“So when they say anything,
Say why is it?
Class is in session till the teacher gets a pink slip,
40 to a class
No wonder we delinquent,
Half the school never make it to commencement”
-Blue Scholars “No Rest For the Weary”


Culmination. Completion. Depending who or what group one is referring to these words could have varying definitions. In about a week Pohnpei Catholic School will celebrate the commencement of the 8th grade students whom I have had the honor and distinguish to teach this year. Certain students have spent 9 years at this school and the celebration will be the fulfillment of their academic career so far. Others, new to the community or transfers from different schools will walk alongside as companions on the journey. A small few will go on to top private high schools. Some will go to public school. Some will undoubtedly fall to the wayside, filing in the cycle of deprivation that a lack of education sustains. All are products of a system I have spent time reflecting on and observing and would like to express some thought on.

Amidst the preparation for the ceremony, it was communicated to me how important this day was for the students and parents. Further, that despite not saying their opinions, many parents would have high expectations and would be silently observing the ceremony to a “T.” I remarked to a staff member that I did not remember 8th grade commencement to be such a highly touted affair in my years and in my culture. He grinned and stated, “here in the FSM, we love praising mediocrity.” He chuckled, but I do not think his full intent was humor. Amidst conversations, this idea of mediocrity carries forth throughout my goals and aspirations as a teacher. In my strive for an ideal in education I continually hit this wall of, “that’s just the way it works here,” and “its different than in the states.”

The fact of the matter is, in 9 months of observing, living, and interacting with Micronesians they are not a people I would classify as “mediocre.” They are extremely dedicated to their families, willing to give of time and energy without thought or consideration to themselves. Here no one would ever spend time in the hospital alone, it is simply unfathomable that a family member would not dedicate time, money, and effort to make sure they or another member be with a sick relative around the clock. The sick member takes precedent not only over jobs, chores, and other, but also sleep, food and relaxation. The need of self is unanimously revoked for the need of the sick. This hardly strikes me as mediocre.

Other men I have met subsistence fish during the night because it is a free food source for their family. What struck me is they do this amidst working a 9 to 5 job that often can be physically and mentally demanding. This is always done without complaint, despite the lack of sleep or down time. Hardly mediocre.

Homelessness is fairly infrequent here due to the fact that a family is usually willing to give. People here rarely starve because those who “have” are almost always willing to “give.” Not exactly the sign of mediocrity.

Yet, as an outsider to the culture here I have a mindset based on a Western model. The highlight of that model is striving for excellence in all arenas, particularly education. One must do well in school to go to a good college. A good college gets one a good job. A good job provides for a healthy family. Multiple healthy families make up a striving society. Central to all this is an ever present un-attainable goal, that transcends until one must have a good funeral to reflect that one worked hard, had a good life, a good family, and the cycle continues on and on.

What is mediocrity? And why does MY model allow for its definition in a culture and for a people I am foreign to? Because they culminate their education at 9 years or 11 years with no college diploma or masters? I think not. Some of my students will never graduate high school. Some may certainly never go to college. But completion, success, culmination, and commencement are not measured by pieces of paper, speeches, or fancy robs and hats, at least not in the world I want to live in. True success, true “commencement” lies in the ability of each person to truly wish to better his or her situation. Whether that is by working harder for their family, fishing nights to eat, or studying to further one’s education is of no consequence. All provide a better life, a better world and exists as a converse to any definition of mediocrity.

Also its been awhile, but amidst a confirmation class retreat, confirmation, 8th grade retreat and many other events I have some more pictures:

Mass at the confirmation retreat
Myself and Tim, sunset...thank Luke Ricci for the new KC t-shirt (its the envy of all Micronesia)
At The Village for my 23rd
The kids swimming on the retreat
Me with my students at the completion of the retreat.

"I tell you one lesson I learned

If you want to reach something in life

You ain't gonna get it unless

You give a little bit of sacrifice..."

