you can climb on and jump off of! Kyle and I jumped off, and my mom gracefully slid off the rock:) and we swam back through the gorge.


A view from the top - the waterfall in the back of the gorge


Though it's a little dark, this is Kyle and I inside the gorge. (He had to hold onto me, because when I went to grab onto the wall, a giant spider popped out!)

Kyle couldn't help but try to scale the walls inside. He quickly found out they're really slick and there's nothing to grab onto. He also quickly noticed something was missing - his wedding ring!!Luckily, the water is so clear and we happened to be in a shallow part, so right as we looked down I spotted the ring. WHEW! Major catastrophe avoided...

At the beginning of the gorge, there is a small warm waterfall that was perfect for heating back up! Once we got out, the three of us went exploring and found the spot where we took pictures from the top of the gorge. To really see how awesome it is, you'll have to see it in person - we'll take visitors anytime!!


Mom under the small warm waterfall


The bridge that leads above the gorge


Inside the gorge

To get to and from the gorge, it's a short walk, but part of it you have to go across a questionable looking bridge.


Kyle and Mom on the bridge

We all made it back safely, but there was a surprise waiting for us...



The car had a flat tire!! After inspecting it, the guys found out it was from a nail, and the bad roads probably pushed out the air faster. So we're in the middle of nowhere, but thankfully we have friends with us! My mom and I decided to stay with the car while Kyle went with the others into Roseau, about a half hour away. We actually had fun standing by the car (we were nervous to get in in case it tipped over!) because it just gave us even more time to do a little mother-daughter bonding:). The only bad thing was we got attacked by mosquitos.

After about 2 hours, they made it back with the repaired tire, fixed by a boy who was about 10 years old - and it only cost 20 ec! The guys got the tire back on, and we were off. We were supposed to make one more stop at Screw's Sulphur Spring, but it was already starting to get dark, so we all decided to head home. It definitely was one adventurous and fun day in Dominica!

Mom's Visit Part 1: She's Here!!

There's nothing like a mama-hug.

-Adabella Radici

Kyle and I were both so excited to have my mom come and visit - though it seemed so surreal that she was actually going to be here! We planned the trip and tickets were booked about a month before she was going to come down, so before we knew it, she was boarding her plane in Columbus to head down to our little island, Dominica!

When we first saw her walking out of the arrivals section of the airport, it was like a little piece of home was being delivered to us! The transport ride from the airport to our apartment felt so surreal as we chatted and caught up - as if for the past 3 months we hadn't been thousands of miles away!

We gave her the "grand tour" of our apartment, taking about 2 minutes to walk from the kitchen/living room/dining room area to the bedroom/office and then into the bathroom. We also decided to celebrate Mother's Day, and all 3 of our birthdays early as we exchanged gifts. I got a few new shirts and dresses, which made it feel like my birthday and Christmas all in one! :)

For dinner, we headed to Tomato's, a restaurant in Dominica that is owned by a couple from Canada, so it is the closest to American food you'll get down here. As we finally had a chance to sit down, we realized just how tired we were - especially my mom, who had been up since 5 am!

The "gang" at Tomato's! (notice how tired my mom and I look...)

After Tomato's we headed to Sweet Refuge Cafe, a new "hot spot" in Picard because they sell ice cream! (Well, they call it "Texas Gelato, which we really don't know what that means! All we know is it's good!!) Then we finally made it home, where my mom and I crashed. For the first night she was here, we had an air mattress blown up at the foot of our bed. Yes, it was very "cozy" but we made it work! But the rest of the time my mom was here, she had her own apartment! Our friend Ryan moved out of his apartment, and it would be open until the end of break. It was just on the floor below ours, so it worked out perfect!

Kyle had actually taken his last mini EVER that day and he was ready to celebrate!! So he left us at home, to fall asleep probably seconds after he walked out the door, and he met up with some of his friends. As I mentioned before, most of his close friends are staying for 5th semester in Dominica, but Justin is now is Saginaw, Michigan. So it was nice Kyle got to spend time with him and say goodbye until we see him again at graduation 2 years from now!

The next day, Friday, we woke up ready to go! We walked to campus and gave my mom the tour. I think one of my favorite spots on campus is the "Subway Deck" since it's right outside of Subway (yes, we have one here!). The deck overlooks the Caribbean Sea, and you can see across to other parts of the island. It's gorgeous and so relaxing!

Kyle and I out on the deck!

After the little tour, we headed down to the beach closest to campus. We dropped our stuff under the shade of a palm tree, spread out our towels, and laid out under the sun! I think it was the perfect welcome to relaxing island-life for my mom! Not soon after though, we started to feel little raindrops. Similar to Ohio, Dominican weather has a mind of it's own. Five minutes after beautiful sunny skies, it was pouring down rain! We headed to a restaurant nearby for some shelter where we grabbed some mango rum and cokes (yum!)

Soon, the rain stopped and the sun was back out, so we headed back to the beach. We walked to the far end of the beach, and it was so nice because we had the whole place to ourselves! Thinking this would be a great place to snorkel, we grabbed our gear and went out there. (My stepdad Greg told my mom to be adventurous while she was here. She didn't even hesitate to put that mask and snorkel on and jump in the water!) We swam around for a little bit, but discovered maybe a few fish and a lot of sea urchins - which creep me out when I don't snorkel with my crocs on, so I didn't last all that long. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing under the sun, and harassing crabs (well, I say "we," but I'm sure you can imagine who was doing most of the harassing...)

After getting all "dolled up" back at the apartment, we headed back toward the beach to the restaurant PBH, the same one we went when Mamaw and Pampaw came to visit. It's right on the water and you can see some gorgeous sunsets from there. Well, since it rained that day, the sky was a little overcast, so we didn't get much of a sunset. But we still had a great dinner, and even went to see the movie "P.S. I Love You" after we ate! It was a great first day of my mom's island adventure!