Culture Shock

So last time I blogged I was sitting in an airport in Japan, now I'm sitting on a chair in my apartment in Saipan.

The End

Oh wait...nevermind.

Yesterday seems like such a whirlwind! Honestly I couldn't believe it was the same 24 hour time period.

I landed in Saipan at about 12:30am. My flight overall went well and quickly, the fact that I pretty much slept the whole time probably had something to do with it. It took about 15-20 minutes total to get through customs and I walked out the door into a sea of humidity. The face of my principal (we'll call him...Principal) and his daughter were standing with smiling faces, open arms, and welcoming words. After a long flight it was good to feel such warmth from people. We made our way to the school and they helped me take my bags up to my apartment. I had never been so thankful to walk into an airconditioned building before. After they left I felt like I could do anything but sleep. Excitement and jet lag will do that to a person I suppose. Eventually, at about 4am, my eyes lids became heavy and I drifted off with the sounds of the Phillipine Sea behind me.

After a suprisingly restful four hours of sleep (no sarcasm) I walked to the balcony outside my door. Enveloped in heat, I looked to my left and saw my neighbors come out to greet the day. Being all former Dordt students gave us an instant connection. My immediate neighbor (we'll call her AVH) and I had had a couple education classes together. A few doors over live my sister's former roommate (we'll call her AVE) and her husband (we'll call him NVE). After chatting with them, unpacking, and a quick trip to the store I was ready for some quality exploration time.

AVH and I head down to the beach. The scenery in itself is breath taking. Beaches with sand so soft that they cushion your feet when you walk on it. My toes happily sunk themselves into the Phillipine Sea and were please to find that, unlike the bodies of water that I'm familiar with, the temperature was amazingly warm. Almost like bath water. As our sandy footprints continued I couldn't help but feel a bit of healthy culture shock. I still can't believe that I was given the priviledge and opprotunity to live here. God has blessed me with so much already and now He has given me the gift of life on a tropical island.

It's cool to see His creation in different parts of the world. How creative and inventive He is is really awe inspirig for me. Even after a day in Saipan I can't get over how rich his pallet of colors are, definitely a feast for the eyes.

I was reminded of this again after the first snorkeling excursion AVE, AVH, and I went on. As the rain drops danced on the water's surface, the three of us were sticking our goggle-covered faces in the sea. For the sake of sounding uneducated, it was basically like Finding Nemo in real life! Fish of all different shapes, sizes, and colors darted back and forth, I even saw a school of small, black fish. After a little bit (and a couple mouths full of saltwater) we traveled to a different section of beach and just sat in the water letting the small waves move our bodies in every which way.

Time passed as we talked on our marine couch. A local teen came up and offered us a plate full of chips and dip from their dinner. It was funny because at first he wasn't sure if we spoke English or not. (There are a lot of Russians who come to this Island for vacation...and darn it all if all of us white people don't look a like :p.) After we greeted him he seemed relieved that we had a langauge in common. This was another cultural moment for me, I had never had a complete stranger come up to me and offer me some of their food. Well unless you count the people who give out free samples at the grocery store. AVE said that instances like this happen very often. After we finished our snack we went and talked to the grandmother of the teen who had fed us. She was a great lady to talk to, super funny too.

Soon we gathered our belongings and made our way back home and got ready for dinner. NVE and another teacher (we'll call him W) are avid spearfishermen and they both had caught two huge fish. The five of us made our way up to Garapan to cook them with a bunch of other people. The food we made was delicious, it was definitely a welcoming dinner to say the least.

Now I sit at 7:18 in the morning in my quiet apartment on Sunday waiting for time to pass before church starts. I'm not sure what today will hold, but I'm ok with that...I'm on island time now ;).

The Journey Thus Far

I am currently sitting on the floor next to a large pillar in the Tokyo Airport. Not due to lack of seats, but due to the fact that it's the only place where I could find an appropriate plug-in. (Again...first world problems.) After 9 1/2 hours in an airplane I couldn't help but write another blog post.

My flight overall went well, in all honesty I don't remember much of it. I will say it went faster than I had anticipated. After a few victories (and defeats) in my computer generated version of Mahjong, along with some solitare on the side, it didn't take long until they said it was time to "prepare for arrival." Three of a traveler's most loved words. Overall a relaxing ride...though my semi-swollen toes could rival that of a Little Smokey at the moment.

This airport is like one I've never been to. It's big, beautiful, and bold (cue Clinton Kelly from What Not to Wear). So artistic, modern, and simple at the same time. Then again...it is Japan. Behind me is a lounge area with splatter painted panels and large square couches with sleeping (yes I said sleeping) humans sprawled around. A rather ingenious idea I think. They have a little bit of everything here, including rooms to sleep and shower in. Those should probably be introduced in the states...just saying.

