An Adventurous Holiday

 

    After six nose swabs each, ten plane rides, three states, more than 2,000 driven miles, ten different beds, and more than two feet of falling snow over five weeks, we have returned from an incredible holiday trip.  Late fall of last year we began to devise a plan of returning to the states to spend the holidays with John’s father, Jack.  As December approached, the plan materialized.  The goal of spending the holidays with Jack was fixed as soon as we bought tickets, however the the manner in which we were to spend our time together was incredibly unspecified. The whole trip around the world, literally as we flew east from Asia to the States then east again to return, was marked by tentative plans, adventure around each corner, and unexpectedly seeing all of both our families!

     Traveling internationally during this pandemic has numerous strings attached.  Only after negative tests and arrived flights to the States were we ready to plan the next step.  There had been talk among John’s siblings of spending time together in Hawaii.  As others solidified their plans to travel to Hawaii, we didn’t purchase tickets until the day before when we had negative COVID tests in hand, which were are second rounds of nose tickles.

 

Our kids were blessed to have multiple days together with cousins.

Grampy’s holiday wish of having all his grandchildren together was fulfilled!

    After Hawaii, we spent The Holiday with my brother, sister-in-law, and their son whom we had not yet met.  My brother, a reservist, has been on active duty since October, meaning he is not able to travel far from their Salt Lake City home.  Quite unexpectedly, he was granted extra leave enabling them to travel to Walla Walla for the weekend, where my parents also joined us to celebrate. 

Aunt Nikki and Grampy B

Celebrating with the newest cousin, Carter.

Uncle Ryan Time

Grammie and Papa J

    We spent the subsequent week driving across Washington state visiting places John’s parents had lived together over the course of their lives (see melindamaebrennan.blogspot.com).  During this road trip the Northwest experienced some of the coldest temperatures and largest snow falls for the year; some places even set new records.  Though we spent many hours in the car, the kids thoroughly enjoyed the snow, and we learned a lot about Jack and Melinda’s early years. 

 

Melinda's Childhood Home

The summer camp where Jack and Melinda met as children.

The house where John lived the first three years of his life.

Kids thankfull for new books during the many hours in the car.

    Our last few days with John’s dad, we spent together in Walla Walla, enjoying the snow, familiar places, good food, and completing a couple medical appointments. 

    We had hopes of seeing family, being with Jack during the holidays, and maybe seeing a few places.  The trip met these goals and added many unexpected adventures.  After surprisingly low temperatures in Aberdeen, Washington, we awoke to no water due to a frozen pump.  We saw snow covered sand on a Pacific Ocean beach.   We walked away with nothing but a dented fender after doing a 180 on a freeway when another driver forgot to check before changing lanes.  We slept on the floor at Grampy Jack’s house after high winds caused a six feet high snow drift which inhibited us from returning to the apartment in which we were staying in.  Then, on our return to Asia we missed our first international flight because my, Erin’s, COVID test was lost.  Though we had to reschedule our flights, our extra time in Seattle enabled us to visit with friends we had not seen in years.

 

The Pacific Ocean - Stateside

 

The truck stopped directly between the posts, allowing us to back right out, then turn around, with a State Patroler's help!

   

John clearing a small remaining drift.

 

Flexible Children

 

    We thankfully are now in a hotel in Asia fulfilling the required six day quarantine.  After one more COVID test we will return to our home in Barat and hopefully pick up where we left off!

Photos: Grand Opening of the Library

The event took place in front of our house.

The local military officer enjoys the librarian's chair. He is also one of the literacy tutors' father, and he roasted all the fish for today's event.

The head of the foundation I work for at the lunch buffet prepared by the tutors.

11 of the literacy tutors/librarians, some of whom stayed up past midnight preparing for the event.

The district head cuts the ribbon, officially opening the library.

Speech by the foundation head

Speech by the district head

Hosting a Holiday Party

 

The Fasting Month just came to a close.  During this month of fasting, people often will gather to break the fast together in the evenings.  You could compare it to a Holiday Party in the States during December; people gathering to celebrate together. 

As there are now 12 tutors associated with the Reading Program John manages here, I decided to hold a “break fast” party for the reading tutors.  Living in a foreign culture always begs the question "How?"  How do I hold a party, conduct business, or live in a way that is culturally appropriate or even more so, communicates well what I desire?  Though we have lived here for seven years, I still find myself pulled between the inclinations of my home culture and fitting into the Barat cultural. 

I chose Wednesday, May 5th, for our party.  The main difficulties I saw were what to provide and how?  Then what time should we gather?

Often people will break the day’s long fast with something sweat and wet, accompanied by a savory snack.  Some will directly eat a meal, while others visit the local gathering place first before eating their meal.  Our local neighbors and friends are the best resource on cultural.  After consulting on of my neighbors, who is also one of my language helpers, I decided to provide “fruit soup” for the main opener, then boxed meals, which could be eaten together then and there or taken home for later.  I still had to figure out where to order the boxed meals. 

As the time when the fast ends each day depends on the setting sun, it is slightly variable.  I wanted to gather enough in advance to have time together, but not too much that the waiting for daily fast end was unbearable.  In addition, I have wanted to hold a while Elephant Party for some time.  I figured the tutors would enjoy this as an activity before breaking the fast.  Therefore I decided to invite them for a 5pm party. 

We invited all the tutors and John’s translation helpers.  In my culture you expect only those you invite and invitations can be exclusive.  This also enable you to plan according to the expected number of guests, whereas here there tends to be a great deal of flex.  People may express their wishes of attending, but not show up as it would be rude to outright refuse. 

