These past few weeks have been nothing but busy for us. Today was the first day we've had where we could really just relax and do anything for the day. Since the first day of school, we have all been so busy with lesson plans, grading, and writing lectures that I have not had time to post pictures or post to my blog. Not only that but last week was week of prayer, so there was a worship service at the church in town everyday at 6:45pm. Also, a few of us joined some of the other SDA staff in making a basketball team, so we've been having games at night twice a week.

Although we've been extremely busy, I've really been enjoying my time here. First off, I love my students. I teach 5 class periods which are comprised of 1 period of physics, 2 of chemistry, and 2 of English 3. It's great teaching the upperclassmen because they're all old enough to be responsible and really care about their grades. Not only that, but it's easier to relate to them. I must say though, I was a bit intimidated at first to teach students that are only 2 or 3 years younger than me. That being said, they completely respect me and give me their utmost attention. At first they were all very shy and quiet and didn't say much in class. Now, they are starting to open up and express themselves more and joke around. They're also showing more interest in getting to know me outside of class. While before the students would leave class once I dismissed them, now some stay behind to ask me about myself or even to just tell me riddles. Not only that, but it's also awesome doing morning watch and being able to sit with the students and talk to them about their hobbies and where they're from. I now understand how easy it is for teachers become so attached to their students. I already know it's going to be hard to leave all of these amazing people when I leave next June. 

        Not only have we gotten to know our students very well, but we've also been able to experience a lot of Palau. For instance, a couple weekends ago we went kayaking near Koror. That was one of our first times really experiencing the beauty of the island. The water was crystal clear and the the weather was amazing. In addition to kayaking, we've also done some exploring right here around our campus. Joe, Tyler, and I went walking through the jungle and plants in hopes of trying to get to the ocean. Although we never actually made it to the ocean, it was still a great adventure. We walked through swampy areas where our feet were covered by muddy water, and through parts where we could see around us because the plants were as tall as us. At one point we even had to climb up a tall tree in order to see how to get back to the road. We walked out that day with our arms and legs scratched up and our clothes drenched in sweat. The good thing is that next time we know which way to go so that we can hopefully reach the water.

The last thing we've done was go to the rock islands for our staff retreat this past weekend. We went to the rock islands to an island called Ngemelis, which I must say was basically paradise. First of all, the boat ride there was breathtaking. Not only that, but the water surrounding the island was warm and crystal clear. The island itself was very peaceful and relaxing. We spent all of friday just hanging out around the island and swimming. At night we had a short vespers, and then we all slept in our tents and hammocks. I made the horrible decision of not hanging up my mosquito net, so my knees and arms were completely covered in bug bites by the morning. Saturday was comprised of worship in the morning and then hanging out and walking around the island the rest of the day. Saturday night was awesome because a big group of us went out in a boat around 10pm and did some spear fishing. The ladies stayed in the boat while us guys split into groups of two or three and started fishing. For many of us it was our first time doing this, and it was extremely fun. I fished with Tyler and Joe, so one person had the spear gun, one had a flashlight, and the other just swam along and helped point out big fish to spear. Joe and I were unsuccessful in spearing any fish, but Tyler was able to catch a box fish right at the end. After getting back to camp, the adults cooked up some of the fish and gave us all some to try. While the fish tasted amazing, I could not get the taste of fish out of my mouth that night for the life of me. 

Sunday morning we packed up camp and left the island. On the way back, we first stopped at a drop-off and did some snorkeling. Here we saw several different kinds of beautiful fish, and I even saw a sea turtle swimming by below us. Next, we stopped at the famous Jellyfish Lake. I will post pictures of this place tomorrow because it's impossible to describe how beautiful this place was. When I first got in the lake, there were only a few jellyfish around me. Then as I swam further into the middle of the lake, the numbers quickly multiplied until the point that I could't move without touching any of the jellyfish. Luckily, the jellyfish in this lake do not sting, so you can swim all over and touch them. It was a beautiful experience being able to swim next to hundreds of jellyfish and not having to worry about being stung by any of them. I can now say Jellyfish Lake is one of my all time favorite places to visit in the world.  After jellyfish lake we stopped at an island called Paradise Island. Here we did some more snorkeling, and I was able to see my first shark in the ocean. It was only two or three feet long, but it was still cool to see one. The next animal on my bucket list to see here in Palau is a manta ray. After Paradise Island we went back home and unloaded and had a movie night at Abner's house.

That brings us to today. Since it was Labor Day, there was no school so we had the day to ourselves. In the men's apartment, we slept in and then did some grading in the morning. After lunch we watched a movie on a laptop, and then went into town with some of the other SM's and had dinner at a restaurant called the Drop Off. After dinner we stopped at Surangel's and picked up some groceries for the week. 

Thank you for reading my blog and following my adventures here in Palau. I ask for your continued prayers and support. Also, if you want my address to send any awesome care packages, message me on facebook or email me at louisandrewu@gmail.com. 

Much love, 

Andrew