"Normal" Ebeye

  Yes, I was very surprised when we arrived in Ebeye! I had been well prepared by a class and retreat at WWU, many conversations with family and friends, and a great orientation in Hawaii. But I've heard many missionaries say this and now I agree:
    I cannot explain what I've experienced and there is no way to describe it. You just have to experience it for yourself!
   Yes, I've only been here for 2 months, but I already am discovering how true this statement is. I had one friend ask me what has surprised me most about being here in Ebeye. Since I think this helps capture the experience, I will share with you things that have surprised me that for the people here in Ebeye are just "normal":

   How Hot it is here! The sun is extremely intense, but there is almost always a strong breeze to accompany the heat, so it's really quite pleasant. :)
   The fact that about 15,000 people live on the island of Ebeye, which is barely more than 1 mile long and 300 yards wide.
   All the trash! Piles, literally, are scattered around. The street gutters are completely full of mud or trash. You ALWAYS watch your step. It isn't that the people don't care; most families clean their areas 1-2 times a week. They pull all the grass (it collects trash and hair) then rake through the dirt to clear all the trash. They proceed to rake nice even lines in the dirt, and if they are rich enough to have coral spread instead, they smooth the rocks back out. They will sweep the sidewalk, shovel the gutter, and I've even seen a few sweep the entire street in front of their house. With this many people though...well, the trash builds up quickly..
   All the smells. They are so strong, and there is ALWAYS something that I smell. Trash. Plumerias. Unwashed bodies here. Cologne there. Food - of every kind. Salt. Fish. Ocean. Donuts. The breeze. Rain. I love the smells. Some are not so lovely, but they all have a nostalgia or something about them that I like.
   The KIDS!! Over 50% of the population here is younger than 18 years of age. Yep, this island is full of kids! You will see a group of 40+ children playing, ages ranging from 1 to 12 years of age, with NO adults anywhere around. They take care of themselves and each other. Some have families. Some don't. It is a big problem in Ebeye to try and make sure everyone attends school. The majority are now finishing elementary school, many attend high school, and some complete it. A few go on to college.

Always sharing

   How creative the kids are! They will play with anything for hours. Their favorites: basketball (boys), marbles and volleyball (girls). :) But they will take any piece of trash, rock, stick, toy, candy, or patch of dirt, and come up with the most creative use in an awesome game! One of their not-so-safe favorite games is to grab onto the bumper of the cars and run - or fly if they are going fast enough - behind the vehicle without the driver seeing them!
   They share everything. If it's one cookie, 3 or 4 kids will each have a bite. If it is a toy, everyone has a turn. If it is roller blades...well, why not make it fun for two?! (I don't know how these kids can roller blade with only one on, but they do it with ease, even in the dirt or gravel!)
   How much junk food they eat! It is so unhealthy, but to them it is normal. Most of my students don't have breakfast. They just have a small cup of rice soup and a donut or cookie at recess time (10 o'clock). They eat a lot of sugar, candies, soda, ice cream, etc. ANYTHING! One of the worst is their favorite snack: Kool-Aid powder, plain. Or sometimes they will mix it into a pack of dry ramen all crushed up. It is all sooo unhealthy and I don't know how they have any teeth left! (Well, I guess some of the adults don't have teeth between the sugar, Kool-Aid, and the beetle-nut...)  Diabetes is a huge problem in the Marshall islands as well.
   How young many of the mothers are around. It is a given that if you have a "boyfriend" that you are acting as only married couples should. That is what a relationship means to them here. It is also not uncommon for the girls to drink a home-remedy the following morning as a method of birth control. This problem is also contributing to the schooling issue as they are distracted and often the girls have to drop out of high school because they have a child to care for.
   How happy people are here. It's crowded, filthy, and stinky. But they are always smiling and laughing. Everyone greets you, all the time. "Yokwe-Yokwe!!" Anytime after noon it might be "Goodnight!" too. All the kids want high five/hugs even. They don't know you, and they love you! And that's super cool.
   But it's unique to see filth and joy intertwined together in every corner of this crowded island. This is definitely one of the biggest surprises to me.
   This culture is family-oriented. People and relationships are so important. Time/scheduling is definitely not the priority! Which is awesome, just SO different from America. Some are lazy, and that is why they don't care about timing or work or anything, but mostly it is not that, but instead is the priority differences. The worldview.
   How nice my apartment is. And I mean SUPER nice! We are so spoiled, with so much space, and so many utensils and household items. An apartment our size (2 bedrooms, bathroom, and living space/kitchen combined) would probably house 2 or 3 families, from 5-10 members each, with fewer utensils than we have!
   I'm surprised how nice the island of Guegeegue (said "goo-chi-goo") is that is connected to Ebeye by a causeway. Just because of land rights and ownership, there are rich people living with space and huge lawn areas, and there are hundreds crowded into just a few houses in other areas of Ebeye.
   How tired I am before we even start school. How much the heat/sweating can take it out of you!! How hard lesson planning is. How many things you can do to set up a classroom. How there is always more grading or some preparation. You are never done!
   How dirty/destroyed things get here from normal use. How CRAZY FAST the salty air corrodes ANYTHING metal. Even stainless steel! It's amazing! So frustrating too; You don't usually think about your staples and thumb tacks rusting, or your textbooks getting moldy from sitting on the shelf. Or most of the insides of a book being eaten out by termites.... ha ha. We don't have a lot of supplies here, yet we still have a ton, just so much is useless from damage, moisture, or just because of the setting and circumstances here...
   Most of the windows in Ebeye are wood and are propped open with sticks during the day to let in more air and light.
   How much of a difference a few minutes alone and some prayer can make. And how beautiful the little things can be.
   How each person on the school staff is so unique and wonderful. I am so glad that God sent the other SMs here, and the other missionaries and teachers are very helpful and definitely being used by God here.
   How quickly/deeply you can bond with a roommate when you are going through crazy times like this. Ang and I get along wonderfully and I really appreciate our friendship. I definitely feel like I've known her for WAY more than 2 months! She is the only one who can fully understand this experience here, because we're going through it together. What a blessing! :D
   How wonderful the church people are. They make an out-of-tune piano sound beautiful with their joyful singing. Even though we meet in the chapel of the school because there is no church, they are strong, smiling, and praising God. There are more and more young people being baptized, and with the recent evangelistic meetings we had here with Dr. Eddie Allen, 13 young people declared their love for Jesus and their dedication to Him!
   My students are SO LOUD!!! I didn't even know you could talk that loudly all day! It's more like yelling everything. And they love to talk. I lose my voice when I talk that much! (In fact I almost did. For about 3 weeks I had to be careful to not lose it completely!) But I still love them, even though they talk a lot! :D
   It is hard to learn another language! It takes honest sit-down-and-be-a-student learning. I cannot just "pick it up". They speak so quickly in Marshallese, and it is so hard to understand them sometimes even when they are speaking English!
   Also how much they appreciate a little effort from me to learn their language! It definitely has already opened up some doors and hearts as people hear me practicing and laugh with me when I say it wrong for the hundredth time. I said things like "go home" instead of "two," and "girl" instead of "five"... but I'm learning and they smile and then want to talk to me and teach me! :) They love it, and so do I!
   Kids put quarters in their ears. When I asked why, they gave a very funny look and said, "Well, because, Miss'aaa.....I don't have a pocket! Where else should I put it?!" 

