Let there be Break!

Christmas Parade! 

And on the eighth day God said, “Let there be Christmas Break” and there was Break. And the joyous sounds and parties were the eighth day.

This last finals week we tried something different – having half days for four days and then the class Christmas parties on Friday. So with that schedule, we had two 1½ hour test blocks to give the students a few last minutes to study and then enough time to complete their exam. And… the entire afternoon off. So it was definitely a success in my book!

Friday was our high school Christmas party. Since their Accounting class didn’t really happen, and that was the only test they had on Thursday, I told my seniors that they didn’t have to come to school the next day unless they just wanted to come to decorate. So the next day the majority of them showed up and spent the morning blasting their music and taping various signs, ribbons, ornaments, and paper origami pieces around the room.

Some of the other participants

The party started around 9:00 the next day, but because of island time we really didn’t start until much later. When half of them were there I got them going with a game of Ninja, and then quickly figured out once again that these kids just really don’t seem to like games. They wanted to just ‘listen to music and talk to their friends.’ Fine. Not like I had games and other stuff planned that I was excited for! Oh well. So I put on Elf, and then we had lunch.

Santa throwing candy to the kids

The best part was when we started the gift exchange. Rosina acted as Santa, calling out ‘Merry Christmas Motoky, from Viki!’ But there was a tiny catch; Sharlyn was by the huge speaker they had brought in, and when somebody’s name was called, the music started (super loudly) and they were supposed to dance before they could receive their gift. I say ‘supposed to’ because some people didn’t dance. Fine. I hadn’t included myself in the gift exchange, and when I saw they were doing it that way I was kind of glad.

But I definitely thought that too soon… “Merry Christmas Miss Carissa, from Minako!” Rosina called out. Shoot. And since half of the kids had refused to dance, I decided I wouldn’t follow that crowd and got up, went to the middle of the room, and did my white Adventist two left-feet dance.

They clapped and howled with laughter.

I grinned.

And all was well.

After the parties we hurried off on our decorated truck to join the parade. Participating in a Christmas parade in Micronesia consists of decorating your vehicle, blasting holiday tunes, and throwing candy to the kids on the side of the road. The last part is the most important. Unfortunately, on our way to join the parade we hadn’t yet bought candy, and that didn’t make the parade-watchers very happy.

Especially the older ladies… we passed by a group of kids and an older lady who were all just anxious for candy, and we called out “Sorry! We don’t have candy yet! We will come back!” The kids just frowned and turned away, but the older lady’s face twisted and she ran a few steps after us, throwing dirt and yelling curses – I think – in Chuukese. I wasn’t going to be surprised if she pulled out a machete. Calm down, lady. The candy is for the kids.

Mary and Joseph

We finally met with the rest of the parade, bought the candy, and we followed the parade back the way we came. This time, we could throw candy and feel much better about ourselves. It was so entertaining to watch all the kids run screaming up to the truck as we tossed out the teeth-corroding goodies.

When we reached the school, we got more candy and handed it out to the locals, and by handed out I mean threw high into the air so that we wouldn’t get mobbed by the children who were crowding us… these kids are the best.

After a night’s stay at Blue Lagoon Resort with Mecha and Jules – complete with restaurant struggles, movie attempts (“You made me think”), all-night air conditioning, kayaking, and hot showers, I was off to Kosrae to spend Christmas with my family. It’s so good to be back and be reunited with friends and family. An early Christmas present, that’s for sure!

Earth Day

We had Earth Day on November 25 this year, and so here is a literal spattering of pictures of that day. I always have difficulty making the pictures go where I want them to go... any suggestions? Anyways, the high-schoolers worked hard, and got lots done!

Motoky

Sherane

Leiann, Rosina, Annette

Sharlyn, Sherana, Minako, Leiann, Jill, Bua

Praise

Jake, Faith

Madison

Looks fantastic! 

The daily grind

I’ve been meaning to write this post for quite some time, and since it’s almost halfway through the school year I think I should be able to write my schedule without any trouble…

I wake up at around 6:30 and instantly want the universe around me to just pause so I can go back to sleep. The power has just turned back on around a half hour ago, and when the weather is hotter than normal it makes for an uncomfortable and fitful night. But the digital clock keeps counting up, so I roll over and start the getting out of bed process.

Some 3rd graders playing marbles

I’ve never been fantastic at having daily devotions, but while over here I’ve been trying, and so that is one of the first things on my agenda. The early morning weather is the coolest that it’s usually going to be, so I may start having my devotional time outside. Genius!

