Picassa Slideshow

"Life in the Peace Corps will not be easy. There will be no salary and allowances will be at a level sufficient only to maintain health and meet basic needs. Men and women will be expected to work and live alongside the nationals of the country in which they are stationed—doing the same work, eating the same food, talking the same language.

But if the life will not be easy, it will be rich and satisfying. For every young American who participates in the Peace Corps—who works in a foreign land—will know that he or she is sharing in the great common task of bringing to man that decent way of life which is the foundation of freedom and a condition of peace."

John F. Kennedy, 1961

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Welcome!

As you may or may not know, I will be serving with the Peace Corps for the next two years in Panama! From August 11, 2009 to October 27, 2011 I will be a part of a Community Economic Development (CED) program as consultant.

I am currently wrapping up the summer and beginning to prepare for departure. It is difficult to stay in touch while I am living and working out on the Chesapeake Bay at Fox Island and will definitely be more challenging in the years to come! So, I plan to use this blog to keep you informed of my experiences and hopefully answer any of your questions. Feel free to comment or add questions to the posts and I will do my best to respond to them. However, I have no idea how often I will be able to access the internet - or a computer - so they may be spontaneous or erratic.

I would like to thank everyone who helped me through the application process. I could not have done it with out your support. I am looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead and hope to share some of these experiences with you.

About CED...
Some goals of this program include strengthening the management and leadership capacity of rural cooperatives, local organizations, and youth to increase job and economic opportunities. To acquire the technical skills necessary to facilitate these goals, The first part of my Peace Corps service is 10 weeks of intensive training, with three main components: technical, language, and cultural issues. This training will be with a 7-week home stay with a family to help integrate with the Panamanian culture and will be somewhat similar to the site where I will be assigned for the remaining two years - which I have yet to find out where, exactly!

Letter for Family and Friends

The link above contains some contact information. I will have better instructions once I settle in during staging.

To post a comment, click on "# Comments" which will be below each blog. This will show others comments as well as give you the opportunity to share.
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