The group of us up on the cement ship before we jumped off two weeks ago
The prices at Triple J
Price at Triple J again
Prolonged Fasting
8 years ago
Friday, June 5, 2009
Even More Pictures
The group of us up on the cement ship before we jumped off two weeks ago
The prices at Triple J
Price at Triple J again
More Pictures
The price of a chocolate cake mix
The price of Crest toothpaste
The price of oatmeal
The price of Froot Loops (although we never bought Froot Loops)
The price of one Ramen package
Various Pictures
The cost of rice at Triple J
The cost of Band-Aids at Triple J
Mr. Jordan, Tante, and Terry at our picnic
Our apartment
Me and Sammy
What I've Learned...
6/5/09 This is my last post for this blog (because I've gotten hooked on this whole blog thing and plan to start a new one about my life in general). I keep finding out that more people than I was expected have been reading my blog this year--it was pretty amazing.
Thank you to those who read, to those who prayed, to those who wrote comments and e-mails, to those who sent packages, and to those who tacitly supported me all year. Of course, I accomplished what I did through God's power, but I'm quite sure that your support also played a role. Thank you very much!
I have learned a lot this year, and I have tried to distill it into a list. I just spent about an hour doing so, re-reading my old posts and thinking about the past year. I may not have gotten everything that I've learned, and not everything I learned is able to be put into words. A lot of the learning took place inside me and about me, but I wrote the list of things learned in third person (because I think it can apply to more than just me). I thought that for this last post, I needed to put a summary of the lessons learned and whatnot. There are good things about Ebeye, and there are bad things about Ebeye, but I can unequivocally state that I had a good year there, and I appreciate the fact that God sent me there for the last ten months.
Things I Learned this Past Year
1. Make do with what you have. Don't constantly pine for what you don't have.
2. Water, exercise, and healthy food really are good for a person, and are worth paying for, be that in money, time, or sore muscles.
3. Be patient when things aren't going the way they were supposed to. Build relationships instead. People matter more than punctuality.
4. It is important to stay connected to God, no matter what. He is the only Source of strength, patience, and whatever else a person needs to get through daily life. Life cannot be lived without Him, and that's on more than just one level.
5. The focus should be on where a person is and what they're doing, not where they were and did, and not where they could have been and could have been doing. A person chooses their attitude about situations.
6. It's not about being in foreign missions, but about not being foreign to missions. It's a lifestyle, not a once in a while thing. Thus, "SM-ing," or "student missionary-ing," is a verb, albeit a partially grammatically incorrect one.
7. Being inadequate is not equal to being a failure. Failure is not letting God use a person despite their inadequacies. God excels in taking raw, messy, imperfect people and using them for His work.
8. When a person trusts God, they obey Him, whether they can see the big picture or not. (Usually they can't.) Because of that trust and obedience, God gives back joy, despite difficulties that may be looming.
9. Negativity affects everyone and everything, even if it wasn't intended to do so.
10. Life is, if a person decides to live, is completely full of risks. However, life is also completely worth taking the risks. Life is an adventure worth taking.
11. A person may be completely safe from being hurt if they aren't open with other people, but they're also completely alone. People need people. That's just the truth.
12. Spiritual lessons can be found anywhere in daily life, if one is open to be told them.
13. Anything that affects great change is inconvenient. However, if that great change is a good change, inconvenience is totally worth it.
So, like I said, I don't know if that's everything I learned. It is a large chunk of it, however. I will really miss keeping this blog--one of the reasons that I plan to keep posting in a new one. :) So, I bid all my readers a fond farewell. A good number of you will probably see me soon enough, and I look forward to that. I'm very tan in this world of pale people. :P (And very cold. I've been shivering.)
~Ashlee
Thank you to those who read, to those who prayed, to those who wrote comments and e-mails, to those who sent packages, and to those who tacitly supported me all year. Of course, I accomplished what I did through God's power, but I'm quite sure that your support also played a role. Thank you very much!
I have learned a lot this year, and I have tried to distill it into a list. I just spent about an hour doing so, re-reading my old posts and thinking about the past year. I may not have gotten everything that I've learned, and not everything I learned is able to be put into words. A lot of the learning took place inside me and about me, but I wrote the list of things learned in third person (because I think it can apply to more than just me). I thought that for this last post, I needed to put a summary of the lessons learned and whatnot. There are good things about Ebeye, and there are bad things about Ebeye, but I can unequivocally state that I had a good year there, and I appreciate the fact that God sent me there for the last ten months.
Things I Learned this Past Year
1. Make do with what you have. Don't constantly pine for what you don't have.
2. Water, exercise, and healthy food really are good for a person, and are worth paying for, be that in money, time, or sore muscles.
3. Be patient when things aren't going the way they were supposed to. Build relationships instead. People matter more than punctuality.
4. It is important to stay connected to God, no matter what. He is the only Source of strength, patience, and whatever else a person needs to get through daily life. Life cannot be lived without Him, and that's on more than just one level.
5. The focus should be on where a person is and what they're doing, not where they were and did, and not where they could have been and could have been doing. A person chooses their attitude about situations.
6. It's not about being in foreign missions, but about not being foreign to missions. It's a lifestyle, not a once in a while thing. Thus, "SM-ing," or "student missionary-ing," is a verb, albeit a partially grammatically incorrect one.
7. Being inadequate is not equal to being a failure. Failure is not letting God use a person despite their inadequacies. God excels in taking raw, messy, imperfect people and using them for His work.
8. When a person trusts God, they obey Him, whether they can see the big picture or not. (Usually they can't.) Because of that trust and obedience, God gives back joy, despite difficulties that may be looming.
9. Negativity affects everyone and everything, even if it wasn't intended to do so.
10. Life is, if a person decides to live, is completely full of risks. However, life is also completely worth taking the risks. Life is an adventure worth taking.
11. A person may be completely safe from being hurt if they aren't open with other people, but they're also completely alone. People need people. That's just the truth.
12. Spiritual lessons can be found anywhere in daily life, if one is open to be told them.
13. Anything that affects great change is inconvenient. However, if that great change is a good change, inconvenience is totally worth it.
So, like I said, I don't know if that's everything I learned. It is a large chunk of it, however. I will really miss keeping this blog--one of the reasons that I plan to keep posting in a new one. :) So, I bid all my readers a fond farewell. A good number of you will probably see me soon enough, and I look forward to that. I'm very tan in this world of pale people. :P (And very cold. I've been shivering.)
~Ashlee
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Traveling Back (Second to Last Post)
6-4-09 Sorry for the long break between posts. But I am happy to report that I am safely back in the United States. I left Friday Ebeye time, and arrived two days later on Saturday evening.
I actually had a very nice surprise when Alan, Jordan, and I got onto the plane at Kwajalein. Two friends who had been SMs in Chuuk were on the plane--one of which is a friend from Southern. We spent the flight to Majuro talking back and forth. Then, on Majuro, another "Southern"er got on the plane. He'd been on a outer island and had been traveling for over a week to get to his plane. Eight hours later and a day earlier we arrived in Honolulu. At 2:30 AM.
Jordan's parents (I think) had set the three of us up with two hotel rooms. We took the airport/hotel shuttle, checked in, and went to sleep. We all slept in a bit, and ate at the continental breakfast. Then we checked out (or else we would have had to pay more). However, the hotel let us store our luggage (we had ALL of it), and then we took the city bus and went to Pearl Harbor. It's free to visit the USS Arizona Memorial, and so we did. It started out with a half hour documentary about what happened at Pearl Harbor, and then we took a ferry ride to the memorial, walked around, and came back. Then we headed toward Waikiki so we could eat. However, we had hit some traffic (besides not truly knowing how the city bus system worked) and realized we couldn't make it to Waikiki before I had to check into my next flight. So we ended up at a shopping centre, got our supper, and tried to make our way back to the hotel (to get my bags and the shuttle). We ended up taking a cab back to the hotel. It was very hard to say goodbye to Alan and Jordan at the airport, partially because it was the end-end (if you know what I mean) of our time on Ebeye. Thus ended my second Friday of last week.
I spent all of Saturday sitting in Terminal C of the Houston airport. My flight to Chicago was a little turbulent, but we still ended up coming in ten minutes early (and then spent that time taxiing!). My parents were right there at baggage claim (where my bags had been sitting since the earlier flight [the one I didn't take]). We took the shuttle bus back to Michigan City, my parents took me out to dinner, and then I finally made it back to the house. It had been a long two days.
Sunday I went and bought clothes that fit. I don't think that unless it's happened to you, it's difficult to understand how NICE it is to have clothes that fit properly. It is very nice! So I've been sleeping and getting unpacked and buying things I need (like getting a new cell phone; my other died while I was gone. I now have a new number). I am looking forward to camp, which starts in a week from today.
There will be at least one more post after this one. More later.
~Ashlee
I actually had a very nice surprise when Alan, Jordan, and I got onto the plane at Kwajalein. Two friends who had been SMs in Chuuk were on the plane--one of which is a friend from Southern. We spent the flight to Majuro talking back and forth. Then, on Majuro, another "Southern"er got on the plane. He'd been on a outer island and had been traveling for over a week to get to his plane. Eight hours later and a day earlier we arrived in Honolulu. At 2:30 AM.
