Holiday Travel Adventures

PICTURES: The first is of Linda, Bill and Dorothy at the Mingachevir reservoir. Second the reservoir with the mountains in the background. Third is of the beautiful river running through the center of Mingachevir, and note the fantastic river walk – outstanding. Fourth, I could not resist a shot of the public toilet with the semi-private door. Bill has a better picture with me inside looking out at everyone with the door closed. Finally, even the most beautiful spots on this earth has to have a few turkeys.
We had another busy week following Thanksgiving. We were very fortunate in that Matt and Andrew called on Thanksgiving evening after we had published the last blog. It was good to hear their voices.
During the Qurban bayram (Sacrifice Holiday) Linda and I traveled to Barda to visit with our friends Bill and Dorothy Colcord. We left our home about 10:00 a.m. and arrived at Bill and Dorothy’s a little after 2:00 p.m. which means it was a great trip, and we did not have to wait long for bus connections.
When we arrived at their home there were 2 of the younger Volunteers finishing up a Scrabble game with Dorothy. The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent in great conversation and good food. Bill and Dorothy are much like us and receive many delicious offerings from the U.S. Linda had brought a Duncan Hines Brownie Mix and they turned out perfect. We also learned a new use for lavash, which is a flat bread much like a flour tortilla. We cut the lavash into squares or diamonds, coat with a little olive oil, season, bake 3 minutes on each side, and then we have cheap warm chips – tasty.
On Saturday we all four traveled north and east to Mingachevir. Mingachevir is celebrating its 61st year as a city. A new city it is very clean, has wide streets, and has a reservoir which also produces hydro-electric power. There is the large reservoir with mountains in the background. The river then runs through the center of the city. It has become quite the Azerbaijan tourist spot. Mingachevir is one of the choice assignments for Volunteers. There is abundant housing, clean, great bazaar, hotels, and good restaurants by Azerbaijan standards. The weather can get a little cold in the winter, but there is water recreation in the summer. The reservoir is a beautiful shade of blue.
After returning in the early evening (we cannot travel outside of site except during daylight due to road and mass transit conditions) we again enjoyed good conversation, food, and then movie time. Dorothy had access to a projector and Bill connected his laptop. Bill projected the movie A Christmas Story, which if you can believe they had never seen. Yes, the movie A Christmas Story about Ralphie and Red Rider BB gun, they had never viewed this masterpiece of the cinema. I, on the other hand, recited the dialogue along with the actors.
Dorothy and Linda went to sleep while Bill and I enjoyed the second feature, Pretty Woman.
Sunday we returned home and Monday was still the holiday, so Linda spent the day washing, cleaning, and I ground meat, shopped, and defrosted the fridge. All in all a great holiday was had here in Azerbaijan.

Recently Linda broke a tooth, but was in no pain. She contacted the Peace Corps Medical Officer, Fuad, and he arranged a dental appointment for her. Since we are due for an annual examination and cleaning, Fuad made an appointment for both of us. The dental work is contracted to a group named American Dental Transplant Clinic. The dentists are graduates of dental schools in the United States. The clinic has the latest technology. The x-rays are digital and are viewed within seconds. Linda had her tooth repaired, but we both need further work done. I will have a couple of fillings and a root canal. Linda will have a couple of fillings, but one is complicated. We will keep everyone posted, but the dental care is impressive.

When I went to the post office after the holiday, all the Hopewell cards had arrived for Linda. In all she received 25 birthday cards – thanks to each and every one of you. Linda and I are back at work until the Azerbaijan World Unification holiday on December 31, and then the New Year celebration.

Next week a picture of our Christmas tree! Thanks to Betty Woollums for giving us the inspiration, and Betty Matheney for sending all the old Christmas cards which we are using for decorations!

Happy Thanksgiving from Azerbaijan

We wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. We hope you are all with family and friends.
The second in command at the U.S. Embassy in Baku, Don Lu, opened his home to the AZ6 Volunteers for a Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday, November 21. There were 50 of 55 Volunteers attending. Don Lu is a RPCV who served in his 20’s. He is very impressive and has helped us to understand Azerbaijan’s current political situation.
The second photo is of the PCV shoes left at the door.
The Third photo is of Thanksgiving table and you might recognize mashed potatoes and stove top stuffing. The fourth photo is of Denney carving the turkey (see description below). Finally, there is a picture of Leslie Schoolfield, an AZ6 in Salyan, Denney and Linda celebrating Thanksgiving in Azerbaijan.