Volleyball during break time

Next is breakfast. Six girls sharing one stove can be a hassle, but we don’t seem to have too big of a problem with it. Sharing is easy. My menu can consist of oatmeal, pancakes, rice, bananas, and the occasional apple. I can’t express how much I miss berries and smoothies…

Staff worship is supposed to be at 7:45, but nobody gets there on time so we all trickle in once we’ve finished all the last-minute preparations for that day. We sing a few songs, have a short devotional, and make our way through various bits of staff news. Then, when Mr. John says “Ok, thank you,” we’re off to our classes.

I’m the twelfth grade advisor, so my job is to have worship with them in the mornings, get their report cards together, keep them from ditching school, and planning various high school activities and the senior’s graduation. This year we’re joining with the eighth grade class for graduation, so that cuts down on my personal stress and even has their graduation land on my birthday!

So, here’s the breakdown for my teaching schedule:

8:45-9:30 – 11^th grade Chemistry

9:30-10:15 – 8^th grade Science

10:15-10:30 – Break time!! I get back into the apartment, switch out my books, and then sit down and don’t usually move much until a bit after the bell rings again. This slow island pace really is starting to claim me. Must resist!!

10:30-11:15 – 12^th grade Physics (who would have guessed I would have ever taught this!?)

11:15-12:00 – 10^th grade Biology – (Brittle stars and mitosis and hyphae…)

The crowd for English Day

12:00-12:30 – This is the wonderful half hour we have to eat. We have a few more teachers coming December 11, so my schedule will change a bit. We’re going to be adding one more class to all the grades and will be ending at 3:00 instead of 2:00. So, though that means a bit more work for me, I get a 15-minute longer lunch break!! For lunch we usually just eat whatever leftovers we can find, or I’ll make a quick pot of pasta. As mentioned in an earlier post – carbs, carbs, carbs.

We usually close the door to enjoy a little bit of quiet, except for the occasional day when a dog’s pathetic whining is all that we hear. The poor dog follows one of the local workers to school and gets tied to a post on the other side of the house for the extent of the day. Too quickly though, the time is up and I head back out the door for my last two classes.

12:30-1:15 – 4^th grade science

1:15-2:00 – 9^th grade Earth Science

At 2:00 the beautiful bell rings out its delightful chorus and the busiest part of the day is over. I pick up the classroom for a bit, do any after-school meetings or tutoring, and then back to the apartment I go.

Since the power goes off at 3:00, my afternoons consist of me trying to avoid the heat while somehow being productive and lethargic simultaneously. During this time I usually indulge the social media monster, play with two of our elementary students, do some grading, plan for classes, watch movies, or do something along those lines.

Monday is my town trip day, and that usually takes until around 5:30. We leave around the same time the bus does, usually make 5-6 stops, and I spend too much money and curse the prices. But, town trips are one of my favorite times of the week – it’s a chance to leave the campus! I usually see a couple of my students when we’re over there, and it’s always fun to hear a random “Hi, Miss Carissa!” when I’m not expecting it.

Sunset from our porch

When the power turns back on at 6:00 and as the afternoon drains into evening that is when productivity hits. This is when supper is made, assignments are graded, and workouts are sweated. Evenings are filled with simple joys and visits from our two favorite aunties – “What’s happening?”

As 9:40 hits I usually try to get to bed, because the night is long and power-less, and morning comes sometimes too soon, and sometimes not soon enough. We pray for it to rain the whole night and that there will be no rats scuttling around in our room. 

And that’s the daily grind.

There's a turkey on the table

The tables were spread from side to side with food, our taste buds were anxious, and we were all ready for the short Thanksgiving program to be over so we could eat.
Then, the power went out. Not missing a beat, the song continued as the local workers pulled out their flashlights and flicked them on. And for those few seconds, it was dark and peaceful with "Give Thanks" echoing around the 2nd grade classroom as the baby tsunami winds blew the curtains into the room. But, soon the generators were kicked on and we were able to view the food sitting tantalizing on the table. This is actually the first time that I've been to a thanksgiving meal that had a turkey sitting in the middle of the table, not Tofurky... I put my vegetarian ways behind me for a couple bites, and then picked them up again. Meat hasn't won me over yet.
After a long dry spell, we've finally had rain - and we've had it in abundance! Puddles are once again everywhere, and we're able to sleep decently at night without feeling like we were suffocating.
It was thanksgiving over here yesterday, and so while millions of people on the other side of the International Date Line ate dainty portions in order to successfully consume mass quantities of edible substances the next day, we were busy cutting the pumpkin pies and pulling the casseroles and turkeys out of the oven.
I'm eternally thankful for my family and friends, but there are some simple things that I think deserve some special mention. Some of them are from home, and some are from here:
This thanksgiving (and every other day), I'm thankful for:

