Global Adventures (Alaska, Zambia, Bolivia and More)

Bolivia So Far

2009-11-03T17:22:00.000-08:00

Dang, I know... I haven't posted a single word or blurb since I've set foot in South America which has been almost three months. So anyway, a lot has happened. Too much in fact to fit here or perhaps too much for you to want to read. I'll begin therefore:

I arrived in the first part of August and was amazed by what I saw. Within the first week I went to a famous festival here in the Cochabamba area which was great! There is a celebration for just about everything. The language school started off well, I just couldn't speak Spanish to save me because I had no use for it and therefore had forgotten everything... no seriously, I had to think of what to say when someone said "Como estas?" So as the weeks passed at the language school I began to learn Spanish and saw a lot of students from other countries come and go... after awhile I was the "oldest" student.

One of my first weeks here I searched the internet intensely to find out where some of my friends were serving because two people from my group were sent here to Cochabamba. So eventually I found the name and location of the place and called. I went to visit and from then on me and Johanna and Amber (the other volunteers) met each Saturday in the city to talk and experience the town. Occasionally when I had the time as well I would go and visit the orphanage in the town of Itocta where they work. We've had some grand times together.

Bolivia is a great place, but there is a lot that you need to take care with here. The political situation is rather unstable at the moment and presidential elections will take place next month in December. I've seen people protest in the streets park in the streets and stop traffic. People here go and do what they want when they want to. One day I was at a Lawyer commisioning event for the son of my host family and got smashed against a glass wall and forced into a room simply by the movement of the crowd that wanted to get in and see the thing!

Staying healthy has been a bit easier so far... I've maintained my weight here and I enjoy the food. You just have to be careful... I was also in the hospital four day a few weeks after I got here because I had a run in with Selmonella and Amoebas. There is so much good food however. The glorious 40 cent slices of cake in the Cancha (market place) is extremely good (Cancha Cake!). Another great thing is all of the types of bread! So good and so cheap. I even had the chance to eat some cuyi which is a local dish of Guinea Pig.

The visa process has been crazy! So after almost three months of waiting, begging, getting poked by needles, and dealing with mountains of paperwork, I have a one year visa and a Bolivian ID card! Now I am simply going to take the next few days easy and then travel to Santa Cruz where I will meet the director of a technical school I will spend some time working at, and we'll go to Yapacani together. I have already visited Yapacani, which is a great place, but I'll leave that for another day. There is so much to say about all this but, I'll start posting again if I find it in me to do so once I am in Yapacani permanently and have more to say about that. Rest assured also, that I have a somewhat intermittent journal I've been keeping on my computer that you are welcome to read when I return. Have a great day and Peace from the heart South America!

MISO - Maryknoll International Service Orientation

2009-07-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

Hello from New York! So far things have been fine... I've been here for almost a week and have met a lot of very nice people. All of them here to answer God's call to serve. Things went well the first few days but I think I caught a cold/flu on the plane over here so that wasn't fun. I'm feeling great today though. Really there hasn't been much so far notable enough to mention with the exception of an awesome concert put on by our director Adam and his friends. They played very beautiful Bolivian music and sang very nicely. I have video of it that I'll put up on YouTube for you to see.

Maryknoll Headquarters (About a half mile from where I'm staying)

Anyway, that's about all that's happening here on the Hudson River. I'll be sure to update as things move along!

Have a great day! God Bless.

Yapacani

2009-06-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

Since last time there hasn't been a lot going on. However, I have found out which town in Bolivia I will be serving in... Yapacani! It is a town located about 60 miles from Santa Cruz, Boliva on highway 7 near the town of Villa German Busch. This seems to be a pretty cool place based on the research I've done. It is a sizable town in the bush with a population of about 20,000. I don't know yet what it is I will be doing there precisely, but it all depends on what they need and what I can do. That makes this site very lax in the respect that it is not hard set on a particular goal and allows the SLM to identify needs based on what the community wants and attempt to provide. The one thing that is interesting to me is that as far as I know, I will be the first SLM to ever serve in Yapacani. So I feel priveleged, but a bit on edge knowing that whatever I do there can have a big impact on SLMs in Yapacani in the future. It's a big responsibility that I intend to take very seriously.

Yapacani, Bolivia

As for language training I will be going to a language school called Escuela Runawasi in Cochabamba to learn a little Espanol. That starts from the moment I arrive in Bolivia on August 11th until November 13th when I will complete my time at Escuela Runawasi and go to Yapacani. Well, I should be finding out more details from the Salesian Lay Missions office in New York about the site in Yapacani soon so when I do I will be sure to put that information here.

Escuela Runawasi Mercado

Well that does it for now. Have a great day!

Peace and Blessings... Chris

39 days til' New York

2009-05-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

This is just a random update on things...

