May 10 Sunday: Having been told that Sunday was the only time we could get to Arno with Tony the irooj, we had made a number of phone calls Sabbath evening and Sunday morning, trying to line up a boat, any boat. But given that it was mother's day people were busy with other things and boat charters came up with a goose egg. Given that it was mother's day it also meant that the backup trip to Enemanot was a no go because Larry had taken his family camping for the weekend and his boat was gone. Four of the SM's had really been looking forward to going to Enemanot as it was one of the last weekends of the school year for them before heading back home. So we made a few more phone calls once we knew Arno was not going to happen and found a boat from Kramer's resort that was still going to Enemanot from a dock near the US Embassy. We made it to the boat on time and minutes after leaving the dock were hit by a tremendous rain storm with near whiteout conditions. This went on for most of the trip over to the island and while it broke for the most part, we had a gentle rain for the first hour on the island. I swam out to the buoys that are set to triangulate a wrecked jet in the water, but it was deep enough that I could not make out anything. I swam back to the floating diving board where the SM's were soaking up sun and asked if I could borrow a mask. Once I had a mask, I returned to the buoys and eventually found the front half of the jet. The tail section was missing, but you could look into the shell of the plane and see the benches and if you were really ambitious you could make your way into the cockpit. That wasn't for me. Following a consistent crunching sound, I made my way to a cluster of coral that was being methodically eaten by the clown and parrot fish. A few angel fish and various other colorful species flitted in and out of the coral as I floated above it all. This was the first time in my trips to this island that I was able to do any snorkeling and I was happy for the chance and what I had been able to see. Then I swam over to the pier and on to the other side, which is where no one goes and there I found my own little 'Blue Planet' landscape. Huge fan corals, brain corals, every other kind of coral, in hot pinks, bright blues, oranges, tans, whites. The fish were what you imagine when you think of nature specials on the reefs of the world. Multicolored and beautiful, sea cucumbers, some eels, LARGE specimens of the snails with their unblemished shells completely eclipsing the dull versions that wash up on shore, shrimp and crabs, etc. It was breathtaking. I thanked God for the variations in nature that declare His handiwork.

We left Enemanot just ahead of an approaching storm and avoided the worst of it by doing so. A Marshallese woman catching a ride on the boat got sea sick and threw up, which was tremendously funny to a Marshallese man who was watching her. Back at the school Matt, who had gone to the airport to look for shells in a place the natives had recommended, showed us his haul. He got a number of beautifully colored, if small in size, shells, mostly cowries. Cameron and I drove Matt and Evan back up to Laura. Matt was still trying to figure out what to do with a giant conch shell he had. It would not fit in any of the flat rate postal boxes and would have cost $50 to ship on its own. Hopefully, he finds a way to get it home. On the way back to Delap, Cameron and I were again praying and discussing about Arno and how it was in God's hands, whether it would happen or not. At that point we were essentially done and Cameron would have to make the trip himself when he got a chance. He could scope out the site, get pictures, and send it on to Burton and others in the States.

May 11 Monday: This morning Denis called and told us that the Sunday restriction was no longer in place and if we could charger a boat Tony would go with us. We spent a couple hours calling people with boats and they were all booked for the day. Just about when we were ready to give up, Ben, the son of the man who runs the three times a week boat service to the other end of Arno, called and said he had a boat. Good news! Then he told us the price: $750. That was just too much for us to pay and just like that Arno was again off the table. I think Ben knew we were kind of desperate to get a boat and he did not really want to go, because that price is so much more than anyone else had said the trip would cost, if they had been available. So, Cameron and I prayed again, put it in God's hands and went about other things for the day. I finished a book I had borrowed from Scott Young, one of the SM's, then went to MIR to use the internet and post my last set of notes. Walking home, I arrived just as a truckload of kids was heading out with Cameron and Steve Baker. They asked if I wanted to go and see the Taiwanese naval ships that had recently docked. Of course, I did. How often will I get a chance to go on board an active military vessel for another country? Before boarding we were scanned and had our temperatures taken (as a precaution against swine flu apparently). There was a marked route to follow through the ship, but we were not guided through it. Placards gave information on what a lot of the equipment and weaponry was and did. Towards the end of the tour there was a section of the deck arranged to promote the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung. Cameron can speak Chinese, so he had fun interacting with the sailors, who were mostly surprised at a white guy speaking their language. The kids were all excited about how big the ships were and the boys were drawn to the rockets and torpedoes. I'm glad I had the chance to see the ships.

