A major update - for real

Barring any unforeseen tragedies of the type that lead to the loss of my last update post, this post will give some insight as to the major changes that are creeping up on me in these next few months.

And by major, I do mean MAJOR.

Because, my dear friends, in August I am moving to Micronesia for two years. Micronesia! Can you believe it?

A little background:

It all started back at the end of December 2009 with a lovely roommate looking to help me channel that itch to serve abroad that had been pestering me since high school. Turns out my time in France (although absolutely wonderful) didn't quite cut it. I was looking to go abroad again, this time for a service experience. Something deep and long term, and something that would yank me out of my comfort zone.

Boy did I find it.

At the suggestion of the roommate mentioned above, and with the guidance of another dear friend, I began my application to the Jesuit Volunteer Corps 15 days before it was due. I managed to pull together 4 letters of recommendation, write a few essays and what felt like a million short answer questions, visit the doctor and order my transcripts - all with a day to spare. A week after turning in my application I found myself up for a 7:00 am phone interview with a recruiter in Washington DC. In mid March, I made my way down to Santa Clara University to attend a discernment weekend with 15 other candidates for the program and a mere two weeks later I received the phone call that has ultimately determined the next two years of my life.

Which brings me back to present day, in which I am leaving for Micronesia in three months.

So what exactly will I be doing, you ask? I'll be teaching high school (not sure which subject) at Saramen Chuuk Academy. Schooling is conducted in English in Micronesia, so whatever I do teach will be more than simply English language skills. I will be living with four other volunteers, three of whom have been serving for a year, and the fourth of whom will be new like me. I'll be serving in the state of Chuuk (Micronesia, or the Federated States of Micronesia, is made up of 4 states), on the island of Weno. FSM is in the Western Pacific, approximately east of the Philippines, southeast of Japan and north of Australia.

Here's a bit more about the organization I'll be serving with:

The Jesuit Volunteer Corps is a Catholic nonprofit organization that operates both domestic and international volunteer programs. To pull from its missions statement:

The Jesuit Volunteer Corps offers women and men an opportunity to work full-time for justice and peace. Jesuit Volunteers are called to the mission of serving the poor directly, working for structural change in the United States, and accompanying people in developing countries. The challenge to Jesuit Volunteers is to integrate Christian faith by working and living among the poor and marginalized, by living simply and in community with other Jesuit Volunteers, and by examining the causes of social injustice.

Volunteers live together and are asked to commit to the four JVC values of social justice, simple living, spirituality and community. Over 300 volunteers are currently serving throughout the country and around the world.

Needless to say I'm experiencing a whirlwind of emotions at the thought of this new phase in my life. I'm excited to get out and experience something new, I'm sad about leaving friends and family and the things I love about my life here in Seattle, I'm curious about that which awaits me on the other side of the Pacific, I'm nervous about whether I'm up for this commitment and hopeful that half the battle is simply committing and that the rest will fall into place once I'm there. I've known for about a month that I'm going, but things are still settling in and I'm not quite sure that I've truly been struck with the reality of it all. It's surreal that three months from now I'll be living on a tiny tropical island in the Pacific.

This post has been a bit frenetic, but I hope to post more in the months leading up to my departure with details about why I'm going, what I'll be doing and general background about Micronesia.

I invite all of you to visit my JVC fundraising page, here, to learn more about the program, and about ways you can support my journey.

Thanks for reading! Any thoughts or prayers you might want to send my way as I prepare for this journey would be greatly appreciated. I'll keep you in mine as well. :)