NYO Meet

Hey yall!

I traveled to Tununak Friday, a village over on Nelson Island, as a chaperone for Newtok’s NYO team. NYO (Native Youth Olympics) has different events - it’s really quite extraordinary how some of those students can stretch and contort their bodies! A few events include the seal hop, kneel jump, Alaskan, Eskimo Stick Pull, Indian Stick Pull, one arm reach (they balance their bodies on one hand, and reach up to touch a ball)... I took some pictures and videos that I’ll post on facebook, but I couldn’t get one of every event since my batteries died (arg!)
We left Friday afternoon - we rode up to the airport on a 4 wheeler and waited around for about 30 minutes in 20 degrees weather, and finally came back to the school where I  decided I should get a heavier coat! We finally heard our plane flying in so we all hopped back on the 4 wheelers and started back, but ran out of gas. So we grabbed all our bags and started sprinting across the village up to the airport. It only takes about 15 minutes by plane to get to Tununak. The pilot did some fun swoops and turns for us, and I have a video of that too! (check facebook, it will be posted soon!)
They had the 4 wheeler and trailer waiting on us... just throw in your bags and hop in the back... it was funny when I first got up here but I’m use to it now! We didn’t ride on the boardwalks so it was really muddy... we and our bags were splashed pretty good. Anyway... they began the events pretty soon. At the beginning of the year I met some of the other teachers at Tununak, Heidi and Monica. Monica is the NYO coach who was running the tournament. She didn’t have enough help, so I wound up helping with judging, scoring, awards, and serving meals.
We stopped for supper then kept going until about 10:00. Then we (Newtok) went over to Heidi’s apartment (she used to teach in Newtok)... which was great fun. The kids played guitar hero and I was able to get a shower, FINALLY! It was a hot shower, too, not luke warm or cold! (Newtok was still on water watch when we left so I hadn’t had a shower in a while, but the water is back on now). She baked cookies for us and had koolaid... what a treat! (Sarilyn, I thought of you! :-) )
It was nearly midnight when we went back up to the school. The wind was so fierce and cold I couldn’t even walk in a straight line! The teacher housing in Tununak is down a steep hill to the school. There are new steps now, but during winter the steps are completely burried, so they just have to trudge up the hill... and I guess slide down it to get home! Pretty sweet!
So we got back to the school, in a classroom with our sleeping bags, but it was so dang cold I could barely get any sleep. Next time I travel I will bring blankets, and it’s time to get the wool socks out!
In the morning they had pancakes and orange juice! I miss orange juice! Then we swept and mopped the gym floor and began the last couple of events ... the seal hop: the kids  lay of the ground and move like a seal. Then the Indian Stick pull - they grease a stick and try to pull it away from each other. Alot of these events are things the natives’ elders use to do to get ready for leaving on a hunting trip. I don’t know about the stick pull or seal hop... but some of the events helped them prepare for the physical challenges.
After the award ceremony we hung out in the gym and library waiting for the planes. They had an old guitar and piano so we had a good time jamming. :-)
Tununak is a village down in a valley, with beautiful mountains (or at least really big hills...) around it. They live RIGHT on the coast of the Bering Sea, and we rode on the beach to and from the school. It is beautiful! I can’t tell you how much I wanted to go hiking and fishing!
I’m coaching speech and the jr. high team is competing this week. So Tuesday we’re flying to Bethel and won’t be back till Thursday. We’ve been having lots of practice, and I they are excited!
Monday we’re having a ceremony for them to practice saying their speeches in front of the school. My high school reading class is also going to perform an Eskimo dance and song to a poem we are working on - they translated it into Yupik and have been practicing with the traditional Eskimo drums, so I’ll make sure to get a video of that!
I miss going to church and having fellowship with other believers, but I must say, where God guides, God provides, and I have been SO blessed that He allows me to continue to praise Him and learn more about Him, to be able to dig into His Word and lean completely on Him through good times and bad. On Sundays I have my own little church service ( :-) ) ... playing praise songs on my guitar. Today I actually had some kiddos over, and we even had a little lesson! (One of the kids tried to steal some of Naomi’s money on a shelf). But God is good, and I’m just awed daily by His incredible love and grace.
So on that note, I’ll sign off. I miss yall, but am having too much fun to come home now! :-)
Love yall!
Kim