May 12 Tuesday: First thing this morning we were told to go find John at the WAAN canoe making shop, who knows of a boat we can charter. After some exploring to actually find the shop and John himself, we were next sent to get a hold of JoEl the boat owner. This also took a while, so that by the time everything was settled, we could not make the trip today and arranged to go to Arno on Wednesday for $300. Cameron and I went to eat lunch at Diabetes Wellness Center, talked to Denis some more and Denis wanted to take me to dinner that evening to talk some more about Canvasback/ priorities, etc. I got a load of laundry started and did a few errands. Because of all our running around on Monday, they had not been able to have gymnastics practice, so Tuesday was a makeup day and the 25 eager students had a great time practicing round offs and hand stands. About a half hour before their practice was over I went down to the Formosa store and got oranges to give to the kids.

With practice done and most of the kids dropped off at their homes, it was time for me to meet up with Denis. Cameron had an English tutoring session with a Taiwanese woman, so it worked out well for us to be doing our own things. Denis was just closing up the Wellness Center when I arrived at 5:30. Cherise came along too and they took me to their favorite restaurant on the island, Monica's. It is a Chinese place, but the reason they like it and are promoting it through the Wellness Center, is that they will make any dish vegetarian, will use brown rice instead of white, and in general already serve food that is in line with the Wellness Center's ideals. Denis ordered for all of us and it was fantastic. Part way through the meal Monica came out and gave us a new dish they were just thinking of adding to the menu: spicy bamboo shoots. Amazing taste and very spicy, which made me happy. After the meal, we walked along the shoreline for a while and sat under a gazebo on the lagoon side. Then on the way home Denis stopped by Tony Roberts home so I could meet the Irooj prior to our trip to Arno. That went well and we looked to be all set for Wednesday.

Throughout this time Denis was telling me about the crisis of Diabetes in the Marshall Islands and the sense I had picked up from him about the school in Arno not being a primary priority was clarified. He would love to get a school going out there, but it would have a direct impact on at most 60 students and then ripple out from there. Diabetes is an epidemic in the Marshalls: during health screenings 50% of people have diabetes and the government itself says that nearly 90% are on their way and will get it. The government is spending $17-18 million of its $21 million health budget on diabetes treatment. It is a major issue to them, obviously. The Wellness Center is in a perfect position to have a huge impact on the Marshall's both physically and spiritually. Currently, they are providing a breakfast and a lunch service at very reasonable prices (and which is keeping them in the black), free exercise classes (aerobics/tai chi/etc), health interventions (three month courses with nutritionists/dietitians to modify the lifestyles of those who need to), cooking classes, etc. They do not do a dinner service because it would be exhausting to the staff (although they have requests for it constantly) and they made a commitment to not compete against the local restaurants when they need that time to make most of their money. They also have offered to give any and all of their recipes to any restaurant that would want them. Primary needs are curriculum/presentation materials that can be presented to ALL the elementary schools on Majuro and extending to the outer islands. This has full backing from the government, but they need help putting the material together and producing it and funds/resources to establish a better follow up system for people who are going through the current programs. These steps would have an immediate impact on thousands of people and provide a fantastic opening for the church since it is clear that this health message is coming from the SDA church and the government understands and supports it. (Gabe, Scott, Kirsten, etc, if you think you could take a look at the canvasback website and offer improvements or expertise in presentation development, I can get you contact info)

