RAIN!!!!!!

WE HAVE FINALLY RECEIVED RAIN!!!! Thanks to all my peeps back home for the prayers and rain dances. It rained a good amount for about 30 minutes last night, which isn't enough, but its a start. We were limited to just 2 hours of water yesterday rather than three, so the rain was much needed. We are still filling every bottle we can find in the mornings in case we don't have water for a whole day, which thankfully hasn't happened.

I was not excited about starting another week of training last night. I lay in bed repeating to myself that its almost over, and that with every good thing there has to be preparation. I feel as if we have prepared ourselves so much before coming here, and that the experience we brought with us is what attracted the Peace Corps. Every situation i have been in job wise consists of learning stuff you already know and doing redundant things. But i thought FOR ONCE i would escape that trend....i was quickly mistaken. We are learning simple abstract concepts like 'what youth development is', 'how to write a lesson plan', and 'what is culture?'. Very frustrating at times to be given baby steps when you feel so qualified for what you were brought here to do, but as our motto was today..."In every positive situation there is a negative, we just chose to see the positive".

So after a morning of reluctance from the collective group, we started our jam packed day of training. We had youth development training and another session on facilitation skills, both of which went overwhelming well and we got some useful information out of them. We walked out of session with a sense of refreshment and understanding of just whats expected out of us. My plate is going to be full, and I'm so ready for it!

I am going to be working at St.Paul's Govt primary school. At the school I'm going to be trying to help with some reading. Many of kids here can reach the grade of 6 and higher and still not be able to read. The students here take an entrance exam at the end of 6th grade that determines if they get to go on to secondary school, since the slots in secondary schools are very limited. This means that if children aren't moved into secondary schools, they repeat the 6th grade and try again next year. This can happen many years in a row.

Then my initial work site is the YWCA of Grenada. Its a national affiliation, and though we don't have many in the Midwest, they are very well known throughout the States, as they are the sister organization to the YMCA. I will be helping them with multiple women's empowerment classes, and the after school children's library.

AND, i will be working with GrenSave, or Grenada Save the Children, that is fighting to end hunger on the island. They do alot of outreach projects aimed at helping kids, such as hunger marches and after school programs. I'm eager to see where i can help at this organization.

FINALLY, i plan to work on a secondary (or fourth-dary, but whose counting?) project with the G.N.O.W project. The Grenada National Organization of Women aims to give women equal rights in work places and society as a whole. I'm SOOOOO excited about this organization. I walked in the first day and saw large silhouettes with stories on them, JUST like we did in Students Against Violence at Pitt State. I told them about the great ideas i had and the lady was literally bouncing up and down in her seat with excitement. Stay tuned for an update on that my fellow PSU SAVE members!!!

That's all for now. I love and miss everyone back home. But don't worry, i drank a beer with my host dad tonight for all of you!!!!