Apr 7, 20238 min read

My Journey to the Peace Corps

I wouldn't say that my Peace Corps journey is the typical one.

I first heard about the Peace Corps when I was in High School. I think we watched a movie that talked about the organization. I don't remember much from the presentation, but I remember thinking it would be pretty cool to do someday. If anything, at the time I thought mostly that it would be fun so that I could travel the world.

Fast forward 10 or so years and I had long forgotten about that high school presentation. In February 2022 I was on vacation with some friends from College (Anika and Livv) in Costa Rica. We were hanging out in our Airbnb talking about anything that came to mind. One of my friends brought up the question if any of us would ever want to live abroad. Livv was temporarily living in Costa Rica at the time and Anika and I had both lived abroad having served missions for our church (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). The idea was appealing and Livv jokingly said "We should all just join the Peace Corps together". It was meant as a joke, but the thought of joining the Peace Corps would not leave my mind.

I like plans, and joining the Peace Corps was not the plan. I graduated from BYU-Idaho with a B.S. in Marriage and Family Studies. I was working at an MHMR facility as a Case Manager in the Youth & Families department and was planning to apply to grad school the following fall to pursue a Masters (and possibly Doctorate) in Marriage and Family Therapy.

I thought when I got back home to Texas and returned to work that I'd soon forget about it, but that wasn't the case. Me being me, I started doing some research and got in touch with some contacts that I knew were connected with the Peace Corps. I also made SEVERAL pros and cons lists and spoke with a few friends to act as a sounding board for me. Honestly, even after all the lists and talking it out with friends, I still had no idea if it was the right decision or not. There were several reasons to join the Peace Corps and several reasons not to.

I've always had a pretty good relationship with God and have learned to be comfortable praying to him for guidance. One day when driving between work appointments I was having a conversation with God expressing to him my concerns, fears, hopes, everything really. I had done the research and seriously pondered over joining the Peace Corps and now I wanted to know if it was God's plan for me or not. If it wasn't, then I needed help to get these thoughts out of my head, and if it was, then I needed to start planning.

Honestly, when I said that prayer I wasn't expecting the answer I got. I was expecting God to tell me"It's a fun idea, but it's not my plan for you." The answer I got however was, "Go and do." I can't exactly put it into words, but the feeling was so profound that I could not deny it. That night when I got home from work, I went online and applied to serve in the Peace Corps.

For those of you that haven't gone through the Peace Corps application process let me tell you...it is a doozy. There is a bunch of paperwork, interviews, invitations to serve, background checks, a lot of medical appointments, weeks of pre-service training, plus everyone you know doubting your decision.

When I applied to the Peace Corps I left it open to serve anywhere, in either the education or youth development sectors. I didn't tell my family when I applied, in case it didn't go anywhere, but waited to say something until after I had been extended an interview. I was excited when I was invited to interview and even more excited when I was extended an invitation to serve. I was however surprised by the responses I got from some loved ones when I told them my plans.

It hurts when people you expect to support you doubt you. When they think that you didn't think it all the way through before applying. Or when they assume that they know what is best for you... What they didn't understand is that I didn't make the decision on a whim. I took my concerns to the Lord and was acting on faith with the answer I was given. To be honest I wasn't entirely sure why God gave me the answer that he did. I just knew then and know now, that when the Lord gives me direction to do something, I am going to do it...even if I don't understand the why right now.

I should throw in a disclaimer for those loved ones, that they did eventually come to a form of understanding and supported my decision when they saw I was committed to it. I realize that their lack of support wasn't coming from thoughts that I couldn't do it, but rather from love and a fear of the unknown.

Initially, I accepted an invitation to serve in Zambia in August 2022. I went through all the paperwork and was just waiting on the medical clearance to be approved for me to go. If you don't know the Peace Corps recommends that you don't quit your job or anything like that until you get the clearance to go. It's hard though because some people get approval quickly and some people may not get official approval until just a few days before. So do you just quit your job last minute or do you give them the 2-week notice hoping it all works out? I mean I had my flight itinerary and figured everything was good... Well, I fell into the second category...I gave the notice to quit and then spent time traveling to visit friends and family before I left for Zambia.

