Reflecting over time

One of the main tasks during training is language training. We have language class for 4 hours a day, 4 days a week. This has been happening since the beginning of training. Also, we were given official language competencies at the beginning and midpoint of service. We were just given a final assessment of language proficiency. Upon entering I was a middle intermediate speaker; the same for my middle assessment. So, after 2 ½ months of speaking Spanish in a foreign language, I am proud to say I advanced to an intermediate high speaker. That is right, after 2 ½ months I can now officially say that I have in fact learned something about Spanish.

Through the past months I say that I have become much closer to the people here than I thought I would. I say this because now is a time of reflection about the next two years. On Friday we swear in to service, and then leave for sites on Saturday. This means that I will be 2 hours by bus to the nearest people from my training group. It is an odd feeling to be leaving this experience that I have become so accustomed. I was expecting many challenges and assimilation difficulties, but leaving people met in Peru was unexpected.

Despite the emotional struggles, I am very excited to get to my new site, and figure out what it is all about, and what I will be doing. The point that can make or break a trip is the ability to feel at home in the new site. I pray it will come rapidly. I also know that I will feel much better when I am able to find out more details. The two big ones are figuring out my host family situation and meeting my community partners that I will be working with in my new site.

I truly feel blessed to be here. I am having experiences that are unlike anywhere else in the world, learning language, learning how to work and be effective in under resourced communities that are resistant to change (especially from the outside), and truly learning how to relate and adapt to people in a cross cultural environment.

i am well and thank you all for the emails, and ground mails. they are very much appriciated.

peace,

tim