• Lactose pills 
• That there aren't rats living in my bed, like there are in the couch
• Nice smelling liquid laundry detergent, this powder stuff doesn't do squat
• ASWWU sunglasses that came just in time
• Having a resort nearby with coconut trees that are the perfect distance apart for hammocking
• Hard drives that are indestructible! 
• Containers of quick oats that are not filled with cobwebs and dead bugs (eww!!)
• Football
• How the humidity doesn't dry out my skin here
• Rice and veggies, this is such a staple here, and I know I'll never tire of it
• Teeth!
• Science equipement, toys, coloring pages, and the people who've spent their time and money to send them to me
• Cats that don't have diseases
• My Nalgene
• Students who turn their homework in on time
• Students who do their homework
• Glacier lakes in the beautiful PNW
• A chance to see the world through new eyes
• That I get to see my family soon (come quickly, Christmas!)
• Being able to sit outside on the stairs and look up at the stars, breathe in the island air, and be reminded how blessed I am

There's so much more to be thankful for, but I shalln't keep you! ;) Happy Thanksgiving!

A post about death

I teach 4^th grade science right after lunch, and these kids love to help me carry all my stuff to their classroom. “All my stuff” is usually just my backpack, which they will practically tear off me if given the permission and wear proudly into the classroom like a fabric Metal of Honor. As soon as I emerge from our apartment I am greeted by two or three of my students, ready to get me into the classroom (if only my other classes were so excited to have class/learn! High schoolers…). Cecelia takes my water bottle, Rhynner will grab onto my arm saying, “I’m an arm-hugger!” and Cody will flank my other side, his arm draped around me as he just about corrals me into their classroom.

These kids are some of my favorites. They are interested in what I have to teach them, and are quick to settle down when I need some more order in the classroom. While not the perfect class, these nine fourth graders are pretty close.

This fateful day was like any other. I was escorted to their classroom where I turned to the left and headed to the high school building, followed by a string of students who had yelled “ME!” to the call of “Who wants to come help me?” We paraded up the stairs and then through the 9^th grade class into the 10^th grade classroom, where my laptop and speakers remained from the Biology class I taught before lunch. I handed my backpack to one student, a notebook to another, and speakers to the next, fully intending to finish watching Tarzan.

Then, one of them grabbed my laptop and before I could tell her to put it into the case and wait for me, she had disappeared out of the room. I quickly grabbed the case and headed out with two of my other students, slightly worried.

Crash!

I instantly knew that my student had just taken this opportunity to unintentionally experiment with whether gravity still worked or not. Turns out, it did. We got down to their classroom and I apprehensively opened my laptop to be greeted by an unhappy image of white, black, and small sections of patterns of various purple hues. A bad case of an internally cracked screen.

I took my guilt-stricken student outside, told her that she needed to be more careful with other people’s stuff, and then gave her a hug. The poor girl, she felt down-right awful! I grabbed some paper and some crayons, passed them out and told my VERY quiet class to just “Draw Thanksgiving pictures to make me happy.” Then, honestly, I just sat behind the teacher’s desk and stared at the wall.

It was all very terrible.

But it gets better! As the class period drew to a close I received cards covered with “I love you,” “Happy Thanksgiving!” and "Sorry 'so-and-so' broke your computer." There were green trees, hearts, and hand turkeys. Tahina wrote me the following note, and I giggled over trying to decipher it: “Your so good wet us I am sorry and I love your class in sciencn and I no now.” That girl.

And the laptop is fine, none of the memory was lost, and I’m able to use a monitor to complete my grades and write this post. I still have all my pictures, stories, and movies!!

So, all’s well that ends well.

Not so for all members of this next tale.

You probably have heard many stories about the vile cockroaches that a student missionary is sure to meet during their year of service. And at Chuuk we have seen our share of these terrible fends. I’ve seen enough of them to last me the rest of my life: their brown exoskeletons that refuse to be squished, their tiny heads with disgusting little mandibles that move back and forth and can make you squirm just by that movement, and the way they scuttle under the refrigerator just to watch you and giggle to themselves. I don’t like these creatures.

When the power goes off in the evenings, I don’t like venturing into the kitchen because I know what I’ll find. A rat running for cover under our sink, and at least one inch-and-a-half cockroach running around the room, across the table, and on the walls. Opening the cupboard that one night a while ago was a huge mistake. I was greeted with about ten little cockroaches, screaming “Run away!!” into the humid night air.

Some SM's like to play cockroach-hockey, using brooms to slap the things against the wall and then preferably out of the house, some catch them in cups and throw them out the door, and others will throw textbooks onto them in an attempt to stun them for easy removal. But I can’t run the risk of having the cockroach I have just risked life and limb to catch returning into our apartment, so I try to get rid of them using another method.

We have freezers for reasons.

And one of those reasons is for killing cockroaches. I’m pretty sure if you were to read the owner’s manual there would be a whole section concerning the proper etiquette for freezing cockroaches. Just sayin’.

