Today (Wednesday in the Marshall Islands, and Tuesday in the U.S.) our
flight from Kwajalein to Namu was canceled due to maintenance. At this
point we have returned to Ebeye and will wait to see if we ca get out
on tomorrow’s flight. This aspect of the trip is especially frustrating
to me. Island life seems to be take things as they come and I’m used to
having a schedule and sticking to it. This one difference you see
between our culture in America and the island culture.
We arrived in Ebeye after flying into Kwajalein on Tuesday March, 16.
Kwajalein is a U.S. Army base so after landing we had to leave for Ebeye
on the next ferry. Ebeye is a small island or atoll with 12,000 people!
Homes are very close together with multiple families living together.
You see random pieces of plywood nailed together to make a home. The
structures are very run down. Walking the streets gives you an eye
opening first hand account have to do is snap a photo of them and you
have made their day.
After arriving on Ebeye yesterday we walk around the island to check
things out. Watching the waves of the Pacific Ocean crash onto the shore
is one of the most amazing ocean sights I have ever seen. The water is a
clear blueish green like you would see in advertisements for exotic
vacation destinations. We went to Ebeye Adventist School while on our
tour of the island. It is interesting to look at the conditions of the
classrooms and think about how unacceptable that would be in the U.S.
The office and computer lab downstairs are enclosed, but the classrooms
and Chapel on the upper levels of the three story building are open air.
The desks and chairs are very old and beat up. What a challenge it must
be for the staff and student missionaries teaching the 265 K-12 student
body.Last night we had dinner at the principal’s apartment (just
upstairs where we are staying) in the school owned apartments. There are
approximately 12 student missionaries here teach at the school this year.
The travel to get here was long and a little tough on the body. We left
Spokane Sunday morning traveling first to San Francisco before getting
to Honolulu where we had a 12 hour lay over Sunday night. We got a hotel
right next to the airport which was great to get some sleep in a bed
half way through out travel. Bright and early Monday morning we caught
the shuttle from the hotel to the airport to catch our 7am flight. The
time changes have been really confusing in the body. Before we even left
day light savings hit followed by a time zone change and then crossing
the international dateline while en route to Kwajalein.
Right now we are waiting, praying and hoping that we will be able to get
to Namu tomorrow. Your prayers are always appreciated. This trip is a
huge reminder to me that God works on his time and not my time. It does
seem that God is on island time right now, and I’m tryng to accept that
even though it would be nice to get to Namu as soon as possible.
I hope that the next time I check in with you it will be from Namu!
-Joe-
Yesterday we took a ferry to Ebeye. The ferry wasn’t that enclosed and
some places get pelted with heavy spray from the sea. I decided to sit
at the very front (taking most the spray), a local pointed at me,
chuckled and said “fisherman” nodding approval. I didn’t get very wet
though, I had my Carhart coat.
MLA-
-Matt-
