We are just about settled in our new home

Most people already know that on January 15, 2010, we moved from Dubai to Puerto Rico. It has been quite an adjustment for both of us, at work, at church, and in our daily lives.

We were released from our respective callings in November, Waldo as president of the Manama Bahrain Stake (administrative and ecclesiastical authority over an area of the church-this stake is the largest in the world), and me as stake primary president (working with the primary children's organizations throughout the stake). It felt very strange to go from 100% involvement to nothing! We actually had time to go to the beach!

Waldo went from the greater volumes, longer travel times, and more stressful schedule of the GCC to the Caribbean & Central America office here in San Juan. While he has even more countries (23) to visit on this side of the world, he has also been enjoying being over here, re-acquainting himself with old friends, and is finding the different pace of life very rewarding.

Four days after we got here we were at our stake conference (a regional meeting of many wards or individual churches) and we met the mission president, who is head of all the missionaries in our area. A few days after that Waldo gets a phone call from him, apologizing for having to do it over the phone, but he was calling Waldo to be the first counselor in the Mission Presidency. Imagine that! A calling Waldo has never had before!

I was enjoying teaching English at the Berlitz Language Center in Dubai, and working in the Primary organizations in the different wards in the stake. Now I am busy unpacking (still), making new friends here, and finding grocery stores, dry cleaners, and doctors without getting totally lost.
The most recent new thing is learning to play Mah Jong! There is a group in the Newcomers club that meets every Thursday so when I'm tired of boxes it is a welcome change.

In church I am teaching the Sunbeams (3-4 years old) and getting to practice some of the principles I spent so much time teaching as a stake leader. It's great to see it works!

We are looking forward to traveling this summer to see new grandbabies that will be arriving, a girl for Rick and April, and a boy for Waldo and Jen.

I'm sad to say, the first trip will be made by me next weekend, as my aunt passed away, and there will be a "going away party" for her on Sunday. I am looking forward to re-connecting with members of my family that I haven't seen in longer than I care to remember. It's sad that somebody has to die before we make the time, isn't it?

Aunt Marge, her dog Maggy and me in 2007

On a happier note, the first non-business trip that Waldo will make will be to Madrid, Spain, for the UEFA finals. He is determined to make this region of Ford as successful as the last. He won this trip, which is a good start!

I found some pictures from our house-hunting trip in November 2009. As you can see, it's very different from Dubai!

We feel really lucky to have found a lovely house in this subdivision, Dorado Beach East, which as you can see is green, green, GREEN!

There are footpaths going all through the subdivision, and the houses all have golf carts to get around, to the pool and gym, as well as the golf courses! While we were happy with our villa in Dubai, it is so nice to have a real yard (Heidi and Shotzie our Mini Schnausers love it!) and it is very quiet quiet at night. We love that.








While things are still very different from our lives in Dubai; here we use dollars not dirhams, 110 voltage not 240, pounds not kilos, church on Sunday not Friday, it's alot like coming home. Although you don't really need to speak Spanish to be able to understand conversations in the stores and on TV, people are even friendlier when you try. Some things remain the same as everywhere else I have lived: the love and caring of the neighbors and church members, the trials that we all share. The goals for ourselves and our families. Everything that is important is the same. I love that.