2010.06.22: Peace Corps Volunteer "the next step " writes: Basically the only additional thing I can add to what you've read or heard is that I'm safe. Most of the violence was restricted to the south, and the north remains peaceful.
Peace Corps Online:
Directory:
Kyrgyzstan:
Peace Corps Kyrgyzstan :
Peace Corps Kyrgyzstan: Newest Stories:
2010.06.15: Peace Corps Volunteer Raul Moreno sent a dispatch from Kyrgyzstan to several of his friends and former colleagues, recounting what he witnessed there, and how he made it to Bishkek, the country's capital :
2010.06.22: Peace Corps Volunteer "the next step " writes: Basically the only additional thing I can add to what you've read or heard is that I'm safe. Most of the violence was restricted to the south, and the north remains peaceful.
Peace Corps Volunteer "the next step " writes: Basically the only additional thing I can add to what you've read or heard is that I'm safe. Most of the violence was restricted to the south, and the north remains peaceful.
I've decided not to take the PC's offer of Interruption of Service. They offered it to all the volunteers here. Basically it is a chance to go home early due to "circumstances beyond your control." You get to leave without having to Early Terminate, and still get the benefits of being a RPCV. (Returned PC Volunteer) If things change, and get more violent, or unsafe, then of course, I'll come home. So, don't worry. But right now, I feel safe and with the exception of saying goodbye to people a year earlier than I had planned, I am okay. I'm not being flippant, or not caring about my safety, I just feel like this is still where I am meant to be. I made it this far, and as Daddy reminded me a few months ago, God doesn't give you more than you can handle.
Peace Corps Volunteer "the next step " writes: Basically the only additional thing I can add to what you've read or heard is that I'm safe. Most of the violence was restricted to the south, and the north remains peaceful.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
My Peace Corps Experience: Chapter Two
You might have been remarking that things have been quiet on the blogging front for a while now, and you'd be right. I just haven't really been up to it recently. Unless you've been hiding in a cave, or haven't seen any news program in the past few weeks, you'll know that the situation in Kyrgyzstan has been pretty tense. I'm not really allowed to talk about it and I don't really know any more than you would if you read the news. Basically the only additional thing I can add to what you've read or heard is that I'm safe. Most of the violence was restricted to the south, and the north remains peaceful. The past few weeks have been really, really tough for all the volunteers- almost as bad, if not worse than the two months of my personal "dark ages." I'm handling everything better this go around, but it is more difficult because, due to the recent violence, most of the volunteers in the south are leaving the country and a few volunteers from other oblasts, too.
Among the volunteers that are leaving are almost ALL of my best friends over here. Plus, K16s, who were supposed to leave in August, are leaving now, too. I've been blessed for so long with so many wonderful friends, and all of you back home are so important to me, but serving in the Peace Corps with my friends over here has been such a wonderful experience and has allowed us to become as close within a year as I am with some of you back home who I've known for years. There are just things that they will understand that I couldn't ask you all to. So, saying goodbye to them has forced me to star in an encore performance of my role as human watering hose. Haha. I also realized, that I've never been left before. I've moved so often, and took off for this great PC Adventure, and left my friends and family behind. I have never known what it feels like to be the one that gets left behind. And truthfully, it sucks. After many discussions and intense internal battles,
I've decided not to take the PC's offer of Interruption of Service. They offered it to all the volunteers here. Basically it is a chance to go home early due to "circumstances beyond your control." You get to leave without having to Early Terminate, and still get the benefits of being a RPCV. (Returned PC Volunteer) If things change, and get more violent, or unsafe, then of course, I'll come home. So, don't worry. But right now, I feel safe and with the exception of saying goodbye to people a year earlier than I had planned, I am okay. I'm not being flippant, or not caring about my safety, I just feel like this is still where I am meant to be. I made it this far, and as Daddy reminded me a few months ago, God doesn't give you more than you can handle.
At the time, I thought God was overestimating my abilities, but… I don't know, maybe it is not rational, and at times I feel that it is against my better judgment, but I am staying. I can't explain why really, but trust me, I'll be okay. So, right now I'm packing to come home FOR A VISIT. I think a month at home will give me an opportunity to clear my head and to prepare for my last year in country. Coming over here for the first time was hard because I: 1) didn't know anyone 2)didn't know the language 3)didn't know the culture 4)didn't know my job 5)had never been away from home for so long. After almost month of vacation I can come back with a lot less trepidation than the first time. I am just going to have to make a concentrated effort on making friends with the new group of volunteers and strengthening friendship with people in my group that I don't know as well. The next year, without my in-country support network that got me through the first year, will be hard but I have faith that I can deal with it. It'll be my Chapter Two. For now, I'm hoping and praying that Kyrgyzstan will be peaceful and stable and can recover from the tumultuous past few months. I know it will take a lot of work and time, but I think it is doable. Here's to hoping. Miss you Love from Kyrgyzstan (for the next 8 days) Jess
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: June, 2010; Peace Corps Kyrgyzstan; Directory of Kyrgyzstan RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Kyrgyzstan RPCVs; Safety and Security of Volunteers; Evacuation
When this story was posted in July 2010, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| Memo to Incoming Director Williams PCOL has asked five prominent RPCVs and Staff to write a memo on the most important issues facing the Peace Corps today. Issues raised include the independence of the Peace Corps, political appointments at the agency, revitalizing the five-year rule, lowering the ET rate, empowering volunteers, removing financial barriers to service, increasing the agency's budget, reducing costs, and making the Peace Corps bureaucracy more efficient and responsive. Latest: Greetings from Director Williams |
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: Personal Web Site
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Kyrgyzstan; Safety; Evacuation
PCOL45704
80