Jordan's parents (I think) had set the three of us up with two hotel rooms. We took the airport/hotel shuttle, checked in, and went to sleep. We all slept in a bit, and ate at the continental breakfast. Then we checked out (or else we would have had to pay more). However, the hotel let us store our luggage (we had ALL of it), and then we took the city bus and went to Pearl Harbor. It's free to visit the USS Arizona Memorial, and so we did. It started out with a half hour documentary about what happened at Pearl Harbor, and then we took a ferry ride to the memorial, walked around, and came back. Then we headed toward Waikiki so we could eat. However, we had hit some traffic (besides not truly knowing how the city bus system worked) and realized we couldn't make it to Waikiki before I had to check into my next flight. So we ended up at a shopping centre, got our supper, and tried to make our way back to the hotel (to get my bags and the shuttle). We ended up taking a cab back to the hotel. It was very hard to say goodbye to Alan and Jordan at the airport, partially because it was the end-end (if you know what I mean) of our time on Ebeye. Thus ended my second Friday of last week.
I spent all of Saturday sitting in Terminal C of the Houston airport. My flight to Chicago was a little turbulent, but we still ended up coming in ten minutes early (and then spent that time taxiing!). My parents were right there at baggage claim (where my bags had been sitting since the earlier flight [the one I didn't take]). We took the shuttle bus back to Michigan City, my parents took me out to dinner, and then I finally made it back to the house. It had been a long two days.
Sunday I went and bought clothes that fit. I don't think that unless it's happened to you, it's difficult to understand how NICE it is to have clothes that fit properly. It is very nice! So I've been sleeping and getting unpacked and buying things I need (like getting a new cell phone; my other died while I was gone. I now have a new number). I am looking forward to camp, which starts in a week from today.
There will be at least one more post after this one. More later.
~Ashlee
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Waiting for the Party to Start
5-29-09 As I was waiting for the seniors' feast to start last night, I got a chance to chat on Skype with my friend Desi, who is a student missionary in Nairobi, Kenya. We were glad for the opportunity to type to each other, and we talked about stuff. She was very surprised by the fact that I was waiting for a LONG time for the thing to start. One, I've gotten used to it, and, two, it's the last time I had to do it, so yeah. The people setting up the feast kept saying, "It'll start soon, it'll start soon," and every once in a while, something would happen that would herald the soon start of the party. I did something (talk to Desi) while waiting for the party to start. In fact, I got a spiritual application out of it.
Christians are waiting for the Second Coming. That is going to be one massive party, and parties have lots of details that need to be in place before the party can start. God tells us that He'll get us when the party's ready to start, but until then, we must wait. Now, we have two options. We can sit around, do nothing, and gripe about the fact that the party hasn't started yet--but that doesn't put us in the right mindset to enjoy the party. The second option is to do something productive with our time. In the case of me waiting last night, Desi and I were able to talk and encourage one another. In the case of Christians waiting for the Second Coming, we have a job to do, a Commission to fulfill, and we all have different parts to play in the setup. We must use what time we have wisely, and to always live in readiness for the party to start. We must live in such a way that we can lay down whatever we're doing and be ready for the party to start.
For as good as the potato salad and spaghetti and rice and other Marshallese dishes were last night, and as good as it was to say goodbye to the seniors and take pictures and give advice, the party that I want to live in readiness for is the Second Coming. I hope you do, too. :)
Just some thoughts from last night.
More later.
~Ashlee
Christians are waiting for the Second Coming. That is going to be one massive party, and parties have lots of details that need to be in place before the party can start. God tells us that He'll get us when the party's ready to start, but until then, we must wait. Now, we have two options. We can sit around, do nothing, and gripe about the fact that the party hasn't started yet--but that doesn't put us in the right mindset to enjoy the party. The second option is to do something productive with our time. In the case of me waiting last night, Desi and I were able to talk and encourage one another. In the case of Christians waiting for the Second Coming, we have a job to do, a Commission to fulfill, and we all have different parts to play in the setup. We must use what time we have wisely, and to always live in readiness for the party to start. We must live in such a way that we can lay down whatever we're doing and be ready for the party to start.
For as good as the potato salad and spaghetti and rice and other Marshallese dishes were last night, and as good as it was to say goodbye to the seniors and take pictures and give advice, the party that I want to live in readiness for is the Second Coming. I hope you do, too. :)
Just some thoughts from last night.
More later.
~Ashlee
Summary of A Jam-Packed Week (without Real Jam!)
5-29-09 Today is my last day on Ebeye--and one of the last blogs posted from Ebeye. (I'll be posting perhaps one or two more once I arrive back in the States; I'll let you know when the last post comes.) I feel a combination of glad and sad about leaving. I'm so conflicted about it that I'm happy to grieve.
My class picnic on Monday was attended by freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. It did not exactly go as Jordan and I planned, but the first half went well. (If you really want to know what went wrong, you can email me.) Tuesday was eighth grade graduation. It started only half an hour late (that was good), and then later that evening, they fed us. Wednesday was senior graduation. It started forty minutes late (also a good number), and it was long, but I enjoyed it and took pictures. I most definitely will be posting my pictures (partially to benefit Emily, who had to go home before graduation). On Thursday I went to Shell Island with Megan's class, Alan, Jordan, and John Mark, and had a good time. Then I waited for three hours for the seniors' banquet (which started at 9PM), and then we ate dinner. After that, we went back to the apartments, and the church Yokwe Yokwe'd us. They said nice things and gave us gifts, saying goodbye (especially because three of us are leaving today). Then some of the high school students showed up and did the same thing. I did not get to bed until 12:10 this morning. I will definitely be sleeping on the plane tonight!
Right now I'm running around and trying to get the last minute things I need to do done. There's a lot!!
More later.
~Ashlee
My class picnic on Monday was attended by freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. It did not exactly go as Jordan and I planned, but the first half went well. (If you really want to know what went wrong, you can email me.) Tuesday was eighth grade graduation. It started only half an hour late (that was good), and then later that evening, they fed us. Wednesday was senior graduation. It started forty minutes late (also a good number), and it was long, but I enjoyed it and took pictures. I most definitely will be posting my pictures (partially to benefit Emily, who had to go home before graduation). On Thursday I went to Shell Island with Megan's class, Alan, Jordan, and John Mark, and had a good time. Then I waited for three hours for the seniors' banquet (which started at 9PM), and then we ate dinner. After that, we went back to the apartments, and the church Yokwe Yokwe'd us. They said nice things and gave us gifts, saying goodbye (especially because three of us are leaving today). Then some of the high school students showed up and did the same thing. I did not get to bed until 12:10 this morning. I will definitely be sleeping on the plane tonight!
Right now I'm running around and trying to get the last minute things I need to do done. There's a lot!!
More later.
~Ashlee
Me Jumping Off a Cement Ship
This is, obviously, me jumping off of the cement ship at Carlos last Friday.
~Ashlee
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Kindergarten Graduation and a Trip to Carlos
5-24-09 Wednesday went well. The kids had their final final, then listened to Dr. Kyle talk, and then in the afternoon we had our awards ceremony. I gave five awards out--three for excellent English grades, and two for most improved. All within my tenth grade, of course, but that's okay.
I also went to the Kwaj dock to see Emily off. She left on Wednesday in order to make it home so she could see her brother's high school graduation. We were all supposed to take the 3:15 ferry to Kwaj, but Emily and Lorraine missed it. They came on the 4:30 boat (because there was no water taxis, due to them not having fuel). The highlight of that day was that I had a nice conversation with Jeo, and gave him most of my fries and the drink from the meal I purchased at the dock for dinner. When I got back to the apartments, my room echoed. It was weird. I miss Emily.
Thursday was kindergarten graduation. It was really cute. Their teacher snagged me to be her "official" photographer (and hey! I got ice cream and a brownie out of it!) and so I took pictures for her. They had a little slideshow, Jordan and Alan MC'ed by telling jokes and singing a song, four of the kids recited a little poem about graduating from kindergarten, and then they got awards and such. It was cute.
Friday a group of us went to Carlos. The Kyles went to hold health screenings for the people who live on Carlos, and the rest of us (Landen, Megan, JM, Jordan, Alan, and I) went out to the cement ship. Yes, we were going to jump off it again--and Megan even took pictures of us doing so. I have to get my hands on a copy. It was getting close to high tide, and Megan and Jordan fixed the scaffold ladder. I needed help getting up there again, but it was a lot easier than it was in September. We clambered through the ship and launched off. Very fun. Then we went back to the dock and ate some food, then wandered back to the school where the screenings were taking place. We hung around there for a bit, then came back to the dock, ate some more, and then headed out to the ship again. Now it was high tide, and that meant that the scaffold ladder was closer to the water. Now, either Jordan or I made the suggestion that I should try to get up there without help. So, while Jordan held the thing steady, I went for it. And guess what? I MADE IT UP THERE BY MYSELF! Twice. It was the highlight of my day. (And if you don't remember why, you can go back through my posts and find the Carlos camping trip post, and have fun re-reading. :) ) I also got only slightly burned, and not on my shoulders this time. Just my face. When we came back for vespers, all the kids kept going, "Miss-ah, your face!" And I would be like, "Yes, I know, I'm sun burnt." Much better than two weeks ago when my shoulders got burnt when we went to Bigej.
Yesterday we had the consecration service for the graduating classes. It was basically the church service, but with a lot more people and some extra things added to it. At home, it would be the baccalaureate of graduation weekend. Eighth grade graduation is on Tuesday, and the seniors graduate on Wednesday. My class picnic is on Monday, and I've been invited to come on the seventh grade picnic on Thursday. I haven't decided whether I'll go or not. I do need to pack at some point, since I leave on Friday.