And on the plus side, there’s no guts! Just run around trying to put the plastic container over them without accidently separating the head partially from the body (which results in awkward twitching... and what do you mean it sounds like I’m speaking from experience?!), slide a magazine gingerly between the floor and the roach, and then just stick them in the freezer! They’ll be ready to be taken out in a couple hours and slid into the trash without a fuss.

Anyways, now you know.

It’s almost Thanksgiving, we have an all-day party on Wednesday, get Thursday and Friday off, and I couldn’t be more excited! Thanks for your love, support, and prayers, and eat a piece of pie for me.

That high school life

Our principal, Walter John, assigns us short paragraphs to write about the going-ons at Chuuk SDA School. So I thought that a compilation of these would give you some good snapshots of what that high school life is like here outside of teaching.
So, here we go.

High School Picnic 

What was supposed to be a “Welcome Freshman!” picnic held at the beginning of the year turned into a “Well it’s the second quarter, let’s have a party!” picnic. The high school students headed over to Anna’s Resort on October 31 to enjoy fellowship and the uniqueness of Chuuk. After being let into the resort by the super tight security the group had a short worship and then the students were free to do whatever their hearts desired – within reason. Food was quickly prepared and fun was had. The resort is on the other side of Weno and consists of two concrete pools with a bit of grime and rainwater at the bottom, a dirty pool with some depressed sea turtles, a bunch of coconut trees, a random house, and many coconut palm-covered huts lining the main paths along the two short peninsulas. The day was spent kayaking around the coast, jumping into the ocean, bumping a volleyball around, and for one of the people there more than the others – getting burned. 

As you probably could guess, as the only pale person in attendance, I was said "one." It seems that no matter how much sunscreen I apply the sun always gets the last laugh. There are abandoned ships all around Chuuk, and I was able to go snorkel around one that was there. I scratched myself on the ship and spent a couple seconds worrying about sharks and manta rays but then decided they couldn't hurt me. After that I kind of just spent two hours in a hammock, swaying to the sound of the wind in the coconut leaves and Chuukese voices.

Iowa Testing 

From September 22-26 grades 3-12 at the Chuuk SDA School underwent a week of repetitive, scholastic, and energy-draining tests called the Iowa Tests. The Iowa tests are based out of the University of Iowa in the United States, and since the school is now under the North American Division its students are required to take the same tests that students in the States are taking. The Iowa tests are annual tests that are meant to show administrators where their students are academically compared to the national norm and how well their students can fill in bubbles using a number 2 pencil. Tests were taken in the morning and then classes resumed as usual in the afternoon; this week proved to be an excellent time for the staff to exercise their flexibility. The students took tests that included, but were not limited to: Computation, Vocabulary, Science, and Math. 

For once, I was able to be the person who got to say: "Please read the directions silently while I read them aloud." Yippee!

IOM Conference 

On September 11 and 12, the senior class at Chuuk SDA School took a couple days off their usual Physics and Bible classes to attend a different sort of class – a two-day conference held by the International Organization for Migration at their office. The meetings covered many topics about life and culture in Guam or the United States, and presentations ranged everywhere from how much to tip at a restaurant to how to prepare for an interview. The time proved to be very informative to anybody who had not traveled out of Chuuk. The students were in meetings from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm, and were given a lovely hour lunch break. This conference gave time for the students to talk to people who have been to or are from the United States and to ask any questions they wanted to in a relaxed setting. As an added benefit we finished the material around 1:00 pm on the second day and were able to leave early.

Since I am American and ergo all-knowledgeable about American culture, I was volunteered to present that part of the material. Fun stuff like: 'what to do when you first meet somebody' and 'don't spit' stuff.

Seniors’ Car Wash  

Class of 2015

Occasionally a car needs to be washed, and one of the ways to fix that problem is to go outside during one of Chuuk’s many rainstorms and use a rag to clean the gray dirt off of the lower part of your vehicle. Or, the other way is to benefit a good cause and pay a bunch of teens one dollar to wash your car for you. The senior class picked this method as one of their ways to raise money for graduation; on October 3^rd we stocked up on laundry soap and kitchen sponges and headed into town to get some money. A few of the students stood by the road with their handheld signs and yelled “Car Wash!” over and over again, and when a driver made the excellent decision to get his ride squeaky-clean the rest of the students were quick to pounce on the vehicle and give it the royal treatment. Chuukese music played from one of the student’s cars, a potluck lunch was shared by all, and the students were able to raise around $80 to put towards graduation costs.

This was actually a lot of fun! I learned how to say car wash in Chuukese, I don't know the exact spelling but it's pronounced duh-duh terack-tuh. And I may be saying it wrong because Minako keeps asking me to say it for her weeks after the car wash and she laughs every time. Also, a couple of my senior guys write their own music and record it on CD's, and they sound really good! I just have to convince them to sing for graduation...