I just made my flight reservations to Bolivia today, and I made my reservations for New York a while ago. I will be headed to New York on July 6th, for Orientation with the Salesian Lay Missioners and I will be there for a month. The first two weeks will be cultural training and evaluations with the Maryknoll Missioners. The third week will be a week of service. The fourth week will be a time to delve into what it really means to be a Salesian Lay Missioner. This should be a fun and exciting time. I had the privilege of meeting some other potential missioners in Chicago last month and I can't wait to see them again!

It looks like after orientation in New York wraps up on August 8th, I will be waiting around a couple of days until August 10th, and then the adventure begins. I will be heading out of New York first to Mexico City where I have a short layover. Then I will be going through Lima, Peru where I have a seven hour wait, and then to La Paz where I will get on another flight to Cochabamba, Bolivia. Cochabamba is where I will spend a few months learning Bolivian Spanish before heading down to the Santa Cruz region in eastern Bolivia to serve.

This should a great and fulfilling experience. Please pray for me, and I will keep all of you in mine. I will be sure to post more details once the time gets closer for me to leave.

Until Next Time, Adios Amigos!

Bolivia!

2009-05-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

You read right, Bolivia!

I just got off the phone with Adam Rudin, the director of the Salesian Lay Missions and I was invited to Orientation in New York from July 6th to August 8th. During this first phone interview placement is also discussed, and there are three potential places in two Bolivian cities that are possible sites for me! I can't believe it, woohoo! So excited!

Anyway, I guess I better brush up on that dusty corner of my brain that has Spanish written on it. I will likely have to do some preliminary language training for a few months in Bolivia before going to my site. This will cost me some money, but I know God will provide.

More to come! Good Day and God Bless!

Milwaukee

2009-04-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

Hello from Wisconsin! I hope all is well with everyone. This discernment trip has been enlightening. I spent two very good days in Chicago, Illinois and then made my way here to Milwaukee to see my Aunts Chello, Susan, and Jenny. We have had a rather enjoyable few days and have seen a great deal: Marquette University, Gesu Church, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Titanic Exhibit and IMAX film that is visiting, Lake Michigan, and of course eachother. Today we are headed to another university and maybe we'll see a few more sights before I return on Sunday.

My poor aunt Jenny hurt her leg while we were at the IMAX theater and so all I want is for her to feel better and rest. I will tell you all about it when I return.

Anyway, I hope that fair New Mexico is a happy place to be now, and I will return in a few days. God bless you all!

-Chris

Chicago!

2009-04-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

Well, for those of you who periodically read my blog in the far reaching outskirts of the vast entity that is the Internet, here is an update of what is new since I returned from Zambia some 23 days ago:

KLM (Joburg to Amsterdam)

I have been looking for opportunities to volunteer and have been so far successful with one group the Salesian Lay Missioners. I have made a lot of progress in the application process over last weeks and things look positive. I will be headed to Chicago at the end of the month for an event they are holding to see if I am a good fit for their organization and to discern if God is calling me to this particular mission. The event is only two days long and because I will be close to Wisconsin where some of my family resides I will be visiting there for a few days before returning to New Mexico. Provided everything stays well with the Salesians I should have an idea of where I will be serving once I have submitted the last few documents and have had a phone interview. Of the places they serve and what they do in those places I think it is most likely that I will be going to India or China. Africa is still a possibility but I qualify less for their missions in South Africa and Sierra Leone. I would love to return to Africa, but I'll leave the decision up to God and go wherever I will be most helpful.

Chicago, Illinois

Once again please pray for me, I will need it to make wise decisions and try to fulfill God's will for my life. And please pray for all of my friends in Peace Corps Zambia that they all have safe and fulfilling terms of service. They are all wonderful people and I'm sure each of them will do great things.

I will keep you informed. Have a great day, and in the second most prominent language in Zambia, Nyanja:

Tsilani Bwino! (Stay well)

Heading Home

2009-03-09T22:45:00.000-07:00

Well, since my last post things in Zambia have been great! I really love this country and the people. Unfortunately though, I've lost maybe 20 pounds since I arrived even though I have made an effort to eat a lot. And truly, I have eaten more here than I usaully do at home. However, I don't think it is wise for me to remain here if I am losing 10 pounds a week! I know the trend is likely not to continue at that rate, but it is not a good choice to take the risk when overall health is concerned. The day before yesterday I was able to pull my pants off without unzipping or un-buttoning them, and I can see my pelvis showing where it didn't before.

So, I am here in Lusaka at Peace Corps headquarters squaring things away... I should be on my way home in the next couple of days. I am really sad to be leaving Zambia and I'm not sure what my next move in life is going to be when I return. I think I might just go back to school and work on a Master's degree. I've already looked at a few Universities that sent me offers before I left and possible employment in the areas around those universities. We'll see... please pray for me, this will be a challenging and disorienting time.

See you soon.

From the Zambian Capital,

Chris

Hello From Lusaka!

2009-02-21T06:18:00.000-08:00

Hey there! I'm in Zambia! This will be a short post because I don't have a lot of time on here... I had to pay for internet here at a cafe and it was Kw6000 for 30 minutes of time. Not too bad... that is like $1.20 for 30 minutes...

