INVITATION!!!

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?

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!

-------?

----? 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

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...

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!