Q/A

1-How long do you plan to leave in India?

We figure we will be here for 3-5 years.  Dennis needs to get the business up and running smoothly.  At the point when others can run it without him present, we will return to the US and work from there.

2-Alex just got home from his mission. What did he do?

Imagine Alex’s surprise when at the end of his mission we told him we were moving. He returned from his mission the end of June, just in time to help us pack and sell everything. 3 weeks later we sold our house and had plans to move 2 months later. He stayed and worked in Gooding until school started in August. He is going to school at Brigham Young University studying cyber security. When we didn’t move as planned, he was able to spend 5 months with us when COVID hit. Saying goodbye to him was one of the hardest things.  

3-What are the kids doing for school?

Nick and Ben are attending BYU’s online high school. Nick will graduate at the end of this semester and put in his papers to serve a mission for our church.  I am homeschooling Emma and Liam using materials from The Good and the Beautiful. Eventually, the plan is for them to attend a private school here. The school year runs from June until April. Right now, many schools are closed and enrollment for next school year is questionable. 

4-How did your families react when we told them?

Honestly both of our families were positive and supportive of us. In fact, 3 members of Dennis family already have tickets to come visit. (Fingers crossed that visas start being issued).  It was hardest on our parents, so we were glad we got the extra time to live with each of them before we came. Thankfully we were also able to see most of our siblings before we moved. We hope to have all of our family members come visit at some point. 

5-How often will we be back to the US?

Our plans are to come visit yearly and to have Alex visit us on one of his breaks each year.  Because of travel quarantines right now, we aren’t sure what will happen.  We hope to come back this summer for 2 weeks. One week with my family and one with Dennis. 

6-Can Heather and the kids work?

No. Dennis is the only one with an employment visa that allows permission to work.  Ours are dependent visas. In order for us to work, we would need our own employment visas. This has made it difficult for the kids to earn spending and college money. 

7-What restrictions are in place for you?

Right now across India, masks are mandatory. When flying, a mask and face shield must be worn by all passengers. Many business and sites are still closed. The kids can’t wait for the pool to open. The state we live in also makes you quarantine for 2 weeks if you enter it. This makes travel anywhere is difficult. 

8-Are there a lot of Americans?

No. Actually according to the registration site, no other Americans live in our town. We believe there some people from Australia, according to the same site.  Thus we get stared at a lot.  You would think we had 2 heads. In fact, if we had a Instagram tag, we would be the top trending from all the people who ask to get a photo with us. 

9-What is your favorite place to visit? 

I don’t know if we have a favorite. We haven’t been able to visit many due to restrictions. The places we visit the most are the grocery store, bakery and vegetable market. Our favorite places to eat out are Dominoes, KFC and Subway.  We have enjoyed visiting a local statue and driving up into the mountains. When the country opens up more, we plan to go to the Taj Mahal. 

10-Is it safe for foreigners?

Yes. I haven’t worried about being pickpocketed or hurt while here. Indians are very honest but just like any big city you stay to the good parts. I will say that the only place I go alone, being a woman, is within my subdivision where there are security officers and cameras. I wouldn’t let my younger kids go alone to the store. On most days, my biggest fear is crossing the street and exiting my vehicle.

.