Islanders in the US

 It is an experience that we have never dealt with, despite living on the islands for 15 years and coming back to the US several times for extended visits. We’ve never met an island friend in the US. We’ve actually only have a handful of island contacts that have gone to the US during our 15 years and never when we were also in the US.

For most islanders, going to the US is unattainable on two fronts— the possibility of getting a visa with an island passport and the possibility of finding the funds to finance such a trip. Both of these are out of reach for most islanders.

Megan & daughter with Mrs. Komo at wedding

But for our friend, Dr. Komo, both of those were not an issue. He is a wealthy man, so buying tickets is no issue, and he has French nationality, so he can get a visa to visit the US for up to 3 months easily. So that is how, in very island fashion (with last minute planning and highly valuing wedding attendance), he was able to decide with less than a week’s notice to attend our teammate’s wedding in the US.

Tom picked them up from the bus station near the rural wedding location. “Why would you want to live in the islands when everything here is so beautiful?” Mrs. Komo asked him.  We sat with them through the wedding and reception.  “It’s just like you see in the movies!  Very different from a French wedding.  And just one day—so different from the islands!  This is better—so much cheaper.” The day after the wedding we picked them up at the hotel, walked around a park and took them to the bus for their onward journey.  They had lots they still planned to see:  Washington DC, Montreal, Boston and New York City.

But, our walk around the park was enlightening. Rural coal-country PA is not an area we know well, but we know a bit of its history.  So we tried to explain to Dr. Komo and his wife about the nature of coal and the ups and downs the industry has seen historically. All around us were reminders of the industry that had brought so many to this part of the country at one time.  The very park we wandered through was established over an old coal mine, with coal cars and rails still running through it.  There is no coal on the islands, and learning about this energy industry was obviously new information to our friends. Despite being well educated and well-traveled, their experience is primarily France, Senegal and the islands, so they had never heard of a rock that you could burn for fuel and marveled to see an old mine shaft and to read the memorial about the miners who died there. It was a part of the world and of history that had never been on their radar.

Tom & Dr. Komo

On the flip-side, as we walked around, our island friends were passed by Americans who have no exposure to the islands and no concept of the life and culture there. Both the islands and coal-country in rural PA represent centuries of history with lots of ups and downs, but they will know nothing of each other unless by chance their spheres intersect. In this unlikely situation, these two pockets of humanity get to learn and marvel at a world previously unknown to them.

All it took this time was a wedding and an island friend with the ability to attend.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Thank God that we were able to connect with Dr. Komo and his wife while they were in the US— may it deepen our relationship with them when we meet again on the islands. This past week’s rheumatologist appointment brought better clarity on our daughter’s condition and was overall encouraging. She has had less pain the past couple weeks which has been nice. We had a full week and got to reconnect with several friends and groups of people. We also got to complete some pressing, time-sensitive parts of our to-do list. The country where our older kids go to school opened up a 5 yr multi-entry permit (rather than having to apply for a single entry every time) that will make life a lot nicer for our travel back and forth. We are thankful for our anniversary this past week and our 21 years of marriage (and family that could be with our kids for an evening).

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray for our final week in the US— we have visits to VT and ME to make and still some items on our to-do list. Pray that it would still be an encouraging time and that we wouldn’t feel tired leaving the States. We have heard that rice shortages continue to plague Clove Island— pray for this staple to come back in abundance to the island so that the prices can go down and the poor no longer suffer.  Pray for the settling in and orientation of the new teammate to the medical team this week. One of our island friends just lost his brother and reached out to us in his grief— pray that we could speak words of comfort to him. Continue to pray for our daughter’s health and healing, and for us as communicate with the rheumatologist in Africa and her school health staff about her continuing care and the recommendations from the US doctors.