It has been a full week with being in Baku last Saturday for the Thanksgiving dinner hosted by Don Lu. There was a lot of delicious turkey and soft drinks provided by the Embassy. The AZ6 Volunteers each brought a dish. There were lots of apple dishes, potatoes, pasta, salads, pumpkin pies, and even one pecan pie. The food was wonderful, and the housing for U.S. officials is really fantastic.
After the dinner all the Volunteers had a talent show (more next week with pictures). Then we were hosted by Americans living and working Baku. Linda and I were hosted by Peter and Stephanie Stasser. Peter is with the Department of Justice and works with prosecutors helping with procedures and techniques. They have 2 college age children. Stephanie’s father was a university professor in Thailand. Peter was a prosecutor in New Orleans and has served overseas in Malawi, Georgia, Philippines, and now Azerbaijan. They will be leaving Azerbaijan in the next 6 months for a new assignment. They were very kind to us. Peter drove us to church on Sunday. They have a lovely home, and Stephanie is quite an artist. We had wonderful conversations with them. It was a fantastic break.
It is interesting though that boredom can be a problem for everyone serving overseas. When we returned to the Stasser’s home they were watching a DVD of season 3 of the Beverly Hillbillies.

We celebrated Thanksgiving in the traditional manner. We had a turkey, it is small and here in Azerbaijan it is called a chicken. Linda put together wonderful green beans, mashed potatoes. We were going to have a wonderful dessert, but the electricity went off about 2:00 p.m. and was off until 5:30. So, you might note in the pictures above, we celebrated by candle light.
On Friday we will travel to Barda to spend time with our friends Bill and Dorothy.

When there is a significant American holiday such as Thanksgiving or Christmas, Volunteers do not work. Then Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (November 27-30) has been declared non-work days by the Milli Mejlis (Parliament). The non-work days are to mark Qurban. Qurban means sacrifice and is a significant remembrance in the Muslim world. It is a time when sheep are slaughtered as a sacrifice and those who are able will give meat to the poor. Families may go together and slaughter one sheep. The remembrance is of Abraham’s going to sacrifice his son Ishmael, but God provides a lamb instead. The term slaughter is not used, but instead “cut” indicating how the lamb is to be killed. The lamb is pointed towards Mecca, a prayer is said, then the throat is cut. After the lamb has bled to death, the head and the legs at the knee are removed. Then the meat is butchered in the customary proportions.

Any time during a Muslim holy day there is an emphasis on charitable giving, similar to our providing meals during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

We wish for you the very best, and thank you always for your support. My brother John and his wife Kim called us Thanksgiving morning here. It was so good to hear their voices, and we begin to look forward to being reunited. A special thank you to all those who sent Linda a birthday card. The church in Archie was especially well represented. Linda and I are faithful to send our birthday offerings to the Missouri Baptist Children's Home through Hopewell Baptist Church.

On a sadder note, the Peace has lost its fourth Volunteer this year due to death. It was a 23 year old young woman, graduate of Stanford, serving in Monaco and died following an illness. For more information on the Peace Corps go to www.peacecorps.gov

AZ7 a Great Group

Pictured above are (left to right) Clarissa, Linda, and Jade. They are a part of the AZ7 Volunteers. They will be sworn in and deployed to their sites on December 10. Overall it is a very outstanding group.

We wrote about Connie and Sarah who were part of the original 61 AZ7. AZ7 training began in Philadelphia as did ours. They lost one person there who decided they could not go. After arriving in Azerbaijan they lost a second person due to health reasons, an allergic reaction to the pollution. Connie will be going to Qazax in the far northwest corner of Azerbaijan, and Sarah to Xachmaz which is in the north east corner.

Now for an even more interesting part of the story. While in Philadelphia there were 2 other countries staging at the same time. One of them was Turkmenistan. On the morning they were to leave, the Director of Central Asia and Eastern Europe region of the Peace Corps came to tell them that Turkmenistan had decided that it would not host new volunteers in 2009 and would wait until 2010 (after 17 years of continually receiving of volunteers). The group was devastated to say the least. One couple was like us and had sold their home. The Peace Corps did everything they could. They returned the group to their homes and said they would try to place them as quickly as possible, but it could be months.