So that's a little taste of what being in high school is like in Chuuk, at least the mostly non-academic part of it. Teaching high school is drastically different than teaching elementary school. Back in Kosrae and in my fourth grade science class here my students are climbing on top of their desks when they know the answer to a question or when they want to tell me what sort of thing they did last weekend.

Me and LaLa, the locals are so used to
the salinity that they can just open
their eyes underwater...
Me? Not so much

But high school has proven to be a little more difficult to get the students engaged and excited about learning. The students in my other five classes - which include the eighth grade science and the four high school science classes - are largely unmotivated and are constantly asking me if they can just take a nap or watch a movie. Umm... NO. I know that copying notes from a green chalkboard isn't even close to the Top-Billion-Fun-Things-To-Do-Ever List, but is it too much for you to quietly write down the notes so we can get to some fun stuff?
Thank you so much to everybody who has sent me encouragement, things for the kids, and science materials. You are making my day and a difference!

That time we climbed Octopus Mountain

My alarm went off at 6:00 am on a Sunday morning, but I wasn't the least put out. Because today, we were finally going to get our shoes dirty and reach new heights. We were going hiking.

I wandered around the compound for a bit, taking pictures of the sunrise and stretching my toes, and then we packed up our little bags with snacks, first-aid kits, water, and cameras and then piled into the van. It was Jules, Mecha, Karson, Hanna, Khafson, Stephanie and I who had scored places on this adventure. We started down the potholed road towards the other side of town; it was different to see the town so empty at 8:00 in the morning. The streets are usually filled with men carrying yellow bags of rice or sitting around chewing betel nut, and women picking their way carefully around lake-like puddles of murky rainwater wearing their colorful, shapeless muumuus.

It had rained the day before (surprise!) but the air hadn't retained the fresh coolness that the rain had blessed us with, and so we knew that it would be a hot one.

Soon, our final destination was in sight, Octopus Mountain – the second highest point in Weno. It looked short. From sea level we could see grass and vines around the top, and we scoffed at the estimated time we were told it would take us to summit. Four hours was definitely overshooting it… or so we thought.

fresh coconut!

We parked, and started heading up this road that was covered with slick rocks and slippery breadfruit leaves. Apparently Karson and Khafson had lived up that road years ago, and if you followed it a ways it led to a place where the U.S. CAT-team used to stay at. But now the officers are gone so the road had gradually been taken over by nature. Grass fanned over the rocks, and flowers, trash, and old cars lined the road. I was intrigued to see some of the plants that we used to sell at Mac’s Garden Center growing naturally there. We waited a bit for a couple Chuukese locals from the Ifa’s clan to guide us, and were soon met with 5-7 guys armed with machetes and kitchen knives.

Hiking in the jungles on the equator is definitely something else. It rains almost every day here, so trails are always going to be slick, and you’re always going to be dodging geckos. The first bit we hiked through was pretty open, but we soon got to where the going was a little bit more difficult. Our guides were the best though, at one point they climbed a coconut tree and then cut and sharpened a stick to open them up. They wore flip flops – known here as slippers – and were constantly offering their hands when there was a difficult section. On the “trail” we walked through ferns, winced at thorny sensitive plants, and grappled through tall grass as we neared the top.

My reaction to coming
out from the jungle covering
into the sun... 

Have you ever tried hiking in a skirt? It’s hard. Being an active football-playing and shorts-loving lady in a place where pants are seen as being mostly worn by “loose” girls is a struggle at times, and hiking is no exception. In places where I would typically just slide down the rocks on my rear, I couldn't, because skirts don’t stay down.  My shins were subjected to such abuse by the thorns lining the trail. I definitely missed pants that day…

When we got closer to the top we entered a sea of grass. It seemed like not a soul had tried to summit Octopus Mountain in years, it was so thick! The grass reached over my head and the hikers who were still committed to reaching the peak fought to get through it. Even the guys with their machetes were struggling to conquer this strange beast, but we forced our way through! It was awesome.

I slipped too many times to count, received a glorious amount of grass cuts, but finally made it to the top – just to be met with more grass… and, so much heat!

Thankfully, there were some old triangular metal towers that we could climb on to catch the breeze, and we followed the locals’ lead and tried to hide from the sun in the grass…

Going down was just as exciting as coming up. Now I had tender and cut legs that really didn't appreciate all the grass and ferns and thorns that they were being forced through… I slipped and yelped my way down the mountain (and to those who know what I’m talking about, there wasn't another “Shut up!” moment, but it was close). Jules’ personal favorite fall of mine was when one of my legs fell down this hole right by a person-high drop-off. I guess it was a little entertaining.  We made it successfully down, met the others, inspected our injuries, and then headed back to the school. So, in all it ended up taking a good four hours, and was a fantastic way to spend an otherwise unproductive Sunday morning.

