Placement Contact

Progress, hope, and comfort all in one week about the Peace Corps.

I have a specific contact in placement =) She sent me an email last Friday requesting an updated resume, transcript, and proof that I've been actively learning Spanish. She also informed me that they are unsure whether or not the program I had been nominated to would be cut or not; they are still evaluating programs for final cuts. She asked if I would still want to be considered for placement after january 2012 if in fact my program is cut. So at least I know where I stand right now.... progress...

So I responded (and of course sent her the wrong resume, it wouldn't be me if that didn't happen) and told her that it really didn't matter when, I am still completely committed to this process...but I did mention that I would want to leave between June and August 2012 since any job I would get....or if I continued teaching, I would want to service students for the entire year and not just half of it. I haven't heard back from her about that so perhaps I will just leave in August as originally planned =) hope....

The other amazing Peace Corps event that happened this week was the Black RPCV/PCV/prospective PCV happy hour in D.C. I am sooooo thankful I went. I met a lot of people who enjoyed their experiences, stayed through COS and even one who extended their service. Many of them served in the Caribbean, Latin or South America, so it was great to hear their perspective. It was a wonderful opportunity to network....in my time there, I was promised letters and soap when I leave, offered Rosetta Stone, convinced someone to consider becoming a special education teacher (because we rock!) and connected with someone who is going to come to my school and do an HIV/AIDS presentation..... awesome!

But more than that, I received some comfort.... I am not alone. It is definitely important to create a circle to share what I may or may not experience as a volunteer and to have someone else who has been throughout understand my unique perspective. I also realized how important it was for me to be an ambassador, more people who look like me and come from where I'm from should venture to explore the world through traveling and serving internationally. I am hoping that this blog can be a vessel that provides insight into my experiences and encourages my friends and family to consider serving as well.

Well back to enjoying a wonderful weekend (in the middle of nowhere) with my lovely sisters in Christ as we grow closer to God, rest, and strengthen our connection. Enjoy your Memorial day weekend everyone!!

Another Week...Slight Progress

Based on my one of my previous posts, I took the advice of several people (thanks) and sent out 2 emails, one to OMS and the other to CYD Placement.

OMS: I sent the email Sunday night, I got a phone call at 8:30am the next morning! (impressive) She was really nice and informed me that I was "theirs" during service so they needed to know about each and every allergy. "unknown" as my doctor eloquently stated would not work! So I had to figure out if I was allergic to shellfish immediately and my doctor needed to complete the form again.

So one of my favorite girlfriends came over that night as we tried chicken and shrimp fried rice. I had a wonderful time fellow-shipping with her. I was okay that night (or so I thought)...yes allergy gone!! SIKE. In the morning my throat was itching and I felt so weird. I took some benedryl and immediately felt better. I had leftover chicken and shrimp fried rice the next day and tried some shrimp again---similar reaction but more immediate. Sigh the allergy was definitely still there. So I called my doctors office and they will redo the form (thank God I made copies of everything!)Hopefully I will fax this back to OMS by Monday....

CYD Placement: I really like this lady for some reason. She informed me that I'll have a 2 part review 6-8 weeks after I medically clear (so much for my timeline lrl)She also told me that I would not be tested on my language, they would just verify that I followed through on gaining the level of proficiency required. She also told me to potentially volunteer with an HIV/AIDS org, complete grassroots level work with outreach & education, work with youth, teach or develop ESL skills. (other than the HIV/AIDs and ESL, I definitely do this everyday!)

Legal: BTW I had a legal hold on my account and I had no clue why. After reading Serah's blog, I asked her for the legal department's number. After calling and speaking to another awesome guy (too bad I cannot remember any names) I had a check where the hold had been the next day =)

BTW one of my guardian angels (you will probably see me refer to my family and friends as guardian angels because I believe God has placed them in my life to challenge, guide, && inspire me on my path) blessed me with monetary funds for my PC journey. She had NO idea how on time this was.

So today, encouraged by my progress with my medical packet/legal and my guardian angel's card, I decided to figure out what I could do about these 2 fillings I needed. I called several places but because my insurance only offers a discount program....I am looking at about $300-$400 for these 2 fillings. I was overly discouraged by this but God will provide I'm positive of this so I will hopefully do some research on Monday.

In the meantime, I'll focus on more budget cuts (as if I buy anything outside of groceries and gas as it is) for this upcoming dentist appointment, continue studying Spanish, and keep praying that I will be able to leave August 2011 for my original nomination =)