Old News : Coconut, Bōb, Kuuj im Kiru in Ebeye

    Here a few stories from last semester:


Coconut - We actually don't have a lot of trees on the island of Ebeye itself, but we still can get a fresh coconut every now and then from an outer island, as a gift or something like that. Our first coconut here was in Guegeegue at the evangelistic meetings, and I must say it was delicious! :) They were picked off the dwarf tree the deacon had planted by his house for easy picking. After we drank the coconut, he cracked them open, and we used a piece of the husk as a spoon to scrape out the meat. So yummy! (I think this picture is funny and just wanted to share it! We are the 3 SMs to Ebeye who were able to attend the orientation in Hawaii before we came.)

Pandanus  or "Bōb"

Bōb - This is said halfway between "pop" (soda) and "pup" (like puppy). Known elsewhere as Pandanus, this fruit is VERY strange. The tree is covered in small spikes on the leaves, trunk, and even the fruit. It grows in a big clump thing bigger about the size of a basketballx2, and when it's ripe, they break apart each small section. It's yellow-orange inside and extremely stringy...
   The first time I was offered Bōb my piece was not cut up, so they told me to just gnaw on it and suck the juice out of it. I felt like my mouth was full of hair for the next 3 hours until I could do a major flossing! I really like Bōb though, and especially in smoothies, or cut up.


Kuuj im Kiru in Ebeye - "Cat and Dog of Ebeye".

    One day, as we were walking home from church, we choose to walk back on the beach. As we walked we heard a pitiful cry coming from under a big flat rock. As we tried to find what it was, we found a small, wet kitten hiding near the ocean. We could not see any cats around, and she looked like she had been neglected for quite sometime, so I took her out. We carried her home and held her in our apartment for about one hour. But since some teachers are allergic to animals (and here you better not get started on taking in strays) we knew we couldn't keep her. We cleaned her up, fed her, played with her for a while, filled up our hearts and hers with love, then gave her to a student. Problem: Another child stole the kitten and tried to throw it over a fence into a "safe area" from dogs where she was going to play with it...I think it died from that. :(
    Our students informed us in the fall that there was a dog and puppies under the maintenance shed at school... I was able to hold and play with one of the puppies who kept running out. :) The poor mamma was not in good shape, but between all the students and teachers who felt sorry for her, she definitely survived. She picked a good place to raise her 3 babies. One died, and then the kids wanted the other two. The one had kind of claimed me, and we couldn't think of a name, so I asked them how to say puppy in Marshallese. The name stuck, and one of my students took Kiru in Ebeye home for me (to Guegeegue I believe) and has raised him. :)

Don't Blink....

I forgot to publish this post....since March 1. So here it is...1 1/2 months later. :)

Yokwe, eta in Q.

Oh.....*ahem....Hello, my name is Q.

   It is March and I can hardly believe it. I feel like I just recently arrived in Ebeye. Yet....I also feel like I've been here for a lot longer than 6 months....to the day, in fact!

   So much has changed ... I have changed. I'm not even Leanna anymore. I am Q. That is my name. I will answer to:    Q,     Miss Q,     Missaaah,     Misteraaah (sometimes accidentally),     Rikaki  (Teacher)....

But call out "Leanna"..... and I might answer you in 5 minutes... if I realize you are trying to talk to me.

Now my name is definitely not the only thing that has changed....I have changed a lot.

When I go back to college:
I will have to "remember" my name is Leanna.

I will become familiar again with hot showers, strawberries, applesauce, frozen yogurt, bananas, WWU, burritos, smoothies, cold, mountains and other unlevel ground, driving my car, flying a plane, having open spaces, pine trees, rivers, shoes, and technology.

I will again sing in choir, fly in aviation class, study math in Kretschmar, eat in the cafeteria, run or bike on the roads in the valley, hike and drive in the hills, visit my family and supportive friends around College Place, eat at Taco Bell, drive to Walmart, maybe buy something that I don't need - we do that a lot you know, 

Yes, I'm being silly to pretend that I would introduce myself first in Marshallese. No, I do not speak the language well; I've only learned a handful of words and phrases. But I love this place, the people, and their language. I will miss it!
So, my name is Leanna Quaile, also known as Q, and I am a student missionary who is praying that God will keep my heart and mind open.

