Friday, June 11, 2010

If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is... how is it out here? Kosrea is a beautiful island. The weather is tropical, fruit is a plenty( 10 different kinds of coconuts, 6 kinds of bananas), the ocean is beautiful and blue(but there are no real beaches to speak of). The island is very green and alive, the island is defined by the beautiful mountains in the center of the island. The sun rises every morning around 5:30( if you manage to sleep through the early sunrise, yu usually are greeted by the crowing of roosters just minutes later). At dusk you will routinely see large bats roaming the sky. There is not much commotion on the island, so even from a distance, especially in the evening you can often hear the roaring of the ocean. (i'm pretty sure that was a run on sentence) It rains almost everyday, but so far, seldom does it rain all day.
The people of the island are extremely kind. Riding to and from the construction site you often find yourself waving and greeting all those who pass by. It seems like everyone on the island is also paying attention to the project. From the moment i landed to every time we dine out, people ask about the kingdom hall and missionary home that is being constructed. kosreans are so supportive of the work too. food is not cheap here, especially food not grown here. for example, a watermelon here can cost up to 20 dollars( does not grow on this island). the average income here is about 700 dollars a year. but people are constantly giving gifts( e.g. the watermelon) to the construction volunteers.
the site itself is coming along. we're about two weeks away from pouring the roof of the missionary home. following the pour, we'll start working on the footings and foundation for the kingdom hall. i'll try to post pictures of the work and the island as often as possible, but as of now, it's difficult to find reliable internet service, and it gets expensive quick when you do get service. I'll post a picture of the construction crew today. hope everyone is well, love you all. please give stella a kiss for me.
(left to right, from top row- dave, brent, dawn and jarrod, allen, johnny, javier, shem, vincent
bottom row- matthew, barak, shawn, louis)

8 comments:

  1. "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth"...It is shocking that this blogger address wasn't already taken. We miss you, your picture is great. Eat lots of coconuts for us.

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  2. Sorry, not to inundate your comment board, but the above, posted by ss, was really from ls. Stephen wouldn't want you to be confused about who is writing what.. its early here, sorry for confusion.

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  3. Big brother but not the biggest! I miss you greatly already. Me and loren are new to the downtown griffin scene but it feels empty already. Your pictures awesome! I am so very proud of you bro! It looks like your gonna make alot of great friends and have experiences that are above all. I love you matt!

    Little baby 145lb 5 ounce 5ft 6in(don't forget it's actuall 6 and 3/4 but that would make it 7 If you round up) Jordan.

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  4. I'm a little surprised you knew the beginning to catcher in the rye, don't tell me you looked it up, I like to think you knew it, it helps your legend status. As far as the Island goes it sounds beautiful, remember no beaches means lots of fish so go snorkeling and Go Blackhawks! love ya matt

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  5. Ekwe Wo! You don't know me...yet, but I'm actually moving to Kosrae on July 17th. How long are you going to be there? I'll be teaching there this next year as a WorldTeach volunteer. I'm really looking forward to getting there. Are there any things that you wish you had packed but didn't think of?

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  6. jim, it makes me sad that i wasnt there to celebrate with you and brandon. go blackhawks! and yes i remembered the intro to the book, but honesty compels me to tell you that recently i've read the book again. love you too!
    ... cornelius, i look forward to meeting you. are you going to be teaching at the new high school? i drive by there almost everyday. i'm in kosrae through august, and i have to say, i feel like i did pretty good packing the things i'd need while i'm here. that being said, i wish i had brought a pair of shoes for the ocean. there's a lot of coral here, and if you plan on fishing or snorkeling a pair of water shoes would come in handy. no big deal if you don't bring them, you can buy a pretty cheap pair on the island. if i think of anything else i'll let you know.

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  7. Hi Matt, Dad and I were so excited to see your picture and all the others you are working with. Life here is lonely without you and Yuki. Can't believe I occasionally miss the mutt. We are probably rivaling you for temperature this week. The assembly was awesome and the new convention releases I have seen but can't wait to get my hands on. All is well with your house. Love you

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  8. Very clever blog title; I'm impressed. Keep the posts and pictures coming... it's great to pretend the world isn't so big and we aren't so far apart. I hope you continue to enjoy yourself and know that you are doing good work that we are all proud of.
    Also, 4 months is long enough to get Dive Certified. Or at least to get your head wet.
    Love ya!

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