Parting

So Mark, Jackie, Troy and I returned to Guam early monday morning- safe but beat! We spent the whole day resting and relaxing. Something I don't remember doing for the last 2 months haha. Tuesday would be my last day living with the Hendrik's. From then on I would be living with a brother and attending the North Guam congregation.

   I'm sure Mark amd Jackie were getting tired of me (it was apparent by the garbage bag size bags under their eyes haha jk)But it was actually a sad parting. It really wasn't a big deal, since I know I will be seeing them around a lot, but I got so close to them the past couple months while living and traveling with them. I'm also going to miss rooming with Troy, from whom I've come to learn so much and also developed a close bond. It was such a great privilege to get the chance to join them in their travels. I feel so indebted to them for taking care of me, encouraging me, and putting up with me. I'm absolutely sure my trip would not have been as great if it wasn't for their great association and up-building conversations. These three amazing people really impacted my life, for which I am truly grateful.

Something wrong

So I'm not sure why, but all my pictures on my blog are gone. I've tried to repost them, but it doesn't allow me to :( Its been really frustrating, and I've wasted the past few hours on it haha. So for now I won't have any pictures to go with my posts, but you can check out the pictures in Picasa gallery. Hopefully I'll be able to fix it soon.

Chuuk

   The last stop before going back to Guam.

  The Chuuk lagoon contains 11 major islands. The total population of all the islands is about 48,000 people. The most populated island 'Moen' is where the translation home is, and it is also the island that the circuit assembly is held.
  This past week was probably the most eventful of my trip so far-actually of my whole life haha. The first night we slept at the translation office/ missionary home in Moen. Then the next day Troy and I took a motor-boat over to a neighboring island called Tonowas, where there are about 20 publishers. There are no cars, so everyone walks. Many of them
simply live off of the land.

kids from Tonowas

  We stayed with a missionary couple that are stationed there, Danny and Natalie. It was so nice to be able to go there! Wednesday afternoon the meeting was held (they have meetings in the afternoon because walking around at night can be dangerous) and I got to meet all the brothers and sisters there. Many of them don't know how to speak any English, so communicating with them was hard. But through smiles and laughter we were able to show brotherly love.
  It was nice to play with the kids that lived next to the missionary home, even though we couldn't really talk to each other. I had a lot of fun with them. When we got there some of them made us food, and the girls even prepared a hula dance for us the night we were there.
The next day Danny, Natalie, Troy, and I headed back over to Moen.
From then on I would be staying on "The Sea Rover"

  From Thursday to Sunday I was a pirate. I had the look, the feel, and even the smell of one haha. A brother from South Africa who owns a sail boat allowed me to stay there with him. It was pretty exciting. I never thought it would be hard to live on a boat, until I tried it.
  The first night I got attacked by Mosquitos-mosquitos that don't seem to care how much bug repellant I put on. My bed kind of resembled a coffin, and the swaying of the boat was constant, which I felt even when not in the boat and on solid ground! Haha. Although there were many hardships to being on a boat, it was an experience I will never forget, and it was a lot of fun! I had a great time with the captain, Anton, who has and will be using the boat to sail to outer islands that have never ever been reached by witnesses. They have had so many great experiences that I'm sure will be coming up in a yearbook one day.

Me and Anton on our way to the Assembly

 
  The Pioneer Session and Circuit Assembly was amazing. For one thing it was the first time I had to catch a motor boat to an assembly!! But the most enjoyable thing to me was getting to know and love the brothers and sisters. It's amazing to see some of these families who travel for about an hour on boat every morning to be at the assembly. And on Sunday morning it was pouring! So they had to travel that whole distance getting soaked by the rain to be at the assembly. And yet there they were, ready and happy to be there. It was so encouraging.
  So in Chuuk there are only 3 islands with witnesses, and the total publishers for all 3 islands is about 40 publishers. But the attendance at the assembly was well over double that, and like I mentioned many of them came on a boat- for an hour- in the rain. In fact it was so packed some had to sit on the floor because all the seats were taken! For me one of the best parts of the assemblies was the singing. It was beautiful. The singing was so loud! They really go all out here in the islands. One of the songs on Sunday might have been the loudest I've ever heard. It was great! My experience in Chuuk was a great way to end this trip.

