My apologies for not updated this in over a month. Things on Mabuchi Hill have been very busy and today is the first time I have had a chance to sit back and write this. The past month has been full of service projects, retreats, visits to my sponsor family. 
About a month ago the Sophomore students worked side by side with the Sapuk community and helped to fix the road (as much as we could possibly fix). When I signed up for JVC, it talked about being in solidarity with the people which we were serving. I had not really seen much of that until that day when I helped the sophomores work with the Sapukese to build a better road. We had all sorts of tools and worked from 9am, took a lunch brake, and continued on until evening. Unfortunately, I did not stay and help, I left around 3 or 4 to go to my sponsor family. 
I have become really close to my family here. Recently my father won the election and is now one of the State Representatives. He is a really wonderful person and I am very happy for him and my family. That weekend I also found out that my grandmother had won a boat in one of the raffles downtown and we would be going to Pisiwi for a picnic the following weekend! 
The picnic was so much fun and I got to see how to have a picnic 'local style.' We had a delicious BBQ and people were being thrown in the water or buried in the sand.  It was a lot of fun and I was so happy to be apart of this family fun. It was one of the best local experiences I have had in Chuuk and I loved every minute of it.
The following week we took the Junior Class to the island of Tonas for the Junior Emmaus Retreat. It was at this retreat that I began to realize my life in Chuuk gets better and better the more put myself into those experiences. On the retreat so much about our lives and where we see God was shared and I saw my students in a different light. They are whole people, children of God, and though at times I can get so mad at them, I need to remember the wonderful and inspiring individuals that they actually are. They are so impressive and it is my goal that after that experience I try and see all my students in that light and remember how unique and wonderful each and everyone of them are to not only me but to God.
We returned to that island a week later for our JVC retreat. The focus was seeing God in all things and finding Grace in Darkness, something that we have all struggled with here in Chuuk. It was nice to take a weekend away from the hustle and bustle and just have to time to reflect, think, journal, and pray. It brought a lot of clarity to me and reminded me how much I really do enjoy Xavier and Chuuk. It can be overwhelming and frustrating and life here isn't fair sometimes, but it really is just preparing us for life. It is showing us there are injustices that cannot be fixed and things will fall apart and go completely wrong, but that the world keeps going. It has also shown me that I can do anything if I put my mind to it: I mean I am teaching Chemistry....a class I hated in high school and avoided in college, yet I am teaching it and not only am I up there everyday lecturing and talking about it, but the students are actually learning from me. I really have to strength to do anything. 
This past weekend we were all able to kick back and relax...Well almost....Friday was the Tsunami warning and it was a little paniky here for a couple hours but then settled down. Luckily there was no damage to our island or anything inside the lagoon. Thanks for all your prayers though! Please pray for all those that were affected, especially in Japan.
It is the end of the 3rd quarter so grades are due, so everyone is scrambling together to get their grades done. Me and Peach went into town today and got some pizza at Lei Side. It was so yummy, and reminded me of all the great food at home!

Well thats all for now! Hope everyone is doing well. Please remember to pray for all those affected by the natural disaster, especially in Japan.

Lots of Loves,
Em