Kaselehlia Mango? Kdub?

This weekend was stuffed full of ADVENTURE! All starting off with a ridiculously awkward Friday vespers service at Kolonia SDA (the largest church here on the Island, the pastor is also the chair of the school board here). The asked me to play piano, then kept requesting songs that I have never heard of, and when I turned to the number in the hymnal I was wonderfully surprised to find out that I had a complete different hymnal!! Then during another song, everyone started off key, so accompanying them became impossible. It was a very fun experience, one I hope to never repeat but most likely will quite often.

Saturday we split up. Those who had "Island families" in Kitti Church went to Kitti (a town on the opposite side of the Island) and those with family Kolonia just went there (it's about 5 min away). Unfortunately, it's been raining so much lately and everyone got soaked on the way to both churches. But that is sort of a common theme here in Pohnpei, and honestly getting soaked feels so nice in contrast to the sticky humidity. The church service was nice, and I am most likely going to be helping out with the Kolonia youth sabbath school. The youth room needs so much work though because of the SMELL. You see, the whole Church is in front of a huge pig pen, and at certain times of the day the stench is just revolting. The room also needs to be cleaned very badly, and hopefully we can help out with that. It's one thing to be hot and sticky without any fans, but then to have the smell of pigs wafting through the breeze...ugh

That afternoon we were invited to visit a couple here on the Island who are both American/Brazilian. Each year the sort of open up their home to the SMs and try to offer us a kind of, "home away from home." Their home is located up a crazy muddy road in Kitti, and unfortunately one of our trucks got stuck so a couple guy/girls including myself had to push the truck out of the mud.

This is their backyard - jealous? Although, it is surrounded in mud haha.




Marcus stuck the truck in the mud. Whoops.


She made soup for us.....mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm SOUP

Once we made the trip back we arrived at campus just in time for family gym night, which because of my swollen ankle I did not partake in. But my family wasn't there anyways... in the mean time some of us decided to have frog races. Since the ground is literally COVERED in frogs at night.




Sunday morning, though it was pouring, we embarked on our trip to Nahlap! A beautiful island which is about a 20min boat ride that leaves from Kitti. Unfortunately we have all been eating a little too much rice, so the guys and a couple girls (including myself) had to push the boat forever. Finally we cleared the muck and were able to make it to Nahlap. It probably only took me 5 minutes to run to the other dock and get my snorkel gear on to start exploring! It was breathtaking. Clown fish, parrot fish, needle fish, blue starfish, pink starfish, sooooo beautiful. The water was so clear and warm, covered in funny sea cucumbers :) Nahlap is such a beautiful island, full of little tin huts that you can camp at or hang up your hammock. The boat ride cost 4 bucks (even though we had to push the boat...) and we all managed to enjoy ourselves.


Pushing the boat. I got out and pushed for a while but of course fell in the mud on my way back into the boat haha.





That's Pohnpei mainland on the right - the area of Kitti.


Marcus, me and Carl. Hanging out after snorkeling like pros.


The ride back was accompanied by a stop in the lake to wash off the salt water. Then after taking a shower we all enjoyed a wonderful dinner at "Cliff Rainbow." Salad, french fries, vegetables, iced coffee! So delicious. But I unfortunately took an asprin right before downing a cup of iced coffee, and the result was unpleasant. I became crazy, shaky, and anxious!! Remind me not to down caffeine after going off of it for 2 months while also taking a blood thinner. Hahaha.

Tomorrow is our first day, but it is only a half day in which we will just be discussing syllabus and class procedures. Wish me luck and please pray for all of us as we start getting into our routine. Many of us are nervous and overwhelmed at this new responsibility. I will be teaching three sections of World History, two of US History, and one World Geography. I have over 85 students total, and will be up and at the school from 7:30-4pm. I am just anxious to get into the swing of things - I think it will actually help the slight "achey" homesick feelings throughout these first couple weeks as the shock of being completely away from family and home starts hitting me, and the other teachers here.


I am also attempting to fix the digital piano in the chapel. I need to take it apart and see if the hammers are broken first, and then hopefully order new parts. It is a good digital piano, but had about five keys that are not functioning. I'm hoping that this will fix it and I won't destroy the piano in the process ;)

Love you all, please pray for me as I start my first week as Ms. Kellar in Room 3.