Things are great here in Zambia, it is hot and humid and the rains come occasionally. The whole area is very green and the birds are beautiful. I can't even begin to describe how interesting Zambia is... I will write to you all soon via mail, but this is the last internet I may have for 1 month or more. So be patient.

I will share more with you later and maybe post some photos.

Have a great day and God Bless you all from ZAMBIA!!!

Not Much Time Left

2009-02-10T15:41:00.000-08:00

About six days to be exact... (no I'm not writing in complete sentences!) Anyway, there isn't much time left for me to enjoy the company of family and friends or to keep blogging for that matter. So this might be the last message I post here before I'm either in Washington D.C. or in Zambia. Once I am in Zambia, there won't be very frequent posts to this page, but rest assured that I will make the effort to write something here for you to scan over every once in a while. Similarly I will likely not have access to e-mail on a regular basis. So if you send me an e-mail be patient with me and I will be sure to send a reply your way!

Mail takes around 4-6 weeks to travel between Zambia and the United States, and an additional amount of time to be delivered on either end; so if you send me a letter now on 2/10/09, it will make it to Zambia maybe on 3/10/09 and into my hands by the end of March perhaps? Likewise when I reply to your letters it will take the same time to slide its way over into your hands from Africa so if you were to write to me today you might expect a letter back by some time in April or May...

If you visit this site looking for an update on my status you might be rewarded with some information. However if not, keeping in mind what is written above, send me a letter at the following address:

Christopher Rodriguez, PCV
U.S. Peace Corps/Zambia
P.O. Box 50707
Lusaka, Zambia, Africa

*Be advised I will have a different address once I am posted to a site in early May so keep a look out for that on here then. However, be aware too that the above address will be valid for the entire duration of time that I am in Zambia.

Well, I guess that does it for now... So as much as it pains me to say: this is Good Bye for now :(

God Bless you all and may the Peace of His Son Jesus abide with you always.

Unexpected Visit, Peace Corps News, and A Mix Up

2009-01-29T07:03:00.000-08:00

Hello, I hope everyone is doing well! Here is what has happened since the last post some 37 days ago...

Unexpected Visit:

(Shawn & Chris at White Sands)

My friend Shawn, that I met in Alaska, had the chance to visit for a week! It was great to see him again after a year, and to share what's new before I head out to Africa. We went to a few places while he was here including Tent Rocks, Billy the Kid's grave, the Roswell UFO Museum, Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, and the Alamogordo Space Museum and IMAX. It was a great week! He left for home on 1/28. Now I only have 18 days left until I leave myself...

Peace Corps News:

(Washington D.C.)

I will be leaving for Orientation in Washington D.C. on February 16th! I will be off to Africa at 5:40 PM Eastern Time on January 18th and arrive in Zambia about 21 hours later on the 19th! Please pray for me, this is going to be a great yet challenging experience.

(Zambia Map and Flag)

A Mix Up:

(U.S. Passports thanks to msnbc.com)

Well last night I received an e-mail from another Christopher James Rodriguez that I met on a Peace Corps Yahoo group. He forwarded an e-mail from Peace Corps' travel agency he received meant for me. It said WE NEED ZAMBIA VISA FORMS AND PHOTOS ASAP! I immediately thought that they must have lost the ones I sent them back in September, so since it was already 7:00 PM here I figured there was no time to waste. I went to town and took passport photos, printed the proper forms, and sent them overnight through FedEx. I called them this morning and the said they received the other Chris Rodriguez's passport, and since he is going to Suriname it did not have Zambia visas in it. They then thought it was mine and called/e-mailed him thinking it was me saying they needed the visa stuff right away. Before I called this morning to clarify things and tell them that new photos and forms were on their way they had figured out the mix up. They checked the Zambia folder and found MY (This Chris Rodriguez typing) No Fee Government Passport with the proper Zambia visas inside. They apologized for the mix up and told me to pack my bags!

Well, that about does it for now! I hope I get to see all of you in the next 18 days. If not please e-mail me your addresses so that I can put them in my new address book and send you some Zambian Snail Mail :) ...

God Bless, and Peace be with you all!

My E-mail: chrisruaf@msn.com

Funf und Funfzig Tagen

2008-12-23T12:17:00.000-08:00

Fifty-five days until staging! The time is slipping by so quickly it will be time to leave in a flash! I have to make it a point to:

1. Visit or spend some time with everyone I know before then...

AND

2. Get the packing I need to do out of the way. I've really procrastinated in buying things for Zambia, but I really think it's just about time to start.

Oh yeah... I almost forgot, I never finished the Europe story:

First of all, it was a real privilege to be able to visit so many places I feel really fortunate. I had no intentions to leave the U.S. before Zambia, and I had never been across the pond as the English say. The whole thing was a BIG blessing, and very fun!

