Dunson Adventures

  First Impressions  Moving to a new country is always an adventure, and my first few weeks in El Salvador have been filled with surprises. Antiguo Cuscatlán, the neighborhood we now call home, is a fascinating blend of the familiar and the unexpected. Through these first-look photos, I want to share some of the things that have caught my eye.                                                       1. A Taste of Home in a New Place One of the first things that surprised me was seeing places I recognized from the U.S.—Walmart, Denny’s, and other familiar stores and restaurants. Riding past them in this new setting made me feel an odd mix of comfort and curiosity. While these businesses look similar to their U.S. counterparts, they have their own Salvadoran twist, making me eager to explore the differences.       ...

 It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since my last update! Life has been a whirlwind of change, adventure, and unexpected blessings. As I sit down to reflect, I can’t believe how fast my kids have grown up and how much our family has experienced. This has truly been an adventure! From Tbilisi to Florida to Virginia When I last wrote, we were living in Tbilisi, Georgia, embracing the rich culture and unique experiences of life overseas. While in Tbilisi, I graduated from BYU-Idaho! It was during COVID, so my graduation was virtual, but my family made sure to celebrate in a special way. Around the same time, Olivia graduated high school in Tbilisi, marking the beginning of her next big chapter. From there, we moved to Florida, where we spent two years finishing our time in the military. During that time, David graduated high school and prepared for college. Looking back, Florida was exactly what we needed—a chance to catch up on overdue medical care and enjoy some well-earned s...

Stronger and Stronger In my previous posts, we talked about things that strengthen families. I wanted to continue with that theme. You know what also helps to strengthen families?   Family Fun The Family: A Proclamation to the World   teaches us, “Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.” Do you hear me? Spending time with your family can actually strengthen your family! I don’t want you to ever feel like you’re doing nothing when you are on a getaway with your family. Trips, not your thing that’s ok. You don’t even have to leave your house. It doesn’t matter what your family enjoys. What is important is that you do it together as a family. “Our free time should be used wisely to create the best possible life, to promote individual growth and strengthen families. Meaningful recreation does not just happen; it must be prepared...

Let’s get this party started Are you picturing your last late-night party that you danced the night away? I’m not talking about that kind of party. I’m talking about a family work party. Yes raising a family is hard work. But that’s not what I’m talking about either. In our house, Saturday mornings are typically spent cleaning together and listening to the parents' music of choice. Everyone is cleaning. You could call it mandatory family fun. I say this in jest. Cleaning isn’t my favorite thing to do. In all honesty, when I can afford it I pay someone to help me clean the house. So what’s the point? What are we doing? Do I just want to make my children miserable? No. I know the value of family work. I know that it strengthens my family. The Family: A Proclamation to the World teaches us, “Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of. . . work.” “The reason family-centered work brings blessings and salvation is so obvious in common experience t...

Faith in Family Life We’ve all heard the African saying, “It takes a village to raise a child. In today's fast-paced world where do we find such a village? Well, the first place to look is our own family. There’s parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. What if we are far from our families? Then we could turn to our neighbors, schools, and communities. What if they do not share our same values and thinking that we wish to teach our children? Many people have turned to their schools with disappointing results. Who then should we turn to? Our church family! We likely share many of the same values with our church family. I am so thankful to be a part of a worldwide church. My husband is a soldier and we often move. I don’t have to find a new church family whenever we move.  The Family: A Proclamation to the World   teaches us, “ Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith [and] prayer.” There are numerous scienti...

Father Knows Best   What I know about fatherhood I’ve learned from the many Godly men that have influenced my life. My own biological father was not in my life as a child. I had many “stand in Dads”. Men that loved me and provided for me. The best example of fatherhood that I have seen is that of my own husband with my children. He also didn’t have his biological father present I n his life. You could never tell though. He is loving, patient, playful, nurturing, and when appropriate firm.   The Family: A Proclamation to the World   teaches us that “by divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness.”    Let’s break that down.  Fatherhood = Preside  1.     Spiritual leader 2.     Provide the necessities of life 3.     Spiritually guide in love and righteousness Preside does not mean  1.     All-knowing 2.     Fear inducing 3.     Controlling ...

Importance of Mothers   When I was a child, I dreamed about what I could do to make the world a better place. Nowhere in my dream was having a family. Whatever it was I would make a bunch of money and probably have several degrees. I saw a photo of children in Africa. There need was so great. There were humanitarians handing out aid and doctors providing life-saving vaccinations. I noticed there were several people in the photos who looked like they needed some dental care. That’s it I thought. I’ll go to the other side of the world and become a dentist. That’s how I can make the world a better place.   Fast forward 20 or so years. Yes, I’m living on the other side of the world. Am I a dentist? No. What do I do then? Well, I work for the US Embassy. What’s my profession? I am a mother of 5. I am a hardworking, dedicated, God-fearing, Christian Values living mother. This will be my life’s work and legacy. Mother.   “Motherhood is the greatest potential influence either for...