More later.
~Ashlee
I also went to the Kwaj dock to see Emily off. She left on Wednesday in order to make it home so she could see her brother's high school graduation. We were all supposed to take the 3:15 ferry to Kwaj, but Emily and Lorraine missed it. They came on the 4:30 boat (because there was no water taxis, due to them not having fuel). The highlight of that day was that I had a nice conversation with Jeo, and gave him most of my fries and the drink from the meal I purchased at the dock for dinner. When I got back to the apartments, my room echoed. It was weird. I miss Emily.
Thursday was kindergarten graduation. It was really cute. Their teacher snagged me to be her "official" photographer (and hey! I got ice cream and a brownie out of it!) and so I took pictures for her. They had a little slideshow, Jordan and Alan MC'ed by telling jokes and singing a song, four of the kids recited a little poem about graduating from kindergarten, and then they got awards and such. It was cute.
Friday a group of us went to Carlos. The Kyles went to hold health screenings for the people who live on Carlos, and the rest of us (Landen, Megan, JM, Jordan, Alan, and I) went out to the cement ship. Yes, we were going to jump off it again--and Megan even took pictures of us doing so. I have to get my hands on a copy. It was getting close to high tide, and Megan and Jordan fixed the scaffold ladder. I needed help getting up there again, but it was a lot easier than it was in September. We clambered through the ship and launched off. Very fun. Then we went back to the dock and ate some food, then wandered back to the school where the screenings were taking place. We hung around there for a bit, then came back to the dock, ate some more, and then headed out to the ship again. Now it was high tide, and that meant that the scaffold ladder was closer to the water. Now, either Jordan or I made the suggestion that I should try to get up there without help. So, while Jordan held the thing steady, I went for it. And guess what? I MADE IT UP THERE BY MYSELF! Twice. It was the highlight of my day. (And if you don't remember why, you can go back through my posts and find the Carlos camping trip post, and have fun re-reading. :) ) I also got only slightly burned, and not on my shoulders this time. Just my face. When we came back for vespers, all the kids kept going, "Miss-ah, your face!" And I would be like, "Yes, I know, I'm sun burnt." Much better than two weeks ago when my shoulders got burnt when we went to Bigej.
Yesterday we had the consecration service for the graduating classes. It was basically the church service, but with a lot more people and some extra things added to it. At home, it would be the baccalaureate of graduation weekend. Eighth grade graduation is on Tuesday, and the seniors graduate on Wednesday. My class picnic is on Monday, and I've been invited to come on the seventh grade picnic on Thursday. I haven't decided whether I'll go or not. I do need to pack at some point, since I leave on Friday.
More later.
~Ashlee
Monday, May 18, 2009
Finals and a Yokwe/Yokwe Party
5-19-09 Today we finished up the second day of finals--and I am officially done with the teaching part of being a teacher for this school year! All my tests are over. All my tests have been graded, and all the grades have been put into the grade program, and I've even already turned in my final grades. Some of my kids did well, and others didn't. I feel sort of bad, but it's really up to them whether they study for the test or not. It's weird, knowing that everything is sliding toward the end.
Last night we had a Yokwe/Yokwe party for Lorraine and Emily--since Emily leaves tomorrow, and Lorraine on the 25th. We did the whole "walk in a circle singing a song" thing, and people gave the two of them gifts and we hugged them and people made tiny speeches. I know I'll see Lorraine again, since we plan to have a class together in the fall at Southern, but I don't know if I'll see Emily again. She and I have been Ebeye together since the very start, and now I will have about eight days without her. It will be strange to not have a roommate.
That was after the potluck we had welcoming the guests we now have on the island. Ebeye is currently home to a doctor from Guam and his family. They got in last night and were immediately introduced to Marshallese potlucks. Tomorrow they're going to do health screenings for our kids and participate in a bunch of the things we have planned. They're here for a week, and I hope they enjoy their stay.
I'm off to the apartments--a head cold is trying to attack me, and this is not the best time for me to get sick. So I'm drinking lots of water and making sure I get rest and all that good stuff. So I'm thinking a nap is in order.
More later.
~Ashlee
Last night we had a Yokwe/Yokwe party for Lorraine and Emily--since Emily leaves tomorrow, and Lorraine on the 25th. We did the whole "walk in a circle singing a song" thing, and people gave the two of them gifts and we hugged them and people made tiny speeches. I know I'll see Lorraine again, since we plan to have a class together in the fall at Southern, but I don't know if I'll see Emily again. She and I have been Ebeye together since the very start, and now I will have about eight days without her. It will be strange to not have a roommate.
That was after the potluck we had welcoming the guests we now have on the island. Ebeye is currently home to a doctor from Guam and his family. They got in last night and were immediately introduced to Marshallese potlucks. Tomorrow they're going to do health screenings for our kids and participate in a bunch of the things we have planned. They're here for a week, and I hope they enjoy their stay.
I'm off to the apartments--a head cold is trying to attack me, and this is not the best time for me to get sick. So I'm drinking lots of water and making sure I get rest and all that good stuff. So I'm thinking a nap is in order.
More later.
~Ashlee
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Two Weeks Left (Although Posted Late Due to a Power Outage)
5-15-09 It's hard to believe that I only have two weeks left.
That's right: two weeks. Two weeks full of activities and packing. I have my last dive for my Advanced Dive class, four final tests to give and grade, fourth quarter final grades to do, textbooks to collect and put away, three graduations to attend (kindergarten, eighth grade, and high school), day trips we're taking to various islands in the atoll (to Carlos and Bigej again!), a picnic with my sophomores to Shell, Yokwe/Yokwe parties to go to, and packing to do. And, yes, I will do all of those things (and enjoy most of them quite thoroughly).
The juniors and seniors threw the teachers a farewell party on Thursday (5-14) night. It only started an hour late (much better than the party they welcomed us at). They fed us in the best Marshallese fashion (spaghetti, potato salad, chicken, rice, and hot dogs). We played some parlor games and then all the teachers were unexpectedly given a chance to say some goodbyes. It was a very good evening.
I really will miss it here. Granted, there are things I don't think I'll miss--but who knows what weird things I'll miss once I'm back in the States? Yes, I miss my kids, and, I think, I will miss teaching (although I will very much enjoy my Introduction to Teaching class in August). But what I think I will miss most of all will be my fellow student missionaries. We're a very small group here, and, for the most part, we've become close. They have seen me at good and bad times, and they have seen me change--and vice versa. I will miss them a lot. That day in two weeks that I'm looking toward is going to be bittersweet.
More later.
~Ashlee
That's right: two weeks. Two weeks full of activities and packing. I have my last dive for my Advanced Dive class, four final tests to give and grade, fourth quarter final grades to do, textbooks to collect and put away, three graduations to attend (kindergarten, eighth grade, and high school), day trips we're taking to various islands in the atoll (to Carlos and Bigej again!), a picnic with my sophomores to Shell, Yokwe/Yokwe parties to go to, and packing to do. And, yes, I will do all of those things (and enjoy most of them quite thoroughly).
The juniors and seniors threw the teachers a farewell party on Thursday (5-14) night. It only started an hour late (much better than the party they welcomed us at). They fed us in the best Marshallese fashion (spaghetti, potato salad, chicken, rice, and hot dogs). We played some parlor games and then all the teachers were unexpectedly given a chance to say some goodbyes. It was a very good evening.
I really will miss it here. Granted, there are things I don't think I'll miss--but who knows what weird things I'll miss once I'm back in the States? Yes, I miss my kids, and, I think, I will miss teaching (although I will very much enjoy my Introduction to Teaching class in August). But what I think I will miss most of all will be my fellow student missionaries. We're a very small group here, and, for the most part, we've become close. They have seen me at good and bad times, and they have seen me change--and vice versa. I will miss them a lot. That day in two weeks that I'm looking toward is going to be bittersweet.
More later.
~Ashlee
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Tidbits and Changes
5/10/09 I have nineteen days from today until the day I leave. Packed into that ever-shrinking amount of time is a whole lot of things that must or need to be accomplished. That list includes school-related things, like making final exams and reviewing students for those exams and sorting books back into the book room, but it also includes non-school-related items, like taking pictures that we haven't taken before (because we didn't want to look touristy), swapping pictures back and forth between computers, and exchanging addresses and such. Interpersonal stuff.
Well, the kids have completely lost it. Since the end of spring break, it's been getting steadily worse. They know that summer's approaching, and they cannot wait to get out of school and back out onto the streets to play all day where they've played after school all year. I feel for our elementary teachers, because the kids have been quite unmanageable--they won't behave OR do their work. My kids have been better, but they keep pushing and pushing and pushing, behavior-wise. Silly children. The rules still apply, even when we're near the end. (Hmm. I wonder if there's a possible spiritual application in that thought. I'll explore that later. Maybe.) Pray for us to keep our sanity and our patience with our kids in the last week of classes, please. We appreciate it!
I have changed a lot this last year. If you've followed my blog during this year, you probably already know that. If you're a reader of the Lake Union Herald, you probably already know that. But the change has been so much more than what I could put into the written--and probably the spoken, also--word. Words are too vague for the depth of the experience, it seems, and that's difficult for someone whose life seems immersed in words. I have tried my best to convey the impressions about Ebeye and lessons about myself that I have gained and learned this year, and I hope that you have enjoyed reading my updates. Some have been boring, probably, and others have probably been too long for the busy lives I know everyone leads, but I hope that the tidbits of news I could pass along have been well received.
