Thursday Night Street Market

The crowds being to arrive at 5pm. The sun will be out for a couple more hours but already the lights above all the food vendors booths are illuminating the small field they occupy. The grassy parking lot begins to fill with beat up trucks and souped up mustangs. Everyone comes to street market.

You want curry? Take your pick from half a dozen vendors. Chicken on a stick? The sauce flavors are as numerous as the flies that have landed on them. I stick to coconuts because I know what is in them, but if you are adventurous with your palate there is plenty to choose from.

I look forward to Thursday nights. My favorite booth to visit does not display authentic cuisine, but rather local wood carvings. The women who sell the carvings often stand by with calculators in their hands, ready to give you a discount if you look like an indecisive shopper. The usual discount is 15% off of the sticker price, but I'm a regular at their booth so the discounts are getting larger. So is my collection of hand carved turtles.

Every hour musicians and local dance groups get up to perform on a large stage in the middle of the outdoor market. On nights when the native Chamorro dance group performs, one must be prepared! If you are standing in close proximity to the stage you will be brought up on stage to participate in the last couple dances.

When your feet are tired, you can rest at one of the many picnic tables set up around the stage. Never mind that there are strangers sitting across from you, if there is space then you are invited to sit down. If you are American then you will probably be interrupted once or twice to pose in front of a selfie stick or in a group photo. Some of these might even be without your knowledge...

When its all said and done you will walk away with two things; the lingering odor of BBQ on your clothes, and the memories of an evening well spent.
    

A Missionary in Church

Two months ago I took on the role of youth Sabbath school leader at the Saipan Central SDA Church. I hadn't been looking for any more roles to take on, but God and the nominating committee for Saipan Central decided I should try adding one more. I admit I had dragged my feet in the beginning and didn't put much effort into the role. The teacher guides on Cornerstone Connections gave me an excuse to not put a whole lot of forethought into my hour with the youth. Add an inspirational video or two and the amount of planning required is cut down quite a bit. Unfortunately when it comes to the youth department here there is very little support from the congregation. Any investment in the youth ministry almost seems like an afterthought. So much for the future of the church, eh? After "winging it" for a couple of Sabbaths I left convicted that I needed to start putting extra effort where my involvement in Church was concerned.

The group of teens and primary age kids I am responsible for is on the larger side. The Sabbath school room we meet in is on the smaller side. On days when attendance is higher the "walk-in-closet" sized room (an extension on the church that was built some time ago) is crowded and cozy. The room is furnished with a small air conditioner (praise the Lord!) and some long wooden benches painted a pale coral pink. There is also a table that is painted the same color. Up until the Church work-bee the walls were bare. Now they are covered with an ever-growing paper prayer chain and some posters of the books of the bible, Lords prayer, beatitudes, etc.

My first time teaching youth Sabbath school was a little nerve racking. My age is a well kept secret because quite a few of them are almost as old as I am. Knowing that they are not much younger  made leading out in our bible studies difficult in the beginning, but as my adviser at Walla Walla always says, "fake it til you make it." Teaching an age group so close to my own has taught me how to fake confidence. I may not be an authority on the subjects we study, but I can still challenge the youth to think a little deeper on a topic, and study until they reach their own conclusions. It is so rewarding when I can get them discussing topics and contributing their own ideas rather than mumbling cliche responses. Its also rewarding because of the friendships I am building with each of them. They are an exceptional bunch, let me tell you. Active in the church, positive, sincere, and quite talented.

A couple weeks ago the pastors wife decided to initiate planning for a "purity weekend." The weekend is aimed towards encouraging the youth to view dating and romantic relationships from a biblical perspective and seek God's will in this area of their lives. I am excited to be one of the speakers for the weekend because I feel that these are important topics to cover with the youth. We are going to be discussing everything from dressing modestly to navigating the difficult areas of relationships. Although our first and last session will be with the whole group, the rest of the weekend girls and guys will be separated. The guys will be hosted in one home, the girls in another. During this time we are going to be fasting from technology, media, cellphones, the works. Yesterday the pastors wife, my co-worker in the office (Jean Goris) and I met up at the Christian bookstore to buy bookmarks and other trinkets for the youth. We are definitely getting excited about this weekend. I am praying that it goes well, that God will inspire the youth through this weekend, and that the words I say will be a blessing.

Focusing on ministry inside the church wasn't what I pictured when I began preparing to come here. I did not think my role at church would such a big part of my time here, but through my role in the church I have learned that the need is just as real as serving those who are outside the church. People still need spiritual encouragement and guidance. Being a part of a church community is about encouraging each other, and so in a sense we all should be acting as missionaries. Wherever we are, we are to serve.  

