Yet another fun filled, action packed week here in the Marshall Islands

Today is a holiday here on the island, I'm not exactly sure as to what its for, I asked some of my students, but none of them could give me a straight answer, just its a holiday, duh.......I knew that already, oh well, its a day I don't have to teach.  It didn't stop me from getting up very early.  I've been getting up at about 4:30 for the past 2 or so weeks.  I really don't care though, I feel fully rested and fine, so its all good.  I also go to bed around 8:30, so really its a full 8 hours of sleep.  

 

I was amazed this morning when I read an email from my dad.  I wasn't so much amazed that he sent me an email, but I was surprised at something he said.  He said that he'd see me in just 255 days.  I hadn't been thinking about how long it was until I actually come home, but that really doesn't seem like that long.  I know when I think about it in months, it does, but just 255 days, not to bad, but then at the same time, it is kind of a long time.  There is part of me that says that I've been here long enough to experience what missions is like and now I'm ready to go home, but there is another part of me that is so thrilled that God is using me to help out over here, and why would I want to go home any earlier than God has plans for me to go home.  I guess its kind of a constant struggle, especially when you know that your family and friends are having so much fun back at home.  It can get really tough, but then you just have to remember that you are doing good here too.  

 

I'm working on getting some pictures posted to picasa, so that you guys that keep up with my blog, you will be able to see some pictures as well.  

Well, I should probably get going on other things now.  I hope all of you are doing well.  

This is the link for my blog pictures:  http://picasaweb.google.com/stbaker1986/BloggerPictures?authkey=sjU7ZMfxyYE#

 

Priorities, you have to have priorities

Something that being a Student Missionary has taught me this far is to analyze where I put my priorities.  In the states it seems like there is more time to do things, but maybe thats just because I'm a student there, here I'm a teacher, and have to be a "responsible adult."  I'm still not quite sure what that means, but hey I'm not getting in trouble, so I guess I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.  I figure as long as I do what I'm told and put my spin on it, its ok.  

Another thing this experience so far has taught me is the importance of solitude.  Right now I'm alone in the room, which is amazing.  I'm listening to Rich Mullins, and very comfortable.  I don't know what I would do if I couldn't take quite a bit of solo time.  People ask me why I'd want to, I reply why wouldn't you want to?  Its kind of interesting, they go on Marshallese time here, which is "you start when you start, not at a time."  I used to think this would be terrible for me and I'd hate it, but I've come to realize that I'm not going to change them, and they aren't going to change me, so I'll just bring a good book and be there up to 45 minutes early and just read, more alone time usually.  It has also allowed me to read more of the bible.  I'm reading so many new things, or re-reading so many "new" things.  Its amazing that God can re-teach you the same lesson multiple times through the same story, or a new lesson through the same story.  Its like how did I forget this or how did I not see this before?

Well, It think my laptop battery is about to die, so I should probably bid adu.  I hope you all are having a good weekend back stateside.

Well, its been over a week......

Ok, so its been over two almost, I've been kept so busy this past few weeks.  This week is the school Student week of prayer.  The topic has been Hero's of faith, following the chapter in Hebrews about faith.  It has been interesting watching how the students react to hearing such things.  Most of the islanders are christian, but few are really christian.  I dare to say that few SDA's are true christians, but not to get onto that tangent, it has really been cool.  

We have finally settled out for the long haul.  We as teachers finally have most of the same students every week, and mostly everyday.  Its kind of an unknown novelty that I hadn't ever thought that a teacher thought about, but I do on a regular basis.  I'm also getting to see a whole new side of students, and getting to experience it first hand.  My teachers told me when I was in grade school and high school that they had seen it all and that we weren't even scratching the surface of what students before have done to try and cheat and disobey the rules.  Well, I followed the rules, which around here makes me a teachers pet, but thats because following the rules just because they are the rules is an anomaly.  I'm sure my students think they are being very sneaky and all, but just like my teachers told me, I've seen it before and its not new.  I just can't get that through to them, they don't listen all that well to reason.  But Mr. Baker, I'm not chewing gum.........chew.......chew.......chew.......  You get the point, they try to lie to coverup the most odious things.  Oh well, every school has such things, I think its inherent to teaching and being around students.  

