Pre Departure Stage in D.C.

Hey everyone, not too much time to report here, but wanted to let everyone know that I made it to staging in D.C. and will be here until Friday. Looks like a great group of people. I'm looking forward to the next three months.

Itinerary

Wednesday, June 6th, 2007

United Airlines Flight Number: 7924
Equipment: ER4
Depart: TULSA, OK 6:08 Am
Arrive: CHICAGO/OHARE 8:00 Am

United Airlines Flight Number: 606
Equipment: Boeing 737-300
Depart: CHICAGO/OHARE 9:05 Am
Arrive: WASHINGTON/NATL,DC 11:53 Am

June 6, 7, 8 Pre Departure Staging in Washington D.C.

June 8 Depart Washington Dulles via Delta/Air France # 8331 at 10:20 pm
June 9 Arrive Paris (Charles de Gaulle Airport) at 11:50 am
June 9 Depart Paris via Delta/Air France # 8538 at 1:20 pm
June 9 Arrive Lomé, Togo at 5:35 pm

Less than 3 days

Only a few days remain until I blast off from the humble farming community of Tulsa, Oklahoma USA and find myself in the coastal city of Lomé, Togo this time next week. But really, what the heck does this mean anyway? I will stay in Lomé for approximately one week and then depart for a smaller city to the northeast named Kpalimé (pronounced with a silent k). My training will take part in a nearby village (like Tulsa), where I will acquire a basic foundation of French and receive a thorough safety and health rundown along with a measured dose of technical training to boot. Beyond that the story remains more or less a mystery. I will employ myself in the development sector focusing primarily on small business. After approximately three months of training, I will depart for my assignment where I will live and do my best to integrate with the community so that I may become an effective development volunteer. The objective is to provide assistance. But before I can do this, I will have to listen and observe. I am walking into an alien environment and have a lot to learn before I even have a chance to teach. I have to gain respect in my community and overcome my youth. We are officially given six months to orientate ourselves, adapt, and find a direction. The first three occur in an organized fashion, the next three occur at post where I must continue my education independently. Anything beyond this is pure speculation so I'll end here for now. I'm sure I will have many stories to put up here over the next several months. If for some reason I do not post for several days or even weeks at a time do not worry. It probably just means that I am doing something productive. It will be nice to have this space to unwind. So stay tuned.