---The "legendary" Roots crew

Feet. Due to the tropical climate here in the Pacific, shoes loose their allure quickly. Instead, the cool, temperature considerate flip-flops, or “zorries” as they are called here take precedent in foot apparel. As such, outward appearances of feet in everyday situations tell you a lot about someone. If they have been working in the field, feet bear a tan, greenish color due to loose grass and foliage. If walking long distances, feet bear a rough, rugged, exterior. Furthermore, if someone spends his or her time sitting inside, feet also have an un-shielding look to expose where and what they have been.

 

For me the most reveling of feet are that of the elderly here. In a place where paved roads, the automobile, and forms of transportation took over for feet in the last 40-50 years, and due to size all necessities are within a walking proximity, it is still possible to see the work and toil of a life of walking, on the feet of the old.

 

Recently, in my 8^th grade religion class, I had a brief discussion of “compassion” with my kids. To them, the breakdown of the word meant, “to feel sorry for someone.” I challenged them on to see it deeper and eventually we as a class came to a consensus after a wonderful example. One of my students stated, “See Mister (as they call me for short) it is like that saying, you can’t understand someone until you walk in someone’s shoes. If my grandfather has a bad feet, I can’t be compassionate to him until I feel the pain it is for him to walk.” In a mass of pride and luck (I couldn’t believe I had gotten that stellar of an answer) I left the discussion at that and moved on to the next point.

 

This last weekend the staff of OLMVTS and PCS took the chance to go out and retreat from the monotony and everyday life in Kolonia Town. Fr. Jim led us in many exercises to grow as Catholic educators individually and collectively. It was the first reading of the retreat that brought me back to the idea of feet and their revealing quality. The first reading, found in the Gospel of John brought up the washing of the feet of the disciples by Jesus.

 

Jesus as a servant caught up my thoughts. Whether Catholic, Christian, or other, the figure of Jesus as a servant is acceptable. Jesus came not to rule, not to conquer but simply to serve. What further transfixed me was the metaphor of dirty feet. Simply put, no matter who you are, where you are from, your status, your possessions, wealth, or power, in a place where everyone wears sandals your feet inevitably get dirty. We are the same way as humans. No matter our background, no matter our future, our friends or enemies, our work ethic or lack there of we all have dirty souls. Like our feet, some of our flaws are evident, while some flaws lay hidden deep beneath our skin.

 

Yet, our greatest flaw, and antithesis to service, is when we focus entirely on our own dirty feet, our own individual flaws and continually put the whip to our backs for our humanity. As this process continues, we shy away from washing the feet of others, and instead focus on how dirty they are and pass the same judgment we have on ourselves to others. It is in this regard we loose sight of Christ’s example and succumb to our humaneness.

 

A big lesson for myself as of late has been to accept the dirty feet of others by first accepting my own. By regarding each other as imperfect, dirty, faulty, sinners we begin the first step in service to one another, we accept one another as we are, and in such an acceptance forgive others and ourselves. It is in this way our soul’s become clean, and we begin to clean the souls of others, as Christ so called.

Communion

"You go down there looking for justice,

 

that's what you find,

 

just us..." 

 

-Richard Pryor sampled in GangStarr's "Alongwaytogo"

 

I am a cradle Catholic. I was born, baptized and have spent 100% of my life in the Roman Catholic Church. I am proud of my beliefs, and feel confident enough to test the limits of, not only my own personal beliefs, but the day-to-day Catholic teachings, as well as the institutional church I belong to. Yet, being here on Pohnpei has asked me to look deep into the historical significance of faith, missionaries, and the spread of religion to a people where it was formerly foreign and unknown.

Communion, as defined by a web dictionary, is 1)the act or an instance of sharing, as of thoughts or feelings. 2)Religious or spiritual fellowship. 3)A body of Christians with a common religious faith who practice the same rites; a denomination, as well as 4)the sacrament of the Eucharist received by a congregation, the consecrated elements of the Eucharist, and the part of the Mass or a liturgy in which the Eucharist is received. 

