The Dialogue Continues...

Howard says:I'm not sure if I understand this, no, I'm sure I dont: "it maybe passive in their concept, but not passive in its nature."
Anyhow, the bulk of what you have been saying up, until now, looked like resistance to change. In this post you speak of "people becoming more welcoming to the changes that are occuring."
I totally agree that those trained in the Bible who are trying to bring that to bear on the Chuukese culture are the ones who help bring a "better balance to life."
Not only the Chuukese, certainly North Americans, and, I suspect, all people are not very good at critically thinking about themselves.
We have to get away from looking at our culture either negatively or positively as compared to other cultures. All of our cultures are an expression of fallen humanity. The course of the world in Chuuk or Virginia is not toward God and His ways. We need to compare our culture to the standards of God's Word.
Your comment about people welcoming changes that would change the status quo, as seen through the grid of "needs," is a very telling statement. The problem is apart from Christ we don't know what we need. Allistair Begg said to a group of preachers, "We can't preach what people demand, because no one is demanding the gospel."
As Brad said, "The gospel is counter-cultural." Counter every culture.
Thanks for making me think about myself, as I am getting to know you better.

Howard says, "If I understand the later part of your post, this is a passive concept. Does this make the Chuukese particularly vulnerable. Or is there a geater resistance to change than your post indicates?"

I reply: Chuukese are not used to thinking critically about themselves. Therefore it maybe passive in their concept, but not passive in its nature. This makes Chuuk all the more vulnerable. Let me give you a general picture: take that concept of pwan ianan, being vs. doing, and obligatory service, and then add them together with island rivalry, wholistic thinking, and isolation. What do you think it will produce? It produces mistrust.

Then in the context of economical failure, political corruption, and spiritual stagnation you get the "longing" to have changes. And therefore the people become more welcoming to the changes that are occuring. Anything that would change the status quo in the islands is readily accepted whether it be cults, prostitution, money laundering etc. As I said before, Chuukese typically act on need, the need is there. They do what they gotta do.

However there are the few educated Chuukese who are trying to curb this attitude. On one side we have the truly committed secular (government, businesses, firms etc) workers. They work from sunup to sundown to the development of Chuuk. They are what I'd like to call the outward force of Chuukese development. Then we have the biblically trained pastors. They also work from sunup to sundown to the development of Chuukese heart and mind. They are the inward force. It is the latter group that I believe can give Chuukese a much better balance to life.

A Response to Howard Merrell

First, let us discuss "pwan ianan." It is not a set standard that all Chuukese adheres to. Most people living outside of chuuk have, more or less, adopted the mindset of the rest of the world. Their leaving in the first place signals that. Pwan ianan is strictly conservative chuukese, who may or may not be aware of the fact they generate this mindset. It is these conservative chuukese who are leaders of the churches, head of families, and chiefs. They, more or less, hold to the tendency that they are content with whatever is at hand. It also permeates to everyone as well. But pwan ianan must not be compared to the resistance to change. Pwan ianan is accepting the changes as part of the norm and being content with it. Think of pwan ianan as Hinduism. It umbrellas all the other religions and conforms to it, mixing all of them together. It is the typical lifestyle of Chuukese, not a philosophy.

An Intermission

I would like to share what a pastor emailed me regarding previous post, in particular "pwan ianan" and "Doing vs. Being." Pastor Howard Merrell is a very good friend of mine. Read what he has to say:

Happiness,

I have enjoyed the last couple of posts you have put on your blog. I think you have the beginnings of a good discussion.

Your posts raised a lot of questions about your culture and mine, but I'll limit myself to 2.

#1, It is obvious that, at least some, Chuukese desire some of the technology that has come from a society that is always looking for more--better cars, faster computers, better sounding sound-systems, etc. (LIkewise many Westerners desire what they see as the more laid-back lifestyle of the Chuukese, but they don't want to give up all their gadgets.) Those products have been produced as a result of planning, decisive thinking, and even showing up on time to work and meetings. Maybe these machines could have been invented and manufactured without these cultural characteristics, but I don't think so (that might be a good point of discussion) I'm wondering if the introduction of products of a more driven culture (mine), will be like a virus, eventually Westernizing the Chuukese culture? (Obviously, that question could be asked a number of ways.)

#2, From limited exposure to Chuuk and Chuukese it appears that there are clearly areas where many Chuukese are not saying "pwan ianan." Your quest for a good education is a notable example. Pwan ianan could be a way of working out "Be content with such things as you have." Hebrews 13:5, but could also hinder one from working to fulfill Philippians 3:12, or 2 Tim 2:15 (for example) What is the criteria for deciding when it is pwan ianan? Perhaps the Chuukese need to answer this from one side while we Westerners need to answer it from the other.