My only complaint was the complete lack of octopuses on that mountain.

The view from up high

Richly blessed

Deep and Wide!!

A few weeks ago on a Saturday afternoon I lay on my bed, not wanting to move. The pictures that my parents had sent were hanging from pins on a rope around my bed like shirts on a clothesline, my friends' faces smiling at me. Rain had just started to fall outside and only a little bit of light filtered its way through our filthy window onto the book that I was reading.

I didn't feel like doing anything, or going anywhere. It had been a long week, and I felt sick and gross. I’d just been hit with a bout of ‘you are getting absolutely nowhere with these kids’ and felt like the world was just draining me of my energy.

Jobeth knocked on the door, “Are you coming?”

No.

We do this program every Saturday afternoon – Branch Sabbath School – where we go in groups to a local’s house and put on a program for a bunch of kids. We sing, tell a story, do an activity, and then try to get the kids in a straight line so we can give them a snack – which is the best part. I had only gone a couple times before, but that day I just wasn't feeling it.

On Saturdays we go hard all day. There’s Sabbath School and church in the morning, then the branch program, then we have staff sundown meditation, and by that time the sun is setting and we can’t do anything outside. So at the end of the day I've done just a lot of sitting. And you know how sometimes when you've been sitting all day long and you know you should get up and do something beneficial for your health? Yeah, on that day that feeling just passed me by.

But anyways, that day I just felt like yuck and wanted to just read and then scroll through the statuses and pictures of Walla Walla University students being stoked to be back at college. But apparently I was the song leader this week so I dragged myself out of my self-pitying position, put my slippers on, and headed out to where my group was waiting in the rain.

We walked to our spot, a house that sits right by the ocean. Inside, it’s a big open space with windows covered with tattered and messily-patched netting, a wooden chest, a broken mirror, some metal sheets, and a kitchen corner that is composed of a rice cooker and a skillet for cooking up chicken.

The instant we got there the room started filling with children, and my attitude quick changed. These kids have rotting teeth, uncombed hair, dirty faces, and some of the neediest hearts. It was easy for me to get into the action of our program, sing the songs, and try to make these kids smile. It was like God flipped a switch in my heart and reminded me why I am on the other side of the world – which is to be his hands, feet, and mouth and show his love by just being my imperfect self.

So as I walked around the room holding a little boy wearing nothing but a dirty t-shirt and watched the kids and adults coloring pictures with looks of happiness in their eyes, I realized that at that moment there was nowhere else I’d rather be.

This trip has been hard. I asked God before coming to Micronesia to show me where I was going wrong in my life and to shape me into the woman He wants me to be – and He is painfully doing just that. There’s a lot going on in my mind right now, and I feel like He’s in the process of ripping every part of me out and putting me back together how he wants me to be. It reminds me of a part of the book The Voyage of the Dawn Treader when Aslan uses his claws to rip the scales off of dragon-Eustace to unveil the tender but trusting human under the dragon scales – the better-Eustace.

This island is teaching me so much about life and living. 

This is an accurate example
of what many of the houses
look like around Chuuk

One beautiful thing about these people is how they are alright with having less.

If you’re reading this, you are probably decently rich. You have a laptop or computer access. You may be at a university, taking a break from the studying for costly classes that will help you reach the goals that you have set for yourself – goals that you know are obtainable. You may be sitting on a couch, a cup of coffee or tea in hand, surrounded by comfort, appliances, and luxury. Or you may be on a sidewalk, scrolling through this post while hurrying to get to your job or to some consumerist trap.

We are all so rich and grossly blessed.

Sitting on a bunk in an air-conditioned room, I am starting to be disgusted by how many things in my American life I have become accustomed to and that I have come to take for granted. A great family, friends, a good education, air conditioning, and store nearby filled with vegetables and fruit that I can afford. I have been so blessed by the life that God put me in and I’m grossed out by how blind I've been to it. And it is gross that I know that it is going to be difficult for me to change my mindset.

View from afar

There are a few local boys that if I couldn't already recognize them by their faces, I could recognize them by their clothing because they are always wearing the same thing. The boys who walk along the street who wave shyly or will do spontaneous handstands are clothed with rags. They have tattered shorts and shirts that are three shades darker from dirt and grime and have more holes than your average Swiss cheese slice. Their favorite toy is an empty rice bag that they fold and then pull it through the air with a giant pop! These bags will entertain kids here for hours. Literally. I sit in my room and hear the little pops from these rice bags for hours after school each day. It’s only fun if you are the one making the noise…

Get a little closer, and
this is the beach

But they are alright with what they have; and there’s a lot that can be learned from that.

