The Heart of South America

Our Peace Corps invitation was waiting on our doorstep this afternoon! Before we opened the UPS package, we gazed at the map of the world hanging on our wall. We read the name of each country in Central and South America aloud, preparing ourselves to learn the name of the place we would be spending our next two years. Ben slowly opened the package and pulled out the bright blue folder that read "Peace Corps invites you to serve" in large letters. We unlatched the velcro that held the folder shut. After taking a deep breath, Ben removed the first page. Our eyes frantically scanned the invitation letter until they landed on the name of the country...

Paraguay.  We will leave on September 26th to become environmental conservation volunteers in Paraguay. Paraguay? Really? Of all the exotic countries we thought we might travel to, Paraguay was certainly the one we knew the least about. We spent the next few hours scouring the internet to find as much information as we could about this small country in the heart of South America. As we have learned more and more, we have become even more excited about taking the road less traveled, into the little-known country of Paraguay.

"Paz y justicia"

Here are some quick facts that we found:

Capital: Asuncion

Bordering Countries: Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil

Official Languages: Spanish (Formal) and Guarani (Informal)

Size: 157,048 sq mi (similar to California)

Population: 6,543,591 (similar to Indiana) 

Population Density: 41.6 inhabitants/ sq mi (similar to Oregon)

Climate: subtropical to temperate (similar to inland Florida)

Bodies of Water: Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana

National Parks: Cerro Cora, Nacunday, Deforsores del Chaco, and Rio Negro

Places to Visit: Itaipu Dam, Iguazu Falls, Ciudad del Este

We are really getting excited about all the amazing wildlife that we will get to see! Here is a short list of some of the interesting and beautiful animals found in Paraguay:

Mammals: Three-toed Sloth, Tamandua, Azara's Night Monkey, Plains Viscacha, Chacoan Mara, Agouti, Lowland Paca, Margay, Jaguar, Bush Dog, Maned Wolf, Crab-Eating Raccoon, Coati, Lesser Grison, Brazilian Tapir, Paccary, and Guanaco (plus a variety of armadillos, mice, bats, and opossums)

Birds: Red-winged Tinamou, Whistling Heron, Jabiru, Black and White Hawk Eagle, Purple Gallinule, Red-legged Seriema, Wattled Jacana, Macaws, Parakeets, Parrots, Hummingbirds, and Toucans

Reptiles: Chaco Sideneck Turtle, Red-footed Tortoise, Caimen, Iguanas, Geckos, Boas, Anacondas, a variety of other constrictors, Coral Snakes, and Vipers

Amphibians: A variety of Tree-frogs, Thin-toed frogs, Horned toads, and toads

Fish: River Stingrays, Swamp Eels, Catfish, Cichlids, Trahiras, Dorado, Piranhas, and Knifefish

52 Points for Latin America

Ben took the Spanish CLEP exam and made a 52! Two points above what he needed to make in order for us to qualify for the environmental program in Latin America. Way to go Ben! We called our placement officer immediately after we found out the score. She congratulated us and informed us that we will be leaving September 25th! She will process our invitation and send it to us by mail ASAP! Once we receive the invitation we will learn what country we will be going to and we will have seven days to accept.

Here is our application status update from our toolkit:

Fun Fact: We may not actually be speaking Spanish in our community, but an indigenous language instead :) 

uno, deux, tatu

No wedding plans are changing!
Our placement officer has informed us that our skill sets did not align with the needs of the programs in Mexico. Instead, she has offered us a few more options to consider. Each option is in a different area of the world, departs in a different month, and has a different program area, so we have a lot to think about.

Assignment 1: Protected Areas and Environmental Education
Region: Central/South America
Departure: Late September

Assignment 2: Forestry and Forestry Business
Region: French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa
Departure: Late November

Assignment 3: Aquaculture and Aquaculture Business
Region: Sub-Saharan Africa (non-French speaking)
Departure: Early February

We automatically qualify for assignments two and three. In order to qualify for the first assignment, Ben would have to document his Spanish skill set by either:

• Taking a course- a Spanish intensive offering a year's worth of Spanish (i.e. Spanish 101 and 102)
• Taking a test and achieving a minimum score on one of the following:
• On the CLEP- offered by the College Board a score of 50 or higher
• On the ACTFL a score of Novice High

So, Ben is scrambling to learn one year of Spanish lessons in one month! We found a great website called Spanish Hour that provides daily Spanish lessons and vocabulary and grammar quizzes. The lessons are geared to the requirements of the CLEP exam and you can even take practice exams to see what you need to focus on. We will be doing lessons every night from now until July 16th, when Ben is scheduled to take the exam. If Ben scores a 50 or higher, we are guaranteed an invitation to the program!