The fact that Jesuit Volunteer International was a Catholic volunteer program greatly weighed on my decision to partake in its pillars for two years. Being a Catholic has shaped and molded many instances of my life; recently I was challenged as to why.

In the states I often looked past the Eucharist at mass. It always seemed to me a commonplace practice and ritual. I often went through the act without much cause, thought, or incite. Yet, at a recent spirituality night with the Jesuits, the Eucharist was the topic of discussion. I thought back to my First Communion at Our Lady Star of the Sea; I remembered my starched white shirt, my shined black shoes, and my tie with various sport paraphernalia on it, and I remember standing in a group of young Catholics to be, in anticipation for that wafer of initiation. At the time it seemed very magical, very surreal. From my young outsider perspective those who received were all members of the group, to receive meant to be a part of something, to belong. I rejoiced at the fact that soon I too would join "the line."

I then reflected on my late teens, when going to communion meant something much different. The week was filled with studies, sports, chores, and many other things. Church on Sunday offered a special time to sit back, reflect and enjoy the company of a community also worn out from a long week. I reflected on my enjoyment of the post-communion prayer, when I would kneel down and feel at ease with the church community I had grown up with and around; it was familiar, easy, and most of all comfortable. 

My first mass in Pohnpei I stood up at my introduction and looked around to foreign faces, names, and peoples. Amidst new languages, foods, customs, temperatures, and ways, the place I had always found ease and comfort, the church, was new and foreign as well. The reality of my new situation struck hard when after communion I did not recognize a single face, save the priest I had met minutes before mass. 

Slowly but surely things changed, the culture I was foreign to opened its most admirable feature frequent and often; hospitality to the outsider. With my work at the school faces became more recognizable, names became known, and encounters became hellos. Before I knew it, I had friends who I was looking forward to saying hello to before and after mass. It did not happen at some sudden moment, but gradually I was beginning to feel like a part of the community.

This last week I had the privilege of serving as Eucharistic Minister for our school mass. Neat the end of the line I watched as all of my students approached me for Communion. I looked each in the eye, served, then sat down fulfilled with the experience, there was no funny looks, no snickers, it was business as usual for all parties; once again I finally felt liked I was beginning to belong. 

I am by no means the most conservative of Catholics, and am apt to question as much dogma and faith based belief as I can. However, whether the work of the Eucharist or not, I find it to be a miracle that communion has continually had the ability to draw me in with groups of people. Yet, I have begun to question where the notion of community comes from, the community at large, or the group that gathers under the banner of the Eucharist?

This Christmas we traveled to Chuuk to spend the holiday with the volunteers working at the high schools on that island. In one of the rooms at Saramen Chuuk there were questions spanning multiple subjects written all over the walls. One question caught my eye and has had me thinking ever since. It read, “was God here before the missionaries?” The notion is simple, that if Micronesian’s had never been given God’s word and message, would they know God? Would they know his Son? If they never heard the word, Eucharist, would they still understand communion? Micronesian history is ripe with missionaries who came preaching a different way of life to locals than what they had known, aspects of the culture were kept, but many were denounced. As for now, one can not drive very far in Pohnpei without seeing a different religious order from some foreign place telling people the their way is the best way

So I pondered the question in conjunction with my experience with the Catholic Church and I came to a conclusion; I realized that it is of no consequence. That in life there is no clear-cut concrete way of life, instead people are at their best when they allow give and take from one another and start enjoying one another for who they truly are, not what they want them to be. It is only then when we can learn from one another, and then when we can truly see each other in communion, whether at church, at the store, in jail, developed, poor, rich, strong, weak, confident.

As well, below are some pictures of the PCS Christmas program (theme: Jesus was born in Pohnpei) as well as JVI Christmas in Chuuk.

                                          Pisar, in the Chuuk lagoon, the sight of our retreat
                                            Micro volunteers
                                           Lavin and Miller reunited, plus staches
                                            Pohnpei volunteers.

