Friday, December 28, 2007

Christmas on Yap Island, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)

On December 19th, we all headed for the island of Yap, which is about an hour and a half by jet due west of Guam. It turned out to be more like an invasion though since other folks had the same idea to visit the Zimmers and Whitmores who are missionaries there. In total there were 12 visitors; 6 Babins, 4 Morgans, Janelle Mitchell, and Christine (a Yapese girl living on Guam). With Mark Zimmer's family (6), Paul Zimmer's family (8), and the Whitmores (2), Roland and his family (3), we had a total of 14 adults and 17 children celebrating Christmas Yap style!
(In the photo above we are at the airport on the day we arrived.)

Janelle (Mitch) Mitchell with Tella at Mark's on Christmas day.


Mark and Brian built a ukulele from a kit over a weeks time and actually played it before we left.

Dave Morgan and sons with a nice "wahoo" we caught.


Robin and Mitch on the deck of a ship where we ate lunch one day.
Jay made new friends and learned how to use a wood lathe (here making a fish club!)


Never know what you'll catch on Yap! Here Alex and Art pose with a 500lb + Marlin they caught the day we all went fishing.
Jeff and Robin wearing traditional "nunu's".
An honor bestowed upon guests to the island.

The Mark Zimmer Family




Paul Zimmer
gathering coconuts




The "white people" singing at Sunday service just before Christmas. (Yes, that is Brian up there too!)
All the old people went to dinner together one evening. Thanks to Mitch and Christina who supervised our 16 kids so we could relax.









We were on Yap from the 19th until the 27th. We had an excellent time fishing, hiking, snorkling, and just relaxing with these wonderful families.





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