Starting where the last post ended:

After we returned to Germany from our first weekend in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Italy, we just hanged around in my Mom's town in Germany for a couple of days (Monday and Tuesday) until the day before Thanksgiving when we drove over to Prague, Czech Republic and spent two days there. Prague is a very awesome place, but has very confusing streets. Anyway we then drove to Dresden, Germany for one night then up to Berlin which was also cool. Berlin is a nicer city than I envisioned it would be, the streets were easy to navigate and the main sites were easy to access not to mention there was plenty of parking (always a plus). We then returned to Triebendorf-Wiesau for one night and then set off for Lohnberg which is near Frankfurt am Main. We got to see a little of that area before we had to drive back to my mom's town and then back to Munich so we could all fly back to the States. It was indeed a great trip! Though, I will say that it is nice to be back in the U.S. so that I can enjoy it here at home before heading out for a couple of years. Even so, I am extremely excited for Zambia! I can't wait, but as always I expect leaving to be bitter-sweet but mostly sweet!

Well that does it for now... Guten Tag alles!

Peace.

Guten Tag aus Deutschland!

2008-11-24T08:19:00.000-08:00

Hello from Germany! I am finally in Triebendorf at my Mom's flat...

So Far:

Delta Flight 130: When we were over Scotland

I arrived in Munchen (Munich), Germany on Friday morning at about 7:45 AM after about 16 hours of travel. I was tired, but the trip was actually not all that long. Some of my flights between Fairbanks, Alaska and Albuquerque, New Mexico have been longer due to layovers. Once I was in Munich, my mom and I waited for Cathy to arrive. When she did, we left Munich and drove south-east. We drove into Austria and then into Lichtenstein, and on into Switzerland. By the time we made it through the snowy Alps and into the town of Lugano we were all tired, so that is where we stopped for the night.

Lugano, Switzerland

In the morning we took a walk around the town. It was quite beautiful, a cool morning on the local lakeside. After taking pictures outside we went inside of a photography exhibit which was very well organized. From there we got back in the car and drove into Italy. We headed east from Milano through fair Verona and into Venice (Venezia). Of course, you can only drive to a certain point and then you must park and walk into the city.

Venice, Italy (Roof of St. Mark's)

In Venice we saw so much I won't write about everything, but will entertain you with some of the most interesting items. The streets were extremely narrow and filled with people. However, it was generally easy not to run directly into people somehow. It seemed that everyone just knew how to walk in a large crowd the right way. Besides that, we saw thousands of shops and went into as many as possible. Most of the time we spent indulging in the local foods, pastries, and drinks. Venice has the best hot chocolate, the best lasagna, and the best roasted chesnuts! We walked a very long distance from our hotel near Plaza Roma called the Hotel Continental to St. Mark's Square where we saw St. Mark's Basilica and the famous square surrounding it. The church was amazing inside with a museum and endless mosaic art. Finally, one of the most amazing sites was the Grand Canal and the many streets of water with gondolas and water taxis. I would recommend Venice to most anyone, but make sure you have an entire day or more to spend there.

Munich, Germany (Stadtzentrum - City Center)

Once we left Venice on Sunday afternoon we drove north into Austria. It was our goal to be back in Triebendorf by that night and it was about a six-hour drive. As a result we decided to switch drivers every couple of hours. When we were in the middle of Austria at a rest stop it was my turn to drive, so we got gas and headed north towards Salzburg. My drive was smooth at first on the Austrian Autobahn, we stayed at about 110 - 120 kmh. Being in the Alps though we hit a few pockets of flurries. We made it into Germany and I saw the restrictions lifted sign on the Autobahn, so I stepped up the speed to match the traffic at about 130 kmh. This didn't last too long... it started snowing. After awhile traffic was barely managing 60 kmh. I kept driving toward Munich and the snow remained moderately heavy. It was nothing I haven't experienced before especially having lived in Alaska. I was comfortable driving despite the conditions, but I lend that comfort to knowing people out there were praying for our safety more so than my experience driving in snow. Anyway, we finally made it to Munich where the snow was still falling so we decided to stay the night for safety's sake. We found a hotel and had a very comfortable night. In the morning we drove to the nearby city center and walked around awhile before heading north to Wiesau and into Triebendorf. It is very beautiful here at the flat and the people seem to be very nice here in town. We ate a great dinner at a local "Raststation" and learned how to get from my mom's factory in Mitterteich to her flat in Wiesau-Triebendorf. Well that's about all for now, more later!

Good Day, Bis Nacher!

"You Haven't Eaten Until You've Had NSHIMA!"

2008-11-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

Well, quite a long time ago I remember typing that once I learned some things about Zambia I would post that information here 'soon'. Well, here is that post, sorry about not holding to my word where time is concerned:

Item 1:

The above picture is of the staple food called Nshima (Sheema). It is essentially a mush that is made by mixing dampened cornmeal with boiling water and stirring the mixture until a sticky consistency results as the water boils off. Once this is achieved, vegetables or meat chunks can be added to the top as a 'relish'. It is really quite good, bland, but not offensive to taste. When I make Nshima I must admit that I frequently break the 'eat with hands' rule and use a spoon instead as you can see from the picture of this morning's helping. In Zambia Nshima is considered an important element to every meal, and I've read that the locals will not admit to having eaten until they've had some Nshima. Hence, "You haven't eaten until you've had Nshima!"

