i find myself stumbling,
no motivation, i'm fumbling
my days away, my goals have strayed.
no self restrain, i can't refrain
from technology.
for this, my sincerest apology.
its a modern affliction,
the worst kind of addiction.
worse than drugs, alcohol, or porn
for it has torn, more lives apart
than we are able to start.
cheating, lying, stealing;
all things worth concealing
on our devices,
and these, are our vices.
Over the past month i've lost my GoPro as well as the hard drive that held every bit of my experience of Kosrae; almost 700GB of pictures and video. As i "mourn my loss" reality has sunk in. i no longer have anything to show for the past 9 months.
Wait, is that what i'm here for? to take pictures and video so that i can show my family and friends "this cool thing i did"? Well, no. Had i stayed home, i'd be taking the last midterms of my undergrad with finals and graduation on the horizon. i'd be sending out resumes, doing interviews, and planning my future career. i'd be set on a path of no return, a goal in mind, with no time for mission work. Is that what God put me here for?
i took this year to give my time, my energy, and my body to help someone else before i was set on a crash course called adulthood. Sure, we can all be missionaries in our own right, but i wanted something more. Have i found it? Did i get that "something more"? i'm not sure. Maybe i'll find it in the next month, or maybe it won't find me until that kid i taught that one time when i was in college finds me on Facebook to tell me that he's now enrolled at Walla Walla University and wants to reconnect. i don't know how i fit into the Master Plan, but what i do know is: we don't need pictures, or video, or even blogs to show others what we're doing, our actions and memories of how God put us in a place that He needed is enough.
Updates: A story about Sam is in the works, its finicky. We didn't realize how lucky we were to have a truck until ours broke, being vehicleless makes obtaining food very hard. A mouse ate our sponge, hopefully he dies, this is a brand new apartment we're talking about. On that note, all of God's creatures are important, but sometimes sin has marred that, and things like mice do more damage than good, kind of like humans, except without the redemption story. Happy late Easter? i'm tired of texting my friends, i'm pretty excited being home with face to face communications. As the days drag by, i get less and less excited about leaving. those last two statements are contradictory, but trust me, its possible. I have a bruised bone in my hand so im limited on what i can do, hello yoga? 1 month until i'm on a plane to Guam. 2 months until im back stateside.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Reset
i shuffled across the carpet (a very important accessory often taken for granted) towards the kitchen. Laid out on the table before me were four types of cereal, more varieties of fruit than i'd seen in six months, a bowl, and silverware. Was this the "culture shock" i'd heard so much about? Or maybe it was my still half delusional mind playing tricks on me. Then, the night before came pouring back, "Do you like cereal? What about fruit? What's your favorite? i wake up early, i'll get you what you want before you wake up. Are we coddling you? We like taking care of our kids.". This was all spewed forth in the matter of 4-5 seconds, and before i could reply, the breakfast feast appeared. Ah, parents.
When i had arrived that Tuesday night, i was rushed to the SDA clinic, pumped full of IV fluid and antibiotics, poked a few times (some for good luck), and sent home with Steve and Carmen Kasperbauer (their son, Lawrence, is on Kosrae working on the school remodel-aka our roommate). i spent the next three days routinely plodding into the clinic, checking in, peeing in a cup, getting blood drawn, and sitting with an IV drip; classic. After a minor liver mishap (liver enzymes quadrupled in 4 days) and a few more bio hazardous samples, i was healthy enough to go back to my island home, still unsure of what disease(s) i'd contracted.
Side story: Due to unknown reasons (conspiracy theory: it was a bomb) me and Sam Robinson (will post story on him later) were stranded on the Guam tarmac for 3 hours and then forced to stay on Majuro (no time to stop at Kosrae) for two days. While there we met a man looking to give free solar and wind power to a lucky party via US grants. Naturally, Sam took care of him, and set him up with the SDA school there.
Weeks later, i think the super bug is as follows: Zika Virus mixed with a minor bacterial infection and parasite which resulted in hepatitis.
Though i'd trade the trip to Guam if i could've stayed healthy, being away was a good "reset". While i was "resetting", i was surrounded by people who were more in tune with God than i knew was possible. It was an opportunity to take an outside look into the way God works, take a break from school, and get my head on straight for the rest of the year. Sometimes we get so focused on where we are at the moment, that we forget to see the big picture. God has a bigger plan than your day tomorrow, but stick with him, focus on that day to day, and He'll put the pieces together.
Updates: its been awhile, a lot has happened, not much has changed. We have a new apartment (next year's principle will be living large, his apartment is great). Only 6 weeks left until we leave, 20 more days of class. Shun me if you want, but if i hear one more John Mayer song, i think i'll pop. After not knowing the alphabet phonics at the beginning of the year, my first graders have started to read (a true miracle from God). Blogging is hard after awhile in the same place, so i'll try my best to write a better one next time. We surfed a lot (after the construction finishes at 4pm) the past few weeks, that is, until our truck blew a head gasket due to a coolant hose leak. The electrician turned off the old apartment's power over the weekend....we had frozen fish in both freezers, my nose buds are fried, and so are the rest of the people's on Kosrae. Clarissa visited for her spring break. The GMM president and Uncle Steve Kasperbauer also visited. i'm officially leaving on May 27th (bittersweet, will blog on it later). Time to sign up for next year's classes....are you ready? Operation real life is almost a go.