Azerbaijan Peace Corps expanded its AZ7 group to include 7 more for the program of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). They joined the 9 week training - two weeks late. They have been working very hard to catch up with the cultural and language training. They missed the Peace Corps Volunteer site visits. To help with their training the 7 went to 5 sites nearest to Baku. That is how we got to meet and spend time with Clarissa and Jade.

Clarissa is a Chinese American (as she has to repeatedly explain to the Azerbaijanis that she meets). Her grandfather still lives in Hon Kong, her brother in Hawaii, and her parents in Berkley, California. She loves the Berkley area. She had researched and planned on serving in the Peace Corps for several years. She is very dedicated and wants to share herself with the people of Azerbaijan.

Jade's grandfather immigrated to the United States in 1950 from Tehran, Iran. Jade is from the Seattle area and had wanted to serve in the Peace Corps since she entered the University. Jade fits right into the Azerbaijani appearance.

We were very impressed with their dedication and desire to be good volunteers - consequently they will be great volunteers. Clarissa is going to Neftchala, and Jade to Masalli which are in the southern sector of Azerbaijan, and only a couple of hours from us. We hope to be able to keep in contact with them during next year.

The ethnicity of the AZ7s is enhanced by Sharif Hussanein who is one of the 7 from the Turkmenistan group. He was born in the Sudan, escaped the genocides with his older brother. He ended up through many circumstances in Florida, and is a graduate of Florida State University, and a U.S. citizen. He wants to serve the United States through the Peace Corps. He arrived in Azerbaijan and was told by the host family that they wanted a real American and he could not stay with them. The Peace Corps immediately found alternative housing for him. His attitude is always positive. Children at the school where he trains will lick their fingers and rub his skin, and he just smiles. Linda met him during one of her presentations and was captivated by his special qualities.

We try to explain to our co-workers here in Azerbaijan, that these are really more American than we. They represent the very best of our nation - God Bless the U.S.A.

Saturday, November 21 we will travel to Baku and be housed by an American family working in Azerbaijan and living in Baku. In the afternoon 55 AZ6 volunteers will go to the home of Don Lou who is with the Embassy staff in Baku. Don Lou is a RPCV and has great affection for the volunteers.

One other note: Robert Kelsay commented that Linda was wearing an Oregon Ducks tee-shirt in one of the photos. When volunteers go home, they generally leave as much as they can in Azerbaijan for volunteers and Azerbaijanis. Linda inherited the shirt from an AZ5 - she is still a Baylor Bear, Kansas Jayhawk, and Central Missouri Mule through and through.

Half-way through Training and Service

Pictures: This week I am reminiscing a little. The first picture is of Thanksgiving 2008 in the village of Saray with 3 Trainee clusters represented. We gathered for Thanksgiving pot luck dinner and also to surprise Linda on her birthday. The sign says “Your 60 years life – celebrate/congratulations.”
The third picture was taken at a cultural event during our training. We visited the ancient site of Gobustan, and here are most of the older group eating lunch together. The 3 on the far right have all Early Terminated, ET, due to family and adjustment issues.
The fourth picture is of Denney looking into a “Mud Volcano”. These are unique to the area and are a result of gas erupting through the mud. They are not hot, but can be a little dangerous in that this year one of the AZ7’s sunk down to his belly in mud when the crust broke.
Finally is one of my favorite pictures of Linda at Sheki.

Linda and I have passed the half-way point in our service and training. On December 10 we will mark the half-way point in our service as Volunteers, and will have less than one year remaining. The countdown of our return will begin. So, the subject of this blog is homesickness.

