The toughest job you'll ever love

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

This is a part of the well-known Serenity Prayer, written by theologian Reinhold Niebhur. It has been adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous and various other 12-step programs.

Seems sorta perfect for Peace Corps Service, as well.

My group will be officially leaving in two months and 5 days. Of the 34 PCVs that swore in in my group, 26 were at COS. Since COS, 2 more have gone home. The rest of us, even though they may leave before July 23rd, will be considered to have reached their COS. One PCV, Juan, will be serving a third year in Costa Rica. One of us, Chase, is appyling to be a PC recruiter. One, Tim, is applying to be a PC Response Volunteer. A last, Jud, will be staying in country as an ex-pat, working for the NGO he volunteered with.

Two volunteers, Collen and Emily, are extending service for 3 months. Karishma will extend for 9 months. My good buddy, Nick, and myself will extend for a year.

GUY21 is celebrating their Mid-Service Training right now. Can't believe it's been a year for them. Some seem as veteran as we are, others are still quite excitable.

GUY22, a group of 33, swore in on March 31. As I've been in Town for vacation and medical things over the past week and a half, four of the GUY22 PCVs have gone home. One left before that. This meeting I had in Lethem a couple weeks ago was in response to some difficulties of GUY22 volunteers in our region.



Is it just me, or do they not make PCV's like they used to?

Ok, this is harsh and judgemental. And, I know that a few of these ET's (early termination) were done for medical reasons, not personal, which holds true for my group as well. But..... I seem to get the feeling that not everyone is handling 'it' as well as I've seen.

In the Peace Corps:

You'll see things that irk you, frustrate you, even outrage you; you'll have to ignore or push past numerous other distrctions, you'll have to use various methods different from what you're used to or have even done before. You'll be stereotyped, judged, scrutinized, ignored or thrust into the spotlight. You'll have to accept different social norms - acknowledge, if anything. You'll see things you'd never dare see in the Sates, and you'll know you could never change them, even if they need (desperately) to be changed. You'll want to move mountans, but only be able to move grains of sand. You may be the only one who knows mountains need to be moved. You'll do very little things 'your way.' You'll have to confront uncomfortble, unpleasant, if not gruesome facts of life, perhaps on a daily basis, that you'd been able to steer clear from back home. You won't have your nutritional, personal or emotional needs met like you're grown accustomed to.

It's part of it. It's understood. It's the toughest job you'll ever love.