K’stan – Why?
Hey all! It’s been a bit, but I guess it will become a norm in about 3 weeks. Since my last post, I’ve shopped, subbed, shopped, moved home, shopped some more, got a nasty sore throat….and shopped…You get the pattern.
I know many of you have been wondering why I’ve decided to volunteer with the Peace Corps. Some of you think I’m crazy – I can see it in your eyes! 
Well, for the PC, we have to write essays on what motivates us to serve and what our aspirations/goals are for our 2 years and beyond. Hopefully this will help you undersand why I’ve chosen to serve this way or at the very least, you’ll know I’VE thought about it.
I think some people know from a very young age or even young adults what they will spend their lives doing, what their passionate about. They KNOW what they are ‘called’ to do and how they can make a difference. Then I think there are others who plod a long in life for a while and God has slowly been building that sense of purpose in them. It’s like watching someone paint a picture. Slowly the image is revealed as your mind pieces it together. The materials and shapes were all there, but it doesn’t make sense until the key lines are filled in. My experience has been the latter. There are two things that I know I will do for the rest of my life as long as God wills it: serve people from diverse cultures and teach.
That said, my hope after graduating was to teach English abroad as many puplic school teachers find it hard to leave after getting a job. And if grad school was in my future, I would, in fact, need to be a public school teacher to finance such an endevour. After talking with veteran teachers, it became obvious that now is the time to go. In case you are wondering, I had been thinking about the Peace Corps for several years, but I did investigate several other programs. Some were connected with Christian organizations and others were governement related. There are many reasons, some personal some professional, on why I chose not to pursue other organizations. Some organizations are very credible and may be a perfect fit for you, so I don’t want to discredit any or say the Peace Corps is the end all for serving overseas. It offers the safety, professional teaching experience, and immersive cultural experiences that are important to me and my family. My family needs to know that we WILL be pulled out when things get sketchy, right Mom? 
As always, I welcome and encourage questions about my decision and about this process. I know this is a tough transition for some of you as well. Thanks for caring.
“For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.” Deut. 10:17