Last March and April, I sat in my student missions class, listening, taking notes, etc., The coordinators did a great job--they even got former student missionaries to come and speak to us. I sat there and listened as one SM after another said pretty much the same thing: "I changed so much. It was the best year of my life." And I cynically thought (yes, I am quite capable of cynical thoughts), "Okay. Fine and dandy. I know I'll change. I changed during the other trips I've been on. I'm expecting to change."
Ha. I still didn't know how MUCH I'd change, and about March or so, I realized why all those former SMs seemed to say the same thing: the words are too vague for the depth of the experience. I know I already typed that above, but it's true. I'm pretty sure that, a year from now, I'll BE one of those former SMs who are quite eloquently tongue-tied about their experience. Life isn't about slipping into the role of a missionary from time to time, but about being one. Life isn't about being in foreign missions (because a person can work at home, too), but about not being foreign to missions. (Oh, how I love prepositions!) It's not just a cause to rally around, but a lifestyle to be lived.
Just some thoughts, 'tis all.
More later.
Ashlee
Well, the kids have completely lost it. Since the end of spring break, it's been getting steadily worse. They know that summer's approaching, and they cannot wait to get out of school and back out onto the streets to play all day where they've played after school all year. I feel for our elementary teachers, because the kids have been quite unmanageable--they won't behave OR do their work. My kids have been better, but they keep pushing and pushing and pushing, behavior-wise. Silly children. The rules still apply, even when we're near the end. (Hmm. I wonder if there's a possible spiritual application in that thought. I'll explore that later. Maybe.) Pray for us to keep our sanity and our patience with our kids in the last week of classes, please. We appreciate it!
I have changed a lot this last year. If you've followed my blog during this year, you probably already know that. If you're a reader of the Lake Union Herald, you probably already know that. But the change has been so much more than what I could put into the written--and probably the spoken, also--word. Words are too vague for the depth of the experience, it seems, and that's difficult for someone whose life seems immersed in words. I have tried my best to convey the impressions about Ebeye and lessons about myself that I have gained and learned this year, and I hope that you have enjoyed reading my updates. Some have been boring, probably, and others have probably been too long for the busy lives I know everyone leads, but I hope that the tidbits of news I could pass along have been well received.
Last March and April, I sat in my student missions class, listening, taking notes, etc., The coordinators did a great job--they even got former student missionaries to come and speak to us. I sat there and listened as one SM after another said pretty much the same thing: "I changed so much. It was the best year of my life." And I cynically thought (yes, I am quite capable of cynical thoughts), "Okay. Fine and dandy. I know I'll change. I changed during the other trips I've been on. I'm expecting to change."
Ha. I still didn't know how MUCH I'd change, and about March or so, I realized why all those former SMs seemed to say the same thing: the words are too vague for the depth of the experience. I know I already typed that above, but it's true. I'm pretty sure that, a year from now, I'll BE one of those former SMs who are quite eloquently tongue-tied about their experience. Life isn't about slipping into the role of a missionary from time to time, but about being one. Life isn't about being in foreign missions (because a person can work at home, too), but about not being foreign to missions. (Oh, how I love prepositions!) It's not just a cause to rally around, but a lifestyle to be lived.
Just some thoughts, 'tis all.
More later.
Ashlee
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Wait For It
5/5/09 It's already May. I look at that combination of punctuation and numbers and think, "Has it really been almost ten months? Has it really? Is it really that close to me going back? Is it really?" It's a strange mix of emotions that contains both elation and sadness. The mix also includes the anticipation I've had of the end plus surprise that it's really here.
Last Friday we watched an Amazing Facts sermon that was filmed awhile ago at Andrews University. In fact, the first time we watched one, I was psyched to see Pioneer Missionary Church and glimpses of friends who attend Andrews (yay for Carol Lopez!). Pastor Batchelor's sermon was on the 144,000 and on heaven--and it was very, very interesting. I was very blessed by it.
Well, when I wrote the first sentence of this blog post, I immediately thought of that sermon. Why? I may be wrong (since I'm still sorting through the thoughts), but I thought of it because I think that sometimes we approach the Second Coming the same way. Granted, we don't know the date of the Lord's coming, but we do anticipate it. (Well, at least, we should, anyway.) And I have a feeling that when it does happen, we will feel a mixture of emotions: joy, of course, at the fact that we've finally going home; sadness at the fact that some of our loved ones chose not to come (but that's what we have 1000 years to research); but I also think that part of us will think, "Is this really happening? It is. Wow! The world as we knew is over? It is. Wow!" Right now, though, we have to wait, like I have to wait until I leave Ebeye (even though I enjoy it here, I've grown so much). We have to wait for the Second Coming.
HOWEVER, that does not mean that the waiting isn't worth it. It is most definitely worth it! Waiting makes the departure that much sweeter. I haven't reached the time for my departure from Ebeye yet (that's still twenty-five days in the future), but I know that my family and friends are looking forward to seeing me, and I am looking forward to seeing them, and the time in between now and then will make it even better when we do finally meet.
It's the same thing with God. People seem to think--or, at least, act--that God isn't coming back, that He's decided to abandon us to whatever mess we're in and wait for us to destroy ourselves. That's not true--He's just waiting. He knows when He's coming back, even if we don't, and so we wait. It may look like He's not coming, or that He's delayed, but He's not. He's coming on His time, not ours. Plus, the experience we have while we wait make us stronger. Don't they? The waiting time allows for the bonds between us and the One we're waiting for to grow stronger, if we choose to strengthen them. The waiting is part of the experience that deepens our relationship with God.
After all, God says that "[t]hough it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry" (Habakkuk 2:3b). Yes, He was speaking of the vision that Habakkuk was writing down, but I'm pretty sure it applies here, too. He says, "Wait for it." He doesn't say how long we'll have to wait, just that we should wait for it. And I suppose that since He said it, we should listen. The time between now and when God does come back to take us home will only make it even better for us for when we finally meet face to face.
Just some random thoughts that the end of the year is bringing to my head, 'tis all.
More later.
Ashlee
Last Friday we watched an Amazing Facts sermon that was filmed awhile ago at Andrews University. In fact, the first time we watched one, I was psyched to see Pioneer Missionary Church and glimpses of friends who attend Andrews (yay for Carol Lopez!). Pastor Batchelor's sermon was on the 144,000 and on heaven--and it was very, very interesting. I was very blessed by it.
Well, when I wrote the first sentence of this blog post, I immediately thought of that sermon. Why? I may be wrong (since I'm still sorting through the thoughts), but I thought of it because I think that sometimes we approach the Second Coming the same way. Granted, we don't know the date of the Lord's coming, but we do anticipate it. (Well, at least, we should, anyway.) And I have a feeling that when it does happen, we will feel a mixture of emotions: joy, of course, at the fact that we've finally going home; sadness at the fact that some of our loved ones chose not to come (but that's what we have 1000 years to research); but I also think that part of us will think, "Is this really happening? It is. Wow! The world as we knew is over? It is. Wow!" Right now, though, we have to wait, like I have to wait until I leave Ebeye (even though I enjoy it here, I've grown so much). We have to wait for the Second Coming.
HOWEVER, that does not mean that the waiting isn't worth it. It is most definitely worth it! Waiting makes the departure that much sweeter. I haven't reached the time for my departure from Ebeye yet (that's still twenty-five days in the future), but I know that my family and friends are looking forward to seeing me, and I am looking forward to seeing them, and the time in between now and then will make it even better when we do finally meet.
It's the same thing with God. People seem to think--or, at least, act--that God isn't coming back, that He's decided to abandon us to whatever mess we're in and wait for us to destroy ourselves. That's not true--He's just waiting. He knows when He's coming back, even if we don't, and so we wait. It may look like He's not coming, or that He's delayed, but He's not. He's coming on His time, not ours. Plus, the experience we have while we wait make us stronger. Don't they? The waiting time allows for the bonds between us and the One we're waiting for to grow stronger, if we choose to strengthen them. The waiting is part of the experience that deepens our relationship with God.
After all, God says that "[t]hough it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry" (Habakkuk 2:3b). Yes, He was speaking of the vision that Habakkuk was writing down, but I'm pretty sure it applies here, too. He says, "Wait for it." He doesn't say how long we'll have to wait, just that we should wait for it. And I suppose that since He said it, we should listen. The time between now and when God does come back to take us home will only make it even better for us for when we finally meet face to face.
Just some random thoughts that the end of the year is bringing to my head, 'tis all.
More later.
Ashlee
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
School Carnival, "Summertime," and Some Thoughts
4/28/09 We had our School Carnival on Monday. I was stressed at first, mostly because my sophomores had only blearily looked at me when I tried to talk about it during school the week before, and none of them had returned the letters I supposedly sent to the parents (which I don't know if they ever arrived or not; my students aren't the most reliable postal service). But we set up our "Hit the Cans" game, and we eventually raked in about $74 worth of tickets and ran out of prizes at about 1:30 PM. The school, overall, made about fifteen hundred dollars for the PTA, partially because we held the carnival on a Monday after Kwaj payday. If I can, I will post some Carnival pictures.
