new friends

Tour…new PC group

We welcomed a new group of volunteers! That means M78 and M79 will overlap for a year. The school I am at applied for a new PC and we were lucky to get one! That means this school year there will be 2 PCVs at U.F.O. Elementary! Yay!

I thought it would be helpful if there were two of us, one to work with lower grades and one to work with upper grades. My hope is that the more time we have to spend with each grade will increase the students learning as well as help the teachers.

I am excited to see what happens this year! Stay tuned!

graduation

Tour…graduation

Fourth quarter has ended…it is a little early but DOE told the principals that if we had 180 school calendar days we could end the year early…such is my life in Chuuk. That brings my (keep in mind I missed days for PC related work such as trainings) total teaching days to…wait for it…87! Technically we had 180 calendar days we just missed several because of funerals and other local events (these count as school days, why? Because it is Chuuk and we can…), so that brought the actual teaching days down.

The community decided against 8^th grade graduation…

K-5 had graduation, so I went to take pictures and support my little brother.

Hopefully next school year will be more…well more days!

language

Tour…language

My language is coming along! At my birthday I gave my first all Chuukese speech (I did still have to read it from a paper so I could remember what to say…but it was completely in Chuukese!)

Tirou me fairo womi achengicheng ámáfen pwan tori kich meinisin.

Nepwong annim ngeni kich meinisin.

Kinisou ngeni kemi meinisin, ren ami feito fiti ranin oputiwei. Uwa men pwapwa, fiti ai famine me chieichieik meinisin. Am uwa fokkun chufegen ikenai. Uwa men mefi ai kinisou pounuwa pwan chiechi ngeni ekkóch aramas non manawei. Kinisou ngeni aiwa famine non Merika Steve, Seana, Ryan me Megan ren anisiei, usun ngang emon Peace Corps Volunteer. Uwa ren towaw seni iwem, nge ir na mwochen repwe pwan fiti ai oputi. Kinisou ngeni aiwa famine non Chuuk Aminiso, Kantito, Amini, Iris, Anama, Armita, Ricky, Anesty, Miniana, Sonson, Rich, Aimy, Enrich, Richen, Anistasia, Anifin, me Asapei ren ar tumunuei me etiwaei. Usun uwa fen mefi pwe ngang wesewesen cho chon non ar famini. Ra fokkun tumunochwei, uwa seni pwan mefi pwe aiwa famine repwe fokkun kinisou ten ekei mokutukut ra feri ngenei. Kinisou ngeni U.F.O. community ren ar anisei ai upwe senei usun non nom un Chuuk pwan ren ami mwochen, upwe anisi noume kewe semirit non sukun.

Uwa sani Chuuk uwa pwapwa iti ai uwa emon PCV non U.F.O. Kot a fen efeiochwei non ewe iir, iwe uwa kinisou ren mettoch meinisin. Kinisou ngeni ami meinisin, ren ami pwarano netipemi ngeni ai ranin oputiwei epwe pwan sakon ikenai.

Kinisou chappur

Uwa mwoch ai kewe aunties repwe kon

Excuse me for what I am about to say and welcome to everyone (a standard greeting to a speech).

Good evening everyone.

Thank you to everyone for coming to my party to celebrate my birthday. I am very happy that both my families are together and all my friends are here. I am very blessed to have so many amazing people in my life. Thank you to my family in America Steve, Seana, Ryan and Megan for supporting me to do PC and being away from home. thank you to my family in Chuuk Aminiso, Kantito, Amini, Iris, Anama, Armita, Ricky, Anesty, Miniana, Sonson, Rich, Aimy, Enrich, Richen, Anistasia, Anifin, me Asapei for accepting me and making me a part of the family and taking care of me. I know my parents are so thankful for this. Thank you to U.F.O. community for helping me learn about Chuuk and letting me teach your children.

I love Chuuk and I am so happy that PC asked me to come to U.F.O. God has blessed me this past year and I am very thankful for that. Thank you everyone for making my birthday extra special!

Thank you

I would now like my anuties to sing

I was told from many people in the village that my speech was very touching and meant a lot to them. Communicating with the locals in their language means so much to them; I still have a long way to go but at least I can get by with daily small talk!

turtle

Tour…teaching

One day this week I taught a total of 2 students all day!

As frustrating as it is to prepare a lesson and not have the class show up, I remind myself that I came here to teach anyone who is willing.

It is always worth it to see kids understand a new thing.

Even if I reach only one person while in Chuuk, my entire experience will have been worthwhile!

I love what I do, and I will do it even if only one student shows up.

Random thoughts…

I ate bbq turtle straight out of the shell in the middle of the night!