May 13 Wednesday: Because of an overnight storm we adjusted our departure time to just after noon. So in the morning I packed most of my stuff up and did a little reading. At 10am we took all the 7th Graders to the Diabetes Wellness Center for a lecture and information, tour of their gym facilities and lunch. Then ARNO, we arrived at the RRE dock and spotted the boat right away. It was a small 20 footer with twin engines. JoEl was there, said everything was ready and the crew was waiting so we hopped on. The crew consisted of three men, the pilot of the boat, was a lookalike for Tony Roberts, but was obviously not him. We eventually figured out he was a cousin. But it did seem strange that after all that effort Tony did not come on the trip himself. I never did find out what the reason for that was. Anyway, as soon as we crossed under the Majuro bridge and hit the open ocean, we hit really choppy water. I thought it was quite exciting, although after an hour and a half of the boat slamming down every few seconds, my butt was ready for a break. Too bad the boat ride took another forty five minutes Flying fish made many appearances and I was very surprised at how far they can fly once airborne and they can stay out even longer by skipping through the tips of high waves. With the birds you see the wings flapping, the flying fish is more like a silver bar with hummingbird-like fin motion. Just a blur, floating a few feet above the water for as much as 45 seconds. As we drove along the coastline of Arno, you immediately got a sense of how much more primitive it is compared to Majuro, just 20 miles away. Very quiet, no vehicles (there are only 5 or 6 trucks on the island total), long clean looking beaches, once in a while a person standing on the shore watching us pass. Arriving at the dock, we were somewhat unsure of how to proceed, since Tony was not with us and his cousin could barely speak English, but almost immediately we found a young man a few years younger than me named Lucien who spoke very good English. We soon discovered that he had been a student of the SDA school before it got shut down. He became our tour guide. We probably could have managed without one, because the site is in such a convenient and prime spot, but it was very helpful to have him show us other things as well. Only a couple hundred yards from the dock we hit the existing concrete slab. The lagoon side is visible from the site and has a dock on that side as well. There is a large meadow adjacent to the site, which already is being used as a community volleyball court. It is within sight of an existing Protestant church and we spoke with the pastor there about using the church on Sabbaths and he was completely open to the idea of sharing the space, so doing a separate church may not be necessary. There is also a “hospital” and the only store in Ine within sight of the school space. Lucien showed us a couple existing buildings that had been part of the old school and are now being used as housing for families. Very small, the new school would easily be three times as large. All of this was tremendously encouraging. The slab itself, we were told had been the town hall and meeting space, but it is in a terrible state. It is not usable for any sort of structure whatsoever. It is so overgrown that it would need to be cleaned off before a decision could be made, but I suspect the easiest solution would be to dig and pour a new footing around the outside of what is there and relevel the floor. There is enough space to almost double the footprint without having to cut down many palm trees if that became necessary for some reason, but the existing area seems quite good. It will definitely be a camping environment for anyone going out there to do the construction. I took a lot of pictures (and hopefully I can get them up soon) found one little Arno cowrie as a souvenir. We were given a bag of freshly husked cocoanuts, so we drank the milk and scraped out the meat while we wandered around the island. The longer we were there the more people came out of the woodwork. At first it seemed largely abandoned, but before we left a rambunctious volleyball game got underway, kids were riding their bikes around, and testing their confidence by coming and asking us things. Quite a crowd was at the dock for our departure. The return trip was much quicker as the sea had calmed down to almost glass. The flying fish were gone. I think after observing their methods, the stormy water helps them out a lot. But we did get another treat: dolphins/porpoises (not sure which). They were fairly small, darker than the “grey” ones we traditionally see at parks, jumping rhythmically as they paced the boat for a while. I only regret that they stopped as soon as I got my camera out.

We got back to Majuro in time to grab a quick bite and go to Bible study with the Rita kids. Then a brief download with Denis and more last minute packing. I got a bunch of my pictures and videos transferred to Cameron; all the stuff that had him in it and all the Arno pictures. We played one last game of Scrabble which I won.