The kids have already switched into summer mode, and the juniors have gotten into the annoying habit of asking me in a sing-song voice, "What time is it?" like they were the lead characters of High School Musical 2. Argh. I just smile, laugh, and tell that it's not summertime (since the reply in the song is "It's summertime."). They think that's hilariously funny, when I answer like that. The seniors have a bad case of senioritis, and we teachers have to keep reminding them that this is not the time to start slacking off and not turning in work--they don't want to end up in summer school if they fail.
I write this the day before it officially becomes one month before I leave (it won't hit four weeks until May 2), and it's hard to believe that I'm already near the end of my year on Ebeye. Well, it's not a complete year, but it's close enough. We're finishing up midterm report cards and plugging through our last twelve days of classes. (I wonder if there's a song about that.) Twelve. You read me correctly. We have twelve days of class left, then two days of finals. Then a week in which to clean up the classroom, return books to the book room, and draw up grades--then graduation. Two days after graduation, I get on the noon boat, ferry over to Kwaj, and check into the airport. Everything we're doing is sliding toward the end, and I feel as if I have a lot more left that I could do. I have done my best, but still. I know that I was supposed to be here this year, and I am glad of it.
More later.
The kids have already switched into summer mode, and the juniors have gotten into the annoying habit of asking me in a sing-song voice, "What time is it?" like they were the lead characters of High School Musical 2. Argh. I just smile, laugh, and tell that it's not summertime (since the reply in the song is "It's summertime."). They think that's hilariously funny, when I answer like that. The seniors have a bad case of senioritis, and we teachers have to keep reminding them that this is not the time to start slacking off and not turning in work--they don't want to end up in summer school if they fail.
I write this the day before it officially becomes one month before I leave (it won't hit four weeks until May 2), and it's hard to believe that I'm already near the end of my year on Ebeye. Well, it's not a complete year, but it's close enough. We're finishing up midterm report cards and plugging through our last twelve days of classes. (I wonder if there's a song about that.) Twelve. You read me correctly. We have twelve days of class left, then two days of finals. Then a week in which to clean up the classroom, return books to the book room, and draw up grades--then graduation. Two days after graduation, I get on the noon boat, ferry over to Kwaj, and check into the airport. Everything we're doing is sliding toward the end, and I feel as if I have a lot more left that I could do. I have done my best, but still. I know that I was supposed to be here this year, and I am glad of it.
More later.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Inconvenience (plus a thank you for boxes!)
4-20-09 First of all, a big THANK YOU to Mom for the three boxes I received on Friday. The steak sauce surprised, and the size sixteen jeans fit! Everything else is also much appreciated--especially the raisins and Pringles (I was surprised by them, too). Thanks a bunch!
Second, I want to share this story with you: I was walking to our AY meeting on Saturday afternoon. The wind whipped my skirt against my legs (at least it wasn't a day when the wind makes me glad I wear shorts underneath my skirt) and my shirt rippled across my stomach, and I thought, "How terribly inconvenient is it that I've lost so much weight here. Nice, but inconvenient."
Inconvenience, as defined by my handy dandy computer dictionary, is "trouble or difficulty caused to one's personal requirements or comfort." My weight loss can be considered inconvenient because of the lack of readily buyable clothes to replace my beginning-to-be-too-big wardrobe, which causes me to wear the clothes I brought with me in August (which do not fit and thus, flap in the wind). Despite the inconvenience, I still chose to lose weight because it's a change I wanted to make. My desire outweighed the inconvenience (though I will love to wear clothes that fit again!), and made my decision to lose weight easy, yet difficult.
Then a profound thought struck me (rather than the sort-of vain one I had just been having). The profound thought was that anything that effects great change is, at least at first, inconvenient. No, strike that. Anything that introduces great change is inconvenient. New ideas, upheavals of people, wars, etc., usually seem to be inconvenient, whether or not they affected great change. (That is not what I'm arguing here.)
The greatest change for the human race came when Jesus chose to descend from heaven, live among us, and die for us. Think about it. Jesus traded omnipotence for the strength of a carpenter's arm, a throne for a manger, being the King of the universe to being a peasant (from being Ruler to being ruled), and having the adoration of the universe for the scorn, hatred, and rejection at the hands of beings He'd created. Taken from a purely Earth-bound human viewpoint, that was a terribly inconvenient choice.
But check out John 17:24: "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world" (NKJV, bolding mine). Jesus' desire to save us outweighed the inconvenience of coming down to live and die among us. His desire to have us with Him affected His choice--it's why He came, it's why He lived here for thirty-three and a half years, it's why He died to save us--so we could be with Him forever. Anyone who has read the account of Jesus in Gethsemane can see that it was a difficult decision for the Man Jesus, but an easy one for the God who loved us so much that He made us despite the knowledge that we would trangress His law and separate ourselves from Him. Jesus made a tough choice because His desire outweighed the inconvenience. It was a change He wanted to make--a great change, one that required great and terrible inconvenience to Himself--but wasn't it worth it?
More later.
Second, I want to share this story with you: I was walking to our AY meeting on Saturday afternoon. The wind whipped my skirt against my legs (at least it wasn't a day when the wind makes me glad I wear shorts underneath my skirt) and my shirt rippled across my stomach, and I thought, "How terribly inconvenient is it that I've lost so much weight here. Nice, but inconvenient."
Inconvenience, as defined by my handy dandy computer dictionary, is "trouble or difficulty caused to one's personal requirements or comfort." My weight loss can be considered inconvenient because of the lack of readily buyable clothes to replace my beginning-to-be-too-big wardrobe, which causes me to wear the clothes I brought with me in August (which do not fit and thus, flap in the wind). Despite the inconvenience, I still chose to lose weight because it's a change I wanted to make. My desire outweighed the inconvenience (though I will love to wear clothes that fit again!), and made my decision to lose weight easy, yet difficult.
Then a profound thought struck me (rather than the sort-of vain one I had just been having). The profound thought was that anything that effects great change is, at least at first, inconvenient. No, strike that. Anything that introduces great change is inconvenient. New ideas, upheavals of people, wars, etc., usually seem to be inconvenient, whether or not they affected great change. (That is not what I'm arguing here.)
The greatest change for the human race came when Jesus chose to descend from heaven, live among us, and die for us. Think about it. Jesus traded omnipotence for the strength of a carpenter's arm, a throne for a manger, being the King of the universe to being a peasant (from being Ruler to being ruled), and having the adoration of the universe for the scorn, hatred, and rejection at the hands of beings He'd created. Taken from a purely Earth-bound human viewpoint, that was a terribly inconvenient choice.
But check out John 17:24: "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world" (NKJV, bolding mine). Jesus' desire to save us outweighed the inconvenience of coming down to live and die among us. His desire to have us with Him affected His choice--it's why He came, it's why He lived here for thirty-three and a half years, it's why He died to save us--so we could be with Him forever. Anyone who has read the account of Jesus in Gethsemane can see that it was a difficult decision for the Man Jesus, but an easy one for the God who loved us so much that He made us despite the knowledge that we would trangress His law and separate ourselves from Him. Jesus made a tough choice because His desire outweighed the inconvenience. It was a change He wanted to make--a great change, one that required great and terrible inconvenience to Himself--but wasn't it worth it?
More later.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
First Week of the Last Part of Fourth Quarter
4/16/09 We plunged into the last part of the fourth quarter of the school year this week. All the students were (of course) most thrilled to be back in their classrooms, ready and willing and wanting to tackle the challenges that English and math and history and what not came their way (for the most part, I unfortunately kid--and wish). Certainly I was ready to be in the classroom. As with the other break, I discovered that I had missed being in the classroom with the kids, even though I had enjoyed my time off. I had gotten to sleep in every day, and had gotten to practice my cooking (yes, I'm composing that grocery list, Mom!).
Six weeks. That's all I have left before I get onto the ferry and take it to Kwaj so I can board a plane and fly back to the States. There are four or so weeks left of classes and finals, and then I spend a week or so here so that I can pack and go to graduation. Blessedly, I am neither the eighth-grade or twelfth-grade sponsor, and so I don't have to fret about graduation preparations. Instead, I get to sort and clean and such. I also plan to write a letter to the person who will replace. I figure that's the kindest thing I could do, considering that it might give the new English teacher a foothold--giving them information about what has been studied and what not. I don't know if it would be helpful, but I figure it's something I can do. (Hopefully I remember to do it!)
The definition of the fourth stage of culture makes me wonder. I think I've reached it. (Not everyone has, but that's a different, much longer, story.) The fourth stage is acceptance--where one supposedly feels satisfied about their work, makes friends (or, at least, the friendships you've been working on begin to work better), and starts to "fit in" better.
I'm not sure I can say that I'm fully satisfied with my work. I am, mostly. One, I'm not done yet (there are, after all, six more weeks). Two, I have done the best possible job I could have (and will continue to do my best). I'm pretty sure that God doesn't ask for anything less than my best effort, and that He covers what I have missed. Granted, there may have been times where I could have acted differently or whatever, but since there's no practical nor useful form of time-travel (except reading), there's no going back. I can't change what has already transpired. I can only change how I react to things (and one of the reactions that comes a bit more readily now is getting on my knees). So, I may not be completely satisfied, but I am contented.