I hope you will continue to conversation for a while.
--
Howard Merrell
Pastor Covington Bible Church
covingtonbible.org

Making a Missionary out of a Micronesian (part 1)

Theoretically, there seem to be an openness, understanding, even a willingness to do and support cross-cultural ministry. However when it comes to doing it, crossing cultural barrier seems almost impossible to Micronesians. It is true that the resources are also limited it is not limited enough to make mission impossible. And it is not that Micronesians are unwilling to give, we are actually trained to give ever since childhood. Instead I believe an anthropological perspective of Micronesians can give us a clearer picture.
The idea or principle of reciprocity is ingrained within Micronesians. In the systems of the past in the Micronesian culture we do not find simple system of exchanging goods, wealth, and produces through market establishments of individuals. It is groups, not individuals, who carry exchange, make contract, and are bound by obligation. But the item of exchange are not necessarily goods, wealth, contracts, or the things of economical value. Rather they can be an exchange of courtesies, entertainments, rituals, military assistance, women, children, dances, and feasts. And this idea of giving, most of the time, take place under a voluntary guise. They are in essence voluntary and obligatory, and their sanction is warfare. Plus, this mindset carries with it not only the obligation to repay gifts received, but it implies two equally important aspect: the obligation to give gifts and the obligation to receive them. (to be continued)

pwan ianan

I would like to introduce to you the concept of "pwan ianan." What this chuukese phrase mean is: "this is enough." To translate it word for word it would roughly mean: "and so so." It means what it means. Let me expound.

The idea of being progressive is equivalent to being haughty and proud. Satisfaction with whatever is at hand is the tendency of every Chuukese. "Pwan ianan" is the reason. And this done for several reasons:

1. Chuukese operate on needs, immediate needs. If they need something, they'll get it, eventually. But if they don't need anything then why bother getting it.Why waste time and energy for something you don't need?

What about planning ahead? The future is no concern of ours. Today is what's at hand, take care of it first. When today is finished, start working on tommorrow. So and so forth. But this is not always the case. Chuukese also plan for the future but in a different way. We don't invest money, fill-out applications etc. We discuss it with family. Investing money and the others can be done by Chuukese, but more or less under different circumstances.

Discussing the future with the family is first, always first. Then when that is done, the actual planning may go ahead. This is "pwan ianan" on the idea of planning ahead.

2. Chuukese work in a "pwan ianan" way. Let's take for example a family that has just recently moved to Guam. Kids are in school and parents are working. If the kids are naturally gifted in their studies they stay that way. If they are not, they atleast work towards a passing grade, this is "pwan ianan." Parents who work don't seek promotions. If the money covers the bills, it is good enough. Atleast it is much better than what others are getting. It is much better than what Chuuk is giving.

So you can two and two and understand why Chuukese are modest, very modest. It is because of "pwan ianan." It may be argued that "pwan ianan" is bad for the progress of Chuukese as individuals or even as a nation. Actually it can also be a good thing, a very good thing. We are easily satisfied and easily pleased. We don't fuss. We don't have a problem practicing patience, calmness, and self-control. It is our tendency to say: "this is enough."

Doing Vs. Being

It is typical of many Westerners to come to the islands and make the following comment: "Islanders are lazy!" And they say this for a lot of reasons:
1. They don't see productivity.
2. They see young Micronesians just hanging around.
3. They experience the fact that Micronesians are always late.
4. In a meeting, Micronesians never make up their minds.

This is but a small attempt to give a rational, even biblical explanation for these. And I know you could tell by the title what I am going to talk about. Good for you!

When I introduce myself in a western setting, the typical question that would be asked almost immediately every time was: "what do you to for a living?" But when I introduce myself in an island setting, the question that I would normally be asked is "whose son are you?" or maybe even "what is your last name/clan/village/island?"

What you do is never a part of your identity, here in the islands. It is simply who you are. That is enough. I am simply Happiness Lodge, son of Yosta and Maggie Lodge. This is where my prestige lies, in my family. What I do, whether a student or a part-time worker somewhere, does not dictate who I am.

To a lot of westerners this might be a foreign idea to them. They have grown up believing that working defines success and accomplishment. They are clueless to the fact that just by who they are determines their level of success. Let me specify:

Earning big money, landing in a nice corporate job, or being the CEO of a big firm all implies success. This is the "worldview" of the Western world. In the islands, being honest, courteous, humble, and respectful no matter the job description defines a person's real self. Success is seen in the way people relate to a person. In other words, the many people that trust you, the "successful" you are.

