The Central MO RPCVs group stays in touch with a number of PCVs with connections to Missouri.  Here are several links to blogs about their experiences in the field.  Drop us a note if you would like to have your blog (or a family member serving) included!

 

Diana Groshong and Trevor Harris in Zambia 

http://www.travelswithtrevor.blogspot.com/

 

Scott Clithero and Lindsay Forsythe in Namibia

yossarianinafrica.blogspot.com  (Scott) and 

fromnamibia.blogspot.com (Lindsay)

  

Susan Lorbecki in Honduras (She publishes updates in her graduate school newsletter)

http://ieo.okstate.edu/docs/grad/mar2008.pdf

 

PCVs who have completed service recently (blogs are still an interesting resource)

Kyle Gifford in Armenia

http://www.kgiffinarmenia.com/

 

Amber Greening, serving in the Eastern Caribbean on the island of St. Kitts

www.ambergreening.blogspot.com

 

Whitney Schlotzhauer in the Philippines  (Latest email update, from October 2008)

Oh my oh my....
 
I just finished a meeting with the venue of the youth leadership camp I am planning. The original price we had discussed has gone up now...imagine that!  Anyway, the price difference is more than what I had requested in my budget so now we are in deficit...not too much, but still a deficit.  Racking my brain on our options I mentioned asking the mayor.  what if the city gov. can contribute?  I'll present him with a budget, I know that there are funds in the local gov for Gender and Development programs/projects..This is a Youth-Girl's-Leadership-Development-Camp---a 'gender development project!  So after I get done sending this email, I will rebudget, type up a proposal and deliver it to him.  Anyway, after I mentioned to my center head about asking the office of the mayor for help she said...
Lyndra-'Yes, the City Social Welfare Office called and asked if they could participate in the camp.  She said she has 89 street children. She heard from one of the social workers at the NGO we are inviting about the camp. I told her we already have participants.'
 
What!  why didn't she tell me about this before!!!!!
 
Whitney- 'Oh really?  Well I was wanting to do some work with the street children but did not want to commit to anything until after December cuz I will busy until then with this camp and World AIDS Day on Dec. 1.  How about this, I'll talk to her and present her and the mayor with this.  We will do this camp, ask for help from the mayor's office.  The 5 high school students who are participating in the camp can echo their leadership skills during a camp/daycamp/whatever is planned with the street children.  The girls from the centers will already be echoing the camp's workshops at their respective centers, the high school students can work with the street children.  I can help them plan the activities (we can do fun health activities, literacy, life skills, whatever!) and they can implement cuz they speak the language...perfect!'  (thought in my head-->if the mayor does not help us, we can not do the camp, and then can not help his City Social Worker and her street kids!)  Now I'm not usually that agressive of a person or one to use bribery but if that's what I have to do for my girls....Damnit I will!
 
So I just checked on the peace corps website for my proposal to check where we stand right now with funding...IT WAS NOT UP THERE!  this can only mean one thing...the money has been raised!  Right?  I texted the office staff in charge of the grant and asked her what a M.I.A. proposal means..have yet to hear from her but if that is the case, Thank you Lord!  and thanks all of you who contributed making this possible!  Please keep my girls in your prayers that we are able to come up with the additional funding.  I know we will, but hope that it comes before giving myself an ulcer from worrying!
 
P.S.  The high this week was 90 degrees F.  The low has been around 77 F.  with 91% humidity.  I hope you are all enjoying the changing of the weather...the red and orange leaves crunching beneath your feet.  The crisp autumn air in the morning, the smell of fall rolling in...AGGHHH I just wanna go one day without sweating! 
Haha, I Love You All!
 
Whitney

Whitney Schlotzhauer, 266
DSWD Home for Girls
Sorsogon City
 
 
'I ask myself why I run...then I cross the Finish Line'

 

 

Emily Henke, serving in Ghana, West Africa (Email update from September, 2008)

We always think that a year in our life is a long time.  It seems as if the older you get, the years become miraculously shorter each year and speed right on by.  I bring this point up because September 19 marked my one year residence in Ghana.  It feels like just yesterday I was living with my homestay family preparing for my swearing in ceremony.  Now we volunteers find ourselves welcoming in a new group of trainees and saying goodbye to the “old” group of volunteers.  Even though I have just over a year left of my service, I’m beginning to prepare for when the time comes for me to say goodbye.  There are so many things I have yet to do and I wonder how I will ever get them all done.  Then I remember that to-do lists are never-ending, especially in a developing country, and to just make the best of my time knowing that all will be accomplished in due time.
 
When I first arrived in Ghana I thought that I might be able to see slight progress by the time I left if I was lucky.  I’ve been lucky enough to see a great deal of progress in the people I work with already, just being a year into my service.  One bead maker in particular has had night and day difference in the quality of her beads.  Now I’m able to tell her that I can buy all that she has brought instead of picking through the bad to find the good.  Also, the center where our products are made have improved on their quality as well.  As I do my final quality check, there are fewer and fewer items I need to send back to be remade.  Gladys and Thomas, the center’s managers and my Peace Corp counterparts, have begun learning how to type.  They are making wonderful progress and beam after every lesson as they show me their words-per-minute scores.  All of these unanticipated accomplishments add so much joy to my life.  They help me through the difficult times, making me realize that I am doing something to help.  This fact is hard to remember sometimes, but surfaces when I see the joy in someone as they accomplish a task that has daunted them.
 
Everything seems to be pretty “normal” as I go about my daily routines.  However, there was a very exciting event in my life this past summer.  Going home in July to visit for my brother’s wedding was quite the experience.  I didn’t believe that I was actually going home until I was in New York and on the plane for the flight to St. Louis.  Once I realized what was going on it seemed like an eternity until I reached MO, that even being the shortest flight of them all.  You would never think you would get such joy out of the smallest things.  For instance, in my case at least, joy was found in wearing jeans, walking on carpet, eating Mexican (especially CHEESE!), baking, hot showers, reliable electricity, comfortable big bed, driving a car and talking to loved ones in person.  I knew that my time home in the US would fly by and its hard to believe I’ve been back in Ghana for almost 2 months now.  It was so good to see all of you whom I was fortunate enough to see.  I know our time was short so I hope we can continue our conversations upon my next return.  I was able to see and do all of my favorite things while I was home and I owe this to all of you.  I had so much fun decorating and preparing for the wedding, dancing at the wedding, and eating all that gorgeous food.  To all those who helped me in any way before/during/after my time at home, THANK YOU.  I couldn’t ask for better friends and family, old and new.  I hope you all are enjoying the beautiful cool weather of fall.  I will soon enter into the dry season so my days are getting hotter by the hour.  Stay loved and until next time, God bless.

 

~ Emily Henke ~

Several other PCVs from Missouri periodically update us by email and we'll post their stories as well.   Thanks for the news from the field!