Rolly and "Few Minutes Noodles"

Ryan and I are learning how to cook.  We discovered the phenomena of boiling water, as well its uses in making noodles soft.  Yes, Ryan and I have finally started to make ramen by ourselves.

"Few Minutes Noodles" are actually quite good.  I am convinced they came on the ship from Japan, since they are a little better than our Top Ramen at home.  We deep-fried breadfruit chips, which was one of our more successful endeavors.  Let me tell you briefly about breadfruit:  When raw, it tastes like  unsalted, refrigerated play-dough.  When deep-fried, it tastes like flat popcorn.  Its not prime either way, but it will do.  We went for a food run last night, and the pastor let us take the "school truck" into the village to the little market.  I squeezed into the mildew-y drivers seat, which was on the right side.  I looked at the stick shift and realized everything would be opposite.  After finding the headlights, grinding a few gears, and running over a frog, we were barreling down the jungle road to the market to buy rice and ramen.

We just finished our second day of teaching.  To be brutally honest, the morning was very difficult for me.  The kids are getting more used to a tall, deep-voiced American teacher, and I can't even give them an inch now.  Sometimes they will pretend like they can't understand me, and many of them are not even close to the level they should be at.  After teaching an unbelievable math class, I came up to my upstairs room above the school and laid on my bed during lunch, wondering how in the world I will survive for these long 9 months.  Everything all of a sudden became very overwhelming, and I began to feel very discouraged about the year and even a little bit trapped.  Daydreaming of the day I would fly back into the U.S., I straightened up and walked back into my classroom while my kids began to pile back into their desks from break.

That evening, I walked past the neighbors houses, who were all cooking over wood fires and feeding their pigs, and past Larry's house to the end of our little dirt road that ended at the ocean.   The sun had just set, but it was one of those afterglows that you could tell was the product of an unbelievable sunset.  little William Jr. was splashing in the quiet water, and the breakers rolled in off of the distant reef.  I looked West, towards Australia, and felt very far away from home.

"Where teacher Ryan?" Asked William.
"He is inside the apartment, eating his rice," I replied.  "Is the water warm?"
"Yes, very warm.  Do you swim right now?"
"No, just watching the sunset."
"You are too late."
"I know," I said with a laugh.  He laughed too.

Soon a local came up behind me and sat on the rocks next to me.  His name was Rolly.  He was a little older, and looked sage and wise.

"Are you going to fish right now?" He asked.
"No, I'm just watching the sunset."
"You are too late."
"I know."
We shared another smile, and he began to tell me about the ocean and the midnight fishermen, and the boats that come in from Japan and leave to Pohnpeii.  The words were few and far between, but it was peaceful as we watched the sun sink farther into the ocean.  I told him about coming here and how I was nervous, and about getting settled in and learning to live like an islander.

"It is hard at first, but give it time and you won't want to leave," he reassured.  "We had an SM one year who arrived at the apartment in Kosrae, and within ten minutes he came down and told me that he wanted to leave.  Sure enough, he flew out two days later.  We were all very sad and discouraged, because we needed a teacher for the school.  We wanted him to stay, but he made his choice."

As he left to go fishing, I mulled over these words and darkness settled in over the ocean and us, and I began to realize why I am here.  I cannot be pushed around by feelings and emotions, because the devil just might convince me that I am not needed here.  But I AM needed here.  These kids do not have a teacher without me, and although 9 months is long and home is very far away, this is my mission right now.  I am here for the islanders, and I have no business feeling discouraged when God has set out a task for me.  I will not let them down.