A review post for the New Year and my night with the "ladies".

(Disclaimer: I don't really have a certain thing i'm writing about, i'm just throwing in things as they pop in my head)

It's been just over three months since I left home and so much has happened. So many new people have taken a place in my life and I feel as if I am running out of time. I have five more months here but I already get the feeling that it will fly by. I can still remember my Dad's face when he dropped me off at the airport, my Mother's tears as I left home, and the overwhelming humidity upon arrival here in Majuro.

The choir singing at a local supermarket.

All of us Sm's are on break from school right now and sleep has been one of the biggest priorities. Just before break I had the opportunity to plan out the music portion of the Christmas Program as well as conduct my first choir at a local performance. The children did so well and they were so happy to be able to bring cheer to the people of Majuro. In the beginning it was difficult to get them to rehearse. I would sometimes have to physically carry some of the male students, at the astonishment of their classmates, to the choir class. The culture here has the kids so scared to perform in front of anyone. Even the children with real singing ability have trouble because they feel alone when they sing. So when we did rehearse in class I would have to tell them to sing louder and louder because although the notes were right they just wouldn't be heard by many people. At the performance I was so relieved when they pulled it off with just the right volume and the amount of pride I felt through them was immense. I love every single one of these kids even if I have to carry them to class.

Some of the 12th Graders during a chapel.

I teach a 12th grade bible class and it may be the most difficult thing I have done in my life. The "kids" in the class range from dedicated to the definition of lethargic. It was so hard to tell them apart at the beginning of the year because none of them would talk to me. Not a word. During my first attendance call only one person said here and I had to approach each of them to ascertain who they were. Now we get along like family and some of them have even brought me gifts in class but I still worry about them. Some of them aspire to be engineers and doctors so they can help their fellow Marshallese people, the rest are just content with the lives they currently lead. Bible is not supposed to be a hard class and I try to assign projects and material that is more interesting than most but some of them still manage to fail. One student didn't even attend the final. Next quarter my goal is to make sure that no one fails by making most of the work in class. There will be reading outside but I am going to make sure these students at least practice their writing skills (which for the most part need major help). I love all of the students in this class and as their class sponsor I am doing my best to help them achieve.

I decided while being here that I would adopt one of the students as a little brother of sister so that I had someone to help me out with learning the culture and someone to care about more directly. The funny thing is that before I even got to choose one, a little girl named Stefanie Joseph chose me! I had offered to pay for her to go to a movie night and apparently

Stefanie right after a piggyback ride race!

only family does that so I became her official big brother that night. We don't spend a lot of time together but when we do the first thing is a piggyback ride race across the school (which let me tell you is exhausting) and then we talk about random things like how ugly my beard is, what my parents are like, and if I have any siblings. I wish I would have spent more time like this with the sister I have when we were younger, I guess when I get back i'll have to take here out more often. I am so happy to have made this connection with one of the students out here and I hope I can adopt another little sister or little brother soon!

A truck ride to Laura Beach.

Mr. Penner and Mr. Kennedy
 in action during adopt the block.

The student missionary group down here couldn't be better. We have people with so many different talents that anything you need help with can be covered by someone else. They are so kind and give so much of their time to the children. In my opinion they are being better fathers and mothers to these kids than their parents. Some of these children are so neglected and treated poorly. They need the time that they spend with the sm's to relax and have fun. All of the staff at Delap Sda are troopers, we are involved in so many things both in school and
church that we barely have time for ourselves. It is tough but that is why we came here, to help others. It has been a great experience of selflessness that I know I needed to have coming out here. I can't wait to start school again with these great people.

Some of the ladies throwing candy at my
unsuspecting face.

Last Sunday, 12/29, was maybe the most hilarious event I have ever witnessed. To give a little backstory; I decided not to go on a trip with some of the other Sm's because I had some other things to take care of that weekend and I stayed back at the school. The day they left I was told by some locals that there would be some sort of dance by the woman of the church in the gym. Now I grew up in a conservative home and I can't dance so having an opportunity to witness such an event was intriguing. Now I assumed that this would be a public event, when I arrived I saw food laid out like normal, I saw woman and children sitting everywhere like normal, and I saw some of the Sm's that had stayed behind. So I thought to myself, "I'll just have a seat and wait till it starts." What I neglected to realize was that all the Sm's that had stayed behind were female and I was the only male present. All of a sudden I feel this stare coming from every direction and the "uh oh" light turns on in my brain as I slowly realize my predicament. As my reflexes gain control of my body I begin to head to the nearest exit when low and behold my name is called out over the microphone and Rose, the wife of the pastor, beckons me to come up front. She calls me the "guest of honor" and puts a chair right next to the front stage for me to sit in. Now as my face can't really get red I just sat there in a daze sweating about three pounds off per minute looking around to see if any men come to my rescue. None came. I sat there upfront being stared at by all the, what I saw as cynical, faces of the ladies of the church. To add icing to this gaffe-cake I was asked to go through the potluck line before anyone else and I had to accompany most of the ladies pre-show singing with my guitar which I had conveniently let them borrow that same day. Now at this point I was beginning to feel comfortable being there, content with my musical contribution to their event but then the dancing started. I could never have imagined these ladies, whom seemed consumed with decorum and cynical stares, dancing the way they did. Their faces lit up, hips swayed and hair flew, I didn't know what was happening until I was hit in the face with candy they all of a sudden started chucking at me. Candy flying, muumuus mobile, I was in a world I didn't know existed. Most of their dances had meaning but some of their moves, to me, seemed like opportunities to hit me with candy. It was a crazy night full of mixed emotions on my part but I am glad I was there. I got to learn so much more.

Anywho, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! Here is a picture I took at Enamunit one of the smaller islands of Majuro.

Enamunit, Majuro.

-Peter Flores