At 2:00 p.m. eastern time today, I turned in all of my paperwork, basically signed my life away and went from a being a peace corps invitee to a peace corps trainee. Staging began and I met the 22 other people on my team and participated in the usual type of icebreakers. I know Im biased, but I think this team of people is a really talented, exciting and diverse group. There are 17 women and 6 men. The bulk are in their twenties. There are 4 or 5 of us over 40, and one woman in her 60's. (this amazing woman actually served 3 years in the Peace Corps in the Phillipines about 10 years ago) Many have just graduated college, several have received their masters. They come from all over the country, including one woman from St Croix, in the Virgin Islands. There are several people who have spent time in different places in Africa working/volunteering. There is one woman who was in the Peace Corps in Kenya who was evacutated and is brave enough to give it another shot. There's even a die hard Yankee's fan. (Go Cubs!!!) All in all, a really great group of people who I looked forward to getting to know better in the months to come.
Todays staging consisted of discussing safety and security as we serve, and the Peace Corp's approach to developement. This statement is how they view it:
"Go to the people.
Live with them. Learn with them. Love them.
Start with what they know.
Build with what they have.
But with the best of leaders, when the work is done, the task completed, the people will say,
'we have done it ourselves.'" Lao Tsu, 700 B.C.
The Peace Corps provides the trained people, to train the people for something that is sustainable by the people. How exciting!!! How scary. Am I up to it?
Tomorrow the staging will include managing risks, crossing cultures and policies. On wednesday, we leave Philadelphia at 9:30 a.m., take a bus to New York, take a 17hr, 40min plane to Johannesburg South Africa, stay overnight, take a 1hr plane to Mesuru, Lesotho and then the intenisive full immersion training begins. I can't wait.
Tomorrow, I'll try to post a picture of the team, so that you can see Im in good hands.
I miss you guys
About Me
- merrill
- Lesotho
phone number
In addition to email, you can now reach me at the following number: country code 00266. Phone number 59798168. If you email me your cell phone, I'll be happy to sms you! (talking for me to the states is pricey, but texting is reasonable)
Wish list, updated 1/31/10
Several people asked me to update this. Thanks for asking!! Just know that I know that shipping is expensive and I don’t need anything, this stuff is just “wants” I’m always thrilled when I hear from people on email, get letters, receive phone calls.... Sometimes hearing a voice from home can put everything in perspective in such a great way. With that, here it is:
WISH LIST:
Communication:
-phone calls... calling cards available on callingcards.com...10$ for 60 minutes.
-email... how are you doing? how's the family?
-letters... .94 for airmail stamp
-external hard drive
-double A batteries
-external speakers for my ipod. I had one set, but they died in about 2 weeks. They were great while they lasted!!
-Powdered milk (I can buy regular milk here, but it wont keep past a couple of days)
-crystal light. (or any brand) The individual sugar free packs... love raspberrty, fruit punch, any non tea flavors
-packages of just add water soup mixes.
-Pictures. I love to get pictures of people, kids, places… anything. They all go up on my wall and besides just enjoying looking at them, they are great conversation starters with the Basotho.
-tuna, chicken packets
- DVDs. All Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, TV series like Heroes, House, Star Trek, Will and Grace...anything that’s not terror. I will soon have access to electricity at the school during the week which would mean laptop charged and more movies.
-cinnamon
-garlic powder
-Im good with Zip locks for now
- CD’s… music (not country or acid rock) sermons would be awesome... I dont even care whose they are:)Please dont put them in mp3 format... I cant play em, and don't have enough battery power on my computer to figure em out.
- protein bars. Preferably high protein, lower carbs… nothing keeps here, so most of my protein comes from beans and sometimes eggs if the village shop has em. Sometimes, I crave protein.
Beef Jerkey, pepperoni sticks... did I mention protein?
-sugar free hot chocolate/chai tea
-Lorraine Rothenberg is storing my guitar and all my music… maybe get the music from her and throw in a few songs here and there as I may pick up a used guitar in S. Africa in the next 3 or 4 months.
- books. Magazines. I really love Time. Anything.
- sugar free hard candy.
-mix packages for salad dressing.. preferably ones made with vinegar as mayo doesn’t keep long (unless its during the cold months… feb-august)
-choc chips
- glue. My bible is falling apart…its small and a soft cover, so glue for the spine.
-extra set of guitar strings
-But it really is the thought that counts... anything is always welcome
-chai tea
-Barack Obama tshirt :)
- solar powered refrigerator and freezer. (just kidding)
WISH LIST:
Communication:
-phone calls... calling cards available on callingcards.com...10$ for 60 minutes.