This brings in the case on why many young islanders remain at home and do nothing. They would rather stay with the family, helping out in the daily chores, and surround themselves with friends and relatives than to go somewhere and live as individuals.
This also explain why Micronesians are always late. They intrinsically provides more than enough amble time for the host to prepare. It also explains why Micronesia never make up their minds, they honor the input of their families, especially the father and mother, than their own. This is something the west have missed.

Now I know that a lot more can be said of this topic, namely its weaknesses, but the way I see it: "what's the hurry?"

'till next time.

Retreat Weekend

I was blessed last weekend to a part of the retreat that the school held for the students. It was a tremendous time filled with inspiring lessons and fun. Our theme over the weekend centered around the question: "what is your vision?"

Now I must admit that the topic was a bit too Western for a lot of the student I firmly believed that God has a vision for Micronesia, especially Micronesians! It is about waiting for the calling of God (God's revelation) in our lives that is most important. I have confidence that these young people are seeing the urgency of the needs of the local churches back in the islands.

Solitude was encouraged, to spend time alone with God. It was an incredible experience just to be able to get away from the noises of life and to spend it with God. There was also a lot of games. Can you believe that islanders also love playing football. Don't think that they were forced into the game by that white guy in the blue shirt. There were even girls playing! That, I know for sure, is breaking A LOT of cultural boundaries.

Anticipation

I am pretty sure that what is being posted here is quite understandable to many readers. :-)

Yesterday I heard that the Micronesian Church is suffering from spiritual diabetes. The limbs of the church are being carved up and divided up between the cults. Today I heard that Micronesians are some of the worst Christian witnesses ever. In my opinion, I am not going to argue against these, because I am sad to say that they are true. For now.

It has been the dream of countless missionaries who have come and gone that these islands would produced missionaries to help in the Lord's harvest. I cannot but stress the fact that it is about time Micronesia joined with her Christian brothers and sisters across the world in reaching to the Lost. Can a soft-spoken humble Micronesian do this task?

It has been the goal of PIBC that it produced servant-leaders of Micronesia to go out and preach the Gospel, not just within Micronesia but to other countries as well. Most of the staff here at PIBC will attest to the fact that they are here to help produce the next generation of Micronesian Church leaders. Their strategy is simple: ignite within Micronesia's heart the willingness and the importance of cross-cultural ministry. It takes but a spark to get a fire going. Can they succeed?

It has been the prayers of but a few Micronesians that God will open eyes and work in hearts so that it can also be said of us, "well done my good and faithful servant!" So here we are in anticipation of what tomorrow may bring.

Photo Updates

it's a bird! No, its a plane! No, we're just goofing off.

GCC students at our Chapel service
SBA President Benneth Ychiro with Brad and Carol (from GCC) looks on at Chapel.

Students at the Library diligently doing their work.

The "Beginnings" of a Tsunami

So I was talking to this one UOG (University of Guam) student from Chuuk and as part of introducing myself, I relate to him that I was a Christian. Suddenly he became defensive and said, "What works for you may not work for everybody else." Then he walked off.

As I watch him went his way, I began contemplating the situation. I suddenly realized that I was looking at Postmodernism. This was my first introduction to the idea of what is Postmodernism, in a real life situation. It was also my first time to witness it here in Micronesia. And of all people, it came from a Chuukese. Even if the internet may be slow in coming to the remote islands of Micronesia, the ideas that the Western world espouse are already pouring in.

The fact of the matter is, only a tiny fraction of the Christians here at Micronesia understands the situation. And the few of us that tries to grasp the situation are pathetically un-prepared, untrained, and raw. Is the Micronesian church ready to face its future? Not yet. But in time, it will. This sure is a golden opportunity.

The Challenge

The best type of food is not just one type of food, but a mixture of "a little bit of this and that." This is true for a lot of people. And in the past few days I have been thinking:

The tiny islands of Micronesia are now in the beginning stage of feeling the impact of internet globalization. How do we as a church here and as individuals react? or should we react?

Already the younger generations are hooked onto websites such as myspace, facebook and others like them. A 14.9% of the population have internet access, 16,000 out of 107,000. That is a lot for a country who only 20 years ago became independent.

We pride ourselves with the fact that over 90% of our population has affiliations with Christianity. But that is changing. As changes in the world are happening, they are coming closer and closer to home. We found ourselves being immersed with the rest of the world.

Rapidly the world is growing smaller. Paris Hilton is a household term and almost everyone has a relative who is fighting in Iraq. The question that is asked by many of us here is what do we do as a church? We can either look to countries who have gone ahead of us, but they in reality, as nations and societies, are, by enlarge, bad examples. And we want to avoid that.Our setting provides us with a unique opportunity that no nation has had. Theology, here, is still the queen of science.

until next time.