• HI FRIEND Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 6:40 pm [1]

1988: Lilia Jimenez Siuhengalu served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tonga in Nuku'alofa beginning in 1988



Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Lilia Jimenez Siuhengalu can be contacted at melaniashopayordnet

Country of Service: Tonga

Training Group: Tonga 42

Cities you served in: Nuku'alofa

Arrival Year: 1988

Departure Year: 1992

Work Description:

Marine Biologist Environmental Planning Ministry of Lands, Survey and Natural Resources & Biology Professor 'Atenisi University Institute

Other Countries you served in, Training Group Name Arrival Year, Departure Year, Work Description:

none

Bring us up to date on your life after the peace corps:

I married a Tongan Siosifa Siuhengalu, we lived 4 years in SLC, UT USA then moved to Costa Rica 10 years ago (which is my parents country of birth -though I was born in raised in NY) where we are raising 3 multicultural children; I work as an Official Translator with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and every day we try to continue with our goal of living in a world of peace and sharing unity in diversity

Any thoughts you have now looking back on peace corps days?:

So many important things happened to me in Tonga: I worked in my marine science field and loved it; I was truly happy & I felt appreciated, I met my husband and learned about the Bahá'í faith - which I am an active member of; I gained a lot of self confidence in myself and strength while getting experience being in the Peace Corps; it woke up an intense need for me to live in Costa Rica because I needed the culture that as a first generation american I was having a difficult time identifying with - I felt so at home in Tonga very accepted and loved and there is no way to every repay that except living in the service of others

Anyone you are looking for or would like to hear from?:

it's always nice to hear from anyone from our group 42, 43, 44; I do have contact with Carrie Loranger from my group, we've been in contact these 18 years

Any message for returned volunteers?:

we should have a reunion somewhere in the states or with a Tongan Community that's in the states (any groups to get together) other married volunteers who have multicultural, multilingual homes, nice to compare notes

Originally posted: October 24, 2006

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