Item 2:

Zambia is a very poor country. The monetary unit is the Zambian Kwacha, and as of late and for much of the past decades the inflation rate of that money has been very high. As it stands one U.S. Dollar is the equivalent of approximately 3,500 Kw (ZMK). Interestingly enough, to open a bank account in Zambia one must have a minimum of 1,000,000 Kw. Therefore everyone in Zambia with a bank account is a millionaire but not necessarily rich (1 million Kw = 285.71 USD). Being so poor, this country has not been developed in the ways other African countries have, and so the infrastructure to support tourism and commercialization of its many national parks has not happened. That is why Zambia is often called the "Real Africa". I am glad to be going to a somewhat pristine place, it must be beautiful. Additionally the Peace Corps Zambia experience is said to be the most similar of nearly all other programs to that of what was experienced by volunteers when the Peace Corps began service in the 1960's. I consider this a privilege to say the very least, I can't wait to see the monetarily poor, but rich in every other aspect Zambia for myself!

(Thanks to blahblahblog.wordpress.com)

Item 3:

Mail is very slow in Zambia. If you mail me a letter it will probably take between two weeks and a month to arrive. I will likely have a P.O. Box at a post office for most of my service, save the training period, and will only be able to check mail as often as I can by riding a mountain bike a potentially lengthy distance to the nearest town where my P.O. Box is located. Packages are okay to send they just might take a little longer to arrive, as a matter a fact letters and packages from people at home will likely be a welcome sight during my service so I encourage it! I will of course do what I can to send you some things in packages and write plenty of letters.

(Thanks to 'Outsideinnovation.blogspot.com)

Item 4: (Last Item for today but there are a zillion other things I want to put here)

I will be living in a mud-brick hut with a grass thatched roof. NO Electricity, NO running water, Pit latrine, out-door cooking, the works! I have heard that getting used to that life-style is easier than it sounds. I plan to keep an open mind and confront every situation as best I can. So, NO I'm not afraid of living in the Zambian bush. I will likely live some miles from the nearest town so I will be doing a lot of bicycle riding on dirt roads whose condition may be questionable. One really cool thing: I've heard most anything will grow in Zambia because of its favorable climate. I plan to plant a garden and see what comes of it. Additionally, I may just be able to make the area around my hut look nice by installing some aesthetically pleasing plants nearby!

Anyway, there's a volume and a half more that I could write but I'll hold off for now. I'll post some more stuff later (no time guarantees this time!). Have a great day!

Peace and God Bless!

Degree!!!

2008-10-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

Hey there! Well, today was another exciting day! I've been waiting on my final grade to come in for my degree to be officially awarded. After a good long wait, my grade was submitted this morning! I immediately called the graduation office at UAF to inform them. The graduation coordinator, Emily Thielke answered the phone and I told her that the grade had been posted. Her response: "SWEET!" literally, that's what she said! I was already jumping for joy and then she said, "Okay, what's your student I.D." I gave it to her and then I heard her typing on a computer in the background... "Alright, I am awarding you your degree, I'll have it printed and mailed to you soon!" After I got off the phone with her, I signed on to my UAonline account which has a lot of information including an electronic version of my transcript, on the top of my transcript were the words: Degree Awarded - Bachelor of Science ... Degree Date: 8/20/2008. The reason that the degree date is 8/20 and not 10/8 is because I applied for summer graduation and that is the date printed on all summer graduation diplomas and transcripts. Technically, I completed the work for my degree on 9/16/08. Either way, I completed my Bachelor's degree before my 20th birthday! Wahoo!

In case you're wondering, I ended up with 150 credits. I completed this in three years which means an average of 50 credits per year, 25 credits per semester, or 17 credits per semester if summer is considered as an additional semester. I CLEPed out of 18 credits, credit by examed an introductory geology course, and completed around 20 credits per semester beginning with the Fall of 2006 - Spring of 2008.

Anyway, I'll write more about Peace Corps, Zambia, and everything else soon. God Bless you all out there. I give thanks to God for his grace, mercy, and bountiful blessings, and among those blessings are all of you! Peace be with you... until next time.

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS

Zambia!

2008-09-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

I received my invitation from the Peace Corps in the mail today! I have been invited to serve in Zambia as a Forestry Extension Agent!!! I am presently overwhelmed with the paper work and information that just plopped down into my lap, but as I learn more about my country of service and everything else I will be sure to post the details here.

More later!!!

INVITATION!!!

