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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------{ August 05, 2006 }
What is the Peace Corps and why did I join?
A few excerpts from the PC website:
"The Peace Corps traces its roots and mission to 1960, when then Senator John F. Kennedy challenged students at the University of Michigan to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries. From that inspiration grew an agency of the federal government devoted to world peace and friendship.
Since that time, more than 182,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have been invited by host countries to work on issues ranging from AIDS education to information technology and environmental preservation."
For more specific information, check out the PC website under my links. Put simply, the idea is to go developing countries and help out at a grassroots level, aiding the citizens but also empowering them to make positive changes within their countries. Another main goal is to forge relationships between citizens of the U.S. and other countries.
A lot of people have asked me why I chose to join the Peace Corps. The primary reason for my service is that this is what God has called me to do. My life serves no other purpose than to do His will- if you don't know what that means or aren't sure what it means for your life, then ask. I would love nothing more than to share Christ with you.
While that may be the number one reason for going, I won't deny it's something I'm personally excited about. For a long time I've held a passion for travel and learning about other parts of the world. Few things are more fascinating to me than learning about cultural differences and how each country has its own unique place in the world. The Peace Corps, however, is not a free vacation or independent cultural study.
I won't be making more than what I need to live, won't have a car, won't be able to save money and will be living in a developing country in the same conditions as its citizens, who have a much lower living standard than we do in the U.S. Love the rosy picture? That is the less glorified part of the experience- the true beauty is that I am blessed with the opportunity to help other people and hopefully make an impact. I can't wait to see what happens. Please pray for me.
Fast facts:
Where? Dominican Republic
What? Community Economic Advisor
When? Miami: September 5-6, then to the DR
How long? 27 months (2 years of service + 3 months pre-service training)
Posted by katie on August 5, 2006 03:16 AM | Permalink
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