Update: Last Week of Training

Good day everybody. Quick update from Mali.

As of yesterday, we have completed our homestays and initial language training! This means two things: 1) Joye and I no longer have to live apart in different villages, and 2) We only have one week left of Peace Corps training! Both are great news.

For the next week though, we still have more training sessions related to health, safety, and culture. Then, on Friday morning, we will go to the American Embassy to officially swear-in as Peace Corps volunteers. Following the ceremony, we will be able to spend the night in Mali's capital Bamako. We're doing something special, since it is so close to our one-year anniversary, but we'll save the details for later. :)

However, quickly reflecting on the past two weeks, our last stint at homestay was great. Our language continually improved, our host families were already familiar with our habits and daily routines, and therefore, we were able to accomplish things that we could not have done even a few weeks before. For example, Joye was able to buy the ingredients for and cook American spaghetti, and we were both able to get clothing tailored out of Malian fabric. Moreover, after many conversations, I was able to convince my family that America isn't all gold and glitter, which I consider a huge victory. And then, after fasting with them for one day (since this month is the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan), I was able to converse with my family about the similarities and differences between Islam and Christianity in an entirely friendly manner. In short, whereas we have spent the last two month learning about Malian culture from our host families, in the past two weeks were finally able to share some elements of American culture in return.

However, while we both loved our homestay families, we have concluded that homestay training was much like high school - we leave with a few close friends, but overall, we are ready to move on. So after exchanging phone numbers with my host family, I hopped aboard a Peace Corps van and was taken back to Tubaniso, our training facility / summer camp. We believe that our training was successful, both culturally and linguistically, and we are thrilled to be leaving for our site soon, where our work can finally begin.

Thank you for keeping with us! We will write again soon!

-Jim