I read the blogs of other Volunteers and Trainees in Azerbaijan when I have time. Homesickness is common to all of us. Everyone has ways of handling the being separated from family and American culture. Serving in the Peace Corps is far different now than even 5 years ago, much less 10, 20, 30, or 50. Through cell phones, television and the internet we keep up with news and are in contact with family and friends on a regular basis. It is this contact that helps the most. Even short emails are always appreciated.
This week we were fortunate to have two phone calls. First, the members of Hopewell Baptist Church had a “Call Linda and Denney Fellowship.” There was a potluck supper and then they called 8:15 p.m. CST which was 6:15 a.m. for us. We were expecting the call and had both been up since 5:00 in anticipation. We had speakerphones on both ends of the call which made it very nice. It was a joy to hear familiar voices. Something like that picks up the spirits.
On Friday night (CST) Andrew called us and we spoke for about 30 minutes. He had had a stressful day, but being able to speak with him helped to make us feel we are still a viable part of his life. He said he would call again on Thanksgiving.
In addition to the telephone calls, we also receive cards and letters. Three weeks or so is the average delivery time. These are nice because they can be read over and over. I also use the cards for Conversation Clubs to discuss the pictures and such.
Many of you have been so instrumental in sending us packages. I know I will leave someone out so I will not list everyone, but some of the highlights have been: spices from many people (I think my sister buys a whole shelf and sends it), For all of you who have sent special foods like peanut butter, French or Italian roast coffee, crackers, cheeses, oatmeal, hot chocolate mixes, Kool-Aid, Crystal Lite, soups and soup mixes, candy, and everything else – too much to mention. These items make life so much more bearable. All the Volunteers comment how these items help overcome the homesickness for American culture.
We are very fortunate to have a reliable mail system. Many Volunteers over the world are not as fortunate. We have timely and safe delivery. We have only lost a couple of items. One electronic package did not arrive at all. Another package was missing a roll of tape after having come open during transit. We also lost one package of Crystal Lite – told you it was valuable.
We offer special thanks to all of you who helped in emergencies with items like makeup, hairspray, and French Press coffee maker.
Last year Billie and Daryl Limpus sent us a CD of the 1985 Christmas program at FBC Archie. There were our sons, and friends’ children singing and performing. It was so emotional and touching.
So, basically, every contact from the U.S.A. is deeply appreciated and helps manage the homesickness.

We miss family and friends most at the holidays, birthdays, and special occasions. The American culture is different. When we are reading books and the characters go to their favorite Pizza place, restaurant, play, or concert, then it hits. When Linda is preparing meals, we realize how much we miss prepared foods. Diet drinks are not found easily, an occasional Coke or Pepsi Light can be purchased. The sugar free drinks from the U.S. are something we did not realize how much we would miss them.

Some volunteers have made trips back to the United States and others have had family visit them here. I believe for us a trip to the United States would not help because I doubt I could get back on the plane to return to Azerbaijan. Chris Gilmore is hoping to come visit us next year, and we are still hoping one or both of our sons could come.

In December and early January we will be getting our physicals and dental examinations, and then late January or early February will be our Mid-service Conference. Then the countdown to our return will begin, and next summer in earnest.

All total out of the 61 we began with there is now 55. There have been 3 younger and 3 older volunteers who Early Terminated. To Early Terminate is respected as the best choice for those individuals at that time. We respect and appreciate anyone who has made the Peace Corps a choice and every minute of service is important. Thank you again for helping make this possible for us through your contacts, support, friendship, love, prayers, and thoughts!

Linda Continues to Assist with Training

Pictures: The first is of Linda’s counterpart Metanet (right) and her sister. As they traveled to Jeyranbatan, Linda and Metanet stopped in Baku at Metanet’s sister’s apartment for lunch. Linda felt it was a great honor to be invited and that Metanet wants Linda to meet her entire family.
This year is the “Year of the Child”, “Ushaq Ili”, and a program was presented in the Library. The Library Director welcomes everyone to the program. The program consisted of readings, drama, activities, and awards.

Linda was busy again this week. She and her counterpart traveled to the village of Jeyranbatan. They presented two sessions on working with a counterpart in Azerbaijan schools. Linda has established a very good relationship with her counterpart, and has changed her secondary counterpart for this school year. Linda provided excellent realistic experiences and techniques.
When we made our first visit to Shirvan last year Linda took pictures of all the English language teachers. Then at Christmas time Linda made cards for each teacher with a copy of the picture on it. Linda explained the tradition of Christmas cards while presenting a photo to each teacher. Photos are treasured here and deeply appreciated.
Linda established a monthly meeting with the Director of the school to make sure he was aware of everything she was doing. Her reports to the Director provide an opportunity to establish trust and support for her work here. It seems like obvious techniques, but the majority of TEFL volunteers do not have teaching experience before coming to the Peace Corps.
Counterparts are one of the keys to a successful Peace Corps experience. A good counterpart makes the difficulties in language and culture easier to overcome. A bad counterpart or a bad relationship with a good counterpart can increase the level of the barriers. Linda’s counterpart helps her with the meetings with the Director, Conversation Clubs, shopping, and friendship.
Linda and Metanet presented and answered many excellent questions from the Trainees. There is a large group this year and were divided into 2 groups. The first group were experienced teachers and the second group had no teaching experience. The first group responded exceptionally well, were tuned in and had some of those excellent questions. The second group was less disciplined and took awhile to get onboard, but in the end responded with good questions.
Like having any large group of people, there are those who understand and behave appropriately. Appropriate dress for the teacher is of utmost importance in Azerbaijan. People are first judged upon their appearance. After trust and confidence is built, then more casual dress may be more acceptable, or maybe not. Appropriate attire demonstrates respect for the culture in which we live. It seems simple, but no matter how many times it is repeated, some Volunteers may not understand its importance.