No wedding plans are changing!

Full Speed Ahead!

After about 3.5 months, we have finally completed the Medical Review Process. Ben and I are medically qualified to serve abroad with the Peace Corps!! Here is a screenshot I took this morning from my Peace Corps "toolkit", the online program that applicants use to track their progress. While Ben still had a legal hold for his car loan, my checklist is complete! 

Additionally, Ben received this message from our Placement Officer:

"Congratulations on medical clearance! Your process is the same [as Sarah's] and yet different. If you are selected for an interview, you will both be interviewed. Sarah is the primary candidate, although they will be interested in your skill set as well. Keep in mind that it will be Sarah's skill set that gets you accepted into the program. Your role may be less well-defined or predictable- they would ensure that you had an assignment, but it may not be determined/finalized until you get to Post. The best approach for you would be to keep an open mind and be flexible to see what's needed by the Agency or community."

 We look forward to our interviews, and continue to prepare for a late August departure (just in case).

¿Vamos a México?

 

BIG UPDATE: Last Thursday, our Placement Officer called us with an exciting opportunity. The Peace Corps would like us to apply for an incredible program that works with the National Parks Service/ EPA equivalent in Mexico. This position is a little more structured and would have a larger impact than the typical Peace Corps assignment. The nature of this program requires us to undergo an additional application and interview process. Our placement officer believes we are strong candidates for the position, and we should find out if we are accepted by the end of this month. If we are accepted, we are scheduled to depart as soon as August 27th. If we are not accepted, we will still be considered for Fall departure, but will most likely be headed to Sub-Saharan Africa.

We are really excited about this opportunity, but it will definitely impact our October wedding plans. After careful consideration, we have decided to move our wedding up to Saturday, August 18^th.  We know this is a drastic change, and we hope everyone will do their best to be there with us to celebrate our wedding and journey to the Peace Corps together. 

Thank you so much for your flexibility and understanding!

Next Steps: Interview for Mexico (June 15-June 20)

Smile!

Ben and I awoke this morning to find our Peace Corps Application Status had been updated. We have officially passed the rigorous dental review portion of the application process. Our teeth are healthy enough to go abroad!

Additionally, I received an email from the Office of Medical Services indicating a missing lab test for Hepatitis B surface antibody. Although the doctor's office told me they had completed all the required tests, they did not realize that this specific test was not included in their typical Hepatitis panel. I will have to go back to their office next week to get the test done.

On the bright side, we are thrilled that the medical office is even looking at our paperwork this early. Our files are no longer gathering dust. We are one step closer to finding the answer to everyone's favorite question: "Where are you going?" We would love to find out about where you would like to go if you were in our shoes. Share your dream destination with us by completing the poll to the right!

Next Steps: Sarah will complete her missing lab work; Ben gets to wait some more, but will hear from them soon! In the meantime, we are trying our hands at learning Spanish by revisiting my old college textbook.

Welcome Letter from Placement

Today Ben and I received our welcome emails from the Placement office!

"Welcome! Congratulations on your nomination to a Peace Corps Master’s International assignment! Your recruiter has nominated you to be considered for programs departing in October, November or December 2012. The nomination from your recruiter is a recommendation that your application be given further consideration.

Your file has been received in the Placement Office at Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, DC. This is the place where several important screenings and assessments take place and assignment matches for qualified prospective volunteers are finalized.

As you discussed with your recruiter during the interview, the medical screening has begun. Please note that it takes OMS 8-12 weeks to review an applicant’s paperwork and determine whether that applicant is medically qualified for service."

Next Step: Wait for medical qualification... wait... wait...wait