Pink Pepper Spray and a Walk on the Beach

It was around 6:15pm, and the sunset was just beginning to color the sky with vivid shades of pink and orange. Salome, (fellow student missionary) and I were walking home from the tutoring center a mile down the road from our apartments. We were half way home when I caught sight of a strange looking man sitting below the raised boardwalk pathway we were walking on.

I began to walk with a little more purpose, and discreetly motioned Salome to the other side of the path. He had seen us but made no motion to move. He was wearing some old tattered shorts, and nothing else. His hair was a matted mess, and he had a wild look in his eyes. Although there were many others using the path, there were no bicyclists or runners currently in sight. We were at that moment alone with the strange man sitting beneath the path.

We kept walking. I sent up a quick prayer. The kind you pray when you are fairly sure nothing bad will happen but you want to cover your bases anyway. I felt relieved to know I was walking with someone else, and that before we began our walk home I had had the foresight to pull out my little can of pink pepper spray. I had been carrying it in my right hand, and my finger hovered over the red button that I had never pressed before.

Within forty seconds or so we had passed the strange man and the ordeal was over. We continued on, occasionally glancing back to see if he had gotten up. He remained sitting where he was.

Before coming here, I had heard a story about a previous student missionary who had been attacked by a local man, but managed to get away. Friends of mine had encouraged me not to come for knowledge of that story alone, but I felt determined to come. I am convicted that no matter where you go on this sin-ridden planet, it is possible that bad things will happen to you. If I had let fear hold me back, I never would have had all the many amazing experiences from living here.

The path along beach road is a lovely walk. It borders the beach and the combination of the view and the breeze that always sweeps along that path make it the best place in Saipan to enjoy outdoor recreation. From sunrise to sunset there are always lots of people out jogging, bike riding and walking. Every local says its a safe path to use, but the voice of vigilance my mother raised me with causes me to air on the side of caution. For this reason I was prepared that day Salome and I passed the strange man who was sprawled out on the sand. We were not alone, and we had brought  a deterrent with us that we could use should the need arise.

As a student missionary living abroad it is possible that one will be faced with difficult and even dangerous siutations. The important thing is to be prepared, and remember God is in control. As Christians we should rest assured that our God is capable of closing the mouth of lions, as well as keeping wild looking strangers glued to their seat on the sand.

Six Months

I have been living in Saipan for six months now! In six months I. . .

       am so used to the heat that 68 degrees is freezing to me.

       I now consider brown rice to be an essential part of every meal.

       I have learned how keep two clocks in my head, one here and one
       for the time zone back home.

       In six months my clothes have become tattered and worn from
       watching my clothes in semi-salty water. Good thing my once
       rather vain view of what is "fashionable" has also changed quite a bit.

       I no longer feel like a minority, but rather just a
       piece of a very culturally colorful collage.      

       I've become used to the sight of the ocean, and palm trees, and the
       orangish toothy grins of betel nut chewers.
     
       I finally mustered up the courage to use a machete. It went well.

       In six months I still don't understand anything in Tagalog but I love
       listening anyway. Its a beautiful language.

       I am sobered by extreme poverty, but not shocked by it.

       I have learned to always keep a spare children's story or worship
       thought at the back of my mind when called upon.

       I have learned not to resent being volunteered for things without
       being asked, but rather view it as being considered part of the family.

       I have learned what Christianity as a way of life truly looks like.
     
       I have found a second home.

       I have made friends for life.

Its amazing, this trip, and these last six months. I praise God for every moment I have spent here. I never pictured that I would travel this far away from home. I can't even really pin point exactly what has changed in me, I just know that my views on life are different from what they once were. Six months has gone by so fast, and I am trying to soak up every moment that remains, good or bad, because I know that sooner than I think it will be gone and I will be watching this island grow small on the horizon as I fly back to my first home. One moment I was sitting cross-legged on the floor across from someone whom I would come to consider one of my closest friends and enjoying one of my first meals on Saipan. Next I was a co-youth leader posing for a picture with the group of youth from the SDA church.. a group of young people that Carolyn and I are responsible for, from teaching Sabbath school to leading out on weekend activities around the island.

 One moment I was sitting in Walla Walla Universities library reference room staring at a map of this island, and the next I am sitting here surrounded by ocean, and staring at a list of classes and the books I will be studying when I get back to that library reference room.

I love every new dream and aspiration that this year has inspired. Dreams to travel more, and to experience the world through eyes that see beyond the superficial. I've been taken up mountains and through valley's. I've grown up. Of course, that might just be 21 talking...