I am praying that

I may never be who I once was

but that

I may never forget who I was.

That what I have learned and experienced as Q, teacher and missionary, will help me as Leanna, university student and ambitious girl who wants to learn everything God puts before me. Who wants to remember all the people who have touched my life.

2014, Math, Life, and 6th Graders

    The students really struggle with understanding fractions and percentages. I have tried many ways of explaining them, and some are working. It is hard to explain something, though, when 25% of the class is talking, 70% are trying to listen but really could care less, and 5% are geniuses compared to their peers and are the only ones answering me.
   This is what I'm thinking about a lot as I start 2nd semester. We just finished Week 1, and I finally caught my Bluebook up-to-date for the first time all year! One thing I tried in vain to do last semester. We also had our first class picnic on Thursday. The 6th graders went to Shell Island where we spent the day relaxing; swimming, playing in the sand, eating, and exploring. We were all exhausted, so Friday was quite long for a half day. Now, I'm enjoying a relaxing Sabbath. Even as I was playing piano for church this morning, though, I could not stop contemplating these questions:

What can I do to improve my classes? How can I challenge all the students - catch up those who are behind yet keep up with the lessons and push those who are ahead - all at once? How can I teach them LIFE and GOD and not just math?

I am so behind on grading...how can I have time to complete all those things required of a teacher? I want to stay after school and hang out with my kids and get to know them better. To share the ambition and motivation I have for life that so many of them don't understand. To show them I really care. To show them I can stop and breath and not stress. To let them see how much I really do enjoy and love life. To make sure they know I love them! To sit and laugh with them at their silly jokes and antics. To tell them about my family, and listen to their stories about theirs. To learn Marshallese, and laugh at myself with them as I pronounce it wrong AGAIN. To teach them about the things they really want to learn. To answer the many, many questions they have about God and life and stuff. To show them I'm as ready to listen as they are to talk and ask questions. They are such great kids!

    I promise myself to do better this next week as I review my year in my head:

• I have been here for more than half of my total time (unless it works out that I will be staying here for the summer).
• I have NOT taught my students even a fraction of what I hoped to this year.
• I feel like I have learned 400% more than I thought I could ever learn in 5 months.
• I have not accomplished half of my personal goals for this year which include:
• learning the ukulele
• learning Marshallese
• establishing better eating habits
• learning to stop procrastinating (Yes, I am queen of procrastination. And no, procrastination does not automatically stop when you are not a college student.)
• many, many, MANY more goals

    I have put my personal goals at the end of the list because I am not done here. I still have more time. Yes, I promise: I will do better this week.

    "Silly Leanna!" others tell me. "You are trying to hard. You are going to drain yourself. Look, you are doing what you can, and you are teaching your classes. That's all you can do. You need to change your standard and realize that the kids just don't care to change."

     Maybe they are right. Maybe not. Anyway, I will not stop trying. It's January, and I am still okay. Sure, I'm tired, but I have an underlying energy (which was renewed during Christmas break) that I need to focus on my kids, because they deserve the best. My life is a gift from God that I must use to serve others in the best way that I know. And I must pray every step of every day so that God will use what I'm offering to Him. I will do my best, and He will do the rest. Because honestly, some days my best really isn't much! I am here in Ebeye this year for a reason. No, for many reasons!

"For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain."           ~Philippians 2:13-16

    Lord, I know you put me here for a reason. Please work in me and help me. Let this year of 2014 bring Your coming exponentially closer as we work to complete the work set before us. When I leave Ebeye I want to rejoice knowing that I have not run/labored in vain. When we pull out on that ferry I pray that I will be able to leave without regrets about this year, knowing that I taught them everything I could about You and Your Love. :)

Ebeye's ferry dock. The first thing I saw in August, and last thing I will see this summer. <3

    

Pictures From Around

Moon over Guegeegue

   Guegeegue is north of Ebeye about 5 miles on the causeway that connects five or six islands. Guegeegue is a small island with the more well-off people's homes and is the location of the Kwajalein Atoll Public High School. I am amazed at the difference from Ebeye. There is much less trash and many more trees and plants. It's so GREEN! :) I love it. It was a much needed break when we went to Guegeegue for the first time on August 17.

