So I've been living in Saipan for about two weeks now and I've come to find some funny little quirks about the island.
Enjoy!
You might be living in Saipan if...
-You're used to being sweaty and sticky all the time.
-You don't need to use hot water to shower.
-When you do want to use hot water you're hesitant to turn it on because power is so expensive.
-Eating out and buying groceries are pretty much the same price.
-Anything under the temperature of 80 now seems cold.
-Buying produce at the farmer's market is way cheaper and fresher than at the store.
-Any sort of dairy product is now considered a once in a while treat ($8 for a carton of ice cream my friends).
-You use all means possible to substitute for airconditioning because, once again, power is so expensive.
-The beach is literally a two minute walk away (well, for teacher housing at least).
-Bugs just don't phase you anymore (I've always found cochroachs to be slightly endearing anyways...).
-Payless is both a shoe and grocery store.
-You know the locations of at least one mango tree, one banana tree, and one coconut tree.
-You know what people mean when they say words or phrases like aircon, off the..., on the..., and grands.
-Figuring out a time to skype anyone in the states now takes much more math that it use to.
-You know what a flame tree is.
-When people talk about fishing you're not sure if it's with a speargun or a pole.
-Rice is now a staple in your diet.
-Being in teacher housing feels like being in college apartments again.
-You rarely miss a Thursday night street market.
Despite all of it's quirks, I have to say I love it and am very blessed to be here!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
Unconventional Answers
I know that there are many people out there who insist on the fact that God is a myth. A figment. Some religious form of dogma that we Christians mindlessly follow.
I find that hard to be true when it is so obvious that He is so alive.
After 24 bug bites, shuffling through classroom papers, adjusting my pallete to a spicer diet, adjusting to time, and just adjustig, I have almost made it through my first week on the island. Eventhough I've already been here about 6ish days I've already had confirmation from God that I am indeed doing the right thing by being here.
Flash back to yesterday. It was my fourth day working in the classroom and I had already gotten word that three of my students were, to put it nicely, "naughty." On top of that I was struggling to keep my head above stacks of curriculum that were as deep as the ocean across from the playground. I think my biggest problem though was feeling that I needed to do everything the same as the teacher before me did...eventhough our styles are like apples and oranges. Stress. Worry. Concern. I expressed my fears to Principal and he was so understanding. I think the best thing he said to me and kept saying was "You do it your own way. You don't have to answer to anybody but God, and me, but even I have to answer to God." Though talking with him did help, it didn't calm my thoughts completely.
After spending some time relaxing in the water I came back and prayed. I asked God why I was here, why I was going to be stuck with the trouble class, and again why I was here.
That night we all went to the Thursday street fair in Garapan. It's a really neat experience. All the restaurants serve food for cheap, venders sell goods, and different groups of people come out to dance. AVH and I were walking our way through some booths and out of nowhere these two girls came up to us.
They said they were both 19. One was from the Netherlands and the other was from England but they both went to a Bible college in Australia and were on the island for missions with YWAM. They asked us where we were from and we told them that we were recent locals who came to teach. Our conversation continued for a bit until one girl felt the Spirit move her to pray for us. With our eyes closed and heads bowed they placed their hands on us and I felt a feeling of calm spill over me. After they had finished praying the Dutch girl began giving us words of encouragment, however these words were different. It was like God was speaking through her. She said something along the lines of "You are here for a reason, you are going to teach and bless those children, you are meant to be here." My arms began to tickle with goosebumps...all I could think about were the questions I had prayed to God mere hours prior to our meeting. The girls left and AVH and I just looked at each other...it had been a God moment for both of us.
Today I walked into my classroom with my head a little higher and a new-found confidence in my heart. This is my class.
GOD LIVES. GOD LOVES. GOD LISTENS.
I find that hard to be true when it is so obvious that He is so alive.
After 24 bug bites, shuffling through classroom papers, adjusting my pallete to a spicer diet, adjusting to time, and just adjustig, I have almost made it through my first week on the island. Eventhough I've already been here about 6ish days I've already had confirmation from God that I am indeed doing the right thing by being here.
