Gratitude

There are a lot of great things about being a Peace Corps Volunteer, like getting to experience a totally different culture, making new friends, challenging yourself, and knowing you are making a difference, even if it is just in one child's life. But there are also a lot of hard things about being a PCV. Life in PC can often be full of a lot of doubt. Uncertainty. Insecurity. That knot in your stomach as you wonder...

 "Is anyone going to show up to this meeting I planned?" 

"Will my project ever get off the ground?" 

"Why the hell a I here since no one seems to want my help?" 

"How much longer until my vacation at home?" 

BUT, every so often, usually when you need it the most, something happens that gives you hope about your service and makes you so happy and grateful you want to cry tears of joy. Today was that day. As you know, I've run into some roadblocks recently with my after school program. I've been really worried about it (see the foregoing questions). Today was the first meeting with our new directiva (committee). The new committee consists of myself and four very reliable, motivated, enthusiastic women, two of whom are mothers of kids in the program. We had an incredibly productive discussion about building the children's center, fundraising, programming for next year, etc. We defined everyone's roles to avoid the problems I encountered with the original committee and got ourselves all on the same page for next year. The best part is that the other women were coming up with ideas and planning out the future of the project, without my prodding. It was INCREDIBLE. I can't describe adequately how happy I am or how hopeful I feel about next year after this meeting. As Doña Flor, our new treasurer told me tonight after the meeting, "Nos va a ir muy bien, ya lo sé." (Things are going to go very well for us, I already know it). 

Happily, I am less than a month away from a much-needed visit to the States to recharge my batteries with the people I love most in the world. Even better, I get to do so with a clear conscience and peace of mind about where my program stands for the coming school year, which starts in February. 

In other news, I have two best friends here in my site who follow me around almost all the time. The first, you already know...

My spoiled-rotten puppy, Lucky! 

The second is more of a recent addition to my little family here... 

Leinner, one of my second-grade students, practicing his English (with Lucky! hehe)

Another exciting project is one I've been working on with my co-teacher, Isa (who, by the way, has become a great friend of mine here -- we are making Thanksgiving dinner next week!). We are coordinating an English camp called JumpStart in January for sixth-grade students who are about to start high school. The camp, a project of Costa Rica Multilingüe and Peace Corps, is meant to catch them up to speed on English (most of the kids in my group have not had English for as long as many of their peers or really struggle with English. The majority of kids in other camps around the country have never had English and will be entering school with peers who have had English for six years). According to research done last year when the camps were first piloted, the kids who did JumpStart did better academically across the board and had much more confidence than their peers, even those who had prior knowledge of English. Anyway, the project is a really great opportunity for these kids, and we are very excited about it! Check out this video by CRML about JumpStart, and let me know if you are interested in contributing materials or a financial donation to the camp! 

That's all, folks! Thanks for reading! :) 

Love, Rachel