Fung wo (goodnight),
Tyler
When i had arrived that Tuesday night, i was rushed to the SDA clinic, pumped full of IV fluid and antibiotics, poked a few times (some for good luck), and sent home with Steve and Carmen Kasperbauer (their son, Lawrence, is on Kosrae working on the school remodel-aka our roommate). i spent the next three days routinely plodding into the clinic, checking in, peeing in a cup, getting blood drawn, and sitting with an IV drip; classic. After a minor liver mishap (liver enzymes quadrupled in 4 days) and a few more bio hazardous samples, i was healthy enough to go back to my island home, still unsure of what disease(s) i'd contracted.
Side story: Due to unknown reasons (conspiracy theory: it was a bomb) me and Sam Robinson (will post story on him later) were stranded on the Guam tarmac for 3 hours and then forced to stay on Majuro (no time to stop at Kosrae) for two days. While there we met a man looking to give free solar and wind power to a lucky party via US grants. Naturally, Sam took care of him, and set him up with the SDA school there.
Weeks later, i think the super bug is as follows: Zika Virus mixed with a minor bacterial infection and parasite which resulted in hepatitis.
Though i'd trade the trip to Guam if i could've stayed healthy, being away was a good "reset". While i was "resetting", i was surrounded by people who were more in tune with God than i knew was possible. It was an opportunity to take an outside look into the way God works, take a break from school, and get my head on straight for the rest of the year. Sometimes we get so focused on where we are at the moment, that we forget to see the big picture. God has a bigger plan than your day tomorrow, but stick with him, focus on that day to day, and He'll put the pieces together.
Updates: its been awhile, a lot has happened, not much has changed. We have a new apartment (next year's principle will be living large, his apartment is great). Only 6 weeks left until we leave, 20 more days of class. Shun me if you want, but if i hear one more John Mayer song, i think i'll pop. After not knowing the alphabet phonics at the beginning of the year, my first graders have started to read (a true miracle from God). Blogging is hard after awhile in the same place, so i'll try my best to write a better one next time. We surfed a lot (after the construction finishes at 4pm) the past few weeks, that is, until our truck blew a head gasket due to a coolant hose leak. The electrician turned off the old apartment's power over the weekend....we had frozen fish in both freezers, my nose buds are fried, and so are the rest of the people's on Kosrae. Clarissa visited for her spring break. The GMM president and Uncle Steve Kasperbauer also visited. i'm officially leaving on May 27th (bittersweet, will blog on it later). Time to sign up for next year's classes....are you ready? Operation real life is almost a go.
Fung wo (goodnight),
Tyler
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Hello Hospital
CRAMPS! i woke up, struggled to reach my water, drank, let the cramps subside, and fell back to sleep. The next morning i woke with a raging fever and pulsating headache just behind my eyes. The smell of the local medicine (bruised bone maybe? i had Srue (shroo-ay), a long time church member, make me something for it) wrapped onto my wrist stung my nose adding to my already slight nausea. i drug myself out of bed, half crawled to the couch to where my clean clothes
lay in a crumpled heap, hunched a clean(?) shirt over my shoulders, and stumbled out of the door to our truck. After going one for three on students i landed in bed in a sweaty, infant like pile where i laid, stubbornly medicationless, until noon.
Two days of sweating, shivering, loss of water, and voluntary starvation passed before i succumbed to my mother's pleas to grab my man card and head to the hospital. Before leaving, my body had one hurrah of liquid excretion (both varieties) to bid me farewell and good luck. At the hospital i registered a fever of 39.5°C (103.1°F) and a blood pressure that anyone over the age of 60 would envy. After an hour and a half wait i saw the outpatient doctor, a very well educated middle aged kosraen woman, who immediately admitted me and began testing for dengue fever and infection.
As i lay dying on the cot, staring at the once intricate cob webs now hanging mangled yet still inhabited above my head, the nurse did her best to find anything hollow and blood carrying worth pricking in my arm. With each new prick-n-wiggle i studied a different spider; lucky for us there were only four. With the life juice flowing, i made my way out of the AirCon oasis needle room and across the hallway to my stall where three empty beds lay waiting. There i stayed, for the next four hours in my lightweight sleep pants, size too small, bright blue, cotton engineering t-shirt, and brand new blue and green running shoes, in the fetal position, shivering. The doo-dee-doo doo-dee of the half operational blood pressure machine would occasionaly interrupt my thoughts of "i don't want to be here. i don't want to die. God, please help get better. Where are my friends? i'm so cold". Dehydrated due to nausea, too tired and weak to drink, sleepless from constant shivering, exhausted from 3 days of high fever; i'd hit rock bottom both mentally and physically.
In a brief window between shivering a sweating, God sent my redemption; the push at the top of the hill. Pastor walked in my doorway carrying a bright red flower print pillow and bed sheets. What followed was one of the greatest acts of selflessness i've experienced. Pastor stripped my shoes off of my sweaty, sticky feet and began a deep massage to get my blood flowing. Meanwhile his wife furiously sponged me down to lower my fever and BeeWee called his brother to come stay with me for the night. Minutes after them leaving the boys walked in, took on whiff, and began complaining of my stench. Though my body was decaying, attracting flys and mosquittos, my mind was at peace. i was surrounded by friends, jokes, laughter, and love.
