Hopefully, some answers to those common questions

Where are you going?

I'm going to be living in Talanga, Honduras which is a town of around 13,500 people about 22 miles northeast Tegucigalpa- the capital of Honduras. Here are some maps to give you a better idea of where Talanga and Honduras are  :)

Who are you going with?

The group I am going with is known as the Passionist Volunteers International. (click on the name to check out their website) The Passionists are actually a Catholic religious order, like Jesuits or Dominicans, but I can write more about them later.  

When I first began thinking about volunteering after graduation, I started searching in the Catholic Network of Volunteer Service for an organization to work with.  CNVS has an amazing website and directory full of different volunteer opportunities and tons of information in case you are interested!  But basically I randomly came across the PVI website and was drawn to it for some reason.  I knew I was interested in traveling to Central America and I was hoping to find a program with less than a two year commitment- and PVI gave me both of those and much more.  I could tell that the Passionists really took care of their volunteers, by providing health insurance, room and board as well as travel to and from the site.  They also believe strongly in community which means I don't have to go down there alone, but instead will be living and working with 4 or 5 other volunteers from all over the US. In addition, I was really impressed by their mission statement which reads: 

" We extend our service by crossing borders and cultures to walk with the poor and suffering in a spirit of accompaniment.

We respond with our individual and collective skills to the needs that manifest themselves.

We seek this service of accompaniment and response to the crucified of today in union with our Passionist brothers and sisters in their ministries to the suffering in the Third World.

We commit ourselves to personal and communal prayer in order that we might more effectively find inspiration, motivation and strength in the Memory of Jesus crucified and lifted up from the earth to draw all the world to Himself."

I like the idea of accompaniment that the Passionists are based off of. Actually having the opportunity to live with the people of Honduras, and with any luck becoming a part of their community- sounds more meaningful to me rather than just going down there to complete some specific project or task.  Not that we don't complete any projects down there, because we do. Usually when people ask me what I'll be doing, I like to explain it as going there to live alongside the people of Talanga and the surrounding areas, to really get a feel of what they need and what I personally or our group as a whole could do to help them.  So long story short, I'm really excited to be working with the Passionists!

When are you going?

I leave Ioway on June 4th.  I head to Pittsburgh, PA for orientation which goes until June 26th.  We get the weekend off to get any last minute items we need and pack, and then we leave for Honduras on June 30th!  I'm excited for orientation because it will be the first time I will meet any of the other volunteers I'll be working with.  Those going to Jamaica will be there with us too.  I'm sure it will be a long few weeks though as we learn more about the Passionists, our communities, the cultures we will be moving into, and all those other details.  I'll be living in Honduras then until August of 2009.

What are you going to do there?

Many people ask if I'll be working as a nurse down there, and the answer is no.  I think working as a new nurse in a Spanish-speaking, third world country would definitely be overwhelming to say the least. We'll save that for later on :) The PVIs though aren't a medical-based group, but instead they give us the chance to work at our sites in whatever way we think we can be useful. There's no doubt in my mind that I will be using those things I learned in school like communication, psychology, or actual nursing skills in some form everyday.  I won't know exactly what I'll be doing until I get down there and acclimated to the area and people.  In the past though, volunteers have started latrine-building projects, worked with the youth in after-school type programs, or done health promotion things.  All the volunteers also routinely visit an AIDS hospice home that was founded and is run by the Passionist community there. 

Why are you doing this?

Well, I think the easiest answer for this question is- I have no reason not to. Basically, I've been blessed with so much in my life, so I see this as my opportunity to give something back to the world.  I'm at the perfect point in my life to do something different and adventurous.  I have a college degree, I have the time, and I'm definitely ready to get out of Iowa for a while.  I think back on all the shorter service trips I've been on, and how they were all amazing experiences in one way or another, and I'm really excited to be in that mindset and role of serving others for an entire year.  I can't wait to be living and working in a Catholic community where we share the same faith and passion for serving our Lord.  I'm a strong believer in faith through works, and if somehow I can touch just one life through this whole experience, it will all be worthwhile.