                                       Pohnpei Catholic School Christmas program
The gift bearers with the 8th graders in front.

Expect...

"Great expectations, on our committee Unified relations

We Rebel our Rhythm through tribulations

And treble and bass the situation with dedication"

-Jurassic 5

Expectations. Travelers, tourists, volunteers, friends, family, and all who venture out, leave not only with the luggage in their hands, but also the expectations in their hearts. My first 4 months in Pohnpei have both fulfilled and transfigured my expectations time and time again.

Jesuit Volunteers ascribe to the 4 pillars of social justice, living simply, witnessing faith, and community life. All are broad ideas, which carry with them a wide spectrum of reality from one person to the next. Truths of each can be different from one person to the next and vice versa. However, all are shaped in our heads pre-departure as an image of expectation to what life is truly like at our destination.

Expectations meet reality very early and often. When I signed up as a JV, to be honest, my mind was warped with images of helping the "poorest of the poor," like images seen in photos of Mother Theresa or others who dedicate to upholding the underrepresented, undernourished, and underscored. 

Thanksgiving has been a re-shaping of my expectations to the realities of the situation here in Micronesia. At Pohnpei Catholic School, the tradition is for the kids families to bring local food for their land and donate it as a gift at mass. From there the food is brought to the sick at the State hospital and further to the prisoners in the state jail. 

The donations were staggering. Bananas, mangoes, breadfruit, taro, yams, and coconuts galour. Fr. Cav said mass and his message was one that struck me. Pohnpei is a vibrant land of nourishment. Fruits and vegetables grow in abundance and with relative ease. No one goes hungry in Pohnpei. However, it is the role of the community to look after those who have little, in thanks for our abundance. As an American this notion of abundance was one I had missed. I had expected life to be short on luxuries here on island, and had shaped my expectations to miss the incredible gift of food and vegetables made available.

My 8th graders delivered the food with ease and comfort. They upheld the work as an honor and responsibility. I was very proud and honored to be associated with them, let alone to be called their teacher. More than anything, the experience re-shaped my expectations on the customs, culture, and reality of this place. People are not starving for a reason, the community is established enough to recognize the abundance, give thanks to said abundance, and give to those in need. This is not charity, or a hand-out, it is a simple reality. 

I would like to call the re-shaping of my expectations a learning experience. I learned something through the experience. The work I do hear will be far out-shined by the work this place does to me. For this I am thankful for the opportunity to observe and gain insight. When I return home, my expectations will once again be re-shaped, however, the truths I have seen here will stay with me.

Some of my 8th grade girls being un-characteristically un-shy for the camera.
Our music teacher entertaining us between deliveries.
Some of the 8th grade boys loading up a pick-up full of bannanas
The girls ready to depart.
The food donated.

Symbolize...

"'Jesus Walks'

God show me the way because the devil trying to break me down

'Jesus Walks'

The only thing that I pray is that me feet don't fail me now..."

  --Kanye West "Jesus Walks"

Symbols define our world. It would be impossible to imagine a day to day routine without some symbol. From the green light to the power button, from the crucifix to the dollar, there is no lack of "deeper meanings" to the objects we use to symbolize.

In preparation of our school-wide Christmas presentation, the campus minister of PCS asked that we plan our program around the idea "What if Jesus were born in Micronesia?" She asked, very appropriately, how Jesus would be received, what aspects of the culture would adhere to the His presence and what aspects would inhibit it. Sister proposed also that, in light of Pohnpei being an international island and PCS a international community, each culture represented at PCS play the role of wise-men and women and deliver the figurative Gold, Frankincense And Mir appropriate to their home lands. 

In Pohnpei there could be no better symbol of the culture than Sakau. Sakau, a plant that is prepared as a drink, represents the adherence to community, reliance on the land, and right of forgiveness that represent the Pohnpeian's. In Pohnpeian society, no one, not even a chief, can deny the Sakau. If someone wrongs another they prepare and deliver Sakau to the individual to right the discrepancy. Interestingly enough, if the person denies the Sakau, which figuratively denies the apology, the community looks down upon the individual in defiance. Much more, the wrongs of the first offender are forgiven by the community and in accordance delivered to he who denies the Sakau. In effect, no one is bigger than the Sakau, and further, no individual bigger than the community. 