In typical fashion, through the night my fever disappeared and i again awoke feeling better; not fixed, but better. Within 20 minutes of my eyes being open, the fever onslaught began for the third time; burning, sweating, freezing, shivering, repeat. As Jason, the pastor's son who so graciously stayed with me the entire night, helped fan and sponge me down, i did my best to prepare mentally for another day of misery. When Lawrence, Carmen, Andrew, and Tina walked through my surgial tubing framed passage into my sty, the changes began. Through much commotion, phone calls, conversations with doctors, and waiting, i was released and flying down the road towards the airport for a medivac flight to Guam. The circumstances surrounding my evacuation were without a doubt God sent, and unfortunately, the list of reasons is too long to write here.
As i write this, i sit in the SDA clinic on Guam, freezing, but this time not from fever. Three days of IV treatment behind me, more testing, hydration, and rest ahead. i'm still battling the virus, dealing with symptoms, and recovering from severe dehydration, but i'm on a path that isn't dengue, secondary infection, or more dehydration that was sure to plague me in the hospital on Kosrae.
Updates: by the numbers: lowest heart rate: 35 highest heart rate: 96 lowest blood pressure: 94/39 lowest temperature: 97.4 highest temperature: 103.7 needle pricks: 10 days on IV: 4 doctors seen: 6 meals since Friday: 5 pounds lost: 0. There are no sinks in the hospital bathroom on Kosrae. The staff is great, but doesn't have the resources to function like they really need (you can help!!). How to help: contact me with your desired level of help you can offer and i will coordinate with the hospital to help them best use you to their advantage. i have a flight back to Kosrae on Monday, the challenge is, can i be better by then? Lots of prayers have been said for me, keep them coming, i'm still not done yet with this crazy ordeal. A big thanks to the Robinson and Kasperbauer family for organizing, paying, and hosting me while here on Guam.
i'm alive,
Tyler
lay in a crumpled heap, hunched a clean(?) shirt over my shoulders, and stumbled out of the door to our truck. After going one for three on students i landed in bed in a sweaty, infant like pile where i laid, stubbornly medicationless, until noon.
Two days of sweating, shivering, loss of water, and voluntary starvation passed before i succumbed to my mother's pleas to grab my man card and head to the hospital. Before leaving, my body had one hurrah of liquid excretion (both varieties) to bid me farewell and good luck. At the hospital i registered a fever of 39.5°C (103.1°F) and a blood pressure that anyone over the age of 60 would envy. After an hour and a half wait i saw the outpatient doctor, a very well educated middle aged kosraen woman, who immediately admitted me and began testing for dengue fever and infection.
As i lay dying on the cot, staring at the once intricate cob webs now hanging mangled yet still inhabited above my head, the nurse did her best to find anything hollow and blood carrying worth pricking in my arm. With each new prick-n-wiggle i studied a different spider; lucky for us there were only four. With the life juice flowing, i made my way out of the AirCon oasis needle room and across the hallway to my stall where three empty beds lay waiting. There i stayed, for the next four hours in my lightweight sleep pants, size too small, bright blue, cotton engineering t-shirt, and brand new blue and green running shoes, in the fetal position, shivering. The doo-dee-doo doo-dee of the half operational blood pressure machine would occasionaly interrupt my thoughts of "i don't want to be here. i don't want to die. God, please help get better. Where are my friends? i'm so cold". Dehydrated due to nausea, too tired and weak to drink, sleepless from constant shivering, exhausted from 3 days of high fever; i'd hit rock bottom both mentally and physically.
In a brief window between shivering a sweating, God sent my redemption; the push at the top of the hill. Pastor walked in my doorway carrying a bright red flower print pillow and bed sheets. What followed was one of the greatest acts of selflessness i've experienced. Pastor stripped my shoes off of my sweaty, sticky feet and began a deep massage to get my blood flowing. Meanwhile his wife furiously sponged me down to lower my fever and BeeWee called his brother to come stay with me for the night. Minutes after them leaving the boys walked in, took on whiff, and began complaining of my stench. Though my body was decaying, attracting flys and mosquittos, my mind was at peace. i was surrounded by friends, jokes, laughter, and love.
In typical fashion, through the night my fever disappeared and i again awoke feeling better; not fixed, but better. Within 20 minutes of my eyes being open, the fever onslaught began for the third time; burning, sweating, freezing, shivering, repeat. As Jason, the pastor's son who so graciously stayed with me the entire night, helped fan and sponge me down, i did my best to prepare mentally for another day of misery. When Lawrence, Carmen, Andrew, and Tina walked through my surgial tubing framed passage into my sty, the changes began. Through much commotion, phone calls, conversations with doctors, and waiting, i was released and flying down the road towards the airport for a medivac flight to Guam. The circumstances surrounding my evacuation were without a doubt God sent, and unfortunately, the list of reasons is too long to write here.
