I
can't believe a year has passed. Welcoming 2015, I was enjoying the best
Christmas present ever: my family's visit to Guyana. This year, I was on the
other side of Wakapoa for a football competition and saw what New Years looked
like at the Full Gospel Church. The sermon lasted about 30 minutes, while the
other 4 hours were taken up by a concert, and then your standard church songs
and dance. One man danced an elaborate mix of leaps and hops for at least an
hour. It was a beautiful thing. Church went on steady from around 8pm until 1:30.
Nothing momentous happened in church at 12am. Not so for the other volunteer,
Chad, visiting Wakapoa for the football camp. As soon as New Year's rolled in,
he hollered "Happy New Year!" in a way befitting the New York ball
drop. Our Guyanese companions looked at each other curiously. Cultural exchange
101.
The
magic of a new year is in the celebration. Life continues being life, no matter
if it's a new year, or a birthday, or a holiday. The world does not change. We
do. Celebrations are our way of saying "This moment is special. It's never
been like this before, and it will never be like this again." New Years,
and resolutions, and celebrations, are important. It's our way to say announce
to the world, and especially to ourselves, where we are now and where we're
hoping to go.
This
year I'm going to complete two years of Peace Corps service. I'm going to complete
one of the biggest career moves/ life goals I've set for myself this far. But,
I'm getting ahead of myself. My time hasn't ended yet. And I'm incredibly
grateful for that. Lately, the 6 month deadline has been haunting me, seeming
all too short. 2 year used to seem like adulthood, a distant thing, far off on
the horizon---unreachable. And yet, its right there. I can almost touch it.
But, before I go home, there are a couple things I need to get done. One of
them, my library project, is finally in action. Here's a little synopsis.
The
Library Project
Give me the down low.
An
Elementary school in Minnesota closed. The books from the library needed a new
home, which is where I come in.
Sweet, so how many books?
32
boxes.
Wow, that's a lot! What are you doing
with them?
I'm
shipping them from Minnesota to my school here in Wakapoa, Guyana.
Don't they already have books?
Not
enough. Many books in the school are not at the right reading level, are
battered and unreadable, or are simply not the right content for children.
What happens when the books get
there?
They'll
go into the library, reading room, and each kid will get a book to take home.
Awesome!
Right?
And expensive. This whole shipping
process costs a little over two thousand $US.
Yikes, where are you going to get
that from?
The
community's already given part. They've pulled together and raised funds,
covering a little less than 1/3 of it.
Where does the rest of the money come
from?
This
grant right here. People(like you!) see it, donate and share.
https://donate.peacecorps.gov/donate/project/basic-literacy-capacity-in-remote-settings/
Thank you to all of you who have shared or donated so far, and all of you who plan to do so! You, you wonderful human being, have helped give books to these kids that have stolen my heart. They need this, and I need you. I am eternally grateful for your support!
