2005-02-15 - 8:30 a.m.

I have an APCD (Associate Peace Corps Director)!!!

Our very busy country director, Obie Shaw, was also acting as the Small Enterprise Development APCD up until now... up until Brian Zoeller showed up in Mauritania!

I've been in Nouakchott for the past couple of days for our Early Term Reconnect Conference (all first-year volunteers met for the first time since Swearing-In) and for In-Service Training (sector-specific). I've had the pleasure to meet with Brian during these couple of days and discuss my project ideas with him, get his feedback and suggestions. I feel instantly re-energized and motivated to make things happen... Inshallah!

Life back in Mauritania has been going fairly well. I am in the process of writing a grant for my primary project and setting up secondary projects such as a weekly English Conversation Club for local NGO workers who already have a basic grasp of the language, often have to deal with work documents written in English and wish to improve their reading/comprehension and oral communication. The idea is to get current events news articles (from our, sometimes too abundant, Peace Corps supply of Newsweek!), give them copies ahead of time to read and then meet to discuss them. Other secondary projects are still in the very early stages of conception... so I will not yet mention them!

When I left Magta Lahjar a few days ago, the weather was starting to warm up... quite suddenly and unexpectedly actually! I was pleased to get to a cool rainy Nouakchott (everyone is quite puzzled by these rains... it almost reminds me of a regular rainy Spring in Europe!)I've been warned about the upcoming months where it is expected to be unbearably hot in my region... GREAT! :-p

We opened a bureau (office) in Aleg (my regional capital)so I will be able to get work done more easily and more often, taking advantage of the free Internet connection, phone, printer, resource library, etc. Inshallah and Alhamdullillah! I am supposed to be getting key copies made today as a matter of fact... somewhere in Nouakchott, wish me luck!

I've been meaning to write a journal entry about the people I often interact with in Magta Lahjar... I will prepare it during my short trip to Dakar (Senegal) and then hopefully uploaded on my way back! Inshallah!

I send you all a tight hug and lots of love... Happy Belated Birthday Deepak and Sheri!! Happy Belated Valentine's Day everyone else!!

Love,

Jordy

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