As i write this, i sit in the SDA clinic on Guam, freezing, but this time not from fever. Three days of IV treatment behind me, more testing, hydration, and rest ahead. i'm still battling the virus, dealing with symptoms, and recovering from severe dehydration, but i'm on a path that isn't dengue, secondary infection, or more dehydration that was sure to plague me in the hospital on Kosrae.
Updates: by the numbers: lowest heart rate: 35 highest heart rate: 96 lowest blood pressure: 94/39 lowest temperature: 97.4 highest temperature: 103.7 needle pricks: 10 days on IV: 4 doctors seen: 6 meals since Friday: 5 pounds lost: 0. There are no sinks in the hospital bathroom on Kosrae. The staff is great, but doesn't have the resources to function like they really need (you can help!!). How to help: contact me with your desired level of help you can offer and i will coordinate with the hospital to help them best use you to their advantage. i have a flight back to Kosrae on Monday, the challenge is, can i be better by then? Lots of prayers have been said for me, keep them coming, i'm still not done yet with this crazy ordeal. A big thanks to the Robinson and Kasperbauer family for organizing, paying, and hosting me while here on Guam.
i'm alive,
Tyler
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Bearing Fruit Part 2
When i heard that this wonder of a tree produced bad fruit i was shocked. The thought that a tree as beautiful as this was deemed "no good" was hard to understand. Labeling a tree based on its production rather than appearance created the following onslaught of parallels.
The aesthetic blessing bestowed on the tree was only outward beauty. The tree is great to look at, but the practicality of it is nil; worthless. i still enjoy the tree and i would be unhappy if it passed in the night (more humane than cutting its heart out and eating it), but my life would go unchanged. The same goes for us. If we aren't producing good fruit, God has no practical use for us. He still loves us, He still care for us, but we have nothing to offer Him. He takes time to look at us, enjoying knowing that He created us, but for all intents and purposes, we're worthless. Until we begin to bear fruit again, we will go unharvested, just like the heavily burdened tree.
The real meat of this analogy has less to do with the tree and more to do with the location of said tree. There is a second tree on campus. It's not nearly as tall or majestic, in fact, its short and pudgy. This tree, however, has some of the best coconuts in earshot. Once ripe, they are succulent gourds, filled to the brim with the sweetest nectar. The secret lies within the soil choices of each tree. The towering tree is rooted deeply in the taro marsh. Rich mud feeds it every growth mineral known to the island. It would be like eating one of every kind of vitamin that even hints at having growth properties. Unfortunately, the mud also has acrid and acidic attributes, hence the bad fruit. On the other hand, the shorter tree has made its home in shallow sand that provides the essential "yummy magic". Lucky for us, we have the option to choose where we put our roots. We decide each morning what kind of nutrients we want that day. Do i want to be outwardly pleasant, but worthless to God? Or, do i want to place my trust in Him, soak up the "yummy magic" that He so happily supplies, and bear good fruit?
Updates: A breadfruit leaf finally fell in front of me, but it fell upside down (bad luck) so i had to tear it up. Happy Valentines day. My kids and i have hit a wall, they are no longer interested in my teaching, and i've run out of new ideas to make my teaching more interesting (its an escalation lifestyle. They get bored, i step it up; repeat). I made 5 quarts of the most wonderful curry last night, no one else could handle the heat (new type of pepper, oops). I'm set and ready for my after mission trip to Asia, still waiting for slowpoke 1 and slowpoke 2 to buy their tickets. I don't miss snow, you aren't making me jealous, thanks for the snapchats though. its 80 and sunny here. We had no water all day yesterday, after investigation i found the hose upstream left on, flooding the area, and leaving us with no water... good thing its free?
The aesthetic blessing bestowed on the tree was only outward beauty. The tree is great to look at, but the practicality of it is nil; worthless. i still enjoy the tree and i would be unhappy if it passed in the night (more humane than cutting its heart out and eating it), but my life would go unchanged. The same goes for us. If we aren't producing good fruit, God has no practical use for us. He still loves us, He still care for us, but we have nothing to offer Him. He takes time to look at us, enjoying knowing that He created us, but for all intents and purposes, we're worthless. Until we begin to bear fruit again, we will go unharvested, just like the heavily burdened tree.
The real meat of this analogy has less to do with the tree and more to do with the location of said tree. There is a second tree on campus. It's not nearly as tall or majestic, in fact, its short and pudgy. This tree, however, has some of the best coconuts in earshot. Once ripe, they are succulent gourds, filled to the brim with the sweetest nectar. The secret lies within the soil choices of each tree. The towering tree is rooted deeply in the taro marsh. Rich mud feeds it every growth mineral known to the island. It would be like eating one of every kind of vitamin that even hints at having growth properties. Unfortunately, the mud also has acrid and acidic attributes, hence the bad fruit. On the other hand, the shorter tree has made its home in shallow sand that provides the essential "yummy magic". Lucky for us, we have the option to choose where we put our roots. We decide each morning what kind of nutrients we want that day. Do i want to be outwardly pleasant, but worthless to God? Or, do i want to place my trust in Him, soak up the "yummy magic" that He so happily supplies, and bear good fruit?