A few days before our “party,” I asked a neighbor known for her culinary abilities for help making the boxed meals.  She consented to prepare the food and pack the boxes.  John and I bought all the ingredients and supplies she would need.  She then prepared everything for the 5 o’clock party. 

As a White Elephant Party was a new concept,  I provided all the gifts.  It turned out to be a great activity and many laughs were shared.  During the duration of the gift exchange, only two gifts were stolen.  We are still unsure whether this was uncertainty due to the knew game or a cultural aspect which inhibited the stealing from a friend.  

We still had additional time after finishing the White Elephant Party, so we played charades.  After breaking the fast together, we ate our boxed meals as well.  It was an enjoyable time together. 

The Reading School Tutor and Translations Helpers

Earthquakes

     As we shared in the last post we had a couple earthquakes here in Barat. The first occured on a Thursday afternoon while John was conducting a comprehension check on a translated story. Living in a stilt house, we can feel some vibrating when the kids run up and down the stairs or from room to room. The swaying we felt made us all, except Whitman and Evangeline, stop and wonder. When we recognized it was not running children or strong winds, which have never caused the house to sway before, we realized it must be an earthquake. 

     The tutors all quickly began checking the internet or calling their family members. One, who is a new mother, quickly went home to check on her daughter and the grandmother in charge. 

     Shortly after, John returned to comprehension checking and I returned to homeschooling. Whitman became slightly grumpy as he had not felt it. The following night, we experienced a larger earthquake. Our neighbors, who live in brick houses, ran outside and began conversing. Though the whole neighborhood was up, our kids slept right through it. 

    The next afternoon, the national climate, geology, and meteorology agency advised all people, in the recent earthquake areas, to avoid the shore. The concern was if any additional earthquake of greater magnitude occurred it could produce a tsunami. We live in a fishing village, on the coast. If you don't live directly on the shore, you live at the most 200 yards away. That afternoon, 99% of our neighborhood cleared out. They walked, drove, or rode to the nearest hills, about a 15 minute walk away. There they proceeded to camp until the national agency said it was safe enough to return home, which turned out to be exactly one week later.

The foundation John works for donated tarps, rope, and ramen to those camping.

As Evangeline missed her friends, she was thrilled to visit their tents.

     After educating ourselves on the situation, checking earthquake monitoring agencies, and weighing the options, we decided to stay put.  A couple men remained in our neighborhood as well to watch their houses as many were afraid of robbers and to care for their goats.  

     There was much destruction caused at and near the epicenter, about 80miles from us.  We were thankful in our area there were not any deaths nor building damage aside from a crack or two.    

     Earthquakes are not a predictable phenomena.  They cannot even be compared to weather which is often forecasted accurately.  The whole week our neighbors were camping it rained.  I had the strongest desire to educate each and everyone of them about earthquakes, fault lines, structure safety, and tsunamis.  I was confident that if they avoided a tsunami risk out there camping, they would all come home with colds.  Though there is a place for education, much of which still needs to happen here, I learned that wasn't the thing truly giving me peace during this time.  

     This biggest lesson I've learned from this ongoing and far reaching COVID pandemic is we can try to make wise choices with the information we have, but ultimately we are not in charge and have to trust the one who is.  With that in the back of my mind, I, Erin, realized my neighbors needed that peace more than good education on earthquake and tsunami likelihood, trends, or factors.  Besides if you watch a monitoring agency like the USGS, you can become quite paranoid because of the number of earthquakes happening daily across the globe.   

      Thankfully we have remained safe and all our neighbors have returned home, with only a few colds.  Even as this pandemic seems to rage on into 2021, we rest assured in the one who is sovereign over it all!

Safe!

Happy New Year! What will 2021 bring? Well for us we've experienced a couple earthquakes in the past 36 hours. Though there is destruction a few hours away, we are safe and without any damage in our neighborhood. Here's to more adventures and stories this year!

Blessings Amidst a Pandemic

     December has come and is about to go, along with 2020.  This year, no doubt, will be a memorable one for many with altered work, school and holiday celebrations.  Maybe new traditions will emerge for your family as they have for ours as we learn to celebrate our holidays differently overseas.  

     As COVID still seems to be raging and restrictions or recommendations for altered living abound, we are extremely thankful to remain healthy and maintain momentum in our individual areas of work.  John continues translating, I, Erin, continue studying language with two very faithful helpers, and the boys continue with their homeschooling.  Evangeline probably has struggled the most with social distancing and isolating at home.  She is definitely one of the most social in our family and misses her daily play times with neighbors on our porch.  

Squeezing in friend time whenever possible.

Evangeline was asked to be an attendant for a family friend.

She enjoyed getting all dressed up, but not all the pictures. 

     The incredible support for and progress of our work here has led to a new project: building and running of a community library.  In coordination with the reading school tutors, we have enclosed the underneath section of our house (see previous post for pictures).  The tutors are currently shelving books and preparing the space.  

We finally made a trip to the big city to get Evangeline's eyes checked!

Evangeline's eyes are healthy, just in need of correction.  

On our back porch, we found this dragonfly.

No, it is not an eaten item here.

We are thankful also to have celebrated another birthday for Whitman.  He is now in double digits, 10!

We celebrated while in the big city.
There weren't cinnamon rolls as usual, but he did enjoy chocolate croissants and presents too!

Whitman enjoyed eating at a favorite 'make-you-own-meal' restaurant with friends

     We hope you all have been able to celebrate your many blessings this year too during this very different Holiday Season.  

Library Photos