It's a long way from "hi" to "pershendetje" - both phonetically and geographically but Eastern Illinois University graduate Andy Morisseau is taking that journey by traveling to Albania to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer
ILLINOIS STYLE: Belleville man doing Peace Corps stint in Albania
RAMONA CURTIS
Associated Press
BELLEVILLE, Ill. - It's a long way from "hi" to "pershendetje" - both phonetically and geographically.
Belleville native Andy Morisseau is taking that journey by traveling to Albania to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer.
"I guess I got out of school and I didn't really want to grow up, but I did want to help people and build character and do something positive," Morisseau said before his departure last month.
Morisseau, 23, graduated from Eastern Illinois University last year with a bachelor's degree in history. He is a 1999 graduate of Belleville West High School.
Albania is a small country about the size of New Jersey located in Eastern Europe, bordering Greece. It has a population of about 3.5 million people. The country emerged from under communist rule in 1992 and is currently trying to rebuild its mostly industrialized economy.
Morisseau will live with a host family in the city of Elbasan for the first three months, learning the Albanian language and culture. He will receive a $225 monthly stipend to pay student loans and whatever debt he owes and $150 a month for living expenses. After training, he will receive a permanent assignment as a community health educator.
"From what I've heard from other volunteers, I'm going to be teaching English and serve as a health teacher at a school," Morisseau said.
Morisseau said he will use the skills he gained while working with developmentally disabled adults in Belleville for a year.
While his job duties may be familiar, Morisseau's lifestyle will be dramatically altered. Albania has the worst roads in Europe and Peace Corps volunteers are not allowed to drive, according to information Morisseau received from the Peace Corps. Private cars have only been allowed since 1991 and the country does not have the same traffic rules as the United States.
Morisseau also does not expect to be watching cable television, playing video games or chatting on the Internet on a regular basis. Albania's electricity is available only part of the day and there are often spontaneous blackouts. He also will have to get used to a diet of mostly vegetables and grains, and lamb and goat. Since there are no cattle in Albania, hamburgers won't be on the menu.
But Morisseau said he expects his biggest challenge will be to master the language and the loneliness.
"I'm worried about the obvious stuff like if I get sick from the water," he said. "And that I don't know the language and I don't know anybody there."
But Morisseau said that he looks forward to what he considers an adventure. The songwriter and short story writer said that one of the reasons he volunteered was because of the excitement of travel.
"I had a college professor who went to Moldavia a lot and I remember he always talked about it and it seemed kind of interesting," said Morisseau. "I had another college professor who went to Israel and that sparked my interest."
Morisseau himself traveled to Honduras earlier this year with a missionary group from General Baptist International. He is a member of Skyline Community Church in O'Fallon.
For this trip, Morisseau will be going alone.
"I'm terrified but it's OK," he said, half joking. "It will be an adventure and it will strengthen me."