Updates: A breadfruit leaf finally fell in front of me, but it fell upside down (bad luck) so i had to tear it up. Happy Valentines day. My kids and i have hit a wall, they are no longer interested in my teaching, and i've run out of new ideas to make my teaching more interesting (its an escalation lifestyle. They get bored, i step it up; repeat). I made 5 quarts of the most wonderful curry last night, no one else could handle the heat (new type of pepper, oops). I'm set and ready for my after mission trip to Asia, still waiting for slowpoke 1 and slowpoke 2 to buy their tickets. I don't miss snow, you aren't making me jealous, thanks for the snapchats though. its 80 and sunny here. We had no water all day yesterday, after investigation i found the hose upstream left on, flooding the area, and leaving us with no water... good thing its free?
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Bearing Fruit Part 1
As Christians we are called to bear good fruit for the Lord. We are inundated with horror stories of unprolific branches; pruned and left to wither and be burned along with the chaff (a fate as bleak as Shaun White's without his hair). Being forsaken for one season without fruiting seems harsh, dare i say, evil? Maybe that year just wasn't advantageous for your type of produce. How can we serve a God who is so eager to dispose of us the instant we become barren? We can't.
i love coconuts and analogies, so when i concocted this coconut correlation, i was beyond thrilled. Recently i've struggled with the concept of "falling out of God's favor". i understand grace, forgiveness, and second (third, fourth, fifth, sixth, etc.) chances, but none of that aids my comprehension of the concept of how easily we can become a Christmas gift on the 26th with one slip.
The outward appearance of this tree is striking. It's nearly twice as tall as the surrounding trees, is overproducing plump clumps of fruit, and the subtle arch is reminiscent of the coconut trees leaning over a sandy beach on your July calendar photo. Every part of this tree screams GOOD FRUIT, yet the tree goes unharvested. This coconut tree stands tall and winding at the end of our basketball court. It's a beautiful, moss covered tree prominently rising above the outskirts of the taro plantation. As i sat under a smaller palm's shade, chewing on sugar cane and watching the students play an uninteresting and highly defensive game of capture the flag, my eyes meandered to the majestic monstrosity of the matriarchal tree. It was heavy laden with bunches of perfectly aged nu. My coconut craving kicked in, and without hesitation i headed to the tree. Before i could stand up, teacher Ben stopped me, "no good no good." (okay, this is a direct quote. For some reason Ben likes saying "no good no good" as if he doesn't know how to speak proper English even though he IS fluent). Why was this tree no good?
To be continued....... tomorrow
Updates: Many updates, many changes. we have new people, new buildings, new appliances, and new anxieties. Sam Robinson and his wife are here for 3 months to remodel and redesign our campus. They brought a contractor and his wife and a kid from Guam to help. River's dad is also here for the week. Sam has built a new "mechanics shop"/barn/store house in the back lot (he also made the back lot. 50+ dump truck loads at $130/load). He is about to begin raising a second building for classrooms while remodeling the old building as apartments, library, and main office. Thousands of dollars of materials are sitting outside; unlocked, making me paranoid. My personal revised schedule: school 8-2, work 2-4, play hard (surf, swim, hike, etc.) 4-dark, dinner ?-?. We are re-exploring the island with Lawrence (kid from Guam) and River's dad; its fun.Vegetables do wonders for the digestive system (more expensive to eat, but so worth it). Speaking of, my kids are enamored with the digestive system, especially the bladder (apparently its a weird that you have a balloon filled with water in your body, but its perfectly normal to have a big tube filled with poop?). Thanks to Matt Aitken for the external drives filled with goodies :)
Check back tomorrow-ish for the final part of the story,
Tyler
i love coconuts and analogies, so when i concocted this coconut correlation, i was beyond thrilled. Recently i've struggled with the concept of "falling out of God's favor". i understand grace, forgiveness, and second (third, fourth, fifth, sixth, etc.) chances, but none of that aids my comprehension of the concept of how easily we can become a Christmas gift on the 26th with one slip.
The outward appearance of this tree is striking. It's nearly twice as tall as the surrounding trees, is overproducing plump clumps of fruit, and the subtle arch is reminiscent of the coconut trees leaning over a sandy beach on your July calendar photo. Every part of this tree screams GOOD FRUIT, yet the tree goes unharvested. This coconut tree stands tall and winding at the end of our basketball court. It's a beautiful, moss covered tree prominently rising above the outskirts of the taro plantation. As i sat under a smaller palm's shade, chewing on sugar cane and watching the students play an uninteresting and highly defensive game of capture the flag, my eyes meandered to the majestic monstrosity of the matriarchal tree. It was heavy laden with bunches of perfectly aged nu. My coconut craving kicked in, and without hesitation i headed to the tree. Before i could stand up, teacher Ben stopped me, "no good no good." (okay, this is a direct quote. For some reason Ben likes saying "no good no good" as if he doesn't know how to speak proper English even though he IS fluent). Why was this tree no good?
