First Week in Palau!

This first week in Palau was full of work and things to do.  Meetings and training for school, outings, and working on our rooms at SDA Elementary.  The first Sabbath we visited Koror church (which is very elegant with a.c.), and then got to spend the night with a very hospitable, influential Adventist family on the island.  We had a great time there and enjoyed the fellowship and the view of the ocean.  As the week began, we got to see our classrooms at the school. 

Of course, my room was the library.  It was a mess!  Not dirty, but since the floors had been redone all the shelves and books had been taken out, and now they were scattered everywhere.  Stacks of books—all shapes and sizes—covering the newly-tiled floor.  So that’s where my job began—sorting and re-shelving books.  It started out slow, but we’re beginning to see progress.

 Meanwhile, everyone else was cleaning and decorating their classrooms and learning teaching tips.  The internet is slow, and then it cut off…and the heat is thick and sticky like everyone said.  But we’re enjoying the experience.  The people are welcoming and generous (the potluck at church was great, and our Palauan families showered us with food—there was fresh papaya and a variety of other things both new and familiar like Worthington veggie meats and brownies). 

The scenery is gorgeous—palms and tufty little mountains covered in jungle, and blue water and fluffy green islands.  Bats and geckos and stray dogs provide wildlife.  And we got to go to a little Palauan museum and see some of the history and culture (bai meeting houses, money beads, first birth ceremonies, etc.).  I got to try dragon fruit and taro leaf soup (and taro too).  The Sanchezes are doing everything they can to help us transition, enjoy the island, and prepare for our work.  And even with 11 girls in 5 rooms with one kitchen, I think things have been going really well.

We got to share our stories of how we came to be in Palau this week during nightly worships, and it’s amazing to hear how God has been working in each person’s life.  It’s also been great for getting to know each other.  Mr. Sanchez keeps telling us we’re a family, and no matter what happens this year, we’ve got to be there for each other.  Somehow we all ended up on the same island—people from all different backgrounds and places and experiences.  And now that we’re together, we all have the same goal to be an influence for good on Palau in Jesus’ name, and to help each other out.  Pray that even with the challenges we’re definitely going to face, that we’ll keep our goals in mind and move forward as a family of Palau SMs within the larger family of God.