"In Christ Alone"

Yesterday afternoon Emily and I were feeling a little weary of our daily routine: go to school, come home, sit, eat, sleep. We wanted a little “adventure” for our Thursday. So we hopped on the ferry to Kwaj (it’s free!). We ate at the little fast food restaurant at the checkpoint and peered through the chain link fence. The officers at the checkpoint recognized us from going to softball, so we decided to see if there was any chance we could enter. The guy said we might be able to get passes for the future since we are Americans. He asked us why we wanted to go. We told him we live on Ebeye and really just wanted to walk around the island and see what it’s like since we’ve only seen the softball field and the foodcourt. He goes, “Have you been to Hawaii?” “Yeah” “It’s just like Hawaii. But not as nice.” Cool… So in the lobby we sat, watching all the Marshallese people and American people go in and out of the magical doors to Kwaj. As pathetic and lame as this sounds, we did have a great time just laughing at our pitiful and ironic rejection to enter U.S. territory. It still blows my mind how opposite Kwaj and Ebeye are. I think that’s why Kwaj fascinates me so much. Kwaj is clean, green, and spacious. Ebeye is densely populated and fully littered upon, having no room for grass.

After our uneventful two-hour stay in the lobby, we ferried on back to Ebeye pretty satisfied. We got off the ferry feeling like we just came from the other side of the world, but Ebeye feels like home now. There aren’t nice beaches and nothing about it is glamorous, but there are pretty sunsets and very loving people. 

Sunset on the ferry ride back to Ebeye.

The past couple weeks have been hard for me. Sometimes I feel like I’m not teaching the kids anything and my effort is all in vain. Sometimes I feel like I let my annoyances get the best of me. But yesterday afternoon I listened to my favorite song, “In Christ Alone.” It says, “In Christ alone my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song.” It reminded me that this world has nothing to offer me. I have what I need: Christ alone. I don’t need to impart knowledge to the kids. I will try to teach them, but if that is my ultimate goal I will leave here unsatisfied. And while Kwaj has beautiful grass and seems to be a real life vacation, I have what I need here in the so-called “armpit of the Pacific.” I hope I can remember this when I go home. There is not one accomplishment, possession, or circumstance that I need. “In Christ alone my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song.”