Many people think that being a missionary on an island is all “rainbows and butterflies” because it is paradise. It may be true that the scenery is breathtaking, but that doesn’t mean discouragement and struggles are nonexistent. One particular week I was feeling slightly more discouraged and homesick than previous weeks. Monday began and I…
There are currently six long-term volunteer missionaries processed through the North American Division Office of Volunteer Ministries on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, near Guam. Three of those volunteer missionaries were on the island when Super Typhoon Soudelor (the largest storm this year so far) hit Saipan on August 2. Melanie Stroud shares about her experience…
Imagine walking into a high school classroom full of 22 9th graders. It’s the first week of school in the Marshall Islands. You greet them “good morning” and prepare to have homeroom worship. Now, here’s the catch: all your life you’ve loved to sing and praise God and you know for a fact that many…
Every morning while doing devotions I keep asking God, “Why are You so good to me?” I just don’t understand it. I feel like I say it all the time but it’s something that I can’t entirely describe. How selfish to think that school was way more important than taking a year off to be…
Mea* is a fourth grader in my classroom. She has the reputation of encouragement and kindness toward others. I recently had a respiratory infection. Every morning she would look up at me with her sweet, beautiful little brown face and ask if I felt better yet. One recess the boys were playing catch with a…
With each day that passes everything happening seems to be turning into my life. Maybe that sentence doesn’t make sense. Let me explain. When I first got to Poland, EVERYTHING was a new experience. From the smaller things like crossing the street, to the bigger things like hearing the Polish language 24/7 and meeting all…
I know in my experience at Chuuk, one thing is absolutely certain, and that is this: They need LONG TERM commitments, and they need people who are dedicated to staying with the kids, and if need be (there always is a need) tutoring them individually. The principal there stressed to me that they need long…
I’ve experienced the highs and lows of adjusting to a completely different culture and language. Long term mission work is not easy all the time. But I’ve also experienced a closeness and dependence on Christ that I wouldn’t trade for all the ease in the world. I take note of all the ‘little things’ Christ…
God is truly blessing me and I am learning much needed patience and humility while serving in Korea. I am definitely learning the importance of taking not only the big problems to God but also the small problems. Teaching a foreign language to both adults and juniors can definitely be a challenge. I have seen…
Alyssa Williams Southern Adventist University Served: 2012-2013 Position: 2nd grade teacher Term: 9 months Location: Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia I taught second grade on the island of Pohnpei. Jesus says to be like the little children and I feel incredibly blessed to have spent my days with 7 and 8 year olds. They are so full of love,…
