Issue No. 4

Hello Friends and Family!

As you can see, it has been quite sometime since our most recent blog.  Amy and I have been very busy with our newest professions, and sitting at a computer at night hasn’t really been at the top our lists of things do to. 

We are officially more than one quarter of the way through the school year and the kids have shown so much progress and silliness!  My first three months of teaching out in the bush has opened my eyes to the many positive sides of teaching.  I have built wonderful relationships with each of my kids, and look forward to hanging out with them every single day.  I have been blessed with such a uniquely squirrely group of 2^nd graders (10 boys, 2 girls) as they have taught me much about self-control and patience.

Teaching in the bush also has its unique challenges.  I continue to have severe behavioral issues from a seven year old boy, which has caused my stress level to increase from 1 to 2 :).  He unfortunately does not have parents who view education as an asset, and is currently in the long process of dropping out of school.  Everyone within the district is trying as hard as possible to support this child, but without consistency from the parents, we are fighting an uphill battle.  I cannot even begin to imagine what lays ahead for this young man, and it hurts to think about a child wanting to drop out of school, especially at such a young age.

On the flip side, I have continuously annoyed my kids' parents so much that they are now starting to see how seriously I take my job.  In the Yupik culture, parents believe in independence at a very young age, hence allowing a 7-year-old boy to drop out and pretty much do what they please.  That is why there is a common theme of a lack of boundaries and seriousness when it comes to school.  Many teachers say it is pretty much impossible to talk to parents, but with my persistence, I have now been in touch with every single one.   And during my first conferences, I had 7 of the 11 parents show up!

My lovely wife and I went up river a few weeks ago to look for moose and do some shooting.  We went up about 10 miles and stopped at a sandbar to shoot a few shotguns, a glock, and a few other pistols.   Amy I and were in awe of all the fall colors and the fact that we were able to see trees for the first time in over two months.  We were able to try fresh moose, raw salmon cheek, and even raw jellyfish.  We have tried to stay as active as possible, as there are limited forms of entertainment in Togiak Alaska!

It took about three months, but the homesickness and loneliness has begun to sink in.  We were aware that this would happen, but were hoping to avoid this until late winter.  It is difficult for us to truly enjoy our time off together, as we pretty much come home and have the same routine of dinner, movie, and reading every night. That is very relaxing, but the lack of variety can get a bit boring after about 100 days! We’re continuing to focus on the positives and stay in good spirits as this will truly benefit the kids we are here to support.

Thank you for all your love and support as we continue our journey in Alaska! Your calls, letters, texts, and packages mean more to us than you could possibly imagine.  We are incredibly excited to experience Alaska at it’s finest over its six month winter.  More to come soon.