I can't even explain how amazing these past 5 weeks have been. The scenery was breath taking, the recreation was a lot of fun, but nothing -nothing compares to meeting all the friends. I feel so privileged to have been able to meet all these great brothers and sisters, and create friendships that will last forever. Their loving hospitality and genuine unselfishness is something you can only find in Jehovah's Organization. I will miss each one of them dearly. Although I'm sad this long island hopping journey is over, I'm sure many good things are up ahead. I'm very excited to see what will happen next as I return to Guam :)

Pohnpei

So this past week Mark, Jackie, Troy and I were on the island of Pohnpei for the two day circuit assembly and pioneer session. It was beautiful. The island, the people, the session, the assembly- all of it.

So here's some info about the island. It's the largest and most populated island of the FSM (federal states of Micronesia). 129 square miles and about 35,000 people. It is also a very rainy island. It's actually one of the wettest places in the world, with areas that get up to 300 inches of rain a year. With rain like that you know that it's a very luscious and green island. There are many mountains and vistas, it's really gorgeous. Ofcourse with rain like that though, comes mud. Mud+ field service= greeeaaatt (sarcasm if you couldn't tell :D )

Field service in Pohnpei is like hiking. Seriously. The territory I did on Thursday was like going up Heart Attack Hill during the flood in Noah's day. Haha ok maybe it's not THAT bad, but it's still pretty intense, and nothing like I've ever experienced. We would walk up and down hills, through mud and puddles, through bushes and weeds, through just about everything. It was great! I have to wash all my pants and shoes cuz of all the mud, but it was a lot of fun. And it's totally worth it cuz all the people are really nice. At one door a brother and I approached, the people living there saw us from a distance. By the time we got to the porch (and before we even said a word) the man had set up chairs for us and himself, and told us to sit down. I was very surprised, but the brother told me that's common here haha. A good discussion followed (as they always do in the islands) and he took literature :)

The Pioneer Session and Circuit Assembly were awesome. There are a lot of brothers and sisters from the states and other places where Pohnpeian is not their first language. In fact of the 19 at the pioneer session, only two were locals. Yet the entire session (other than Mark and Troys parts) was in Pohnpeian. It was amazing to see how much work is devoted for the benefit of just those two pioneer sisters. During the circuit assembly there was one baptismal candidate. She got baptized in a small water container right next to the Kingdom Hall. It was very touching as she and her study conductor were crying together as the hugged after the baptism.

The demonstrations during the pioneer session wee amazing! All the people here in the islands, including the young ones, are great actors! The play their roles so perfectly and to the tee. I'm amazed each time.

Monday some of the friends took me on an adventure. When I say adventure, I mean adventure haha. First we went to one side of the island to swim at a waterfall. It was gorgeous. Then we drove some more to a place where we rode a boat with the king of the island to a small island off the coast where "the Ruins" are. According to some lists it's one of the few wonders of the world, because of the large boulders stacked on top of each other. Next we drove all the way from one side of the island to the other to catch a boat to Nalop, a small island where you can swim and play volleyball and BBQ. It's was so much fun!! And there was an unbelievably gorgeous sunset!!! It was a great day :)

At the airport a bunch of the friends came to see us off. You can see our picture at the airport. The brothers and sisters in Pohnpei were so funny and great to be with, and they know how to laugh and have a good time!!

The group seeing us off at the Airpotrt

Picasa albums

Hey everyone. This post is just to let you guys know that I haven't posted full Picasa albums recently because I haven't had strong enough Internet. I do plan on posting all my pictures and videos when I have a strong wifi connection, which may only be when I go back to Guam. But stay tuned, cuz I want you all to see the pictures I took of all the beautiful brothers and sisters in the islands of Micronesia.