It’s so easy for me to be selfish; to think that I deserve all the blessings that God has given me. But really, who am I to deserve anything? It’s by God’s grace that I’m even alive. And it’s by God’s grace that He gave us sinful and lost creatures a second chance at life. And it is gross that still sometimes I have the audacity to get angry at God and question His methods – when he doesn't give me something I want because He has something better in mind, or when He takes something out of my life that would only harm or hurt me in the long run. I’m unbelievable lucky to be here, even when it is hard.

So, peace and love from Chuuk.

The monster in our sink

I walked towards the sink with my dirty dish in hand, stomach semi-full of the typical supper of rice mixed with a few measly veggies. Carbs. I have consumed so many carbs over the time that I’ve been here. Between the white rice, white bread, and white spaghetti there is hardly a nutrient to be seen. We hurry into the stores and scan the fresh vegetables and fruit that they offer: overpriced eggplant - pale purple and wrinkly, broccoli - seldom good but often freckled with brown spots, and packaged baby carrots that have survived through the Cold War. Sometimes we get lucky and are blessed with cabbage, peppers, and the occasional green leaf. We only have 30 minutes for lunch, and that isn't nearly enough time! So Jules and have resorted to preparing nearly all of our food in the evenings so that we don’t have to worry about that. There’s always rice in the fridge, and we’re going to start making small armies of pancakes to freeze for later consumption.

Reaching the sink I stretched out my hand and twisted the cold nob towards me.

PFFT, PFFT! WHAP!

I dropped the dishes into the sink with a crash, and then winced as the sound of my short-lived scream reached my ears. Is it thunder? No.

There’s a monster in our sink.

He holds the water back when we’re trying to wash our dishes, and only when he so feels called will let some through the pipes with violent intensity. The water hits the sink and then is ricocheted toward us at lighting speed. We can hear his malicious giggles as we try to dodge out of the way of his lethal watery rage.

A task as simple as washing the dishes can turn into a frightful dance – a dance in which we do not know the steps, but will be sorely punished if we step incorrectly.

Often I walk away from the sink with my shirt wet, my glasses covered with drops, and the monster’s chortles fading away behind me.

No matter how we mentally prepare ourselves as we go to the sink, he always gets us.

The torture continues in the shower. I’ll be enjoying the cool water when suddenly - PFSH, THWAP!! - the shower’s stream turns to either little pathetic spits or vicious pounding until the monster gets tired of his games and moves on.

We turn the water off just to spite him.

In other news, we caught three rats in our trap the other night – the three musketeers. Mecha named them Dumb, Dumber, and Dumbest. It was like they all were having some religious rat ritual in the trap when it closed on them… so unfortunate. I think Dumbest was the one on the bottom when I peeked in there and saw that they were all sitting on one.

A group of us went to Pisiwi last Sunday (pronounced Bee-sea-wee), and so I enjoyed a day of riding crazy waves, eating pineapple, and snorkeling while neglecting to put sunscreen on the backs of my legs.

So yeah, things are going well. I like teaching high school, and I really enjoy getting to know a lot of kids due to the broad range of grades I teach. Just pray that my students finally decide to turn in their homework!!

On our way to Pisiwi!

There are no empty stomachs here

One of my roommates points by the oven, “Oh yeah, and we caught a rat.”

This is typical. I bent down on my knees and looked at the little rodent that was just chilling in a trap in our kitchen. It was surprisingly cuter than expected with little whiskers, long claws, and a cute little wiggling nose. I pulled out my camera and it jumped around the cage when the flash from my camera went off. Apparently Alfred is going to drown it later today.

our "what are we doing?" faces

But I’m getting ahead of myself… back to Pohnpei! On Thursday we checked into the airport and played some Dutch Blitz while waiting to go through security. This time, we didn't have to pull everything out of our bags and got through with no problem, and sat down to wait while eating breadfruit chips, banana chips, and granola. Finally we went on the plane and were soon in the air – have you ever tried to play four-man Dutch Blitz with only two people? It takes a while.

view from Blue Lagoon

After about 50 minutes in the air, we saw the islands. Kosrae is just one island, there are no out-lying islands around to go visit on the weekends, but that isn't the case for Chuuk. From the window of the plane we watched in excitement as skinny atolls and tiny islands surrounded by coral and covered with sprinklings of jungle flora came into view. There are so many! It was like being introduced to a whole new world. Looking out the window at the main island of Chuuk as we touched down was like looking at home. These tin roofs, jungle backyards, and the sun glinting off the ocean waves are so familiar to me now, and I felt peace coming out of the plane into the humidity.

Leonard and Janna Quaile - They
have been fantastic people to
travel with these last few days!

