Peace Corps Goal #3

The Peace Corps' Mission is to promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals:
Goal #1: To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women
Goal #2: To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served
Goal #3: To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of American

I was able to fulfilled goal #3 these past 2 weeks when Caroline came to Mozambique to visit!

Hello everyone! This is Caroline here taking over a bit of Angela's blog to share how her journey in the Peace Corps have influenced me. After months of waiting for this adventure to come, it is finally here with a sweet, sweet welcoming from the neighborhood's kids. They are by far the most adorable and hardworking individuals I have met and I appreciate all of their effort to make me feel at home. Of course, I definitely still notice I stick out like a sore thumb. The only thing that hinders this experience that I wish I have put more thought into is: Learn the language before the visit! I wish I was able to carry a conversation with everyone more than just a simple greeting and goodbyes. Thankfully, I have Angela here to translate everything for me. (I mean since she puts me to work here, I might as well put her to work in my favor). Although we are unable to converse, it is amazing to see how just simple nonverbal communication can still make the experience very much enjoyable.

All of the cultural festivities here are very fun to watch because it brings so much enthusiasm and joy to the community. And boy can these ladies dance! I am lucky to have experience Mozambican Women's Day because cherishing and appreciating women is everything I believe in standing up for. To see the men join in on the dance made me feel their support in protecting the women in their community. It was a very splendid and very heat drenching experience!

With very limited resources here, the kids have taught me to appreciate all the simple things in life. There are days where there is no electricity, which affects the ability to heat up food, to heat up water for the bucket baths, and to charge appliances for social connections. I started to become accustomed to the days without electricity and enjoyed how we had more time to laugh with the neighbors, look up at the stars, and dance in the backyard. I came to realize I can not be picky with food and just be happy with what ever it was that was able to fill my belly. I appreciated how I had working limbs so that I can walk long distances and hitch hike on pick up trucks. Although the lifestyle here is harder, it is much more simple and happy. You learn to love your community and surroundings. I may hate having to use her restroom and the hole she calls a toilet, but I have to admit, I love every bit of this adventure Angela have been able to provide me with. She helped me open my eyes to all the little things in the world and to put the fears aside. I am glad I have her support as my friend and her guidance in marking things off my bucket list (such as the hitchhiking picture below)! 

I have only been here for two weeks, and I have already learned so much! I can only imagine how much wiser Angela will be when she comes home to us. Good thing she knows sign language because I can see she will come back home with poor English skills ;) Sadly, she's not very good with Portuguese, Macua or Vietnamese either. :P

Much love and respect,

Caroline