Yes, I believe there's a difference. I looked up the definitions on my handy dandy dictionary, and satisfaction is supposedly contained within contentment. (Which seems to suggest that you can be contented without being completely satisfied.) However, the main difference I think comes from the thesaurus: both words share synonyms, but contentment has one that satisfaction does not. That synonym is peace. Yes, the difference is that satisfaction may not include peace, but contentment usually does.
I do not claim to fully understand all this; I'm just offering up my observations on the matter. I can't claim, as Paul did, that I have learned to be content no matter what. But I can say that it's a far sight easier now than it was eight and a half months ago. I know that I was supposed to come to Ebeye--I grow more and more assured of that fact--and the more I grow assured, the more contented I feel. The best way I can describe it is that how I feel doesn't make sense. I've got the same daily hassles that I did during the rejection stage of culture shock; I've got many of the same hassles that I had to deal with as a college student. It doesn't make sense that I can have all the daily irritations, frustrations, and difficulties still all happen and still end up smiling and praising God.
I know, this sounds a bit...different from my previous post. Don't worry, it DOES fit in. In fact, I've found why it doesn't make sense. Grab your Bible and I'll show you why. Got it? Good. Check out Philippians 4:6-7. It reads, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Yeah. That's why I don't completely get it, for it surpasses my understanding. It has something to do with God, and love, and joy coming from (or through) simple things. It comes from God taking me by the hand and showing me new things every day, whether it's something new about myself or an insight into one of my fellow missionaries or one of my students or just a breathtaking sunrise.
So, as excited as I am to be headed back, as excited as I am to be going back to Timber Ridge, as excited as I am to be going back to Southern in August, I will still miss Ebeye. I hope and pray that I will keep what I have gained, and not gain what I have lost (both personally and physically). I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends and having them meet the me I now am--but I will miss the hot, sticky, small and narrow (but yet so wide, in some aspects), crazily sane place that is Ebeye, Marshall Islands.
More later.
Six weeks. That's all I have left before I get onto the ferry and take it to Kwaj so I can board a plane and fly back to the States. There are four or so weeks left of classes and finals, and then I spend a week or so here so that I can pack and go to graduation. Blessedly, I am neither the eighth-grade or twelfth-grade sponsor, and so I don't have to fret about graduation preparations. Instead, I get to sort and clean and such. I also plan to write a letter to the person who will replace. I figure that's the kindest thing I could do, considering that it might give the new English teacher a foothold--giving them information about what has been studied and what not. I don't know if it would be helpful, but I figure it's something I can do. (Hopefully I remember to do it!)
The definition of the fourth stage of culture makes me wonder. I think I've reached it. (Not everyone has, but that's a different, much longer, story.) The fourth stage is acceptance--where one supposedly feels satisfied about their work, makes friends (or, at least, the friendships you've been working on begin to work better), and starts to "fit in" better.
I'm not sure I can say that I'm fully satisfied with my work. I am, mostly. One, I'm not done yet (there are, after all, six more weeks). Two, I have done the best possible job I could have (and will continue to do my best). I'm pretty sure that God doesn't ask for anything less than my best effort, and that He covers what I have missed. Granted, there may have been times where I could have acted differently or whatever, but since there's no practical nor useful form of time-travel (except reading), there's no going back. I can't change what has already transpired. I can only change how I react to things (and one of the reactions that comes a bit more readily now is getting on my knees). So, I may not be completely satisfied, but I am contented.
Yes, I believe there's a difference. I looked up the definitions on my handy dandy dictionary, and satisfaction is supposedly contained within contentment. (Which seems to suggest that you can be contented without being completely satisfied.) However, the main difference I think comes from the thesaurus: both words share synonyms, but contentment has one that satisfaction does not. That synonym is peace. Yes, the difference is that satisfaction may not include peace, but contentment usually does.
I do not claim to fully understand all this; I'm just offering up my observations on the matter. I can't claim, as Paul did, that I have learned to be content no matter what. But I can say that it's a far sight easier now than it was eight and a half months ago. I know that I was supposed to come to Ebeye--I grow more and more assured of that fact--and the more I grow assured, the more contented I feel. The best way I can describe it is that how I feel doesn't make sense. I've got the same daily hassles that I did during the rejection stage of culture shock; I've got many of the same hassles that I had to deal with as a college student. It doesn't make sense that I can have all the daily irritations, frustrations, and difficulties still all happen and still end up smiling and praising God.
I know, this sounds a bit...different from my previous post. Don't worry, it DOES fit in. In fact, I've found why it doesn't make sense. Grab your Bible and I'll show you why. Got it? Good. Check out Philippians 4:6-7. It reads, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Yeah. That's why I don't completely get it, for it surpasses my understanding. It has something to do with God, and love, and joy coming from (or through) simple things. It comes from God taking me by the hand and showing me new things every day, whether it's something new about myself or an insight into one of my fellow missionaries or one of my students or just a breathtaking sunrise.
So, as excited as I am to be headed back, as excited as I am to be going back to Timber Ridge, as excited as I am to be going back to Southern in August, I will still miss Ebeye. I hope and pray that I will keep what I have gained, and not gain what I have lost (both personally and physically). I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends and having them meet the me I now am--but I will miss the hot, sticky, small and narrow (but yet so wide, in some aspects), crazily sane place that is Ebeye, Marshall Islands.
More later.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Spring Break Musings, Mostly
4-8-09 First of all, I would like to wish my parents a very happy birthday. Mom's birthday was last Friday (don't worry, I've already told her multiple times happy birthday near the date), and Dad's birthday is today. Happy birthday to the both of you!
We've been on spring break this week, and let me tell you, it has been a very much appreciated and needed break. I don't completely understand what makes students so antsy, but I was glad when they were sent home after school last Wednesday for break. I also don't understand completely why break is in the first full week of April, considering that there is only five weeks and two days left of classes when we start school back up on Monday. Five weeks, two days of finals, and then ten days until I fly out from the airport on Kwajalein. You can do the math if you want. I haven't beyond what is written right there.
I haven't done much during break--a lot of sleeping, anyway, and I've cleaned and made meals and gone shopping and such. Just the routine minus teaching every day, for the most part. The seniors, Jhan Dale, Jordan, and Megan have been on the senior class trip to Pohnpei, and so I have been putting my new-learned cooking skills to the test this week. I am very thankful that Megan has been here--my meals this week have been, I think, generally good. And that's exciting.
I have done a lot of thinking, though. We were at vespers last Friday night and sang the hymn, "Trust and Obey." Now, I've known most of that song for a very long time, and I've definitely known the chorus by memory since childhood. The chorus is as follows, "Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." I don't know how many times I've sung that song, but I do know one thing most definitely: it's true.
When I was in India, I learned that trust and joy are connected, but I hadn't figured out HOW they were connected or WHY they were connected. Well, here on Ebeye, I have learned that trust and joy are connected through obedience. My handy-dandy computer dictionary defines "obedience" as a noun that means "the compliance with someone's wishes or orders or acknowledgment of their authority." Since I have spent at least most of the year explaining definitions to students, my mind mentally translates this into "doing what someone higher than us tells us to do." Nowhere in either definition says that the obey-er knows why they have been told to do what they're doing. Certainly, sometimes they are told, but I think it's on a need-to-know basis.
The word "trust," however, has two interesting aspects to it. One, its first definition in my handy-dandy dictionary is "the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something." That's all well and good, but then I get down to where it talks about the history of the word--my dictionary says that its origin is in Middle English, but that it's originally from the Old Norse word traust, from traustr, or 'strong.' When I discovered this, I was in India and studying one of the Psalms where it talks about man putting his trust in the Lord. In my mind, that phrase coupled with the origin of the word would mean that a person is putting their strength in the Lord.
So, when people trust God, they are putting their strength in Him. They believe that He is strong. He may not always tell them why He's told them to do something, but they trust Him and do it anyway. They obey. I am convinced that God has us do things that are in and for our best interests. He truly does have our best interest at heart, and, so, when we obey, it's an enjoyable thing. Granted, that's not always the case, for many times when we obey, things don't go the way we wanted to, or the reaction we wished for isn't the reaction that occurred. Sometimes doing the right thing isn't doing the easy thing. Sometimes we privately think, "I don't understand. Why is God doing this? Is He crazy?" Sometimes we ask people the same questions. Hopefully we ask God.
While I was pondering all this, I thought of the prophet Jeremiah. That man had it rough, in my opinion. He's chosen by God and given a message that God tells him to proclaim, but also tells him that people will not accept--and because they won't accept the message, they'll also reject the prophet. From all I've read, Jeremiah was a young guy when God told him all that--and let me tell you, young people (myself included) want to be liked and accepted, so that was probably tough to hear. Years later, Jeremiah is hanging out in a prison in a besieged Jerusalem, and God comes to him and says, "Hey, Jeremiah, redeem the field that your cousin comes to ask you to redeem." (At least, I believe that's the gist of what the Lord told him.) Jeremiah does so. He trusts God, so he obeys.
But Jeremiah doesn't understand. As soon as the transaction is completed, he prays to God for understanding. It's a good long prayer, too, found in Jeremiah 32:17-25. For the most part, Jeremiah is asking, "God, I don't understand. You've had me proclaiming that this city, that this land, is going to fall to the Chaldeans. The place is surrounded by siege mounds, what You've decreed is going to take place. But You had me buy a field! Why, God? Are you crazy? The city's about to fall!"
