This week marks my first year in country!!!!!!

I can't describe this feeling I feel right now.  It's amazing!

Just yesterday, I was thinking about my first day here; how scared I was, but not in a bad way.  I remember thinking, "How did I get here?  Am I really going to do this?  I can do this!!  Just breathe!"  Those moments of chaotic emotions brings me to a sense of peace now.  I love that I had such an awkward time during my training months.  I definitely came out stronger on the other side. 

I still have some flaws, though.  I don't eat a lot of the food here, but I try most times because I don't want to be rude.  I cook majority of my meals, and I love my ham sandwiches with the Miracle Whip my sister brought to me when she came in March.  I do, however, eat lunch most days with the guys from  my cooperative.  They take such good care of me.  They even order my food for me sometimes, which is always chicken and rice minus the tomato sauce.  That's right, still alergic to tomatoes, despite my outrageous love for Dominoes cheese pizza here (Thursday Glee night).  I still don't care much for veggies.  Man, how I miss collard greens and sweet potatoes!  I have started drinking way more water the last month or so.  I've never really been a water fan, but with all these meds I'm taking now, it seems like the best option.  Besides, Pepsi's were costing me too much money per week.  N-E-Ways -- I'm happy to be here!

I love my job...ALL OF THEM.  For the most part, I work with the coffee cooperative in all the aspects of coffee before toasting.  Yes sir, I have planted, picked, fermented, washed, etc coffee.  I love it!  Still not a big fan of drinking it, but my cooperatie's coffee is really good.  I give technical classes on basic computer skills and teach English.  Still trying to figure out how I accomplish so much with such a limited Spanish vocabulary.  In the words of one of my Spanish teachers, "For someone who can't speak very well in Spanish or even comprehend it for that matter, you do a grat job of communicating with people."  Needless to say, I've never had a problem communicating with others. ;-)

I'm helping my guys give presentations ("charlas" here) on what to do before, during and after a natural disaster in their communities.  It's a rewarding experience; I must tell you.  Knowing that despite the fact I can't give them money to solve their problems just myself and my knowledge, they really love what I offer them.  They inspire me to be better at the things I am good at to help others in the future.  I am honored to work with them.  That's a very important concept here.  Many people come to aid and tell them what to do.  Not me!  My first few months I just watched and learned from them.  Now is my time to shine.  I present ideas to the group and explain why I think they would work, and then I ask them their opinions about it, and we try to find a middle ground.  It's a really good system!

With my last 15 months, I want to make sure that when I'm gone, they will continue on in all aspects of our work together.  Nothing, would make me more proud!

So three cheers to me and all of my training group PC-Guatemala Aug 09 for making it one year in-country!!!!!!  To those of you who thought I wouldn't make it: Jokes on You!