To be continued....... tomorrow
Updates: Many updates, many changes. we have new people, new buildings, new appliances, and new anxieties. Sam Robinson and his wife are here for 3 months to remodel and redesign our campus. They brought a contractor and his wife and a kid from Guam to help. River's dad is also here for the week. Sam has built a new "mechanics shop"/barn/store house in the back lot (he also made the back lot. 50+ dump truck loads at $130/load). He is about to begin raising a second building for classrooms while remodeling the old building as apartments, library, and main office. Thousands of dollars of materials are sitting outside; unlocked, making me paranoid. My personal revised schedule: school 8-2, work 2-4, play hard (surf, swim, hike, etc.) 4-dark, dinner ?-?. We are re-exploring the island with Lawrence (kid from Guam) and River's dad; its fun.Vegetables do wonders for the digestive system (more expensive to eat, but so worth it). Speaking of, my kids are enamored with the digestive system, especially the bladder (apparently its a weird that you have a balloon filled with water in your body, but its perfectly normal to have a big tube filled with poop?). Thanks to Matt Aitken for the external drives filled with goodies :)
Check back tomorrow-ish for the final part of the story,
Tyler
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Sensory Stimulation
If this was an audiobook, now is the time i'd tell you to close your eyes and imagine with me the scenes that are about to unfold. Unfortunately (and maybe fortunately for some), my voice will not be narrating the following events. In light of this minor problem, do your best to block out your surroundings and put yourself in my shoes as you read. What we experience on a daily basis is extraordinary, but our brains cease to process the routine information after the first few interactions. Let the following bi-weekly event be an example:
Late again, i run down the stairs, sprint after the truck and hop in. i nod at the passing church member or neighbor, wish that Ryan had driven around that puddle instead of through it, and then settle in for the drive to ACE for groceries. More head nods, some glares from a few protestants, two speed bumps, and we're on our way. i spend most of the trip staring at the surf, wishing either the swell was a better direction or the tide was high/low depending on the spot. When i can't see the waves, a few words and stories are exchanged between me and River. At ACE we run through our list, add some things not on our list, and spend too much money. We hop back in the truck for the ride back. About 100 more head nods and we're home. Simple.
The beauty (and ugly) that i'm surrounded with has been lost to the streamlined routine of life. Allow me retell the story as if it was my first time experiencing the trip:
Late again, i struggle locking the door. The deadbolt doesn't quite line up. I fiddle with the door as Ryan and River amble down the road in our toy-like mini truck. The lock finally slides in and i turn to run down the stairs. i'm careful to not trip down the extra tall first step, reach out for the deck above and swing down the remaining 4 steps being sure to duck under the chiseled out headboard that is still a few inches too short. Grabbing onto the burnt red four-by-four i spin around and then off the foot tall cement base; right into a puddle. Barefoot, i sprint across the gravel drive skimming above the worn out concrete that is now merely left over congregate. Hopping over the newly formed puddles i take a flying leap into the back of our moving truck to join River as "captain". Ryan is left driving because he is the only one who still has a valid drivers license (sucker). The pungent smell of flowers hits my nose as we pass the bushes in front of our coconut tree. The aroma is a mix between a bold gardenia and the sweet smell of pancake syrup. It is quickly overtaken by the smell of burning leaves with the faint, lingering stench of trash. Holding my breath as we pass, i give my usual nod and "len wo" to June and he returns with his predictable blank stare. i make a comment to River about how June never acknowledges us, he agrees, turns, and waves at Nelly-Sonia (one of his students) as we pass. Ryan hit three puddles that could have been avoided if he had just turned left, right, and then left again, but at this point, what's one more bump when the driveway is filled with them?
As we turn onto the main road, River and i head nod a few more times at the myriad of Neth family members sitting under the tin roofed "bus stop" that is actually just a place for them to sit and talk. We're then met with the condescending death glares of the protestant members who are just getting out of a church service (at 3:15 on a tuesday?). i do my best to grin and nod at each person we pass, but the judgement of a hundred women in ill-fitting (thankfully) local dresses is nearly enough for me to take the next plane home. After making our way through the herd (yes, contrary to what you thought in high school English class, the author does have a deeper meaning to their selection of words. Please read deeply into this) of people, Ryan, with copious amounts of protest from our 660cc truck engine, accelerates to our typical and blistering, cruising speed of 55kmph. My eyes bounce from the ocean, to the abandoned cement structure that used to be someone's home, back to the surf, and then to a local walking alongside the road. i nod as we pass, mutter "len wo", and proceed to duck quickly as a coconut tree branch nearly slices my face. We pass a small roadside stand; no green beans or papaya today.
The drive continues peacefully as we near Lelu (lay-luh). Ryan honks to pass a slow car, women are out sweeping leaves in their yard, a few people are cutting their grass with a weed-eater, and there are children playing in the middle of the road. The sights are picturesque, as if you were living inside of a National Geographic. The landscape and culture we live in here is like paradise, but i want to let you in on a little secret: where you live right now is paradise too. Take a moment to step outside (or look out of your window for the feint of heart). The weather, the geography, the people, and the culture you're in at this moment is amazing. The intricacies of your surroundings go unnoticed to your routine programed brain. For the sake of efficiency, you're missing out on the small nuances of your day to day life that make your life special. This week, pay attention, look, smell, feel, hear, experience something "new" that may have been there the whole time.
