Raan Annim (Hello) from Chuuk! Welcome to my blog and thank you for sharing in my adventure in Micronesia I am settling
into life here and want to share what I have been up to.
To begin, I want to say that I hope
to use this blog as a way to share my experiences, keep in touch, and perhaps
even open those who read it to new perspectives. However, I want to be careful
about passing judgments on a culture and country that I do not fully understand
or writing in a way that causes others to do so. I am a learner in this
experience and want to discover as much as possible. However, my experience is
only one perspective, unique to my personal lens; thus, I recognize that I am
not an adequate mouthpiece for a society, only for myself as a JV, as a guest,
as a seeker. I simply invite you to walk with me, keeping an open mind and
heart.
Ok, so now some context of where it
is exactly that I am. I am living on the island of Weno (pronounced Weda),
which is one of the islands inside the Chuuk Lagoon. Chuuk is one of the four
states of the Federated States of Micronesia (which is part of the geographic
region of Micronesia that also includes Palau and the Marshall Islands). To
visualize, the land mass of all islands in Micronesia is about the size of
Rhode Island while the water area between islands is close to that of the continental
United States. Weda is the largest island in Chuuk and functions as the state
capital. I will be teaching at Xavier High School, a Jesuit high school that
accepts students from throughout Micronesia. Xavier is located in the village
of Sapuk on Weno.
View from the roof at Xavier
View from the other side of the roof
Traditional huts built by the students for each region
(Yap and Palau are shown)
It is hard to believe that I set
off from Kansas City, MO over a month ago to start my adventure as a Jesuit
Volunteer. During a two week orientation in Scranton, PA, I was able to both
reflect on what has lead me to this journey and attain in new insights and
information to consider as I begin my time at Xavier. As a Jesuit Volunteer, I
have committed to a covenant based on four pillars: social justice, community,
simplicity, and spirituality.
Orientation was the perfect way to center myself with these in mind
before I took off. Then, on July 23, the Pohnpei JVs, my community mates, and I
set out, traveling for 43 straight hours with six boarding passes, an adventure
which included spending a few hours on the bay in San Francisco and catching a
couple hours of sleep in the Honolulu airport.
The crew at Ghirardelli Square in San Fran
(not a bad way to spend a flight delay)
Finally, we arrived we were greeted
at the airport with leis and necklaces by some of our new community mates as
well as local staff. We first went to Saramen Chuuk Academy (the other JV
community on island where we were to be staying the night) and then immediately
went for a swim in the ocean! That night we were invited to a traditional feast
that included breadfruit, rice, and fish at Saram. The next day, we went to Pisiwi,
a small picnic island a few miles off of Weno with the students who had just
completed the Xavier summer school program for middle school students
interested in attending Xavier. It was great to swim and get to know the kids,
some of whom I may end up teaching. When we got back to Saram, we had dinner
with Father Marc, our In-country Coordinator, and then headed to Xavier for the
first time.
Arriving at the airport to a warm welcome
For the next three days, we went to
our host families. My family was so welcoming. It was a great way to gain
insight into the culture and family structure. Hospitality is incredibly
important as is respect. There were times when I felt uncomfortable such as
when I was told to sit in a chair while everyone else, including my host
grandma, was sitting on the floor or when I was not only asked to eat first,
but eat by myself while everyone else waited until I was finished. However, it
was humbling and I could see the joy they received from honoring me as a guest.
I started to pick up a few phrases in Chuukese but once I am more fluent, I
know that our relationships will be even better. On Sunday, my host niece was
baptized at. Xavier. I was so glad to be a part of such a special day.
Once we got back to Xavier, we
started in-country orientation (ICO). First the Saram JVs came up to Xavier to
celebrate the Feast Day of St. Ignatius and we heard several presentations from
community members and educators. We also went on a hike to see the Japanese
Lighthouse left over from WWII as well as the Japanese dock (where we went
swimming of course). The history nerd in me came out and was fascinated to see
the bullet holes from aircraft fire as well as the various gun turrets long
abandoned that remain along the trail. We also spent time at the Micronesia Seminar, a library of resources and studies on Micronesia that is hosted at Xavier.
Japanese Lighthouse
Xavier community at the top of the lighthouse
For the past week, the nine JVs on
Weno went back to Saram to finish ICO. This was a great time to get to know
each other better and set expectations/hopes for life in community over the
next year. We also met the new Peace Corps and did a joint scavenger hunt to
better learn the area of Nepukos (the main commercial area of Weno.) We also
got a lesson in basket weaving and hiked up a mountain to a man-made cave which
served as a bunker for the Japanese during WWII. It was great to explore the
cave and climb on the rusted out cannons. And there is nothing quite like
drinking a freshly cut coconut when you've just climbed a mountain!
Our guide cutting coconuts for us
My attempt at basket weaving
On the last night of ICO, we went
to Leiside, a pizza restaurant, where we enjoyed a slice of home, in the aircon
no less! It was a great way to cap off the two weeks and rejuvenate. Now I am
back at Xavier, preparing to settle into my new office.