A little over a week before I was supposed to leave, the medical officer asked me to do a last-minute pulmonary test, since I had previously reported that I have slight asthma. My asthma just gets induced sometimes by the cold or over-exertion. It's never been a real issue of concern for me though. I forwarded the test results to the Medical nurse and the week before I was supposed to leave I got the news that Zambia wouldn't have the resources to take care of me if something were to happen...I guess my lungs were worse than I thought and I was CRUSHED.

I read the email while sitting in my car and called my sister Michelle to help me process it. I was devastated. I had quit my job, told all my friends I was leaving, and was ready to go. What was I supposed to do now? How was I supposed to explain to everyone what had happened? It wasn't just my disappointment I had to worry about, but I was also burdened by the disappointment that I knew others would feel for me, knowing that I wouldn't be going. I couldn't take the pity that I knew I was going to receive. I cried in my car and again when I went inside my house to tell my family. My amazing mother and father listened without judgment and gave me the hugs I needed.

I just want to say that I have an amazing family. They were all very supportive. That night my sister Shannon knowing that I needed a change of scenery offered to let me come live with her while I figured out my next steps. The weekend I was supposed to leave for Zambia, my sister Michelle surprised me with a visit from Utah to come cheer me up and give me the perfect day. (FYI, the perfect day consists of sleeping in, eating breakfast tacos, kayaking, and eating at Gordo's.) My brothers gave me the space I needed and extended their love.

I decided to take Shannon up on her offer and moved to San Antonio. I was confused about Zambia not working out, but I still felt like the answer I was getting from God was to go. So, I decided to give the Peace Corps another try and applied to be re-assigned to another country that would be asthma friendly. 3-4 weeks after the rejection I was extended an offer to Armenia for March 2023. In San Antonio, I got the change of fresh air that I needed, got a new job (at a dialysis clinic), and was able to make some great friends while I waited to ship out to Armenia.

From Zambia falling through I had a little PTSD and was worried that it wouldn't work out again. Negative thoughts flooded my mind and I wondered what my next steps would be. I started to have doubts that maybe I was pushing an agenda for myself rather than what God wanted me to do. The temple, however, was a great source of peace for me when this happened. Luckily, living in San Antonio, I lived pretty close to one that I could go to when I started to feel this way.

The 7 months of waiting both dragged on and flew by. This time around, I waited to give notice until I got approval (luckily it came earlier) and I worked right up until a few days before I flew out. My boss was great and was willing to work with me so that if on the off chance, I didn't go, I could still have my job. Finally, Friday, March 10th came and it was time to fly to Philidelphia for orientation for Peace Corps Training and Peace Corps Service. My Aunt Monica and Uncle Larry picked me up from the airport in Philly and spent time with me before dropping me off at my hotel. They are the sweetest.

Orientation started Friday night and went through Saturday. To say I was nervous is an understatement. I have never considered myself outgoing and this was WAY out of my comfort zone. I was apprehensive to meet the other volunteers. What if they thought I was awkward? What if we didn't get along? what if...what if...what if... I can now say that I am so grateful for the other volunteers. For the first time since starting this journey, I didn't feel like I had to justify myself for the decision to Join the Peace Corps. They understood it and I wasn't alone in my fears. It has amazed me how supportive they are and how quickly we have been able to form friendships with one another.

Sunday morning (March 12th) we had some time to ourselves before we had to hop on a bus to NYC to fly to Armenia. I felt it was really important for me to attend the local church since I didn't know when/if I'd have an opportunity to do so in the next 2 years. It was a blessing that there happened to be one within walking distance from the hotel. That Sunday service was exactly what I needed to calm my anxious heart. Every song and talk felt like it was directed toward me. I felt a peace come over me that everything would work out and that I would be taken care of in my travels. That the Lord would lead me and guide me every step of the way.

I'm still not sure why I felt prompted to take this path instead of the one I had planned out for myself. But I'm grateful for this opportunity that I have to serve others. I hope that during my 2 years of service, I can grow personally and be a source of Good in the lives of the Armenians I meet.

I haven't been here long, but I've already fallen in love with the culture and people here. Armenia is a Beautiful place and the people are so resilient. I'm inspired by their stories and look forward to sharing them with you all back home over the next 2 years.