Grabbed by the Wrist

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go.. ~Green Day

On the last day at the school where I served as Principal for the past nine years, I packed the final box, made the rounds for one last hug, and removed the name placard from my office door. A few reflections as I pulled out of the school parking lot:

* I had the opportunity to work with a team who had the courage to try new things, adjust to new systems, and continue to persist and insist on putting kids first.

*  Kids are brilliant, amazing, resilient, not so resilient; courageous; intuitive; transparent, small people who give their opinions and hugs freely.

* Sitting down with a colleague/friend for a quick coffee and debrief at a conference, only to realize four hours had passed.

* Magic carpet rides; double chocolate brownies; staff vs. 6th grade soccer games; year end toasts; crazy costumes; Dancing with my "Soul Sisters" and brothers; wild tractor rides, rocks with ribbons, and "Aha moments."

* Brainstorming with staff over the "tough stuff" and discovering a team who has equal amounts of instructional expertise AND moral purpose.

What a privilege it's been....

The fork in the road is in front of me. Until I return from my leave of absence and the path that has led me to service in the Peace Corps, hasta luego, adios and mucho abrazos!

Invited!

Update,
  Thank you all for your support on our goal. We have officially heard from the Peace Corps that we are invited to Paraguay leaving in late September. I have waited to update everyone because of recent discovery that many applicants have been receiving letters explaining the Peace Corps would not be placing any more volunteers in their field this year. The Peace Corps is experiencing the same budget crisis everyone else is.
 
  The good news; Sue is assigned to an Enviromental Education position which is awesome since she will be educating Paraguayans on issues using Science which is part of her favorite teaching subjects. Her extensive background in Education will enable her to work with Paraguayans of all ages and backgrounds. Teaching others to teach each other will make her endeavors sustainable.
                           Mark is assigned to Agricultural Extension Agent working with Farm Families. Most Farms in Paraguay are small family operations and they have issues with production and erosion issues. Over use of Chemicals and Mega-farms from nieghboring countries grabbing land have sent locals into the Forest to reclaim land to make a living. I will work with other Ag Extensionists to assist families in retaining soil and lowering inputs so agricultural products will be more economic and profitable. I will also help families find alternative products and markets to enable them to live more comfortable productive lives.

  Please, let the questions flow. We will be learning and finding out more about our assignments as we go along. Your questions will help us to be better prepared for our adventure. Again thank you that have helped us get to where we are today. The application process is long and daunting with many hurdles along the way. There is no way we could be where we are without the help we asked of you all.

Sue has started a Blog (yes Sue did it) that you can follow us on our adventure. We will try to update it often. The title is Twokeepgrowing. http://twokeepgrowing.blogspot.com

We are on a super high right now. We will update you again soon.
Thanks again for everything!
Woo-Hoo (whooping for joy)!!!!

An-ti-ci-pa-tion...

An-ti-ci-a-pa-tion.........

This is the latest communication we recieved from the placement desk:

Hello Mark and Susan,

I am writing to let you know that the post I was considering you for unfortunately did not feel that your skill sets were a good fit for their programmatic availability.  This means we will  not be moving forward with the interview process.  Please keep in mind that this is in no way indicative of your skill sets, but rather the site availability in that post.  I will return your applications to your appropriate Skill Desk, in your case the Agriculture and Environment Desk, where your Placement Specialist will work to find a new program that matches up with your skill sets and backgrounds.  Please keep in mind that couples placement can take a bit longer because we want to ensure that both of you have viable projects.  You have already been qualified for Placement, though, so it is my hope that we will be able to identify a new program as soon as possible.  Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns and I thank you for your patience.

The placement officer told us that if the post mentioned above did not work out, she would be saving a spot for us with a departure date in late September. So... we will continue to study Spanish, create check off lists of things to take care of before we leave, spend quality time with family and friends, and enjoy this beautiful Spring weather!

What's your prediction?

So, today the placement officer told us that she was sending our resumes to a specific country for consideration due to our "unique skill sets." She said that our work would likely be in a "more urban setting, working with governmental counterparts", and to expect communication from the country office for an interview. Our new nomination is for Central/South America working in Agriculture /Environmental education with a new departure date in August or September. Where do you think we are headed?