Close of Service

Well, it was not so bad saying goodbye to colleagues and friends in Mariental because I know that I will see them again in March. Then I think it will be much more difficult to say goodbye because I won't know when I will see them all again.

This week I've been in Windhoek for my final business with Peace Corps. It's pretty much all finished and I've been waiting around for one last exit interview and to turn in my papers. Today my term of service as a Peace Corps Voluteer comes to an end. I feel a sense of accomplishment. These two years have been...well there really is no one word to describe it all. Overall the positives have far outweighed the negatives and in the end I would say that Namibia really became my home over these two years. However, as part of the process of life, I am moving on to another chapter, exactly how it reads I have yet to find out!

Thank you to all of you who have checked in on me from time to time. I have appreciated each and every email, letter, package, and phone call! While it's sad to leave, it's exciting at the same time to go back to Wisconsin and see my family and friends AND winter (haven't seen snow in three years)! I hope that I don't have some kind of climate shock coming from hot, sunny, dry Namibia to absolutely freezing, snowy, windchill Wisconsin :-)

First Days of School

School began in Namibia last week and Heidie, Brooke (my replacement), and I were able to hold a workshop last week to help teachers start off the year on the right foot.

My final project was a workshop for the teachers of Mariental focusing on the first days of school: establishing procedures and routines in your classroom, teaching rules and consequences. Definitely not news to any teacher, but VERY nice to bring teachers together and give them a fresh look at all of this with some tips along the way. We had twenty teachers from Danie Joubert and the whole time none of them looked disengaged. They participated, asked questions, and I think really benefited from this "First Days of School" workshop.

Thanks to the publishers and authors, Harry and Rosemary Wong, ten copies of their book were donated to the Hardap Region last February. I gave copies to the two teacher resource centers in the region, the lower primary advisory teacher, and to seven schools throughout the region who I've worked with and felt would make use of this fabulous resource!

This project was a definite high note to end on!

time to go...

Tomorrow (11 January 2008) marks exactly two years and two months
since I first arrived in Namibia with Peace Corps. It's time to go.

Almost everything is finished.

At the TRC, I am working on the details for next week's "First Days
of School" workshop focusing on classroom management and promoting
the use of the book with the same title. The Namibians that I have
shared it with have found it incredibly useful and easy to follow. I
wrote to the publisher and they donated ten copies which I gave to
schools and the two TRCs in this region. I'm looking forward to
sharing these ideas with the teachers in Mariental to help them to
have a successful start to the school year! It will be a nice
culmination to all of the work that I have done in the schools with
Heidie and at the TRC as well.

For Peace Corps, I have completed all of the reports, forms, and
medical exams. I have two exit interviews left and then I'm
officially an RPCV (returned Peace Corps Volunteer). These will be
done in my last days in Windhoek (23-25 January) before flying out on
the 26th!

My Peace Corps Volunteer experience will all be over before I know
it! In the beginning it seemed like two years would be a long time,
but now it seems to have passed quickly. Colleagues at the office,
teachers and people I see in town have been asking when I am leaving,
knowing that it is soon. It makes me sad. As a volunteer you put in
so much effort into integrating into your community and then it
becomes your home and the people know you. Then before you know it
you have to say goodbye to those neighbors who have been so sweet to
you, to the check-out ladies at the grocery store who greet you by
name, to the colleagues you have worked closely with for two years,
and the most difficult -- the dear friends that you have made here,
the people you have not only grown to know but love as your own
family and friends. The worst thing ever for me is leaving and
having to say goodbye. I remember how hard it was when I left
Wisconsin, left my parents standing at the security check point in
the Wausau Airport. Now, I am in a similar place, emotionally, but
the difference is that I don't know when I will see these people
again. However, something similar about leaving the US for Namibia
and leaving Namibia for the US is that I know it is time to go and
that new and exciting challenges await down the path!

Yes, it is time to go.

Voorspoedige Nuwejaar!!

Direct translation: "successful new year", but really HAPPY NEW
YEAR!! Many blessings and happiness for 2008! Thank you so much for
reading this and checking in on me from time to time to see how I am
doing here in Namibia. I deeply appreciate the support that I have
received over these two years: prayers, comments on the blog, emails,
cards, packages and the occasional phone call. Each bit of support,
big or small, has blessed me and added to my life. I appreciate each
of you!! All the best for the new year! Voorspoedige nuwejaar!