Updates: i need to blog more. School is in full swing again (a little routine is nice). Construction has started on the school! i'll be working on a short video to send to GMM (Guam-Micronesia Mission) as a report on our progress: woo. SPEAKING OF VIDEOS: we finally uploaded a video of Kosrae. Watch here. i'm wearing a hoodie and have goosebumps, acclimation is complete. Had a sore throat for 2.5 weeks, nothing a little amoxicillin can't fix. Thank you to whoever donated a complete collection of NatGeos to the school here (or Sam Robinson), our kids LOVE them (if you know who the donor was, thank them for us).
Enjoy your surroundings, keep exploring,
Tyler
Late again, i run down the stairs, sprint after the truck and hop in. i nod at the passing church member or neighbor, wish that Ryan had driven around that puddle instead of through it, and then settle in for the drive to ACE for groceries. More head nods, some glares from a few protestants, two speed bumps, and we're on our way. i spend most of the trip staring at the surf, wishing either the swell was a better direction or the tide was high/low depending on the spot. When i can't see the waves, a few words and stories are exchanged between me and River. At ACE we run through our list, add some things not on our list, and spend too much money. We hop back in the truck for the ride back. About 100 more head nods and we're home. Simple.
The beauty (and ugly) that i'm surrounded with has been lost to the streamlined routine of life. Allow me retell the story as if it was my first time experiencing the trip:
Late again, i struggle locking the door. The deadbolt doesn't quite line up. I fiddle with the door as Ryan and River amble down the road in our toy-like mini truck. The lock finally slides in and i turn to run down the stairs. i'm careful to not trip down the extra tall first step, reach out for the deck above and swing down the remaining 4 steps being sure to duck under the chiseled out headboard that is still a few inches too short. Grabbing onto the burnt red four-by-four i spin around and then off the foot tall cement base; right into a puddle. Barefoot, i sprint across the gravel drive skimming above the worn out concrete that is now merely left over congregate. Hopping over the newly formed puddles i take a flying leap into the back of our moving truck to join River as "captain". Ryan is left driving because he is the only one who still has a valid drivers license (sucker). The pungent smell of flowers hits my nose as we pass the bushes in front of our coconut tree. The aroma is a mix between a bold gardenia and the sweet smell of pancake syrup. It is quickly overtaken by the smell of burning leaves with the faint, lingering stench of trash. Holding my breath as we pass, i give my usual nod and "len wo" to June and he returns with his predictable blank stare. i make a comment to River about how June never acknowledges us, he agrees, turns, and waves at Nelly-Sonia (one of his students) as we pass. Ryan hit three puddles that could have been avoided if he had just turned left, right, and then left again, but at this point, what's one more bump when the driveway is filled with them?
As we turn onto the main road, River and i head nod a few more times at the myriad of Neth family members sitting under the tin roofed "bus stop" that is actually just a place for them to sit and talk. We're then met with the condescending death glares of the protestant members who are just getting out of a church service (at 3:15 on a tuesday?). i do my best to grin and nod at each person we pass, but the judgement of a hundred women in ill-fitting (thankfully) local dresses is nearly enough for me to take the next plane home. After making our way through the herd (yes, contrary to what you thought in high school English class, the author does have a deeper meaning to their selection of words. Please read deeply into this) of people, Ryan, with copious amounts of protest from our 660cc truck engine, accelerates to our typical and blistering, cruising speed of 55kmph. My eyes bounce from the ocean, to the abandoned cement structure that used to be someone's home, back to the surf, and then to a local walking alongside the road. i nod as we pass, mutter "len wo", and proceed to duck quickly as a coconut tree branch nearly slices my face. We pass a small roadside stand; no green beans or papaya today.
The drive continues peacefully as we near Lelu (lay-luh). Ryan honks to pass a slow car, women are out sweeping leaves in their yard, a few people are cutting their grass with a weed-eater, and there are children playing in the middle of the road. The sights are picturesque, as if you were living inside of a National Geographic. The landscape and culture we live in here is like paradise, but i want to let you in on a little secret: where you live right now is paradise too. Take a moment to step outside (or look out of your window for the feint of heart). The weather, the geography, the people, and the culture you're in at this moment is amazing. The intricacies of your surroundings go unnoticed to your routine programed brain. For the sake of efficiency, you're missing out on the small nuances of your day to day life that make your life special. This week, pay attention, look, smell, feel, hear, experience something "new" that may have been there the whole time.
Updates: i need to blog more. School is in full swing again (a little routine is nice). Construction has started on the school! i'll be working on a short video to send to GMM (Guam-Micronesia Mission) as a report on our progress: woo. SPEAKING OF VIDEOS: we finally uploaded a video of Kosrae. Watch here. i'm wearing a hoodie and have goosebumps, acclimation is complete. Had a sore throat for 2.5 weeks, nothing a little amoxicillin can't fix. Thank you to whoever donated a complete collection of NatGeos to the school here (or Sam Robinson), our kids LOVE them (if you know who the donor was, thank them for us).
Enjoy your surroundings, keep exploring,
Tyler
Friday, January 3, 2014
The Cost of Simplicity
i'd awoken that morning sweating profusely, head pounding, body aching. My low grade fever from the day before had progressed to a full on raging inferno. i got up to turn on the fan; no electricity. For eight hours i lay awake, drenched in sweat, unable to find comfort and rest.
