Nebraska Peace Corps Send-off Party

"Some people believe in coincidences, I believe in God."
~Karen Wieskamp, she used to give me piano lessons. She said this when I was telling her about my Peace Corps application process and how everything fell into place perfectly.

The send-off party was super! Funny how my attitude made a sudden switch. Shopping bums me out so much I didn't even want to go anymore after spending a couple hours at the mall. That was changed as soon as I walked through the backyard into the patio. I signed my name, put down my contact information, and made myself a name tag. The first person I met was our hostess, Gretchen, inviting us in. I was glad my mom was able to go with me, just that she wanted to go, actually. Her name tag read, "nominee mom" which made me smile. I had to add to my name tag, writing when/where I was going and standing next to me doing the same thing was another soon to be volunteer. This was the exact reason I came to the party! I wanted to meet even just one other person that was leaving the country around the same time. He will be leaving August 18th for staging most likely in Florida since he'll be heading to the Dominican Republic. We joked about being a swim away and thought we might see each other in August. Of course I wanted to write down his name so I could add him as a friend on facebook, so maybe we could chat before leaving and maybe stay in contact as we would be going through some of the same things, but I should have known there would be more than one Eli Rodriguez. Ha ha! Excitement messes with my brain functions, and it keeps me from eating, too. There was all this amazing looking food at the party, but it wasn't until after I left that I realized I was hungry and had missed out. I also met another lady who was getting ready to leave in October for Ethiopia, which made me think of Margaret, wondering if she had received her assignment yet. There were a couple nominees waiting for an invitation and few applicants just starting this whole process. It was fun answering the applicants questions, remembering back to when I was doing the same thing. I loved that they were able to come to the party and meet all these people they could use as references to answer questions. The majority of guests were returned volunteers from all over the world; I was surprised to see how many people from Nebraska had been to so many different places. One of my longest conversations was with Rebecca. She had spent three years in Morocco and absolutely loved it. When I told her I was going to Belize she was ready to stuff me in the closet and take my identity. Whoa... closet is a word I don't write down very often, I still don't think it looks right. Ha ha! Anyways, I may have talked her into visiting, it didn't take much. It was so neat listening to all the returned volunteers stories. They all warned me about how hard the first six months will be, maybe even the first year, but to not give up, the second year is more than worth it. I didn't really have many questions. I think I learn better through life stories though. We tested our knowledge of Peace Corps with a quiz. I was happy I remembered March 1st as Peace Corps Day and knew the year it was started by JFK, 1961. It's crazy to think I'll be a volunteer during it's 50th year! I'll also be in Belize when the country celebrates it's 30th birthday, since it gained Independence in 1981. What fun coincidences! Another crazy coincidence (I can't wait to tell Karen about this) was towards the end of the party. Everyone had just went around and stated their name, where they were from, and why they were there. I remember one man's eyes light up a little when I said I was heading to Belize, he had volunteered in the Solomon Islands and has been wanting to go visit Belize and see the beautiful coast and Mayan ruins. After that I was chatting with those around me, scoping out people I wanted to talk to and pretty soon the party's hostess was bringing over someone I needed to meet. Roger was also getting ready to go to Belize in August! Can you believe that? Two volunteers from Nebraska on the same team! What are the odds? Gretchen seemed almost as surprised as I was, and was more prepared, taking our first picture together.
One of my biggest fears was going to Belize alone. I knew there would be a group going, but I felt like I was leaving by myself. I asked the Lord for comfort and felt the prayer was answered when I found blogs of volunteers going and then was able to chat with some on facebook. But no, God's goodness is much greater. Makes me think of one of my favorite chapters in Matthew, chapter 6.
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.