"Thank you in behalf of America"

Hoping Rob took pictures of his P-day trip to the river, just didn't have time to send them - but I've included a map to show where Victoria is in relation to Gouyave. Here are Rob's notes on his fabulous international Independence Day, and the work in Grenada: "Heyyyyy, so I finally got a working computer after getting switched between them, and now I got the slowest one with only 30 min. So I'll have to keep it brief! So we couldn't email yesterday mainly cuz we just didn't have time! lol President Wade (branch president) took us out to Victoria (our area) and we had a big BBQ next to this river where we dipped our toes in the water, ate hot dogs and threw the football (AMERICAN football ;)) around for a bit. It was a lot of fun! I was pretty drained by the end, as was everyone else. haha. This week we have 4 missionaries with birthdays on the island as well so that's kinda cool! It's crazy to think that the last 4th of July I was out on the mission in Barbados. At least I'll be home for my next one. It was funny, at the BBQ I was hanging out with Elder L. (Fiji), Elder Rumba (Philippines), Elders Lameta and Ropati (Samoa), Sister Kaitaua (Kidapest) [??Mom note: Kaitaua sounds like New Zealand - not sure where Kidapest is], and Sister Lometo (Marshall Islands). I was eating with all of them and they said, 'Happy America day." So I slowly raised my head up and looked around, took a bow, and told them 'Thank you in behalf of America.' bahaha. It was funny. You had to be there I think :P Our zone leaders think I'm for sure leaving Grenada next transfer, so I'm hoping I either go to St. Vincent (the last island I want to serve on that I haven't) or back to St Lucia. Something tells me I'm going back to St. Lucia, though. Hopefully I can go back to Castries. I love it there! But anyway, things here are ok, just plugging away at what we can. Trying to help out people who are in need. One of our members' brothers just killed his wife and then committed suicide, so she's been grieving this week. And I guess no one told the branch president about it, so he ended up blaming Sister Jenny (less active we've been working on) for not relaying the information? I don't know. We haven't been able to see Sister Jenny since the incident, which is really too bad cuz I'm afraid that'll push her away... The struggle is real in Gouyave and I could very easily see it being shut down, but we'll see I guess. The Zika virus is affecting missionaries everywhere, seems like more and more are getting sick. I just got out of a zone conference and they told us it is now officially a commandment to wear insect repellent. lol. Also at zone conference, we heard about how baptisms aren't the measure of the success of a missionary! Something cool I learned today is to not make excuses for the things you do wrong, and to not blame others, and you will see success. I think a lot of the time it's easy to make an excuse as to why you failed or why things didn't work out the way you wanted them to. But when we focus on our failures it leaves little room for success. Why focus on the negative? Why not just pick ourselves up and continue to do better? I don't know. Really stuck with me today. I'm gonna stop making excuses and blaming others for things that go wrong. But yeah, I'm just going to continue to try my best. My success is measured primarily between me and the Lord. Today I'm going on trade offs with Elder Kujanpaa cuz he's sick with Zika and Elder Rumba needs to get out of the house, so I guess I get to take it easy today. That's pretty much it on my end. I love you guys and appreciate everything you do for me! Thanks for the support. By next week I'll have my transfer call and I'll be able to let you know where it is I'm going! Bless up!"

Many thanks to Sister Wade, who sent these pictures of the hike to Tufton Hall Waterfall, near Victoria. According to Wikipedia, it is "the tallest waterfall in Grenada.... The only way to visit the waterfall is to hike for approximately 3 hours (each way) through technical and strenuous terrain. Guides from Victoria are available, usually carrying rope and cutlass." NOTE: I don't see any water in the pictures.

A Grenadian bus and a view of Victoria.