Danyel and David Anderson will instead serve the organization in Honduras in January. The Peace Corps reassigned them after suspending its efforts in Nepal two weeks ago.
Springfield Peace Corps workers reassigned
Organization withdrew from Nepal, will not return without State Department approval.
By Ryan Slight
News-Leader Staff
A Springfield couple will not go to Nepal next month as Peace Corps volunteers after an American facility in that country was bombed.
Danyel and David Anderson will instead serve the organization in Honduras in January. The Peace Corps reassigned them after suspending its efforts in Nepal two weeks ago.
"It took a while for it to sink in," Danyel Anderson said of the October trip's cancellation. "Our first thought was: 'We quit our jobs. We have to get our jobs back.'"
Danyel said she will remain a medical technologist at Smith-Glynn-Callaway Urgent Care Laboratory. David will continue to teach for the Willard school district.
The U.S. Embassy in Katmandu asked the U.S. Department of State to have the Peace Corps temporarily withdraw from Nepal following a Sept. 10 explosion at the American Center at Gyaneshwore.
No one was harmed by two bombs, which damaged part of the center's compound wall. Authorities are uncertain who conducted the bombing, but Nepal police suspect Maoist rebels who desire to overthrow the country's U.S.-supported monarchy.
Rebels previously shot and killed two Nepali security guards at the U.S. Embassy in Katmandu. They also bombed a missionary school for underprivileged children this month.
"The attack at the American Center not only endangered lives but clearly violated all international norms and laws," the U.S. Embassy said in a prepared statement.
The State Department issued a travel warning on Sept. 14 telling Americans to avoid the Asian country. It described the Maoists as a terrorist group.
Jamie Diatta, a Chicago-based Peace Corps recruiter for the Springfield region, said the organization will not return to Nepal until advised by the State Department.
"Obviously we will not put our volunteers in danger," she said. "We will not put them back in until things calm down."
Peace Corps will temporarily leave a country if safety cannot be assured. Volunteers evacuated Haiti during the February rebellion against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Diatta noted.
More than 20 southwest Missouri residents currently serve the Peace Corps. The organization sends Americans around the world to help other countries with issues such as AIDS education, information technology and environmental preservation.
Until January, the Andersons will learn about Honduras. The couple enrolled in a Spanish language course at Ozarks Technical Community College.
"We put all our Nepal books in a box and went back to Barnes and Noble," Danyel Anderson said with a laugh.
Since Honduras' climate is similar to the region the couple was heading to in Nepal, they won't purchase new clothes for the Central American trip, she said.
Danyel will still work with health-care professionals. But instead of working with troubled youth as he would in Nepal, David will help residents with water conservation.
"Honduras appears to be very safe," Danyel Anderson said. "But I'm a little leery, because Nepal appeared to be safe."
News-Leader wire services contributed to this report.