I'll take the time now to also thank all of you for checking out my blog. I appreciate all the support and encouraging comments. It makes being away from home a lot easier :) Thanks also to all of you friends in the Islands and in Guam, who, because of your being so kind and hospitable, have made my trip very encouraging and enjoyable. Komol tata/ kuloh na malalap/ kalangan / mahalo. Haha I'm I'm five-lingual now. (not really)

Shoots den! :P

Smolina

So I had a cool experience while in Kosrae. Well the story actually begins a few weeks ago on the plane to Majuro:

So I was sitting next to a woman on the plane, who I began to talk story with. Her name is Smolina (ya there can be some interesting names in these islands :) ) She was really nice and polite. She told me she was on her way to her home in Kosrae, coming from the Philippines where she was undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. We had a really nice discussion. She talked about how scary having cancer is, and she appreciated how one day things like that won't even exist. I read her a few scriptures and gave her a bible teach book and magazines. As she got off the plane I told her that I would try to find her when I went to Kosrae 3 weeks later. And I did :)
My second day out in field in Kosrae a sister had a call in a town called Utwe. This was the town Smolina lived in, so we asked if they knew her. They did and gave us directions to her house. We got there but found out she wasn't home but at work. Sean said he had to go to her workplace anyways, so we went and there she was. She remembered me and was happy to see me. Arrangements were made for us to go to her house a few days later and study with her.

Saturday when we got to her house, I saw her lying in bed and calling out to us. She couldn't get up because she had sprained her ankle. She was so distressed, knowing that she had to fly back to Philippines in a few days to do another chemo session. As we talked she began to tear as she expressed how she felt God must be punishing her for something she had done. We assured her that that wasn't the case. Instead we shared that he cares deeply for her, and he only wants whats best for her. Then she teared some more. We just kept making her cry haha jk. Anyways she really appreciated the visit, and the sister I brought will continue the study with her. I'm very glad we were able to meet, and she was able to find comfort in knowing the truth. I hope things will progress with her.

Kosrae

Crazy Red Sunset!

"The Jewel of Micronesia." That's what they say, and I can confirm that!

This past week we were visiting the island of Kosrae. It is so green!! If you're from Hawaii, it looks like the Kaneohe mountains, but on the entire island. So many trees and bushes and grass, it's really the greenest island I've ever been to.
Kosrae is an island about 42 square miles, and has a population of about 7,000 people. There are many mountains and scenic spots, and it's not overpopulated, so many spots are untouched which makes it really nice.

Troy and I got to stay at the missionary home with Sean and Kathy Miller. It was really nice to be able to spend time with them. It was one Hawaiian house brah! Haha. Yes we busted out the pidgin every now and then. It was nice to get a taste of Hawaii again, a taste of home. Sean and Kathy were great hosts, and great company. They also went through many sacrifices for me, and never made me feel bad, like when I locked the key in the room and Sean spent 45 mins trying to break in with a credit card :/ But they seem to be used to making sacrifices ;)
The congregation there is made up of about 20 publishers. It's small, which means its easy to get close to everyone. The presiding overseer is brother Sean Miller, the secretary is brother Sean Miller, the school overseer is brother Sean Miller, and.... I think you get the point. Yup he's the only elder, and basically does every talk, every week, and shepherds the congregation all by himself! Well him and Jehovah. So actually he has a lot of help haha. His wife Kathy, and two other special pioneer sisters there, Kathy and Annabelle, take care of the other responsibilities, like mic passing, attendant, sound, etc. So as you can see, they have a lot of weight on their shoulders! Pray for them!! It's evident though that Jehovah's spirit is with them because many good things are happening there.

The circuit assembly was great. About 50 people attended and there was one baptismal candidate. Her name is Mary. She's 13. Sunday was a big day for her, probably bigger than most people's baptism day. So she had a demonstration in the morning, which she did an AWESOME job!!! Then she got baptized. The baptism was cool. Another open water baptism, and this one was by a bridge where the scenery of the mountains and the lake was breath taking. Then in the afternoon, she translated her first talk! (since you have to be baptized to translate at meetings or assemblies) So she was translating, after only about an hour of qualifying to do so! It was crazy. And all the brothers and sisters that speak Kosraean say she did great! It was pretty awesome. She's gonna be doing a lot of work in this congregation, and the work has already started for her haha.

Translating Like a Pro!

