2 weeks ago I left Haiti…heat index of 115 degrees
1 week ago I found myself back in the Bering Sea…blizzard for three straight days
This week I find myself back at Cedar Campus in my beloved UP…temp “just right”
Three years ago I had just come back from teaching in Dakar, Senegal and was preparing for a year of teaching middle school on an island in the Bering Sea. The “Deadliest Catch” wasn’t quite nearly as popular as it is now and yet St. Paul Island (one of the main islands on the show) was going to be my new home. I was in for a ride!
(This is a picture of the town of St. Paul on the one clear day I was there.)
The two resounding questions that I got when I arrived back on the island were:
1. Do you REMEMBER me?
2. Do you REMEMBER my NAME?
We all want to be known…
…it’s universal…
You were made to be fully known.
There is something in us that longs to fully know others, ourselves…God…
“Mr. V, do you remember me” echoed out a number of times while on the island…the obvious answer is that I remembered everyone there. Realistically, a hundred kids (one fourth of the population) made up the school and after a year there it would be difficult to forget them. However, I couldn’t remember every single name. It came back quickly but I found my mind jumping to different countries and experiences I’ve had since I had last been there. I thought about cultures, people groups, temperatures, poor, and those who’ve overcome much. I thought about the kids in the Ukrainian invalid orphanage that didn’t even have names to be remembered by. I thought of how easy it is to think that something is “natural” or even “healthy” just because that’s the way it “has always been.”
This is Joon…
She worked at the Radio Station while I was there. I still look forward to hearing her random updates through email.
She’s one of the most unique people you’ll ever meet. She’s more real and less judgmental than most people I know.
Stefan is a friend who I’ve enjoyed getting to know throughout the year I lived there.
He’s got a pretty laid back personality and tends to just go with the flow quite a bit. He’s always up to talking sports and playing ball…which was one of the best things for me while out there.
This is Kianna. She used to always come and give me hugs. I saw her outside of the school and she came up to me and said “I remember you!”
She then proceeded to give me like 5 straight hugs. I got a number of hugs throughout the days there and was told multiple times that she was going to keep me there or at least come with me… This is one of the most tender little girls you’ll meet. My heart partially breaks thinking about the possibility of her heart getting torn up by the the hardness that is often found on the island…May God be her protection.
(Here are the seniors graduating…These guys have a special place in my heart and it was such a blessing and honor to be asked to speak at their graduation.)
For those of you who wanted to see the island, I took some pictures in between blizzardy times…take a look at the following pictures. On a quick sidenote, I went from 115 degrees to like 15 degrees to somewhere “just right.” I’m currently in Northern Michigan and I’ll get you a blog about my summer soon!
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Who do you let know you fully?
Who do you try to know fully?
