Service Update #2

Hi everyone. Ryan here. Abby and I want to apologize for the lack of posts recently. We are smack dab in the middle of rainy season and the weather plays havoc on our ability to get to town and the island’s limited Internet connectivity. For the next couple of months we will be in Cyclone season, where each new Tropical Depression could turn into a Cyclone and ravage Vava’u. Given that cyclones only form in tropical areas, it reinforces how important it is for us to be safe this season and how idiotic the good people of Ames, Iowa were for naming their team the Cyclones.

In terms of our service here in the Kingdom, a couple things have changed. Our boss in Fiji has asked me to change the focus of my service. I will now be working primarily as a Community Health Volunteer. My task is to propose, develop and execute programs that are effective in meeting the health needs of poor, rural Tongans. I will pilot these projects in our village and if they are successful, I will work to replicate them in other rural villages throughout Vava’u.

The other part of my project will be co-teaching with Abby at our village school. While she will be the main teacher in the classroom, I will run activities and push-in as teaching support. Given how psychotically devoted my wife is to teaching, I am a bit apprehensive about this setup. But I promised her I would be on my best behavior and do whatever she tells me in the classroom. Since that is pretty much our agreement for the other aspects of our married life, it shouldn’t be too hard to follow!

School starts on Monday, February 4^th and we are both excited to get to work. We hope everyone is staying warm and dry in America!