The congregation closed their evening worship with "How Great Thou Art", and i sat, slumped weakly outside, shivering as the cool breeze passed by me, feeling too sick to join them. As i sat there, i intently watched three geckos methodically catch insects as they flew towards the light on the front of the church. It was a curious thing. Not a single insect that flew into that light came out alive. No longer masked by the darkness of night, the light illuminated the bugs as they flew closer to the tin roof entrance. Without fail, the winged fiend would take a kamikaze dive bomb straight for the awaiting tongue of the the geckos below.
The simplicity of the gecko's life intrigued me. Their sole purpose in life is to eat, poop, and have offspring. How nice it seemed to not have the worries of being a human. i was envious. They didn't have to worry about sickness, or the hours of grading they'd procrastinated on. There was no church infighting or competition to deal with, no long worship meetings, no lesson plans to be made, no laundry, dishes, or housework. It was black and white simple.
The longer i sat, however, the less i desired their lives. The simplicity i craved came at a price, one that i'm not willing to pay. While i was procrastinating on grading, i was out surfing, snorkeling, camping, paddle boarding on Christmas day, climbing the tallest mountain in Micronesia, getting SCUBA certified, and paddle boarding fifteen miles around part of the island. While i worry about the church's interpersonal struggles, i get to hear their natural born talent of singing filling the church. Making lesson plans is in preparation of having my students back again, and the chores are something i'll take for granted in a few weeks as our house is torn down and rebuilt. The complications we face are the price we pay for having the enjoyment of life. To lead a life on autopilot defeats the purpose of enjoying the world that was created for me. As much as i'd like for my "hardships" to go away, i'll gladly keep them around if it means that i can continue exploring and adventuring through life.
Updates: i'm sick, yay. SO MANY PACKAGES, SO MUCH SUGAR. i picked up seven boxes today and we had twelve boxes a few days ago, thank you to everyone who has taken their time and money to send us something. Surf here was triple overhead a few weeks ago, on a completely unrelated swell size, i got my first barrel of the year. i'd also like to thank a guy named Jake for giving me his surfboard, thanks Jake. While many of you enjoyed a white Christmas, we enjoyed the ever predictable 88 degrees and sunny, best gift ever? Our church is suffering from family feuding (partly cultural? mostly each family just wants their family to benefit the most), prayers for them please. School starts Monday, is it weird that i'm excited? Only five months left, time is about to fly. The builder is scheduled to arrive in just 17 days!
Please share my blog with your friends, Kosrae is relatively unknown and we'd love to get the word out! Also, i've added an email subscription box on the right side of the page so you can be informed by email when i post an update! ---->
Live complicated,
Tyler
The congregation closed their evening worship with "How Great Thou Art", and i sat, slumped weakly outside, shivering as the cool breeze passed by me, feeling too sick to join them. As i sat there, i intently watched three geckos methodically catch insects as they flew towards the light on the front of the church. It was a curious thing. Not a single insect that flew into that light came out alive. No longer masked by the darkness of night, the light illuminated the bugs as they flew closer to the tin roof entrance. Without fail, the winged fiend would take a kamikaze dive bomb straight for the awaiting tongue of the the geckos below.
The simplicity of the gecko's life intrigued me. Their sole purpose in life is to eat, poop, and have offspring. How nice it seemed to not have the worries of being a human. i was envious. They didn't have to worry about sickness, or the hours of grading they'd procrastinated on. There was no church infighting or competition to deal with, no long worship meetings, no lesson plans to be made, no laundry, dishes, or housework. It was black and white simple.
The longer i sat, however, the less i desired their lives. The simplicity i craved came at a price, one that i'm not willing to pay. While i was procrastinating on grading, i was out surfing, snorkeling, camping, paddle boarding on Christmas day, climbing the tallest mountain in Micronesia, getting SCUBA certified, and paddle boarding fifteen miles around part of the island. While i worry about the church's interpersonal struggles, i get to hear their natural born talent of singing filling the church. Making lesson plans is in preparation of having my students back again, and the chores are something i'll take for granted in a few weeks as our house is torn down and rebuilt. The complications we face are the price we pay for having the enjoyment of life. To lead a life on autopilot defeats the purpose of enjoying the world that was created for me. As much as i'd like for my "hardships" to go away, i'll gladly keep them around if it means that i can continue exploring and adventuring through life.
Updates: i'm sick, yay. SO MANY PACKAGES, SO MUCH SUGAR. i picked up seven boxes today and we had twelve boxes a few days ago, thank you to everyone who has taken their time and money to send us something. Surf here was triple overhead a few weeks ago, on a completely unrelated swell size, i got my first barrel of the year. i'd also like to thank a guy named Jake for giving me his surfboard, thanks Jake. While many of you enjoyed a white Christmas, we enjoyed the ever predictable 88 degrees and sunny, best gift ever? Our church is suffering from family feuding (partly cultural? mostly each family just wants their family to benefit the most), prayers for them please. School starts Monday, is it weird that i'm excited? Only five months left, time is about to fly. The builder is scheduled to arrive in just 17 days!
Please share my blog with your friends, Kosrae is relatively unknown and we'd love to get the word out! Also, i've added an email subscription box on the right side of the page so you can be informed by email when i post an update! ---->
Live complicated,
Tyler
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