Sakau, therefore becomes an incredibly important symbol to give the new born Jesus because it is not only a tool for forgiveness, but it also represents a cultural ideology, that no individual is bigger, better, or more important than the community.

Of course, each other island; Yap, Chuuk, Kosrae, Majuro, and the Philippines had similar symbols of their culture which, immediately became clear to the individuals speaking for each, and in turn, easily represented the core values of the given society. 

"Luke, what symbol, what gift will you Americans give to the newborn Jesus?" My mind raced, surely the answer was right in front of me...I thought and I thought, and nothing came. Jokingly one of our teachers responded "Money!" Everyone in the room, including myself now embarrassed nothing had immediately come, began to laugh at the comment. Unable to stall much longer I told Sister I would need time to ponder the idea for awhile. 

Here, in a country half way across the world, the last thing I thought I would have to confuse me would be American culture! Yet, Sister's question and the money comment had jostled me. Where these really the symbols of my culture? Money, stocks, goods, vales, supplies, demands, profit, loss, buy, sell? I scanned my thoughts for nostalgic remembrance of my home; yet, as I did so, I found that amidst my immersion into a completely new culture, what I was getting was an outsiders perspective into what America is and how it is perceived abroad. 

Troubled, I took more time to think about symbols and their value. Would a newborn Jesus accept money as a symbol? What about pay to Caesar what is his and to God what is God's? A bit shook, I encouraged myself to be realistic.

Around the same time I passed a house near our JV house which was painted Red, White, and Blue. The house was having a party, and as Jo returned from it, I found out why. A relative of the family who owned the house had enlisted as an American soldier to fight and eventually give his life in the war in Iraq. To honor the man, the family had picked a symbol, the American flag, he died for to remember him with. As an American, I found this hard to swallow and felt incredibly humbled by the family and the Micronesian who had chosen to fight and die for what he felt was right. Whether or not one agrees with the motives of the war is irrelevant when considering this man, this man with a different culture, a different background, and a different world altogether, had given his life to defend the symbols I was struggling so hard to define.

Finally, after many discussions and deliberations Jo and I walked into Sister's office and explained to her that if we were to give one thing to the newborn King of King's that war a symbol of our culture it would be legal freedom. Laws and statutes that guarantee the rights of individuals to think, worship, speak, and often times strive to profit as much as they could. It took some time to explain why this was not a tangible gift, like a food, a drink, a basket, or some type of tool. However, eventually Sister accepted the it and put it in the script. 

Symbols define our ideas, our ideals, our motives and our cultures. Yet, more than anything they make us take a cold hard look at what we represent. As I continue my two years I am sure many more will come up to accept, deny, but most importantly to examine.  I encourage all to look deep into their lives and reflect upon what symbols represent them, to better see how they and in turn others may define them.

Universal Language

"We're going to have the word love

in many different languages translated all through the track
So, whenever you hear the word love
Know that, it's going to be in a different language
The language of love cannot be translated"

--Talib Kweli

In the states language is incredibly underrated. Despite numerous debates about the influx of Spanish, I feel we take for granted the ability to always "understand" one another. 

After a month in Pohnpei I have seen the drawbacks of a language barrier. There is nothing more concrete than differing languages to inject the notion that you and someone else are from differnet backgrounds, cultures, and even worlds. My Pohnpeian is coming slowly along, but in no way can I speak with the people here. 

Yet, why is it speech is so central to our communication? Surely, in our closest relationships we have seen how nonverbal communications conveys so much more in terms of emotion and feeling than understanding the words coming out of each other's mouths. It is different in the classroom while teaching because all of the kids are expected to speak English, and if they do not understand something it is my role to put that information in their heads

I have never been one for reading others non-verbally, or one for reading minds. However, I am one for sport, which has become quickly my first honest and open communication with those I can not understand through words. 

