THE RIGHT TIME - NOW

I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had come to the Marshall Islands the first time I had the opportunity. Thirty years ago, my then-husband had the opportunity to apply for a job that would have taken him to work on the satellite projects on the military base at Kwajalein. Although it wasn’t the right move for our family at that time, it’s been in the back of my mind for these thirty years. Two families in my congregation, Helen Claire and LeRoy Sievers and Norma and Jim Rollins, spent time in the Marshalls and have often told remarkable stories about their experiences. Sometimes I wonder about what would have happened if we had taken the chance to live in the RMI back then.

The answer came from the principals during orientation at a reception hosted by the Ministry of Education. Most of the principals from islands all over the country were in attendance because the reception coincided with a two-week long institute for principals. At the reception, the Ministry of Education officials made welcoming speeches and one of the principals added his light-hearted advice about bringing cases toilet paper to the outer islands. (Yes, he was serious.) Then all the principals stood to sing us a song in Marshallese. The title? “This is the Right Time to See Your Face.”