2008-09-25T06:07:00.000-07:00

Hi there, well after months of waiting the day has finally come! I was invited to serve in the Peace Corps yesterday! On Monday a placement officer called but I wasn't home. She said to call her back and leave a message. By the time I knew this however, it was late in the afternoon so she wasn't in her office when I called. I called again Tuesday morning and she was still not there, so I left a message. My friend Daniel stayed over that night so I had to drive him back to Albuquerque and then teach my German session. It turns out that the placement officer called back about ten minutes after we left my house! This was getting frustrating. So when I returned home from teaching German at about 12:30 PM (MST) I called again and still got her answering machine. I left a message telling her the times I would be available over the next two days. About two hours later she called back! I finally talked to her. Our conversation was more like a second interview, she asked a lot of questions. She said I was being considered for an Agroforestry assignment in Sub-Saharan Africa in February 2009. After I hung up with her I was glad something had happened but wasn't prepared for what came next. I woke up Wednesday morning and turned on my computer... got online... expecting nothing... signed on to my e-mail... Inbox 1... probably nothing important...PEACE CORPS!!...the message reads: There has been an application status update to your Peace Corps Mytoolkit account, please login to view the changes. By this time my hands are shaking with excitement with prospect of finally being invited to serve. So, I go to the Peace Corps website, login, and well, on top of the page it no longer says 'nominee' it says, 'CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED TO SERVE AS A VOLUNTEER IN THE PEACE CORPS!!!'

Okay cool down...

Anyway, now all I have to do is wait for my Invitation Packet to come in the mail. When it comes I will know what country I will be serving in, the day I leave, and what exactly I will be doing! So keep your hats on the next few days and maybe this weekend or early next week there will be many more details to read.

Just so you know as much as I do, with a little research I found out that the African countries of service leaving in or near February are: South Africa - Jan 28, Madagascar, Zambia, and Rwanda. Only South Africa, Zambia, and Madagascar have Agroforestry programs, so I think it will be one of these countries. I won't know if this list is true or if I will be going to any of those listed until I receive the invitation packet...

On a side note, my GEOG 302 grade finally came in, an 'A' , as expected. Now all I'm waiting for is my Calculus grade to come in. Provided that grade is okay, I will also have my degree in the mail in the next few weeks! This next month or two should be exciting. Thanks for all of your love, support, and prayers.

God bless you all, and peace be with you!

What's New?

2008-09-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

As in the previous post, which happened about a month ago, I wish I had more to report. Things have been rather slow and un-nerving the past month whether or not I have offered any indication of that. What little HAS happened: I finally finished my Statistics and Geography 302 correspondence courses and have received a grade for Stats, a "B", but not yet Geog in which I expect an "A". Calculus on the other-hand has been the enemy of progress. I have completed all but the last five questions on the last assignment and need to take another two exams of four total. The first two exams were not all too difficult, however it looks to me that exam three and the final exam will be more challenging. I am growing impatient and want to finish quickly, but I can not afford to do poorly on any exam. I want a good grade... and that's the bottom line. Anyway, I will be taking the third exam on Monday 9/15 and if I can help it, the final on the following day 9/16.

Otherwise, I went to Ruidoso to visit my friend Daniel's family back in the middle of August which was fun. But quite truly, I have otherwise been a recluse for the most part. I did, despite that, attend a family reunion on 8/24 for my Mom's side of the family (it was great!). The day before that I visited my Mom and her friend Cathy in Santa Fe for the Indian Market (Also fun!). Socialization otherwise has been restricted to my visits with my good friend Daniel when he and I are both free from obligations of any kind, and to times that people make the trip out of the way to come visit us up here in Placitas.

What else... I registered to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) today. I will be taking that exam on 10/25 at 8:30 am. If you're wondering what the GRE is, if you don't already know, it is a post under-graduate exam that is used to asses your eligibility to advance to the graduate level (i.e. Master's/Doctoral programs). I am not going to grad-school soon (after Peace Corps) but, it is a good idea to take the GRE soon after completing a four-year degree so that you can perform the best you possibly can on it.

Additionally... (if you haven't stopped reading already) I have instructed a small introductory German course for my Mom's company SCHOTT so that trainees going to Germany can have a little background in that language before heading over there for six-weeks. It looks like I will be instructing two more such courses... I can't wait! Teaching German has been fulfilling and the people I have had the pleasure to meet have been great in many ways and are most kind.

Last... (if you're still ticking) I also recently submitted an application to tutor for Catholic Charities in the areas of Science and ESL. This should also prove to be an enriching experience. I will know more details soon once I correspond further with their volunteer coordinator. I want to tutor because it is helpful to the people who receive instruction and to me as well. This extra experience can go on my final resume for Peace Corps; and I will have also had the opportunity to gain more experience teaching before being responsible for completing two years of such work.

I hope you survived reading this lengthy post. Rest assured however, that if you visit this page in the near future you may find out some more wacky information about my goings, comings, doings, and everything else! All of you out there be safe, God Bless you, and may you live happily in peace!

-Until Next Time! Tschuss!

-------?

2008-08-10T06:58:00.000-07:00

----? What does that mean? I don't know either... What I do know however is that it looks like I may still qualify for Summer graduation. The graduation coordinator at UAF e-mailed me back after I told her the situation and said, "...as long as you don't finish too, too late..." How long is that?! Anyway, now it has once again become my goal to complete all course-work in a short/abbreviated time. That is not a bad thing, I am grateful for this, but I feel a little on edge because rushing these last exams could have a huge negative effect on everything, and I do not know exactly how long it is that I have before this unknown date, not too too, long in the future will come that grades need to be submitted.