No more than 45 minutes of the plane, Fr. Fran had convinced me to play basketball with him that afternoon. Jet lagged, in a state of awe of my new surroundings, and simply tired from three days of traveling I was a bit hesitant. However, as I have since learned Fr. Fran is not one to take no for an answer. 

I played, horribly, and sweat, profusely. However, suddenly I felt a sense of ease with such new people. As I perspired, panted, and rested, they could see I was travel worn but still trying my best. 

At least three times a week we now play, and through looks, intensity of competition, and the simple enjoyment of a game, those who play regularly have become my friends. We know each other through a simple game and communicate many things, how our day went, what we are discouraged about, life's joys, through how we play a game each day. We do this by never saying a word, in English or Pohnpeian.

I thank Fr. Fran for lighting the spark that became my first lesson in universal communication

Below are a few pictures of life here. Some are from my home, some from school. Recently we had Pohnpei Catholic School Charter day which celebrated the beginning of the school and was celebrated with fun and games. I coached the yellow team and a good time was had by all, it was great to see the kids having so much fun

My room, thank God for the fan.
Our house, with new roof and paint job.
The basketball court I made my debut on 45 minutes after walking off the plane my first day in Pohnpei (thanks Fr. Fran)
Pohnpei Catholic School
Old Ruins on the Catholic Mission
My classroom from my desk, very simple (and peaceful) with no students in it.

My classroom building with Sokeh's Rock in the background

Charter Day games, the kids had a blast.
Musical chairs.
My classroom from the back (notice the stack of ungraded papers on my desk)

3,2,1 Blast Off...

Walk like warriors, we were never told to run

Explored the world to return to where my soul begun

Never looking back or too far in front of me

The present is a gift

and I just wanna BE

 -Common

 

 

2 weeks of orientation, 1 week in Pohnpei…and so begins life as a Jesuit Volunteer

 

Where to start, without doubt the sentiment delivered by Common above is what I will take from a great orientation. Through presentations, reflection, prayer, and socializing, I feel the core message pre-departure was that to do great work with others and abroad, one must first turn inward and work on oneself. So I left John Carroll University, not only in awe of the people I had met, such incredible people, but with a better sense of how to “BE.” It has become my mission to embark on this experience by attempting to see and find God in all things, as Common, Carlos Mejia, Fr. Howard Grey, fellow JV staff/presenters, and fellow volunteers enlightened me, that search must start within myself.

 

After three days of travel (four if one considers the day gained by crossing the international date line) I arrived to the dream I call Pohnpei. Pohnepei’s beauty is indescribable and when my camera is finally charged I will be sure to upload some photos. It is unlike any place I have ever been, like a hidden world amassed in an endless blue. What has stuck me most is the abundance of life. Whether it be tree, plant, ant, gecko,shark, spider, fruit, turtle, dog, person, there is life everywhere on this island. To a degree, life is so abundant it is almost bursting out from this small island to only be held back by the gaping waves and wind of the mighty Pacific.

 

Life is not only present here but it has a giant smile at all times. Upon first days, I have felt so blessed to be warmly greeted and accepted by each Pohnpeian I have met. Despite the fact many speak little or no English did not detour them, a smile is always on their faces. Life is simpler and slower here, which will take some getting used to, but as long as the niceties and pleasantries are extended for the next two years it should be no problem at all. Classes start in 5 days, I will be teaching 8^th grade which is very exciting, and am spending most of my days cleaning my classroom, meeting the staff at Pohnpei Catholic School, and acquainting myself to the daunting tropical heat (I sweat constantly).

 

To my fellow JV’s I just want to wish you all luck as we begin our journeys, it gives me solace to know that around the globe, I am in such great company. To my family and friends, I already miss you all but am adjusting well to this tropical paradise. Kasalellia meinko.