Semester 2 and Summer

It is said here, that Micronesians do not live so much by dates and time, but from event to event. Perhaps the long pauses between communication and the highlight reel that will follow is a testament to my acculturation, or perhaps, more likely, I simply do not have an aptitude for blogging. Either way, I would like to start by saying that my first year as a Jesuit Volunteer has been a hands down the most transformative experience of my life and I am so appreciative of all of the support I have received from home along the way, whether that is in the form of the experiences and conversations that lead me to this place or the many letters and emails during my time here. As I reflect back, I recognize that I have been immensely blessed to have had the opportunities to teach my students, to meet the people of Chuuk, and to live in a community so filled with love.

Without further ado, to pick up where I left off at the new year, we started the semester off right with a JV Retreat. This time we stayed on island and went to the Korean Oceanic Research Center where we were graciously hosted by Rose's host dad and his co-workers. The retreat theme was “Awakening the Light” a blend of all three JV placement site's mission statements. We discussed not only darkness and light in our own life and current experience but looked at the social issues facing Chuuk and the FSM. We also had a session on goals setting with community accountability, which in several aspects really helped us achieve what we were seeking. It was nice to retreat but still stay within the community were we work each day.

What would high school be without Dance Night?!? The Junior class is in charge of decorating so we spent the day transforming the gym with local decorations, balloons, lights, and steamers. The teachers snuck away for an afternoon swim at the Japanese dock, before heading back to join the party. From 7-10, we chaperoned, or more accurately joined the dance party, as student's had fun being themselves and having the girls spend time on campus outside of school.

In February, Xavier also celebrated Cultural Day, an event that only happens every other year. It is a change for students to learn about and share the customs of their districts. Each district: Palau, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, and The Marshall Islands rebuilt their on campus hut and brought local food and handicrafts from their home islands. The day started with a special mass with each district contributing their own songs and rituals. After a feast at lunch, students performed traditional and war dances well into the evening. Many visitors, alumni, and parents came to watch the celebration. It was such a great opportunity for me to learn from my students, to better understand where they come from, and to appreciate the beauty of each district's unique and distinct cultures. The preparations took many hours and the students diligently practiced for months in advance, but there was their dedication and pride in their customs shown through on that day.

The Palauan War Dance

The Marshallese Flag Dance

February also brought a weekend trip to Pisar with just a few JVs. It was great timing for a chance to step away from the business of daily life a Xavier and enjoy the beautiful world around me. It is moments like these that I am reminded of how much I have been blessed with the people and place that I am surrounded by.

Pisar Sunset!

The spring semester in Chuuk means interscholastic volleyball season! This year I assistant coached both the girls' and boys' teams. Not surprisingly, just like with basketball in the fall, coaching was one of my favorite parts of the day. The students like to have fun and make Mel and I laugh through practice, but they also work hard and are willing to do anything you ask of them. I ended up reffing several of our games (an interesting experience to say the least), but had a blast encouraging and spending time with the students outside of class. The Lady Navigators placed third in the league while Navigators took home the championship! The championship game was quite memorable, our opponent, Chuuk High, was favored coming in and had already beaten us earlier in the season. After winning the first game, our boys dropped the second and allowed Chuuk High to close an early lead in the third game to bring the score to 14-15 (advantage Chuuk High). Then the boys, six seniors on the court rallied for a 3-0 run to when 17-15. I was incredibly nervous but so proud of their heart and concentration, never giving up on the win.

In mid-March, the Juniors went on their Emmaus Retreat, and as their moderator I was lucky enough to get to accompany them. We went to a small island in the lagoon called Param, which as a beautiful and peaceful setting. During the retreat, the Myrmz were asked to reflect on their own spiritual journeys, the brokenness in their own lives, and to reconcile with their classmates, recommitting to live as compassionate Xavierites who trust and care for own another. The retreat had a powerful effect on many students and it was amazing to be a part of such a transformative four days.

Easter was a special time at Xavier. Each part of the Triduum was a beautiful celebration. For me, the highlights were the walking stations of the cross on Good Friday and the Easter Vigil celebration. On Good Friday we traveled throughout the village of Sapuk with over 100 people gathered from around the island. It was powerful to see so many people gathered to worship. My host brother carried the cross during the service which ended at the chapel for Veneration of the Cross. The Easter Vigil was beautiful. The readings alternated in Chuukese and English with a combination of Xavier students and the Sapuk parish community participating in the mass. The singing was incredible and one of our sophomores was baptized. This weekend reminded me that our faith is a living faith and demonstrated to be the wondrous power of people coming together out of love.