   One Sabbath afternoon in September we joined Michael and Love for a ground-breaking meeting in preparation for the upcoming evangelistic meetings. We went out in teams and helped our young church members have courage as they knocked on each door to invite them to our outdoor meeting by the deacon's house in half-an-hour. My entire Marshallese vocabulary at that time consisted of Yokwe (hello) and komol tata (thank you very much). I was able to practice at each door and then nudge Fila forward to invite them. We covered the whole island in about fifteen minutes then meandered back taking pictures of everything along the way and enjoying the fresh scents. :)

   Over eighteen people from the island joined our group of young adults and teachers for the FIRST meeting that night. We were so excited, and began praying immediately for each one in attendance that night that the Holy Spirit would work on their hearts as well as guide the message that Michael was presenting. Part way through the sermon, a lady in the back began having a seizure and fell to the ground. Kent (a missionary teacher who is a nurse) quickly went to her side and called Michael (who works at the hospital) for assistance. After about fifteen minutes someone took her to hospital in Ebeye. Michael informed us that she had been to the hospital several times before and had recurring seizures and would be fine. We returned to our meeting and finished without any further incidents.

   Because of these meetings that Michael continued in preparation for the evangelistic series, several are now taking personal Bible studies and they are looking into putting a church in Guegeegue hopefully in the near future. God is definitely working here and reaching many. There are over 15,000 people, though, and maybe 30-40 in regular attendance at our church (if you look at the church record, I'm told that there are over 300 members... definitely NOT accurate, or at leas they don't attend). There is much to do. God is ready to use those who are willing to step out in faith.

"Then He said to them, 'The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.'"                  ~Luke 10:2

Guegeegue Dock

Fila, Miss Ang, Shania, and Miss Q.

Fila, Shania, Miss Ang, Oronia, Miss Q, and Sharon <3

Sunset

Beach Park is at the southern tip of Ebeye next to the power plant and is a common place to go for a quick swim, a picnic, a sunset view, or any other excuse we can find to go hang out and relax. We end our Sunday morning jog here with a refreshing swim. :D

Beach Park

Rain over Carlos - island on the far side of the Kwajalein Atoll

Beach Park Sunset

I love the little poofy clouds!

The Ladies' Basketball "Coaches"

   There are two ferries that run the 15-minute trip back and forth between Ebeye and Kwajalein eight times a day each. It is free as it mostly carries workers back and forth, and you may ride whenever you like. However, you cannot go past the ferry station into Kwaj without a sponsor and a good reason...

Ang and I were able to go into Kwaj twice during first semester. We went with the middle school basketball teams as the ladies' coaches. Despite the fact that I know hardly anything about basketball, I am glad they choose us as their sponsors.

Kindergartner Valerie and 6th-gr. Billica, our students

    The students really enjoy the basketball games in Kwaj, except some of the girls aren't so sure about the part where they have to run. And some are scared to play. But they really do enjoy seeing Kwaj (the farthest about 75% of my students have ever been from Ebeye). And they really enjoy the Kwaj food court afterward, almost as much as their teachers. Pizza, Burger King, or SUBWAY!!!

Benji, Rudy, and Waihee

     Problem: the first time we went this year the food court was already closed by the time our game was done. No fast food for us. The second time they were just closing, and so a few kids cleaned out what was left at the pizza place.

    No Subway, but that's okay, we've had Subway brought to us a few times in Ebeye through a Kwaj worker or something. :) That's a treat!

Benji, Rudy, Wayne, and Waihee in back; BJ and Mardon in front

    We had so much fun. Basketball is THE SPORT for boys in Ebeye. Volleyball for girls. :)
    I love their smiles, and you can see the joy in their faces. It's always there. :)

RoseAlin, Jule, Kiobi, and Eoata
Cheesin' !!

My 6th grade girls ready for the 2nd basketball trip

Emon Beach in Kwaj (2-second stop on the way to basketball)

Just so happy! :)        Random Observation: I'm standing really awkwardly in this picture!

"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.