Let me just say that Moch is an amazing island and I am blessed to be serving there. A lot has happened in the 5 or so months since I posted to this blog: I served 3 months on Moch, a few weeks in Weno before my mid-service conference, a week at the conference, a month in Michigan, and now about another month being back waiting for the plane to go back out to Moch.
Moch has picked up where Satowan left off. My main issue on Satowan was a lack of host family - folks having moved to Pohnpei, my host father moving a lot because of illness and his job, and a high turnover of extended family. Basically, I'll never know how much of a real community bond I formed with the people of Satowan, because I never got comfortable enough in my own skin and PCV-identity to forge a strong one. By keeping these lessons in mind, I have forged that identity on Moch with an awesome host family, a job I love, and relationships which make it tempting to sign on for another year!
My host mom, Carleen, is a teacher at the school - 3rd grade. Her husband Mathias is getting his degree from College of Micronesia on Weno, so it's just her, me, and my siblings - all 7 of them: Kition, 23; Diane, 16; and students who live with us while they attend Moch High School: Advin, Chompan, Edson, D-boy, & Erick. Our home is white, pink, and blue, made of cement, with a corrogated tin roof. I have my own bedroom, with a raised platform, a foam mattress, a mosquito net, and a table. I have a corner room, with windows looking out across the lagoon water - a mere 20 feet from the shore.
I teach 11th grade English to two sections of students in blocks: English reading followed by writing. My students are just as eager and attentive as last year's, with a greater percentage knowing more English. I am enjoying teaching this year a lot more than I did last year. Having had a year to work out the kinks, I feel more comfortable each day with myself, and I am driven by the knowledge that my work is the most sustainable job I could be doing on that island. No matter what else these kids learn, it is true that a strong command of the English language will open doors to their future no other skill can. That's both an empowerment and a challenge.
My closest friend on the island is named Sitae, and he is my language tutor. He is also the senior pastor of the protestant church and a teacher at the school. He wears many hats on the island, but he has been an understanding friend and a reliable person to share my thoughts and questions with. In a way, he seems to "get" Americans - or at least, this American. With a laugh that says it all, he conveys the kind of empathy that I need to remind me that my experience is supposed to be full of ups and downs, and it's the challenges that, at the end of the day, are going to make my experience so unforgettable.
Christmas was an awesome time to be home with friends and family, and I'm grateful to my mom and dad for bringing me home. My mom asked if I was ready to go back, and I wasn't quite sure how to answer. Did I want to leave everyone a second time? No. But I missed (and I still miss) Moch and the people there. I have a job to do, and it's not yet finished. I can't wait to get back to work.
3 comments:
Wish we could have meet at Christmas. Greeting to Suzi and Kester.
Greetings! Moch is very blessed to have such a dedicated person like you. I enjoy your blog. Please keep posting your story and the news about the school on Moch. When are you getting internet connection? It sounds like you have adjusted quite well to the remote island life. It is truly amazing how you’ve overcome the challenges. Bless your heart!
Thank you for your service and thanks for the humors. Your story regarding grandma’s adjacent room is quite hilarious. Privacy is a bit of a problem down there; often times you find none. And yes, I can tell that already you’ve become a true Mochan. The island is well known in the region for its coffee drinkers. Ha, Starbucks maybe a little too sophisticated, but ground or instant will do just fine. They’re absolutely gaga over that muddy stuff.
When reading your blog, I thought of this verse from Sappho's Poetry, "Some say a host of horsemen, others of infantry and others. of ships, is the most beautiful thing on the dark earth: but I say, it is what you love ..."
Thank you for your passion in effecting positive change in the lives of the chuukese people.
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