Flash back to yesterday. It was my fourth day working in the classroom and I had already gotten word that three of my students were, to put it nicely, "naughty." On top of that I was struggling to keep my head above stacks of curriculum that were as deep as the ocean across from the playground. I think my biggest problem though was feeling that I needed to do everything the same as the teacher before me did...eventhough our styles are like apples and oranges. Stress. Worry. Concern. I expressed my fears to Principal and he was so understanding. I think the best thing he said to me and kept saying was "You do it your own way. You don't have to answer to anybody but God, and me, but even I have to answer to God." Though talking with him did help, it didn't calm my thoughts completely.
After spending some time relaxing in the water I came back and prayed. I asked God why I was here, why I was going to be stuck with the trouble class, and again why I was here.
That night we all went to the Thursday street fair in Garapan. It's a really neat experience. All the restaurants serve food for cheap, venders sell goods, and different groups of people come out to dance. AVH and I were walking our way through some booths and out of nowhere these two girls came up to us.
They said they were both 19. One was from the Netherlands and the other was from England but they both went to a Bible college in Australia and were on the island for missions with YWAM. They asked us where we were from and we told them that we were recent locals who came to teach. Our conversation continued for a bit until one girl felt the Spirit move her to pray for us. With our eyes closed and heads bowed they placed their hands on us and I felt a feeling of calm spill over me. After they had finished praying the Dutch girl began giving us words of encouragment, however these words were different. It was like God was speaking through her. She said something along the lines of "You are here for a reason, you are going to teach and bless those children, you are meant to be here." My arms began to tickle with goosebumps...all I could think about were the questions I had prayed to God mere hours prior to our meeting. The girls left and AVH and I just looked at each other...it had been a God moment for both of us.
Today I walked into my classroom with my head a little higher and a new-found confidence in my heart. This is my class.
GOD LIVES. GOD LOVES. GOD LISTENS.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Seaing God
Little can be compared to that of the sea.
As I stood ankle deep on the shores of Garapan this evening I was hypnotized by the ripples that formed on the surface of the water. The shallow waves made it look as if it were a body breathing. Up and down the water pulsed as it swallowed my lower legs, almost as if to be a mouth that hadn't eaten in days. But at the same time, it was so gentle. Peaceful even. Time seemed to stop as I watched the separate shades of blue-green water fade into each other. It didn't matter which color was which, the ony thing that mattered was that they ended up in the same place.
Whenever I'm around a body of water feelings of calm flood through me. I feel like it's where I can connect most with God. It brings me peace, serenity, and awe. I feel like it represents so much of who He is. The ocean has the ability to be powerful and gentle. Though, no matter how safe it may appear, we always know that what it can do is out of our control. Yet every inch of it breathes life. But unlike the everchanging waters of the Pacific (or any ocean) our God is always the same. He loves us. I think everytime I dig my feet into a sandy beach I fall inlove with Him all over again.
As I stood ankle deep on the shores of Garapan this evening I was hypnotized by the ripples that formed on the surface of the water. The shallow waves made it look as if it were a body breathing. Up and down the water pulsed as it swallowed my lower legs, almost as if to be a mouth that hadn't eaten in days. But at the same time, it was so gentle. Peaceful even. Time seemed to stop as I watched the separate shades of blue-green water fade into each other. It didn't matter which color was which, the ony thing that mattered was that they ended up in the same place.
Whenever I'm around a body of water feelings of calm flood through me. I feel like it's where I can connect most with God. It brings me peace, serenity, and awe. I feel like it represents so much of who He is. The ocean has the ability to be powerful and gentle. Though, no matter how safe it may appear, we always know that what it can do is out of our control. Yet every inch of it breathes life. But unlike the everchanging waters of the Pacific (or any ocean) our God is always the same. He loves us. I think everytime I dig my feet into a sandy beach I fall inlove with Him all over again.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
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 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 ;).
Friday, July 20, 2012
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?
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."
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?
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?
Monday, July 2, 2012
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:
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:
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
-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.
If that's not love, I don't know what is.
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