Either way, I will be trying my best and trust that whatever the outcome, God is the overseer of everything and that if I trust in Him the best outcome will result. Please pray for me. I will keep you updated.

Have an excellent day. Peace be with you!

Hard Decision

2008-08-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

Hey there. Well, though it was hard, after some concentrated thinking yesterday afternoon I made a rather difficult decision. I think it is for the best however. I will be graduating in December...

Beginning last month with people visiting, then my Dad's appendix, and various other things I simply did not make as much progress on my correspondence courses as I really needed to. It isn't really anyone's fault but my own, but I think God had a few extra plans for me these next few months before I spend two years away from home.

First, I need to note the only work I have left is a final exam for my GEOG-302 course which I will be taking later this week or early next week (Whenever my proctor recieves it in the mail). Next, I have one and a half Calculus assignments and four Calculus exams left. THAT'S ALL! However, I have spent about four months away from any Calculus and I don't want to rush these exams and have a bad grade as a result. I will study hard for each one and complete the course as best I can.

Now, in the mean time, I will gain a little more experience in Science teaching before being responsible for having my own true students in Africa. I was looking online a few weeks ago and saw an add by Catholic Charities that said they need help with a lot of things one of them being science tutoring! I will see if I can volunteer there and get some more experience behind me. Next, I may want to go to graduate school when I return from Peace Corps. So, in order to do that I will need to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) to apply for grad-school later. It is best to take this exam soon after you have graduated or are to graduate with a bachelor's degree. Therefore I will likely study to take that exam as the next offered exam date is October 25th, 2008.

I can imagine that Peace Corps, with my extra experience, and degree, will have an assignment for me rather soon after they receive transcript of my degree. I think therefore, that I will be leaving more likely in very early 2009. Not much of a set back from very late 2008, Eh? Plus I will be able to keep my sanity alive while making things better for later. Also, best of all, I will be able to spend a little more time with everyone here in New Mexico before I leave for two years.

Thank and praise God, because He really knows what is best. I can trust that whatever His will is, that only the best outcome will result.

Please pray for me, this is a strange transition time for me, as the next few months will be very important to what will happen in my life for the next many years.

Thank you all for your support and love! God Bless you all!

More later...

This Week SO FAR...

2008-08-01T10:13:00.000-07:00

Well, as you all know Thursday was the final exam date for my Physics class at UNM. Now that I am done with UNM, all that is remaining is to finish the last bit of my correspondence courses. I can't wait!

Things have been going fine otherwise, but on Tuesday night my Dad was feeling rather ill. It turns out that his appendix was the problem. He needed to have it removed on Wednesday. He came home yesterday on Thursday. I am glad he is okay! This has been a painful couple of days for him. He is still not feeling the best, but is improving. Please pray for him.

Yesterday I submitted my "Professional" resume to my placement officer at Peace Corps but I received an automatic return e-mail noting that she would be out of the office until Tuesday August 5th. In order for Peace Corps to pass that resume along to those that need to see it, I called the Africa placement team this morning and got a hold of the original placement officer that I corresponded with. She said that she would be interested in having the new resume. So I sent it to her. I just recieved an e-mail from her saying that it has been added to my file. We'll see what is to come next.

Well, that about sums up the last few days. Hopefully I will have more to say soon.

Until then, have a blessed and safe day!

Small Update

2008-07-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a week since my last post. Not much has happened in that time, but here is what HAS happened nonetheless. I received another check from Peace Corps, it appears that they considered me eligible for an additional $125 of medical reimbursement, which brings the total reimbursement to $137. I am presently working on a "professional" resume to submit to the Placement office. That has been a bit of a challenge as I have little experience and all education. I want to put together something worth reading for goodness sake! Not just: "Here is my educational background, and well, I have NO relevant experience." Even if I do submit such a resume it will not impede my progress toward becoming a volunteer, but I want to submit a good truthful resume that is at least somewhat interesting.

On another note, today I am one step closer to my degree. I completed the final exam for my Statistics course about an hour ago. Once that grade is submitted to the registrar's office at UAF I will have 139 credits on my transcript. Also, I will be attending my LAST formal undergraduate level college lecture tonight from 5:30pm to 6:45pm!!! That is provided I do not ruin anything while finishing up my other two correspondence courses. When my Physics final is complete on Thursday night and that grade is submitted via transfer from UNM to UAF I will be at 143 credits. The remaining credit is Geography of Alaska (GEOG 302): 3 credits and Calculus (MATH 200): 4 credits. So... 143 + 3 +4 = 150!!! That is, I should have 150 credits when I finish everything in about another week or two!

Well, that's about it for now. I hope all of you have a great day and may God's peace and blessings be with you!

Good Day!

