Journey Toward Peace, through teaching & learning

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase; just take the first step."
                       ~M. L. King

This watercolor by my son Kent represents for me the infinite, hopeful iconic journey...the path where we place our first step in faith....and move forward in discovery.

One week ~ finally! ~ until my Peace Corps departure. One friend called this life-changing journey: "BOLD". So true. So daunting. So necessary. A time of learning. A time to trust. The world is small and connected, more than we can imagine. WE are the world....together.

Here's a brief overview of my next 2+ months: 
TRAINING: June 27th travel to Miami for staging/hotel stay
June 29th to Kingston, Jamaica/Peace Corps office/orientation/ hotel stay
July 1st ~  2 weeks in Hellshire Hills, south coast/training classes/home stay
5 weeks ~ Ewarton, central mountains/practicum training in schools/home stay
2 weeks ~ Peace Corps office and on-site job shadowing/hotel & home stays(receive post assignment)
1 week ~ Peace Corps office/final conference & swearing-in/hotel stay
Sept. 2 ~ Begin permanent 2 year post (TBA!)
PC Volunteer ASSIGNMENT: Sept. 2, 2011 ~ Sept. 2, 2013 

I am with you all in spirit. Always thankful for your encouragement ("Courage" being the center of that term). in peace ~ Susan/ Mom

INCREASE PEACE...Be Present...ANTICIPATION

   PEOPLE SACRIFICE THE PRESENT FOR THE FUTURE. BUT LIFE IS AVAILABLE ONLY IN THE PRESENT. ~~ Thich Nhat Hanh
  Increase peace(see peacecorps.gov)...a simple thought, but oh, so difficult to begin to achieve in this world. Anticipation: with just 26 days until our Peace Corps Jamaica Group #82 (32 of us, several over 50!) departs for training, every moment seems full of hope, fear, excitement, elation, wonder....and organizing, packing and re-packing, buying, giving away, reading & writing, studying more & more...yet it will never be enough. We are told: be open, no expectations, relax, come to learn and to help, be ready to be challenged in unforeseen ways, just BE. Be Present.
Here we go! here we are! Our lives, and all we know, will be changed for the better...we hope. 
in peace, be well ~ Susan/Mom