Kiobi - 6th grader who is unsure why I want a picture of her quarter.

   How awful some of the kids' math skills are! My 9th graders that I'm supposed to be teaching Algebra 1 to don't understand how division is the opposite of multiplication, why 2*3 is the same as 3*2 and why that really equals 6, or how to borrow when you are subtracting, or what subtracting even is, and how to count by 2's or 3's or what "even/odd" means....and I'm supposed to teach them Algebra! :/
   How quickly a child can come into your heart and change your perspective on so many levels. My kids are already so special to me! I feel like I just met them and that I will have to leave them so soon. They are already begging me to stay and wondering why I am going back to college and only staying here one year...
   How often we forget what those around us are going through... physically, emotionally, and spiritually - we are all struggling. And we cannot completely understand what another is going through, but we definitely can help them know they are loved, cared for, and children of our Heavenly Father! And He DOES understand EVERYTHING.
   How easy some changes can be to adjust to and yet how HARD change is! How much I, as a human being, like my comfort zone. I like to know what is going on around me, and when plans change or things happen last minute, it's hard to adjust!
   How much I have to learn about myself. I am here to be a teacher (still hard to think of myself as an adult and teacher!). But I am also here to learn about these wonderful people, their language and culture, and their struggles and joys! I am here to learn whatever lessons God has to teach me as He is molding me. I am surprised by how much I am learning each day. I am even more surprised when I realize how much I DON'T know or understand!
   These are just a few of the things that surprise me here in Ebeye as I look around. (I may do another post of more things I've noticed later on). I will be changed forever from this experience. When I go back home to the US what was "normal" will not be normal to me anymore. I will have more change to adjust to, but I hope that I will keep the things I'm learning here so that I can make a "normal" for me that is a combination of the best of both worlds. :) I can learn a lot from this life that is so different from anything I've ever known! To the Marshallese here, this life is "normal" and they don't understand mine. I hope to catch a glimpse this year of how they really think and feel, and show them more than a glimpse of my Savior.

My 6th Graders (3 missing): Posing after singing Happy Birthday to my friend Jenna Donald for her birthday.