May 14 Thursday: Travel day, up at 7am, finished my oranges off, finished packing, donated some money to the school, said some goodbyes, picked up a dvd from the Diabetes Wellness Center and set off to the airport a little after 9am. Once there I got to go through the circus of removing my Pac Saf netting so they could scan my pack, then reattach the Pac Saf, then pay extra because it was overweight, and pay my $20 “exit fee” to be allowed to leave the islands. But everyone was friendly, they all have been, and the woman at the counter is actually the wife of one of the guys we had been going to Enemanot with many of the weekends I was here. That was nice. And after a half hour of waiting we were allowed to board. First stop was Kwajalein and they warned us that we couldn't get off the plane and were not allowed to take any pictures because it is an active military installation. About half the passenger did get off as this was their destination. Our next jump took us to Kosrae where we could disembark and I bought a wooden shark (with real shark teeth) that I'll have to ship home from Guam. The next stop was Pohnpei where it was rainy and we were asked to stay on board the plane. We picked up a lot of passengers on this stop and the plane was full. I was in seat 6A, seat 6B had been empty up until this point and seat 6C was filled by a Continental mechanic. We had talked a little with him giving me many recommendations about places to scuba dive and telling me I should modify my trip to make sure I could see Palau and Saipan. Well, a passenger tried to sit in 6B, but the mechanic made him move, so it remained open. Since the plane was so full, I asked why he did that and he told me once the plane was airborne, the pilot was going to come back and watch the recent championship boxing fight with him on their laptop. Shortly after taking off and reaching a reasonable altitude, back came the pilot, sat down beside me and they proceeded to watch the fight through twice. It was a rather short fight, ending in the second round, but they enjoyed themselves. Eventually the pilot had to go back to the cockpit. I do not think any of the other passengers knew about the situation (and I'm pretty sure there are more than one pilot on a plane that size anyway) or we might have been more nervous. We made a clean landing at Truk/Chuuk most of the passengers disembarked, but we picked up nearly the same number for the last leg to Guam.

Nearly all day I have been glued to my window. After being in Majuro for six weeks and getting accustomed to everything being flat, each new set of islands has its own texture and contours and mountains and they have been getting bigger as the day progresses. Plus, the amazing cloud formations, with towering strata of thin wispy layers, fluffy cotton balls, dense gray rainclouds with sheets of water being wrung from them, all in seeming suspended animation as the plane pushes through them, glides over the top, or just under the ceiling. And on top of that the way sunlight interplays with all of the above to create visual masterpieces. There really are not words that adequately describe it all. All day I praised God for the beauty and infinite variety on this Earth and thanked Him for allowing me to see even this little bit of it.

In Guam, I waited for my pack with the father/son tandem from Australia that I had met several weeks earlier on a boat, we wished each other luck on our continued travels and I marched out where Grace was already waiting for me. Guam is a modern island compared to Majuro, much cleaner, much bigger, much more developed. It does remind me of parts of Hawaii, something I did not feel at all in the Marshall's. An atoll is a completely different animal. Grace told me that they often attend a bible study on Thursday evenings and I was fine with going there. First we stopped at an Indian restaurant and had some very good food, more than the two of us could finish off, so we brought it home. When we arrived at the apartment complex where the Bible study was to take place, we found two couples, but they were just socializing. We spent some time talking about my trip, how it has been going, what they all do in Guam (work in a dental clinic), etc. Then Grace said we had a few more errands to run, so we moved on. We stopped by the apartment of a Japanese/American couple (both teachers at a university on the island) to return some Japanese language software Grace had borrowed. This is a couple that Grace and Dmitry are hoping to have bible studies with. Then we had a 25 minute drive out to where the Lossev's live in Talofofo. It was already dark so I could not see much of the terrain, but it is definitely quieter and more suburb-like.

Here is a link to a lot more pictures.