The Boys Mile Relay

April brought about Track and Field in Chuuk, the pentacle of high school sports on the island, especially at Xavier. The week started with 3:30 wake up calls on Tuesday and Wednesday for our girls and boys distance runners. We traveled the 45 minutes into town to run the mile relay (where 10 runners each run one mile) and the marathon (12 miles for boys and 8 miles for girls) before school started. Thursday afternoon was prelims for the sprints and Friday was an all day affair. The entire school attended (the majority run at least one race) and everyone cheered into they lost their voices. Xavier cleaned up, winning the meet by over one hundred points. I have never experienced school spirit like our students on the buses on the way to and from the meet. It was such blast to share in the students' enthusiasm for their school, to watch them excel outside the classroom, and even have the chance to run a race against the faculty from other schools.

The Girls' Mile Relay

Also in April, we had our JV Re-orientation/Dis-orientation retreat (a week long retreat on the remote quarter mile around island of Pisar.) The retreat was exactly what I needed to become recharged for another year as a Jesuit volunteer, a time to recenter myself and reflect on the year that had transpired. During our day of silence, I spend a lot of time thinking about what lead me to answer the call or come to Chuuk and the ways in which I have grown since being here. It was the first time that I have felt completely silent during a silent retreat as there was absolutely no axillary or background noise other than the waves on the reef. We wrote mission statements for our second year and began our good byes for our second years who would soon leave us. We came back from Re-O and went straight to the hotel resort, Blue Lagoon, on Weno for our Xavier faculty retreat, which was a great time to continue intentional conversations with the larger support system and friends I have gained here at Xavier.

Mau House Community

In May, we had our Girl's Retreat. It was a great time to give the girls a voice and forum to talk about issues they face, to encourage and empower them to recognize the strong, amazing women that they are, and to honor the Lady Arkz (Seniors) who had served as leaders of the girl's community for the past year. This was one of my favorite days in Chuuk, because I got to spend it sharing, reflecting, and supporting girls who I believe in and love.

The end of school brought festivities like I have never seen before. Wednesday was District Dinners, in which each of the six districts from which our students come (The Republic of the Marshall Islands, Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap, and the Republic of Palau) prepare feasts with foods from their home islands in their on campus huts. I had never seen so much food and was presented with a full dinner in each hut that I entered. It was true show of Micronesian hospitality. Thursday was the Baccalaureate Mass for the Class of 2014. As the junior moderator, I helped the juniors decorate the Cathedral for the ceremony and host the event. The ceremony was beautiful and the seniors did a wonderful job thanking their parents and sponsors. The mass was followed by another feast hosted by the community of Sapuk (the village where Xavier is located). Friday was graduation day itself. I was incredibly proud to watch my students stand for honors and receive their hard earned diplomas. The speeches by the valedictorian and salutatorian were thoughtful, poetic, and indicative of the capable young men and women that graduate Xavier and go on to set the world on fire. The week of graduation made me so thankful for the opportunity I have been given to be a part of this amazing place.

The JVs at graduation

The Arkz: Class of 2014

That is not to say that daily life does not have its challenges. Lesson planning and grading can become tedious. Late night encounters with the rat who is under the impression we are sharing an office can be obnoxious, but on the whole I would not trade the experiences I have had for anything.

For the summer, after saying good-bye to the second years in our community (Waioooh!), I moved down to Saramen Chuuk Academy (the other JV community on island) to teach summer school there and work at the Chuuk Women's Council. I had the chance to cook my own food, live in the “town” area, and visit my host family on weekends. The Chuuk Women's Council (CWC) is a NGO that works to empower the women of Chuuk, with programs that teach marketable skills, promote healthy lifestyles, increase awareness about domestic violence, and seek to improve the educational system. I found spending my afternoons at the women's council to be incredibly life-giving. I was able to learn so much from these women who are volunteering to make a difference in their community and came to better understand the issues and roadblocks that Chuuk and Chuukese women face. I helped design a program and wrote a grant for it during my six week internship and hope to see it implemented in my time remaining.

Over the summer, Annie also came to visit which was a huge treat. I so enjoyed showing her what my life in Chuuk looks like and all the places I have come to love here. From meeting my host family and watching me teach to spending a night at Pisar, she got the full tour. It was great to catch up with the big sis, and a hot shower in the hotel was also quite welcome!

Now summer school has long ended, the new JVs have arrived and for the last three months we have been starting to build our new community. This update has been written since August, but I am just now getting around to posting it. The start to year two has been great- more to come on that-hopefully sooner rather than later, but no promises. Peace and love from Mabuchi Hill!