An Update: Long Overdue

Well, it's official...I am the worst blogger ever. I think about the blog off and on, but never seem to make the time to sit down and write any posts. This is sad because the times when I have the most to write about are exactly the times when it is hardest to make time to share them. Since AUGUST (when I last posted), a LOT has happened, and there is no way to share it all here. I went to Panama with a good Costa Rican friend of mine, and cannot wait to return. It is a beautiful country with very warm, friendly people. I ate the freshest seafood I have ever eaten, and made friends with an indigenous man named Salsa. The main thing that was missing...beans. They don't eat enough beans there. I only went for one full day, to Bocas del Toro, a relatively small group of islands. My next dream vacation - Panama City.

We finished Youth for Peace, the service learning project with several different youth community groups. I have a lot of photos up on facebook. Our final event included presentations by all of the groups and the training of about 20 new community members in the design and management of service learning projects. Thanks very much to everyone who supported my Peace Corps Partnership project to make that final event a huge success!

I also finished my adult English class, which will now become an open-to-all-ages-and-levels "English Club," which is probably the worst idea I've had during my service. It will basically be impossible for me to successfully teach a multi-level English class, when I question my ability to even teach one single level. But, oh well. This experience is all about doing stuff I am not prepared to do. Here's a picture of us celebrating finishing the text book:
















Two world map projects have been completed in one of my elementary schools and in the high school, both of which came out pretty beautifully. I'm currently working on a third in an elementary school that is a few kilometers away.





The chicken farm is completely self-sufficient and sustainable at this point, which is great. There are only about 4 people working there at the moment, but I know more people will get involved once they see the success of the brave pioneers currently running the show. The organization, World Connect, who provided the funds for the project are coming to visit in a couple of weeks, which is exciting because I feel like they will be really happy with what they see over there.

















Tomorrow I'm taking some teens to a leadership camp about an hour and a half away from our community, where they will learn how to facilitate recreational activities with young children. This is all part of my plan to then recruit them to help me with a recreational camp during summer vacation, which runs from Christmas until the beginning of February. I am looking forward to working a little less and enjoying my community a little more during the break, but want to at least do a week-long camp with the kids here.

Well, there's a VERY abbreviated version of some of the stuff going on around here...there is no way to talk about the millions of things going through my head right now as I face the last part of my service, but just know that it's a whole lot of craziness. I am not quite sure what is in store for me after May 2011, and am a little overwhelmed by the fact that I need to be making some big decisions to make that clearer in the next month or so.

Time to get back to the "real" world now, feel free to send me an email if you want more details on anything, I'd love to hear from you!

Pura Vida!