Preparing for Malawi

Over the weekend of October 16-18, I attended training for my minimission trip to Malawi in Eustis, Florida with Rafiki.  It was very informative, and exciting to see the amazing work this foundation does.  Rafiki is Swahili for "friend," and the foundation was established in 1985 to befriend orphans and widows in their distress.  Rafiki operates villages in ten countries in Africa which house up to 100 orphans each.  In addition, there are programs in place for teacher training, widows, and advanced learning. 

My favorite statement from this weekend was that the foundation encourages graduates from their schools to attend college within their home countries so that they might become effective leaders within their countries, rather than moving to Europe or the United States.  In preparation for my upcoming service with Rafiki and the Peace Corps I have been reading Richard Dowden's "Africa: altered states, ordinary miracles."  In his post-colonial political history of each country in Africa, Dowden points to the challenge of changing countries for the better from within when the most intelligent and gifted citizens are offered education and employment on other continents.  That Rafiki is encouraging its graduates to make a difference in the communities from which they come is incredible.

There is so much more I could share about this organization, but there is no way I could be as thorough as the website: rafikifoundation.org.  Please visit the website and learn more about what they do and how you can get involved.  I will depart in forty days for Malawi, and will likely have so much more to share (including pictures) after my minimission. 

If you would like to contribute to my upcoming trip you can do so through the website listed above.  Simply select "ways to give," "support my mini missionary," and find my name in the drop box "Wood, Shauna-Trip 1 - M2653-1."

A very hectic month...but full of good news!

September was a pretty crazy month.  I had my NCLEX exam for my nursing license and several tasks to complete in order to qualify for Peace Corps service.  I am very pleased to announce that I successfully passed my NCLEX on my first attempt (as did all of my classmates!), and I have been medically cleared for Peace Corps service!  There was so much stress during the waiting period, but once I received the news that I had passed and had been medically cleared I enjoyed the most amazing sense of relief.

The next eight weeks will include working, visiting friends and family, attending weddings, and getting ready to move from Las Vegas to my mom's house in Montclair, California before leaving for Malawi.  This time period will carry its own stress, as tying up loose ends is always challenging, but it will be a time of great excitement as well as I get ready for the next phase of my adventure!  I will attend training in Orlando for my Rafiki Foundation trip the weekend of October 16, after which time I will likely have a better idea of what to expect in Malawi.

More to come in October!

The first mini-meltdown

I finished my coursework for my BSN last week and have been working toward my medical and legal clearance for Peace Corps service.  Yesterday was my first chance to really reflect on all that I had completed in the past 32 months, and to ponder all that I will be doing in the next 32 months.  A lack of sleep, coupled with a failure to acknowledge the emotions that were brewing just beneath the surface with the completion of my nursing education led to the perfect storm.  I started thinking about everything I am giving up, and it isn't the big things that bother me.  I am upset about giving up a painting, or a plate, or my books.  I think allegorically, and I quickly realized that my behavior is like that of a child who refuses to let go of a ratty old security blanket, even though his parents are offering him a chance to ride his brand new bicycle.  How silly it is to hold on to items that will become old and tattered when so much more is waiting for us if we would just open up our hands to take hold of it.  I was reminded of one of C.S. Lewis's messages from The Weight of Glory, in which he speaks of our desires as being so weak and silly compared to the amazing joy that is offered to us if we will just take it.  He compares us to "an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea."  Letting go is difficult, but it is necessary if we are to grow.  Nobody would ever learn to swim if they did not first let go of the side of the pool.  Time to start paddling.

Chapter 2

Tonight I received my invitation to serve with the Peace Corps in South Africa, departing January 20, 2016.  I am so excited for this adventure! 

The next four months will be a bit hectic, but I feel up to the challenge.  My family will be coming to Las Vegas to celebrate my pinning with me in two weeks, after which I will focus on studying for, and taking, the NCLEX.  I will need to obtain medical, dental, vision, and legal clearance prior to Peace Corps service.  I will also need to obtain the CDC recommended vaccines prior to my departure for Malawi.

There will be so much more to share in the coming months as I work towards my goals.  Please pray that I can stay organized and accomplish everything that I need to before I leave for Malawi. 

More to come!!!!!

Chapter One

This blog will serve to provide updates to my friends and family during my upcoming adventures. 

Here is a quick overview of the path that has led me here: in February 2011 I began to consider service with the Peace Corps in Africa.  I quickly came to the conclusion that I would prefer some medical training before embarking on such an adventure, and began looking into emergency medical technician (EMT) courses at local colleges in Las Vegas.  As I was considering the course offerings, nursing school ads continuously came up in my browser.  Not one to believe in coincidence, I took this option into consideration, and found myself enrolled in prerequisites for nursing school at Nevada State College (NSC) within the month.  After a long and arduous journey through nursing school, I plan to graduate from NSC with my Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) this August.

So what is next?  By semester three of nursing school I knew that I wanted to work with patients affected by the HIV virus, and I still felt drawn to Africa.  In October 2014 I began to research organizations that work in developing regions in Africa.  I applied to the Peace Corps for service in South Africa in February 2015.  By March 2015 I received notification that I was in the candidate pool for Peace Corps South Africa, but an interview was not requested until June 2015.  During that waiting period I was asked by two people in the same day whether I had considered service with the Rafiki Foundation.  Again, not believing in coincidence, I researched the Rafiki Foundation.  I saw an excellent service opportunity and requested information.  After applying to Rafiki I was approved to serve on a minimission to Malawi, departing on November 28, 2015.  I will spend one month working in a Rafiki village, working as a nurse and a tutor for the orphans housed in the village.  I expect this to be both a humbling and rewarding experience, and expect to learn so much while serving. 

I will be raising support for my trip with Rafiki.  Some have expressed interest in contributing to my Rafiki account, so here is the way to do that:
1. go to www.rafikifoundation.org
2. click on "ways to give" and choose "support my mini or support my missionary" from the drop down menu
3. you can either enter my name in the text box or put your cursor in the text box and choose my name from the drop box (Wood, Shauna-Trip 1 - M2653-1) and press "go"
4. enter your email, name, and phone number, enter a dollar amount, and press "add gift" and continue to payment.