 

Monday night, the night before we left, there was a
gathering held at Kathy and Annabelle's house. About 30 of the friends came and there was a huge feast of great food, and fresh, cold coconuts! Yummmm. We played some games and sang songs. 
It was a fun and hilarious night. (I say hilarious cuz of the games we played as you can see in the picture)

At the airport many of the friends came to see us off, giving us leis and Kosraean crown things, and more fresh cold coconuts! :)









It was a great and fun week of activity. I will never forget the time I spent in Kosrae, and the loving, hard working brothers and sisters there. Kuloh na malalap! (thankyou in Kosraean, but I probably butchered the spelling haha)

Best Seat in the House!

Ebeye

Kids in Ebeye LOVE taking pictures

Yokwe! Ejet am mour? ("how are you?" In Marshallese) I had the most amazing, crazy, interesting, awesome, crazy experience this past week in Ebeye. This island is only 1.5 miles long and about 300 meters wide, so the total land mass is .14 square miles, and yet thousands of people live here. So it's really packed, and many people live in really small houses that only have rain water, and some don't have electricity. Kids are everywhere!! They run around the entire island without supervision, and create their own toys out of trash they find at the junkyard. It's really cool! They are all so funny and happy and love when visitors take their picture. They yell "picha!!" when they want you to take their picture. In fact, once I get a stronger Internet connection, I'm gonna make an entire Picasa album of just children of Ebeye haha. The island is so different at night as well. It comes to life! All the kids go out and play on the streets. There's actually more people awake and out and about at night then there are in the day! It's pretty interesting. I even told some of the younger sisters here that at night in Hawaii, everyone is sleeping, and they were shocked! It sounded so strange to them haha.

Field service on Ebeye is all on foot. We walk everywhere, and never use a car. I got a lot of exercise, walking miles each day. The sun is really hot too! So I actually had to bust out the sunblock, being that I'm haole and all haha.

You would think that on an Island that is so crowded and difficult to live, people would be grouchy and hard to preach to, but that is hardly the case. People in Ebeye are so nice! When you preach to them, they are very hospitable and many will invite you to sit wherever possible and talk to them. Of all the people I got to witness to, not one of them turned me down or weren't interested. They all listened, read the scripture for me (since I was using a Marshallese bible and couldn't read it myself) and welcomed literature. It was really great! There are many many great bible studies being started. You can tell that there is a lot more work to be done because although the publish count is about 40 publishers, 321 attended this years memorial!! Amazing right?!

We were able to room in the new missionary home/kingdom hall. It is so beautiful!! Shout out to the construction crew who did an amazing job on that.
Antonio and Erica (missionary couple living there) as well as Chad and Lia (newly assigned special pioneers living there as well) hospitably took us in and made our stay sooooo nice. Troy and I slept in the shared kitchen, which I really enjoyed because I got to hang out with everyone as they came and went. We would have morning worship every day at 7:30 and do the text, eat breakfast, and read either a portion of the bible or the year book. It was a great experience. I learned so much from all four of them, and I came to love them very much. I hope I'll be able to see them again.

On sunday was the circuit assembly. It was great! Emman tata!! (very good) The attendance was 125, and I'm sure everyone benefitted from the great information given. 2 of our new sisters got baptized. That was an experience for me, since it was the first beach baptism I have ever been to. As a whole the circuit assembly was a great success, and Jehovah's blessing was very evident.

The congregation is amazing. The brothers and sisters have beautiful smiling faces, and love to laugh. It's so faith strengthening to see these brothers and sisters, who go through so much trials, but continue to serve Jehovah.


















During this past week I got really really close to the young ones in the congregation. I had so much fun with them in field, playing volleyball, swimming, or cleaning the kingdom hall. Although I was only in Ebeye for one week, I felt like I was part of the congregation, even though I knew only jitik (a little) Marshallese. The kids are so beautiful and friendly and playful, and they made me feeI like part of their family. This made leaving Ebeye this morning very hard. About 30 of the friends came to see us off at the dock at 7:00 in the morning. Many gave me gifts that they made, and letters that they wrote, that I will cherish forever. Honestly I was really emotional when leaving, knowing that all these beautiful ones, and especially the kids, I may not see for a very long time. It's amazing how after only one week, you can get so attached to other loving brothers and sisters. They all occupy a special place in my heart. I love them and will miss them so much.

Kimi and Ko. Two cuties :)