In 1852 the sons of missionaries to Hawaii ventured farther into the Pacific, coming to the shores of Micronesia: Sturges and Doane to Pohnpei, Snow to Kosrae and Bingham, son of Hiram Bingham designer of Kawahiawo Church and the minister who served as a model for Abner Hale in James Michener’s “Hawaii.”
These men of the ABCFM changing the face Micronesia forever! Christianity was to become “the” cultural reality for the islanders…
Sunday was Christmas Day and it was a wonderful and at the same time sobering day for this writer. During the week the stores were busy as people came to shop for gifts for family and community members: new pants and the greatly in demand basketball shoes for boys, frilly dresses or cloth to make Chuukese Mother Hubbard ’s or Chuukese skirts for the girls.
In addition there was the need to purchase numerous gifts for Christmas exchanges held at the church or the extended family compound. Girt exchanges are a big thing and Chuukese do their best to give more than they get. It is the feeling of sharing and also the belief that generosity is a positive trait.
People with money move from store to store looking carefully for presents for the entire family to give. Those with less money available go to their farms and gather taro, bananas, watermelons, coconuts, preserved breadfruit and other produce to give.
It is a time when people are filled with the desire to please and share what little they have with others.
Church can be summed up by the saying “Come early and stay late.” There are many sermons, prayers, songs, scripture readings, and the children reciting the Christmas Story. The church group will also sing their new song which will be shared on December 26th at a special service called “Second Christmas.” This year Second Christmas will be held at Nantaku Church and many Protestant Churches will gather to sing and rejoice.
Amid this joy, just under the surface and overlooked by most people, is a poverty that exists in this marginal cash economy, where people struggle to make ends meet with limited financial resources, horribly low pay, poor schools, and practically no social services to sustain them.
At a recent meeting of the U.S. citizens with the Ambassador to Micronesia, Compact negotiator Stayman and two fact finders from the United States Congress, a US citizen made the following statement:
“There are some facts you need to be aware of but first let me say that I agree with having honest government, a balanced budget, no nepotism or misuse of Compact funds.
I am speaking as a parent for all the Chuukese parents and I want to say this:
• I am opposed to deficits: Chuuk has a deficit of reportedly at $25 million and the United States has a trillion dollar deficit.
• We do not support misspending, theft or nepotism. We want a government that functions well and in the best interest of its people. However, even if not a penny was used inappropriately, there simply is not enough money to provide for Chuuk and her people.
• In the US a preschool teacher’s starting salary is $22,500/year and their average household size is 4. In Chuuk a preschool teacher’s starting salary is $4,400/year and their average household size is 7.5. The cost of food in Chuuk is higher than Honolulu (regarding as one of the most expensive cities to live in the USA).
• The money available to educate a child in Kosrae is $1,000/year and in Chuuk it is about $500. How many of you send your children to a school that allots such a small amount of money to educate your sons and daughters? None of you!
• We send our children away to colleges to get a good education and then they return to be offered slave wages or no job opportunities at all.
• In Micronesia in the ‘60s there was no poverty because there was basically no cash economy. Today as people have become increasingly more dependent on the cash economy, they are now poor. They do not have the necessary funds to provide basic necessities to their family.
• Under the Trust Territory the United States was criticized for its failure to live up to the UN treaty, requiring the US to provide proper education and health care to the people of Micronesia. During Compact I the United States engaged in a policy of creating a dependency. It was successful and now in Act II it is demanding a tightening of the reins. How convenient for the USA and how difficult for Chuuk!
As I write this people are preparing for Second Christmas. There is joy in their hearts, the sense of sharing and a love of family and their church. Today they will sing and worship, dance and laugh… being thankful for what little they have!
Tomorrow people will begin the ritual of preparing for the New Year. At Selifis Memorial Church in Penia, Weno, Chuuk, church will begin at 6:30 on New Years Eve and continue on until after midnight – welcoming the New Year with song and prayer.
The people of Chuuk are good people, loving parents, good Christians, caring and generous… They are also in need of good leadership and guidance, from within and without, positive assistance in 2006 to face the future…
The millions promised by Evangelist Ron Susek and his Chuukese cronies were smoke and mirrors, the bad side of religion, money and power: a manipulation of good people who believe faithfully in The Word and accept without question those that preach it – ill conceived and misguided though some would-be Men of God are.
The sons of Micronesia enlist, fight, loose arms, legs and lives fighting for opportunity and thereby defending an America that has, like the slick words of the smooth talking, hair sprayed minister from Gettysburg has done, left them wanting (and deserving) something better.
It is sad to say that a good argument can be made that the United States has not given given “measure for measure!”
Jewish scholars and rabbis are well aware of God providing for man “measure for measure.” The following is taken from "Reading the Book: Making the Bible a Timeless Text". [1996. Visotzky, Burton L. New York: Schocken Books]
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Samson rebelled with his eyes, as it is said, "Samson went down to Tinnah and
saw a Philistine women among the girls of Tinnah…. He said to his father, “Take
her for me for she is upright in my eyes”” (Judges 14:1-3). So he was smitten in
his eyes, as it is said, “The Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes”
(Judges 16:21).
Samson was punished measure for measure.
(Likewise) when God rewards measure for measure, God does so with abundance."
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When the time finally comes to “measure” the United States’ policies and actions in Micronesia and the leadership of Chuuk against the hearts, souls and minds of the Chuukese people, there hopefully will be a “measure for measure” accounting.
At that time I would bet on the common man, the Chuukese who at Christmas goes to his taro patch with his “wak a pwun” and gathers the labor of his hands and heart, and gives them at Christmas to another member of his community – a ritual of sharing, a positive “measure for measure,” giving by one man to others “with abundance.” This is the true holiday spirit and it is very much alive in Chuuk.
From the entire staff of SHIP/HOOPS, a truly Joyful Season and Peace in the New Year!
Photos follow of the holiday season. Some will bring happiness to you, and others may be cause for reflection – both important as we approach 2006.
