a little walk...

Tour…a tour of my island

I walked around my entire island today…it took 7 hours!

My tour guides were Johnny (the current Peace Corps), Sonson (my cousin), Enlet, and Mureno (Johnny’s brothers).

It was nice to get a lay of the land.

My island reminds me more of a jungle than a tropical island. For a majority of the walk I never saw the ocean.

There is actually a tiny bit of sand…on the other side of the island!

There is a road (that is barely visible) that goes all the way around the island.

It is crazy to think that about 20 years ago there were cars here!

In true Chuukese fashion…it rained the entire day. (rain is so common here; people still go about their daily routine)

I like my little island, it is simple quiet and the people are very kind!
I made it all the way around the island without injury (the road can be very slippery when wet) I was about twenty steps from my house, I was staring out at the amazing view, lost my footing and...fell! I cannot believe I walked around the whole island and then I fall on the part of the road I walk everyday! (do not worry it was just a little cut on my knee...and now I will have a scar to always remind me of my time in Chuuk-these kinds of souvenirs are the best for memories!)

the call

tour...following the call

I have had amazing days and I have had frustrating days. I know this journey would have its ups and downs, that is part of the call from Jesus.
I am reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship.
I am reminded page by page what it meand to follow Jesus when He calls.
The call is simple...come, follow me.
The answer is what is difficult for us.
My answer was yes I will follow You.
"The old life is left behind, and completely surrendered. The disciple is dragged out of his relative security into a life of absolute insecurity (that is in truth into the absolute security and safety of the fellowship of Jesus), from a life which is observable and calculable (it is, in fact, quite incalculable) into alife where everything is unobservable and fortuitous (that is, into one which is necessary and calculable), out of the realm of finite (which is in truth the infinite) into the realm of the infinite possibilities (which is the one liberating reality)."
Jesus wants to show me His people and share His love with everyone I meet.
"Discipleship is not limited to what you can comprehend-it must transcend all comprehension" (Luther)
I am not even going to try to figure out what Jesus has planned for me...
He called me to join PC, I listened, obeyed and left me old life to simply follow Him.
He will guide me way!
I am only about one month in at my site, and I am so excited to see where He leads me in the next 2 years!
Stayed tuned for more adventures!

church

Tour…1^st all day church event

There was a newly ordained priest, so he came to our church (which I am told is the biggest in all of Chuuk) to give his 1^st mass.

We spent all morning waiting for mass to begin…Chuukese time!

As with all Chuukese events there was food!

After mass there was a special meeting, some people spoke and then the real fun began! Each sub-parish danced and sang and it turned into a huge celebration! The crowd was throwing candy everywhere!

It was a fun filled day complete with a boat ride home!

Random thoughts…

Instead of the sound of cars driving by, I hear the roar of motor boats

I love falling asleep to the sound of rain on a tin roof

It doesn’t matter how hot it is outside…the 1^st bucket of a bucket shower is always cold

I have a new “favorite” food…rice…I eat it at every meal! 

what i have been up to

Tour…what has been happening?

July 21 good-bye Pohnpei, hello Chuuk!

August 3-5 weekend on a tiny island…Pisar!

August 10 lost mail was found! (I gave out the wrong address…)

August 11 scavenger hunt with the JVs (Jesuit volunteers who are great friends!)

August 14 PCV!

August 15 hello Fefan!

August 20 1^st day of school for teachers

August 24 Enrich’s (my little brother) birthday

August 25 1^st Chuukese wedding

PC life begins…

A 20-30 minute (depending on weather) boat ride from Weno, and then I am home…we dock our small fiber glass boat in front of our house, which is right on the water! The view from our porch is…indescribable!

My family: parents and a little brother and sister, we live with my mom’s family-some of her sisters, her dad, and some cousins live with us full time, but other people are always visiting-so it is always a full house!

There is no electricity (we use a generator at night), no cars, no running water (except for large rain catchment tanks).

I take a bucket shower, flush my toilet (yes, I actually have a toilet seat!) with a bucket of water, cook on kerosene/propane stoves, walk everywhere, and wash my clothes by hand.

Most of my time is spent hanging out in our traditional house-called an utt- it is the coolest place to be.

There is not a lot to do here, so most of my time is spent reading, chatting, and hanging out…oh and swimming!

Chuukese culture…

Chuukese time-nothing ever starts on time…

Just about everyone carries around a machete (including kids as young as 5!)…just in case you need to chop something down or open a coconut!

Eating is done as a group…with your hands, usually off of a community plate while sitting on the floor.

Church is the center of everything (my village is Catholic).

Everyone showers at least twice a day.

School…

Our school is renovating our building, so we are using the old building-which means there are not enough classrooms for every class.  So we are starting a week late…we will have 2 ½ day sessions of school. K-4th in the morning from 8-11:10 and 5th-8th in the afternoon from 11:30-3:30. Our new school should be done sometime between late December-February (remember we are using Chuukese time calculations here so it is probably more like late February!)

I work with all the grades 1st-8th as an English teacher.

Teaching should be an experience…coming from a super technology based school in the states to a school with almost no supplies! (each classroom has a chalkboard, paper-computer not lined, pencils, tables/benches made out of scrap wood by the teachers, incomplete sets of textbooks that are probably from the 90s)

This year the DOE is implementing a few new things…year round school (go to school for a quarter, then 2 weeks off); DLA (dual language arts) students will get a Chuukese language class and then an English language class with the same lesson.

Stay tuned for more adventures in my teaching…

How am I doing?

There are good days.

There are bad days.

But the truth is I am doing just fine adjusting to Chuukese life! I just take one day at a time with Jesus always holding my hand and leading the way!

I am a Peace Corps

tour...I am official!
Tirou me fairo womi achengicheng amafen, Pwan tori kich meinisin. Ai kapongen nekunion annim ngeni kich meinisin...itei Elana upwe sopwei, ai kapong fiti ai kinisou chapur ngeni Al-Green, McCarlyn me MeHenry. Fokkun kinisou chapur ren ami etiwa ei, ai upwe emon chon ami ewe famini. Ngang uwa men pwapwa ai usun emon noumi nengin. Uwa men mwotores oh chengen ren pwapwa ai upwe ne no fefan pwan ai ne nonom ren ewe faminien Joseph. Ngang uwa fokkun pwapwa ai upwe emon sense non ach ewe UFO Elementtary tori ach ewe community. Upwe soppwei an ai ewe  famini Merikia kapongen fiti ar kinisou ren ami anisiei pwan etiwa ei. Ngang me kemoch pei fiti an manamanen aninis ngeni ei. Uwa monota ngeni ei ruu iir ngeni Peace Corps fokkun ai kinisou chapur.

I would like to thank Al-Green, McCarlyn and McHenry for welcoming me into your family. I am happy to be your daughter. I am excited to be a teacher at UFO Elementary and be a part of the community. My family in America says thank you for helping me and making me a part of your community. I know the God is holding my hand and has blessed me with all of you to help me along the way. I am ready to begin my 2 year journey in the Peace Corps. Thank you very much.

This was my speech I gave.