The airport was crowded; at least it seemed to be after the “crowds” of people that I am now used to. We all got our luggage, and went to join the principal of Chuuk SDA School, Mr. Walter John, and the security guard/driver, Junior. Junior is a big guy with big hands and a bigger heart. He has a scar on his throat where he was shot with a slingshot dart, but that’s a whole different story. Tough guy.

Heading out of the airport we were surrounded by people; it was what I’ve become accustomed to: skirts and long hair, family shops and banana trees, dogs with matted fur and naked children, and groups of younger and older men chewing betel nut and watching us pass by. Through gaps in the trees and houses we could see the ocean, a dangerous beauty filled with small fishing boats. The paved street was quick to end, and where it did the potholes began. These streets are terrible! It’s like Rose St. in College Place on steroids. As many potholes in one section as Solomon had wives. There were places that a recent heavy rain had made the street into one big gray lake that our van just dove right into. We swayed back and forth while watching how the Chuukese people interacted, and when the van slowed to almost a complete stop we braced ourselves for the big bump that was guaranteed to follow.

Finally we got to the campus and pulled through the gate. Chuuk SDA School is a lovely little place, the entire campus is bigger than Kosrae SDA School, and has many more buildings. There’s a full high school here, whereas Kosrae’s School went to ninth grade.

Mr. John is a man who loves to entertain, so once we arrived we were hurried to some chairs to watch a tribal dance performed by the sixth graders. They waited behind green banners for the drums to start, whispering and giggling like all kids do. Then the drums boomed and we watched as the girls and boys twirled their fingers and hips to the beat, waving pieces of blue cloth tied onto their fingers. The girls wore sarongs over jeans and white shirts, and the boys wore grass crowns on their heads and grass skirts over their underwear.

It was fantastic. They put leis around our necks and crowns on our heads. Jules and I waved hello to the other SM here already, Michellana, and exchanged entertained glances with Mr. Quaile. When the dance was over we made our introductions and then brought our stuff to our apartment.

Jules and I share the apartment with four other girls: Michellana (Mecha), and three girls from the Philippines: Jessa, Jobeth, and Janet. Our room has air conditioning, two sets of bunk beds, blue curtains, and lots of storage space. Usually the electricity turns off during the night, but it didn’t for the first night, so the AC ran most of the night. I slept under an actual blanket it was so cold.

That evening they took us out to eat at the Blue Lagoon Resort, which is right down the street. Since the last time I went out to eat was at the Spaghetti Factory I thought it was only fitting that I order pasta. After a long wait – spaghetti with red sauce and mushrooms had never tasted so good. And oh goodness, I had apple pie. That first bite… that first explosion of cinnamon and apples and autumn was so incredible. For those five minutes it finally felt like September.

Breakfast - the most important
meal of the day!

The next morning – Friday – we were invited to eat breakfast with the principal and his wife. While I was expecting just something simple, I was soon to be proven wrong. Apparently, Jothy is legendary all through GMM for her cooking. So. Much. Food! There was cold cereal, rice, oatmeal with toppings, cantaloupe, oranges that were actually orange, apples, papaya, sweet pineapple, bananas, raisin bread, homemade bread, perfectly done scrambled eggs, and three types of juice. There were these potato things that I’m not sure of the name, but it was like the god of all fries. It was a bit of mashed potato wrapped with a tortilla-like shell and then rolled in breadcrumbs, fried, and then made perfect with a touch of ketchup. I’m such an American. We tried to finish a dish just to have Jothy fill it right back up again (Judelle, come visit your uncle and aunts over spring break and we shall eat all the food).

After that we finished unpacking and did a town trip – yet another trek over those potholes. We stopped at five different stores (apparently that is typical) and spent way too much at every store. We bought a 50 lb bag of rice for $20.93, so that was quite the investment. Rice for dayz! When we got back we had just sat down for our first us-made meal in Chuuk when Jothy knocked on the door, “Come! I made supper.”

You don’t say no.

There was rice, all kinds of tropical fruit, bread, and homemade pizza. When finished, we waddled over to the church for vespers and spend the next hour fighting with our eyelids. The next morning we ate breakfast with the principal and his wife again, and then there was potluck after church. In the short time I've been here, I have come to realize that there are no empty stomachs at Chuuk SDA School. Not if Jothy and Auntie can help it! 

If I come back from Chuuk and you don’t recognize me, please just point me to the gym.

So, I finally found out what I’ll be teaching. I spent Sunday evening pouring over the limited material that I have available for me to teach third grade English, fourth grade Science, eighth grade Science, tenth grade Biology, eleventh grade Chemistry, and twelfth grade Physics. And here I was thinking that I would be done with that class forever… hey, if I only have one textbook that is the teacher’s edition, I’m so thankful that it is for physics.

This blog post can be summarized in three statements: I am in Chuuk. I am teaching science. I have eaten a lot of food.

Cheers!