There is a line from a very funny movie I like.  The main character is being blamed of stealing millions of dollars from the US government, when he is asked about it he so coothfully says, "All I wanted was an honest weeks wages for an honest days work."  That seems to be the philosophy of all my students, they want the grades really bad, but don't want to dish out the work to do them, and its not like we as teachers sit and mischievously say, who can we fail today either, we do try and make it so everyone can pass.  Alas, even with our help, some don't even try.  Probably one of the most frustrating things I've learned as a teacher.  I've also come up with the top 10 things you as a teacher might say:

1. If its as good a copy as any copy machine can do, your probably looking at someone's feeble attempt to cheat.  
   
2. If you are looking out the window, you probably aren't taking to good of notes, are you?
3. Doesn't it make it hard to find the right figure when you are in the wrong chapter?
4. Just because one student does it, it doesn't make it right, they will get in trouble too!
5. Don't be sorry, just don't do it again.  (applies to anything from talking in class to chewing gum in class)
6. The key to getting a question right on a test/quiz/homework is answering the question.
7. If you don't turn your homework in, you don't have a grade for it......amazing how that works.
8. When it says, "what do you think"  I want to know what you think, not what the book says.
9. There is a 99.8% chance that if you come to class late, you have missed material, you will need it in the future.
10. And my all time favorite:  Student asks, is this important?  Would I take time to say something that's important?

For those of you who keep up with this blog that are teachers, I'm sure you can relate to this, especially if you teach in the islands.  I know I'm not the first teacher to say these, and won't be the last, so I dedicate this list to all you, my fellow teachers who have towed the rope, who are towing the rope, and who will tow the rope of teaching.  

So this last sunday, we went to a private island and spent the whole day there.  The one really cool attraction was a sunken WWII airplane.  At low tide, you could easily swim down to it, it was about 10ft under the water.  At high tide however, it was like 20 ft down.  I went during low tide, and had a great time exploring the wreck, I wish I had SCUBA stuff to aid in my explorations.  We all got pretty sunburned, but now mine is pretty much gone, I can still feel it when I take a hot shower, but hey, it was worth every minute of it.  

Oh, for those of you who aren't from UC, I have some news.  My team of IRR students were deployed to do Search and Rescue stuff in texas in leu of the hurricane that just went through.  They left 7p Sabbath the 13 I believe and they will be back the following weekend.  Please keep them in your prayers as they are down there.  Not only is it the team that I have trained with my whole college career, its my girlfriend as well.  

Well, I should wrap this up and get it posted, so you guys can know what I'm doing.  I hope to talk to all of you guys soon.  Take care.

SB

  

Another week, now one month plus

Well, it doesn't quite seem possible that it has really been a month since I left the states.  Its not like it seems like its been less, but its kind of hard to imagine that I'm 1/10 of the way done with my missionary experience in Majuro.  Things have been really going well.  Just like any classroom, there are problems, but that comes with the territory alas.  I guess I still live under the LE motto "Do your best, God will do the rest, and you will be blessed"  I've spent a month doing my best, God has been doing the rest, and not only I, but others have been blessed.  

Yesterday night we went to our first funeral. I didn't know the man personally, but around here, that really doesn't matter much.  If you know people who know them you are pretty much required to go.  It was a beautiful service I'm sure, but it was all in marshallese.  I'm not to fluent yet in marshallese, so it was just alot of sitting on the floor and listening to alot of people talk.  Thats another thing, everyone who knew the person talks, if your important and you didn't know him you talk, you get the hang of what I'm saying.  You pay a $1 and get free food though, its kind of different, it can go for weeks to.  They seal the coffin and watch it for weeks sometimes........I don't quite understand it, but its not mine to understand.  

Its kind of sad, its been a few days since I've been able to swim, and right now is the best time.  2 times a month, we get really high and really low tides.  They are fun to swim in, you get out past the breakers and you are riding waves, which is a really fun thing, then you get to see what its like not on the reef.  I haven't been out because I'm still trying to get well, for the most part I feel really good, but my nose is still clogged occasionally, which is kind of frustrating.  

So this sunday the church is having a get-together on one of the islands that you have to take a boat to get to, I'm pretty excited about going.  I'm hoping that we get to have some swimming time on a nice sandy beach, at the school we have coral, not sand, which coral is nice, but not nice to run on.  

This week I had two classes that had tests, its amazing how some students that you think are going to do really well don't, and ones that you don't think are listening to you are actually doing well.  I know I shouldn't be surprised at this anymore, but it sure amazes me still.  So for now, the internet doesn't work at the school, we have to go to a resort and buy some food to use the internet, which I guess it is a small price to pay for having some communication with family and friends.  Well, I should probably get working on other things now.