West Africa Baby!

After an amazingly long and seemingly excruciating wait, I got my country assignment yesterday. Or rather my mom did in PA and called me at work fighting back her tears to tell me the good news.

I am off to The Gambia, which to be honest I had to consult with a map to find out exactly where it is located. It is the smallest country in Africa so I don't feel to bad that I didn't know its exact coordinates. I did know West Africa though.

Wow, West Africa. I knew I could be sent anywhere in Africa but I never really thought I would be sent to West Africa for some reason. It was definitely the region that I was most unsure about just because I had never been there and didn't know a whole lot about it. I guess that just makes it even more exciting that I get to discover a truly new place. I am also glad that I got West Africa, because I wouldn't have chosen it so it will force me outside of my comfort zone, which is exactly what this whole experience is supposed to be about. I think I was pulling for Southern or East Africa because it was safe (I realize that may sound asinine to some of you), I knew what to expect to a degree.

At the onset of the application process I resigned myself to accepting the first assignment that I got and trusting that it was where God wanted me to be. Guess my case just proves the old saying....be careful what you wish/ask/pray for, it just may come true.

I have had a lot of trouble sleeping lately, my brain has been on overdrive thinking up all the possible places I could be calling home for two years. I thought that would stop once I found out, wrong....now its just even more real and cause for even more dreaming.

Medically fit to serve!!!!!!!!!!

This is me on the top of Table Mt. in South Africa while on Semester at Sea (2003). I wanted to post a pic of me so you all don't forget my smiling face :). And somehow when I figure out how to post it to my profile, I will do that.

On a completely different note than my picture, I found out yesterday that I am MEDICALLY CLEARED to serve in the Peace Corps!!!!!!!! While its true, that you might be wondering why this is such a big deal and why I am so excited to be told that I am healthy when I already knew that. It has been a long 5 months of doctor's visits, needles, bloodwork and paperwork and I am so glad to finally be through with it. Now that I am medically cleared, the Placement office can start finding me a community! Very excited about all the wonderful possibilities but my over active imagination is seriously making it impossible to sleep at night! Hope I find out soon!!!!

Go with all your heart........

"Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart" ~ Confucius

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am a nut for good quotes. It is not because I can't think of anything original on my own, I just really appreciate wise words spoken by wise people - so I use them. This one is definitely a mantra.

I spoke to some people from the Placement Office and had to resumbit an essay and answer some questions about my involvement in my church. They wanted to make sure that living in a community that would most likely be made of people with opposing views on religion than my own would not be a problem for me. I assured them that I understood that I was going there to serve in the Peace Corps, not to be a missionary. So I think things are cool.

I understand why these questions had to be asked but it caught me a bit off gaurd that I was asked them and judgement placed on my future behaviors because of my religious affiliation. I am not even one to evangalize and in fact the whole idea of it makes me a bit squeamish. I guess I just had a problem with them lumping me in a specific category of people or having potential behaviors because they knew I attended church. One's faith and belief systems are a lot more complex then a simple label.

But enough ranting, at least I know that the placement office is reviewing my application and things are at least underway!