God understands that we cannot see all that He sees. I think He knows that when we ask if He's crazy, we really mean that we are confused about the whys and hows of the situation (things that God excels in). God comes to Jeremiah, and says, "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?" (Jeremiah 32: 27). In my mind, it's like God saying, "Jeremiah, I'm not crazy. I know what I'm doing. Just trust me. In fact, Me telling you to buy that field is a GOOD thing. It's something to rejoice about. Let Me tell you why..." and so God tells Jeremiah that his people will come back to the land.
Joy despite siege mounds and looming captivity. Obedience despite human misgivings and misunderstandings. Trust despite possible signs for the contrary.
How else would Jeremiah be able to proclaim in the midst of weeping that God's faithfulness is great (Lamentations 3:23)? How else would he have survived through being imprisoned and rejected and hated for the unpopular message he proclaimed? How else, but that God strengthened him because he put his strength in the Lord? How else, but that Jeremiah obeyed even when it didn't seem like it was the smartest thing to do?
God tells us things on a need-to-know basis. I think that it's partially because we couldn't handle all the details at once. He does it for our own good, for our best interests. The more of ourselves we give to Him, the more of ourselves He gives back to us more fully alive. The more we put our strength in Him, the less we have to worry about everything. He takes care of it. (That doesn't mean we should sit back and let God do everything; God does expect us to do our part, but that isn't what I'm talking about at the moment.) He lets me deal with what I can deal with, and then He says, "I've got you covered. Now relax and be joyful!"
I don't know if I can accurately put what I'm thinking into the written word. But check out the lyrics of "Trust and Obey." I think they aptly describe what I'm talking about. After all, it's where the idea was clinched for me.
What all this thinking translates into is trying to live my life in that way, trying to live where I put my strength in God (where I trust Him), where I obey what He says, and then live through Him with whatever happens and get the joy that comes through Him and not through anything else. If I am receiving joy from the True Source of joy, then I don't need to let misbehaving children or bad news or whatever dictate my feelings and my days. I can be joyful despite the Enemy's siege mounds because I can obey whether I understand or not, and because I can trust whether I see or not. And that's applicable both here on Ebeye and at home.
More later.
We've been on spring break this week, and let me tell you, it has been a very much appreciated and needed break. I don't completely understand what makes students so antsy, but I was glad when they were sent home after school last Wednesday for break. I also don't understand completely why break is in the first full week of April, considering that there is only five weeks and two days left of classes when we start school back up on Monday. Five weeks, two days of finals, and then ten days until I fly out from the airport on Kwajalein. You can do the math if you want. I haven't beyond what is written right there.
I haven't done much during break--a lot of sleeping, anyway, and I've cleaned and made meals and gone shopping and such. Just the routine minus teaching every day, for the most part. The seniors, Jhan Dale, Jordan, and Megan have been on the senior class trip to Pohnpei, and so I have been putting my new-learned cooking skills to the test this week. I am very thankful that Megan has been here--my meals this week have been, I think, generally good. And that's exciting.
I have done a lot of thinking, though. We were at vespers last Friday night and sang the hymn, "Trust and Obey." Now, I've known most of that song for a very long time, and I've definitely known the chorus by memory since childhood. The chorus is as follows, "Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." I don't know how many times I've sung that song, but I do know one thing most definitely: it's true.
When I was in India, I learned that trust and joy are connected, but I hadn't figured out HOW they were connected or WHY they were connected. Well, here on Ebeye, I have learned that trust and joy are connected through obedience. My handy-dandy computer dictionary defines "obedience" as a noun that means "the compliance with someone's wishes or orders or acknowledgment of their authority." Since I have spent at least most of the year explaining definitions to students, my mind mentally translates this into "doing what someone higher than us tells us to do." Nowhere in either definition says that the obey-er knows why they have been told to do what they're doing. Certainly, sometimes they are told, but I think it's on a need-to-know basis.
The word "trust," however, has two interesting aspects to it. One, its first definition in my handy-dandy dictionary is "the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something." That's all well and good, but then I get down to where it talks about the history of the word--my dictionary says that its origin is in Middle English, but that it's originally from the Old Norse word traust, from traustr, or 'strong.' When I discovered this, I was in India and studying one of the Psalms where it talks about man putting his trust in the Lord. In my mind, that phrase coupled with the origin of the word would mean that a person is putting their strength in the Lord.
So, when people trust God, they are putting their strength in Him. They believe that He is strong. He may not always tell them why He's told them to do something, but they trust Him and do it anyway. They obey. I am convinced that God has us do things that are in and for our best interests. He truly does have our best interest at heart, and, so, when we obey, it's an enjoyable thing. Granted, that's not always the case, for many times when we obey, things don't go the way we wanted to, or the reaction we wished for isn't the reaction that occurred. Sometimes doing the right thing isn't doing the easy thing. Sometimes we privately think, "I don't understand. Why is God doing this? Is He crazy?" Sometimes we ask people the same questions. Hopefully we ask God.
While I was pondering all this, I thought of the prophet Jeremiah. That man had it rough, in my opinion. He's chosen by God and given a message that God tells him to proclaim, but also tells him that people will not accept--and because they won't accept the message, they'll also reject the prophet. From all I've read, Jeremiah was a young guy when God told him all that--and let me tell you, young people (myself included) want to be liked and accepted, so that was probably tough to hear. Years later, Jeremiah is hanging out in a prison in a besieged Jerusalem, and God comes to him and says, "Hey, Jeremiah, redeem the field that your cousin comes to ask you to redeem." (At least, I believe that's the gist of what the Lord told him.) Jeremiah does so. He trusts God, so he obeys.
But Jeremiah doesn't understand. As soon as the transaction is completed, he prays to God for understanding. It's a good long prayer, too, found in Jeremiah 32:17-25. For the most part, Jeremiah is asking, "God, I don't understand. You've had me proclaiming that this city, that this land, is going to fall to the Chaldeans. The place is surrounded by siege mounds, what You've decreed is going to take place. But You had me buy a field! Why, God? Are you crazy? The city's about to fall!"
God understands that we cannot see all that He sees. I think He knows that when we ask if He's crazy, we really mean that we are confused about the whys and hows of the situation (things that God excels in). God comes to Jeremiah, and says, "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?" (Jeremiah 32: 27). In my mind, it's like God saying, "Jeremiah, I'm not crazy. I know what I'm doing. Just trust me. In fact, Me telling you to buy that field is a GOOD thing. It's something to rejoice about. Let Me tell you why..." and so God tells Jeremiah that his people will come back to the land.
Joy despite siege mounds and looming captivity. Obedience despite human misgivings and misunderstandings. Trust despite possible signs for the contrary.
How else would Jeremiah be able to proclaim in the midst of weeping that God's faithfulness is great (Lamentations 3:23)? How else would he have survived through being imprisoned and rejected and hated for the unpopular message he proclaimed? How else, but that God strengthened him because he put his strength in the Lord? How else, but that Jeremiah obeyed even when it didn't seem like it was the smartest thing to do?
God tells us things on a need-to-know basis. I think that it's partially because we couldn't handle all the details at once. He does it for our own good, for our best interests. The more of ourselves we give to Him, the more of ourselves He gives back to us more fully alive. The more we put our strength in Him, the less we have to worry about everything. He takes care of it. (That doesn't mean we should sit back and let God do everything; God does expect us to do our part, but that isn't what I'm talking about at the moment.) He lets me deal with what I can deal with, and then He says, "I've got you covered. Now relax and be joyful!"
I don't know if I can accurately put what I'm thinking into the written word. But check out the lyrics of "Trust and Obey." I think they aptly describe what I'm talking about. After all, it's where the idea was clinched for me.
What all this thinking translates into is trying to live my life in that way, trying to live where I put my strength in God (where I trust Him), where I obey what He says, and then live through Him with whatever happens and get the joy that comes through Him and not through anything else. If I am receiving joy from the True Source of joy, then I don't need to let misbehaving children or bad news or whatever dictate my feelings and my days. I can be joyful despite the Enemy's siege mounds because I can obey whether I understand or not, and because I can trust whether I see or not. And that's applicable both here on Ebeye and at home.
More later.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sea Turtle Picture
SEA TURTLE!
Note: I would have posted more pictures from both Kwaj and my class picnic, but the server is REALLY slow today. Maybe I can get to NTA during Spring Break and upload some more. We shall see (since NTA costs money). This picture is currently my background picture. I find it soothing, for some reason.
A Dose of Reverse Culture Shock (plus a little on a class picnic)
3-31-09 (even though I am writing this on April 1st)
I am quite happily done with being sick. No more stuffy nose!!
I got my first dose of reverse culture shock this past weekend. You might be wondering how I could have a chance to suffer from RCS when I haven't gotten back from the Marshall Islands yet. Well, it's actually quite simple. Ebeye is in a peculiar situation. It is in Kwajalein Atoll, named after the largest island in the atoll. Kwajalein Island is home to a United States military base--they research missiles and other random stuff. About 1200 people live there, and only twelve families are actually military families. Everybody else is contractors and what not.