2 hours until my flight takes off.
5 hours until I arrive in Saipan.

Are we there yet?

It's Only a Matter of Hours Now...

So things are finally feeling real. I'm sitting at my gate in Sea-Tac and after much fiddling with the internet connection I finally am able to connect to my blog. (First world problems.)

My flight to Japan boards in about an hour in a half and, being the writer that I am, I couldn't help but feel a bit inspired. Airports come with all sorts of different people and problems. I'm happy to say that I haven't encountered the latter...yet. But have you ever just sat and watched the environment that this place produces? Hundreds upon hundreds of people fighting their way through crowds just to hurry up and sit. In the whole scheme of things it can be relatively humorous...unless, of course, you're the one who's flight is about to take off in the F Gates and you're still all the way in A. There is one aspect that I find particularly funny about Sea-Tac though. As many of you may know we Seattlites take our coffee drinking seriously. Heck there's even a statistic stating that we average about four cups a day per person...but I digress. As I was walking past various Starbucks and Seattle's Bests I couldn't help but find the length of the lines at each place to be unnaturally long. One would almost think these people feared they would never see coffee again! It made me smile though, this place has been home to me my whole life and I can't help but love it.

Now I sit, waiting to board my plane to the next adventure of my life. I'm not nervous, scared, or worried. Instead I feel comfortable in knowing that I'm doing to right thing. God showed me months prior that this is where my destination (for now) is meant to be. So I followed. A tad bit uncertain, but nontheless I followed. He knows what He's doing and why, it's just my job to obey.

This verse has been playing on repeat in my head for the past week and I can't help but find it appropriate:

"For I now the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

-Jeremiah 29:11

His plans are greater than mine...so why would I fight Him?

Well, I'm off to fullfill my Seattlite duties and buy one last drink from Seattle's Best. Afterall, who can resist a Cocoa Trio?

Breathe

Worry is a silent killer.

It stems from an outside source and creeps its way into the bodies of its unsuspecting victims. Upwards it spreads past the spinal cord and into the thoughts of one's mind. As it begins to stir negative feelings and anxiety within its prey the muscle's of said being begin to tighten, at times even spasm. Down the body it slithers into the stomach where it disrupts the bile of said organ. Back and forth it sloshes, at times even creating sores so intense that food is rarely kept down. All due to, again, and uncontrollable outside source.

Why am I writing about this? Well let me explain...

First and foremost it feels like forever since I've written and my fingers have been craving some quality typing time. But more importantly, I've found that worry can become a heavy burden to bear. Where will I work? Where will I live? How will I afford anything when I have college loans spilling out of my ears? For me personally the latter of the three thoughts has reared its ugly head more times than I would appreciate. This past week though I've found and decided that worry, although very natural, can become quite a pointless emotion.  Getting one's self all up in a tizzy about uncontrollable circumstances (especially when relating to the long-term future) does nothing but make the situation more unbearable.

God has really showed me the importance of trust and letting go. Money has been something I feel has weighed relatively heavy on my mind lately. I emailed D about it this past week and he sent me this verse:

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

-2 Corinthians 9:8

I will always have what I need and I will always be taken care of. I just need to trust and pray...always pray. Prayer is one of the most powerful things a person can do. I've seen miracles you wouldn't believe happen because of prayer. Whether it's in tongues or one's own language, it's one of the most intimate ways to connect with God.

Another verse that comes to mind is this:

Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.
-1 Peter 5:7

He cares for us. The maker of the universe and all of humanity cares for us and wants to carry our burdens and concerns so that we don't have to.

If that's not love, I don't know what is.

Kit-Kat

Today I was given a gift. One that wasn't wrapped up in shiny paper, ribbons, or covered in bows. No today I was given the gift of time.

My boss gave me a two hour lunch break (believe me I was pretty surprised too).

I figured the smartest way to spend the first part of it was eating, after all it is a lunch break. So the CR-V and I made our way to Subway. As the vinegar from every pickle-filled bite of my sandwich made its way onto my taste buds the epiphany that I could take as much time as I like popped into my head. Heck, I could spend a whole nother hour here if I wanted! An odd realization, I often find that I am subconsciously gobbling up my food quickly in hopes of moving on to the next activity as soon as humanly possible. Proper digestion is for the weak.

But I digress.

After leisurely finishing my meal I made my way to the library for a quick email check. I kind of snickered at myself for doing so. You have two hours to do whatever you want and all you care about is checking your Facebook and email right now? Come on woman! After finding that no life changing events had happened in the online world I decided to support my local vending machine and buy myself a Kit-Kat.