-email... how are you doing? how's the family?
-letters... .94 for airmail stamp
-external hard drive
-double A batteries
-external speakers for my ipod. I had one set, but they died in about 2 weeks. They were great while they lasted!!
-Powdered milk (I can buy regular milk here, but it wont keep past a couple of days)
-crystal light. (or any brand) The individual sugar free packs... love raspberrty, fruit punch, any non tea flavors
-packages of just add water soup mixes.
-Pictures. I love to get pictures of people, kids, places… anything. They all go up on my wall and besides just enjoying looking at them, they are great conversation starters with the Basotho.
-tuna, chicken packets
- DVDs. All Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, TV series like Heroes, House, Star Trek, Will and Grace...anything that’s not terror. I will soon have access to electricity at the school during the week which would mean laptop charged and more movies.
-cinnamon
-garlic powder
-Im good with Zip locks for now
- CD’s… music (not country or acid rock) sermons would be awesome... I dont even care whose they are:)Please dont put them in mp3 format... I cant play em, and don't have enough battery power on my computer to figure em out.
- protein bars. Preferably high protein, lower carbs… nothing keeps here, so most of my protein comes from beans and sometimes eggs if the village shop has em. Sometimes, I crave protein.
Beef Jerkey, pepperoni sticks... did I mention protein?
-sugar free hot chocolate/chai tea
-Lorraine Rothenberg is storing my guitar and all my music… maybe get the music from her and throw in a few songs here and there as I may pick up a used guitar in S. Africa in the next 3 or 4 months.
- books. Magazines. I really love Time. Anything.
- sugar free hard candy.
-mix packages for salad dressing.. preferably ones made with vinegar as mayo doesn’t keep long (unless its during the cold months… feb-august)
-choc chips
- glue. My bible is falling apart…its small and a soft cover, so glue for the spine.
-extra set of guitar strings
-But it really is the thought that counts... anything is always welcome
-chai tea
-Barack Obama tshirt :)
- solar powered refrigerator and freezer. (just kidding)
oscar, lesotho
Megan, Lesotho
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous.? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel secure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; its in eveyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, presence automatically liberated others."
Nelson Mandella, 1994 Inaugural speech.
Nelson Mandella, 1994 Inaugural speech.
The flag of Lesotho
"Khotso, Pula, Nala" (Sesotho)"Peace, Rain, Prosperity"
Lesotho, Africa
Lesotho is a country about the size of Maryland and is surrounded by the country of South Africa. And no Kent, I didn't make up the name of this country.
How to stay in touch.
There are 3 ways to stay in touch with me. The first is through this blog. The second is by email at cubbiesrock2010@gmail.com. The third is by old fashion post. My address is:
Merrill Nosler, PCV
c/o Peace Corps/Lesotho
PO Box 554
Maseru, 100 LESOTHO.
Use the above address for packages. Use the following address for any letters:
Merrill Nosler %
Lesotho Durham Link
P.O. Box 895
TY 200 Lesotho
Of course if you send letters to the Maseru address they will eventually reach me. Thanks
Merrill Nosler, PCV
c/o Peace Corps/Lesotho
PO Box 554
Maseru, 100 LESOTHO.
Use the above address for packages. Use the following address for any letters:
Merrill Nosler %
Lesotho Durham Link
P.O. Box 895
TY 200 Lesotho
Of course if you send letters to the Maseru address they will eventually reach me. Thanks
"HIV/AIDS is a devastating pandemic in many villages in Africa, moving silently and rapidly through homesteads and leaving a trail of death and misery. This is partly because it predisposes infected persons to opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis. As a result, HIV/AIDS continues to undermine development efforts of both the present and future Africa. It is a new, silent, powerful, misunderstood and overwhelming threat to peace and security on the continent. Walking around the villages burying the dead beside the graves of their relatives, the reality of losing tens of thousands to AIDS-related illnesses leaves me and fellow Africans with tremendous pain and fear for the future."
Wangari Maathai received the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for her “contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.”
December 12, 2004
Wangari Maathai received the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for her “contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.”
December 12, 2004
"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."
Thomas Merton, "Thoughts In Solitude."
Thomas Merton, "Thoughts In Solitude."
1 comment:
good luck with all the training merrill! And good luck with that 17 hour flight! That sounds like the worst part of the whole expierence!!
Post a Comment