The missions committee from the Protestant church on Kwaj finagled it so that most of the missionaries who are on Ebeye got a chance to spend a weekend on Kwajalein. We took the 6:00 boat to Kwaj, then waited around while they processed us and made us visitor badges. Then they shuttled us to the Kwaj Lodge so we could drop off our gear in our rooms for the weekend. Each lady got her own room! (That was very nice, by the way.) Then they took us to the Adult Recreational Center and fed us pizza and subs from Subway. We played round-the-world ping pong and went swimming in a saltwater pool (it would be a waste for the pool to be fresh water) and then went to bed. We had our own Sabbath worship the next morning and everyone did their own thing for a few hours. They had given us gift cards in order for us to get food from the food court (Burger King and Baskin Robbins; Subway didn't participate) and so that's where I ate, even though it felt weird because it was Sabbath. One of the coolest things was that my roommate, Emily, had brought along her phone card and let me use it so I could call my mom and have her call me back (it was like calling California). I talked with my family close to two hours. In fact, I completely shocked my littlest brother, David. Mom says that his eyes got wide, his jaw dropped, his face turned red, he staggered back a step with his hand on his chest and then started laughing. It's nice to hear your family members' voices after eight months of not hearing them!
On Saturday night they had a potluck feast for us. (Potluck because they all contributed something to it; it wasn't catered like the pizza and subs.) They also did live music for us. We had good food and conversation and then went back to the Lodge. A group of us went swimming again, and then went to the ARC to play foosball and air hockey before the place closed. On Sunday morning, we visited their services (since a large portion of it was to honor the missionaries) and then we ate lunch at Cafe Pacific, a buffet place akin to Ryan's, but much smaller. Then Megan, Landen, and I walked to the Turtle Pond and saw the sea turtles that live in the pond. (I will try to post some pictures of them. They are so beautifully majestic.) Then I went back to the Lodge and then they shuttled us to the dock and we came back to Ebeye.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself, but found myself feeling irritated and sometimes downright angry about some of the situation. At least I recognized it for what it was--reverse culture shock. The streets on Kwaj were so clean and empty, and the place was so silent. I felt alternately relaxed and uptight by the cleanliness, emptiness, and silence. It was weird to be back in a place where no one gave me a second glance--I still stuck out, since I was easily recognizable as a visitor, but I didn't stick out quite as much as I do when I'm on Ebeye. It was nice to be in a place with fruit and vegetables so readily available, but it struck me as being completely unfair because of the massive lack of readily available vegetables and fruits on Ebeye. There's nothing barring the people on Kwaj from coming over to Ebeye (unlike the security checkpoint that we have to go through to get into Kwaj), but yet they are very unknowledgeable about life here. (Perhaps it's because they don't go into people's homes much. I don't know.) One of the ladies even asked me if we had refrigerators over here! I said that we do, and when the power goes off, we just leave the door closed. What did she think we stored our food in? Stone jars that we left in the coral soil?
It was strange that I both felt grateful and angry, but I quickly recognized what it was. I recognized it for RCS because of two things: 1) plenty of descriptions during SM class and 2) I remember how I felt after getting back after a month in India. I didn't know what it was after I got back from India, but I know now, and hopefully that makes my transition in early June a little easier. Despite the fact that I've mellowed quite a bit, I still have a temper that's pretty quick to flare. So I figure that I need to be careful when I get back--so I don't lash out at people who haven't done what I've done, so I don't judge them for not thinking the same way that I do, etc,. For there's a lot that I'm looking forward to: hot fresh water showers, seeing family and friends, seeing trees and grass, playing my bass clarinet, etc., but I know that I am different now, and that I just need to be aware of that. Now I'm definitely looking forward to camp and to going back to Southern (especially for the returning SM retreat; I'm pretty sure I'm going to need it!). I actually was relieved when we got back to Ebeye, and I'm not quite sure that I can define why I felt that way. Kwaj was nice, but I don't think I'd want to live there. I would get bored pretty quickly, and I felt disconnected from everybody--and although solitude and privacy can be nice and necessary at times, they're not the most important things in the world. I'm still really forming my thoughts about our weekend on Kwaj, and so maybe all of this rambling doesn't completely make sense. That's okay, I'm still working it all out. Just ask me in a couple months if you see me.
On Monday Emily and I had our combined class picnics on Shell Island. Our kids did an excellent job of planning, but I wished that more of the sophomores had brought the food they had said they would bring. We had enough food, but just barely. (By the way, that's not the normal way the food for a picnic goes.) A group of us came back a little before 4:00 PM and so I got to register for my next semester's classes. It was very exciting. I'll be taking sixteen hours of classes in the fall. Fun fun.
More later.
~Ashlee
I am quite happily done with being sick. No more stuffy nose!!
I got my first dose of reverse culture shock this past weekend. You might be wondering how I could have a chance to suffer from RCS when I haven't gotten back from the Marshall Islands yet. Well, it's actually quite simple. Ebeye is in a peculiar situation. It is in Kwajalein Atoll, named after the largest island in the atoll. Kwajalein Island is home to a United States military base--they research missiles and other random stuff. About 1200 people live there, and only twelve families are actually military families. Everybody else is contractors and what not.
The missions committee from the Protestant church on Kwaj finagled it so that most of the missionaries who are on Ebeye got a chance to spend a weekend on Kwajalein. We took the 6:00 boat to Kwaj, then waited around while they processed us and made us visitor badges. Then they shuttled us to the Kwaj Lodge so we could drop off our gear in our rooms for the weekend. Each lady got her own room! (That was very nice, by the way.) Then they took us to the Adult Recreational Center and fed us pizza and subs from Subway. We played round-the-world ping pong and went swimming in a saltwater pool (it would be a waste for the pool to be fresh water) and then went to bed. We had our own Sabbath worship the next morning and everyone did their own thing for a few hours. They had given us gift cards in order for us to get food from the food court (Burger King and Baskin Robbins; Subway didn't participate) and so that's where I ate, even though it felt weird because it was Sabbath. One of the coolest things was that my roommate, Emily, had brought along her phone card and let me use it so I could call my mom and have her call me back (it was like calling California). I talked with my family close to two hours. In fact, I completely shocked my littlest brother, David. Mom says that his eyes got wide, his jaw dropped, his face turned red, he staggered back a step with his hand on his chest and then started laughing. It's nice to hear your family members' voices after eight months of not hearing them!
On Saturday night they had a potluck feast for us. (Potluck because they all contributed something to it; it wasn't catered like the pizza and subs.) They also did live music for us. We had good food and conversation and then went back to the Lodge. A group of us went swimming again, and then went to the ARC to play foosball and air hockey before the place closed. On Sunday morning, we visited their services (since a large portion of it was to honor the missionaries) and then we ate lunch at Cafe Pacific, a buffet place akin to Ryan's, but much smaller. Then Megan, Landen, and I walked to the Turtle Pond and saw the sea turtles that live in the pond. (I will try to post some pictures of them. They are so beautifully majestic.) Then I went back to the Lodge and then they shuttled us to the dock and we came back to Ebeye.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself, but found myself feeling irritated and sometimes downright angry about some of the situation. At least I recognized it for what it was--reverse culture shock. The streets on Kwaj were so clean and empty, and the place was so silent. I felt alternately relaxed and uptight by the cleanliness, emptiness, and silence. It was weird to be back in a place where no one gave me a second glance--I still stuck out, since I was easily recognizable as a visitor, but I didn't stick out quite as much as I do when I'm on Ebeye. It was nice to be in a place with fruit and vegetables so readily available, but it struck me as being completely unfair because of the massive lack of readily available vegetables and fruits on Ebeye. There's nothing barring the people on Kwaj from coming over to Ebeye (unlike the security checkpoint that we have to go through to get into Kwaj), but yet they are very unknowledgeable about life here. (Perhaps it's because they don't go into people's homes much. I don't know.) One of the ladies even asked me if we had refrigerators over here! I said that we do, and when the power goes off, we just leave the door closed. What did she think we stored our food in? Stone jars that we left in the coral soil?
It was strange that I both felt grateful and angry, but I quickly recognized what it was. I recognized it for RCS because of two things: 1) plenty of descriptions during SM class and 2) I remember how I felt after getting back after a month in India. I didn't know what it was after I got back from India, but I know now, and hopefully that makes my transition in early June a little easier. Despite the fact that I've mellowed quite a bit, I still have a temper that's pretty quick to flare. So I figure that I need to be careful when I get back--so I don't lash out at people who haven't done what I've done, so I don't judge them for not thinking the same way that I do, etc,. For there's a lot that I'm looking forward to: hot fresh water showers, seeing family and friends, seeing trees and grass, playing my bass clarinet, etc., but I know that I am different now, and that I just need to be aware of that. Now I'm definitely looking forward to camp and to going back to Southern (especially for the returning SM retreat; I'm pretty sure I'm going to need it!). I actually was relieved when we got back to Ebeye, and I'm not quite sure that I can define why I felt that way. Kwaj was nice, but I don't think I'd want to live there. I would get bored pretty quickly, and I felt disconnected from everybody--and although solitude and privacy can be nice and necessary at times, they're not the most important things in the world. I'm still really forming my thoughts about our weekend on Kwaj, and so maybe all of this rambling doesn't completely make sense. That's okay, I'm still working it all out. Just ask me in a couple months if you see me.
On Monday Emily and I had our combined class picnics on Shell Island. Our kids did an excellent job of planning, but I wished that more of the sophomores had brought the food they had said they would bring. We had enough food, but just barely. (By the way, that's not the normal way the food for a picnic goes.) A group of us came back a little before 4:00 PM and so I got to register for my next semester's classes. It was very exciting. I'll be taking sixteen hours of classes in the fall. Fun fun.
More later.
~Ashlee
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