This chocolate bar and I go way back. It has been my favorite (or at least in the top five) candy treat since I can remember. I don't eat them the normal way though. No, I take off the wrapper and begin to gnaw away at the chocolate until nothing but the wafer center is exposed. A similar ritual is done when a 3 Musketeers and I meet up as well.

My cavity-increasing snack and I made our way out to the court yard, down the steps, and to the entrance of the park. It's the kind of park where you could stare for miles and you still won't be able to see it all. My eyes traced over every lush, green, grass-covered hill. Soon they smoothed their way down every warm concrete path. I took a deep breathe and just watched. The sun warmed my back and brisk breezes sailed by. My favorite part about this park is that they have benches placed on both the eastern and western sides so that the sun can be seen both rising and setting.

It has been a crazy couple weeks. I graduated, had D over for a couple days, went to a friend's wedding, found out one of my close friend's mom is dying, started working, spent quality time with family, and still can't wrap my head around the fact that I'll be living on an island for the next two years.

I can't help but praise God for the days like today where I can just take time to focus on the moment and not whats to come.

Welp, It's Official!

I have officially been offered a job as a second grade teacher at Saipan Community School!

I know what you're probably thinking, Sai-what? Saipan is the largest of the Marina Islands, which are located north of Guam and south of Japan. Although it may be the largest, the area of it is only about 45 square miles (about 116 square kilometers for those of you metric system users).

Now that I've given you a brief geography lesson (you're welcome) let's continue.

It's kind of funny how this whole application process has worked itself out. God definitely had something up His sleeve. I applied to the school a few months a go. My sister and brother-in-law taught there a couple of years back and I thought it would be a fun experience. Unfortunately I soon received an email from the principal saying that all the positions were filled. Although I was disappointed I pressed on and continued looking for another hopeful.

Fast-forward to about two weeks ago.

It's merely hours after graduation and I receive an email from the same principal saying that they are in need of a second grade teacher. In all honesty I wasn't 100% sure if I wanted to teach there anymore. It would be far and second grade seemed so young. After much discussion with loved ones and prayers I told the principal I would go for it. We had an interview via Skype yesterday and once we were done he sent me an email offering me the job. Complete with an attached contract.

Am I excited?: Very
Nervous?: Yeah
Scared?: A bit

But I know God has a plan, and I know this experience will be great.

And don't worry...the blog will continue while I'm there ;).

Airplane Musings

Currently I am writing this message from thousands of feet up in the air. Wedged between two fellow passengers I sit with a stuffed lion peeking through the cracks of the chairs in front of me. No worries though, he seems pretty tame.

In my many times of flying in an airplane I’ve found that there are certain aspects of aviation travel that kind of make me laugh. Take for example the bathrooms.

Let me explain.

Despite their 1x1 square foot area, these lavatories kind of have a sense of humor to them. Most notable is the toilet. It’s almost as heart attack worthy as pre-made Pillsbury dough that comes in a tube. Although they don’t pop in your face, one could run the risk of getting sucked-in and dropped-out of the plane! Then there’s the ashtray. I’m not sure if any of you have noticed this, but on the foldable bathroom door there is a small, metal ashtray. Even though there are constant signs and warnings about the illegality of puffing in the restroom, they still provide a place for those rebellious airplane smokers who just can’t wait to get their fix. It’s as if they’re saying, “Despite the constant warnings we go on and on about, we’ll give you an ashtray just in case.” How kind. Thank you airplane people, I’m sure all of the non-existent airplane smokers appreciate it ;D.

But all sarcasm aside…at least for now.

As I was playing solitaire, I found that it’s a lot like life. (Down with the eyebrows and off with the smirks. I have a point.) We start with piles of cards; lets pretend like those are the options and choices we are given in life. We begin working with one of the piles and mix them in with other piles. Then we get to a point where we’re stuck. Hmmm, the ace I need is hiding under this one stack of cards that I can’t quite move yet. Now what? However, right under our nose is hiding a different stack , a better stack, a stack that could improve the game by leaps and bounds. Now, let’s switch gears back to reality. Every day God gives us opportunities. It is up to us whether we take them or not. As humans we may think we know what's best and, like solitaire, we will try to take control. We may think it works for a while but eventually we will get stuck. God has a better plan sitting right under our noses, the one that will help us get all of the suits in the correct piles.

So, be willing to take risks.

If you mess up, try again,

Life can't be reshuffled, but there are always more chances.

Be willing to listen to others who care, even if it’s not what you want to hear.
Don’t sit around and wait for the perfect “card” to be dealt to you.

If you hear God calling you to do something do it,

If it’s part of His plan I can guarantee it is going to happen anyway.

Fifty-four minutes left of my flight

Twenty-two of which my battery will survive.
I’ll see you in Seattle.