2008-07-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a long time since my last post. There is not much to report at this time. I am simply busy with finishing up all of my course work and trying to graduate! I am very tired. Anyway, Peace Corps asked me to submit a new resume to them as well as an essay. I will be doing that soon, also I received a check in the mail from Peace Corps that reimbursed me for my medical packet expenses. Although I spent a few hundred dollars for everything, I only received $12 from them in return. They said that I was ineligible for the rest of the $147 that I applied for. They did not offer an explanation, but really, this is a volunteer agency and I would feel bad taking money away from an already poor organization. I am grateful for what I did receive. Well that about sums everything up for today. I hope you have a great day!

+ There is a new video that I put online. In my video bar it is the one with yellow flowers as the cover if you want to see it.

Peace Corps Logo

2008-07-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have visited my page before today, you know that I had a Peace Corps logo on it. However I was reading through an online Peace Corps manual and the use of that logo is not authorized by Peace Corps for use on the websites of trainees and or volunteers. Unfortunately, as a result I will have to remove it. Otherwise someone else will tell me to do so. You don't want to break the rules!

On another note, I will include in its place a banner created by Peace Corps that states the organization's slogan: "Life is calling, how far will you go?".

As far as I know doing that is not against the rules. I'm just glad I was the one who figured this out before I had to be told.

Anyway, have a great day!

The Letter in the Mail

2008-07-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

As stated in a previous post, when the letter Peace Corps mentioned it had sent reached me, I would inform you of its contents. The letter contains a note from the Peace Corps Office of Medical Services and the most important part of it states the following:

" Dear Mr. Rodriguez,

You have been medically qualified for Peace Corps service. Your application will now be considered by the Office of Placement, which matches the experience and skills of medically qualified applicants with the requirements of available assignments. They will notify you directly of their decision..."

Yesterday I also recieved an e-mail from Placement as mentioned in an earlier note. That e-mail began as follows:

"Greetings from the Placement Office at Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, DC!

The Office of Medical Services has informed us that you have received your medical clearance. Over the next few weeks, your file will be reviewed by the Placement Staff for further evaluation. This includes evaluation of technical skills, suitability and legal information. Upon completion of the assessment, you may be considered for an invitation. Please keep in mind that this stage in the process can be competitive as there are typically two applicants nominated for each spot available. Given this, an invitation is never guaranteed and applicants should make no plans to go overseas until an invitation has been issued and you have spoken to headquarters staff to accept your invitation. "

This has all been very exciting. Now all I need to do is maintain strict focus on the courses I've yet to complete so that this Peace Corps process can continue to the point where I accept an invitation and can tell you all when and where it is that I will be serving.

Peace be with you all!

Medical Clearance II

2008-07-11T06:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, after my first post, I recieved an e-mail from Peace Corps placement stating that I have been granted medical clearance! This is one step closer to receiving an invitation to serve. Now the game will be to correspond with Peace Corps concerning my skills and educational background so that I can be placed. I believe my actual placemet might have to wait until sometime in August because that should be when UAF will update my transcript after my graduation at the end of the summer session. From there I should recieve a placement, I hope :) . I will keep you updated! Have an excellent day!

Peace Corps Medical Clearance

2008-07-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I recieved a note from Peace Corps in my MSN e-mail account stating that there had been an update to my "mytoolkit" account. With the greatest of excitment I quickly navigated to the Peace Corps sign in page and logged in to my account. There were two new check marks on the list of items required for Peace Corps Nominees to complete. One check was for Dental clearance and the other Medical clearance. Beside the medical check there was a note that read: A decision has been reached regarding your medical review. Please look for a letter in the mail. I don't know what that letter will contain exactly, but I will be sure to post the details concerning that as soon as I recieve it.

Well, until next time... have a great day!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

2008-07-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July, hope everyone out there has a happy and safe day while they celebrate the birthday of the United States! Keep this country in your prayers, that as it enters a new year, it will do what is right on the international stage as well as at home!

Have a great day!!!

Peace Corps

2008-07-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

I applied to Peace Corps last summer in 2007, and was Nominated in September 2007. At that time I was entering the Fall semester of my final year at UAF. I was extemely busy during the Fall semester with 20 credits, so I was unable to take time to complete the Health forms. During Spring semester I could wait no longer, so despite being enrolled in 31 credits (21 on-campus and 10 correspondence) I made apointments to complete first the physical exam, followed by the eye exam, and last the Dental exam. All went well, however I needed to have all four of my wisdom teeth pulled which I was going to attempt completing during the semester. NO WAY! I couldn't risk failing a class. Too much was at stake, so I had to postpone that procedure until returning to New Mexico. Finally, I had the "surgery" on June 20th, and went straight from the dentist's to the post office with my completed Medical Packet. I dropped the envelope in the slot while clenching on gauze at the back of my mouth, I was ULTRA EXCITED!!! Almost two weeks later, on July 2nd with healed gums, I recieved an e-mail from Peace Corps showing a status change on my account. They recieved the papers! Now all I have to do is wait to see if I am medically cleared! What an adventure this has been. I can't wait until I hear more!