When Linda returned to her classroom on Thursday, after almost 2 weeks absence due to training future Volunteers, she received a standing ovation from class 9C. It warmed Linda’s heart! The children and staff here truly appreciate Mrs. Linda. Every week there seems to be something like the ovation that gives us inspiration.

For me, this week had me contemplating whether or not one could die from an overdose of Pepto Bismal. I missed three days at the library and when Linda returned on Tuesday evening was more of a burden to her than a helpmate. I am slowly gaining my strength back, and completed a day of work on Friday. Some days the most inspirational events are a bowl of soup and Sprite.

Assisting with AZ7 Training

Last week was another unique time in the lives of Denney and Linda. On Saturday, October 24, we made our way to Baku. We try to get to Baku every 6-8 weeks so that Linda can get a great haircut. The timing was right, Andrea, a Community Economic Development Volunteer, was in Baku for training with Access Bank, her site organization. While in Baku, she had access to a 3-room apartment and invited all the Volunteers who had been in a Bible study group during training to come and go to church together on Sunday. Wendy, Micah, Linda and I accepted her invitation.
The picture above is of the Baku International School auditorium (lower half) where the Baku International Fellowship meets for worship. This was about 20 minutes before the service began. There were approximately 300 in attendance with about 50 of those children under the age of 12. The congregation is made up of expatriates working or studying. The offering was received by four men of different ethnic origin; Indian, African, Asian, and European.
After the service we also met a gentleman involved with the Azerbaijan Baptists. We had a very meaningful, but far too brief of a conversation. We hope to meet with him again in the future when we are in Baku. He asked that I not use his name because of circumstances we understand. He is a very brave man.
We had a good evening Saturday visiting with our friends and fellow Volunteers, then separated after worship. I headed back to Shirvan, Linda headed to McDonalds with the others and then on to Sumqayit. Linda met Connie, an AZ7 with whom she stayed while in the village of Saray. The meeting place for all Volunteers and Trainees in Sumqayit is “The Dove.” The statue pictured above is very near the Caspian, and is known by everyone.
Pictured above at the host family in Saray are (left to right) Vafa the daughter, a relative, Ilhama the host mother, and Connie. Ilhama is a widow with a large extended family. Her husband died of cancer at the age of 46 and was 1 of 11 children. Ilhama would say he came from 11 children and is the only one who has died. There were many relatives in and out of the house always checking on her. Ilhama works as a secretary at the music school in Saray. The house was very clean, and the family as all Azerbaijanis hospitable.
Linda was asked to be a mentor this year. She went to a language cluster (5 Trainees) and observed them teaching 3 different lessons. She evaluated and gave feedback to each Trainee. Linda was quite impressed with 3 of the five teachers. The fourth has potential, but has never had teaching experience, and given the right counterpart will do a good job. The fifth needs to go home.
Linda returned to Shirvan on Saturday, October 31, around noon to Denney’s open arms, peanut butter, soup, and hot cinnamon tea.

I had my usual conversation clubs on Monday. I also went to a wedding Monday evening. The wedding was for a library worker’s husband. There can be 2 weddings. One wedding is for the girl, and she may wear any color dress. The second is the boy’s and the bride wears white. In this wedding, the couple signed the legal documents and it was very western with a woman asking the couple to repeat vows before the customary food and dancing.
On Tuesday I traveled to the village of Tegiyev. The village is right on the Caspian, and about 4 hours from Shirvan. I was there to assist in a session on teaching basic computer skills on Wednesday. Because we are not allowed to travel at night, I traveled to Tegiyev on Tuesday, presented on Wednesday afternoon, and returned to Shirvan on Thursday. Pictured above is a view of school number 32 in Tegiyev. It is the Caspian in the background. However, it was raining, cold, and I fell down on my way to the school.
Pictured above are 2 more of the AZ7 Trainees. They are very talented, and I was equally impressed with the group of AZ7 in the Youth Development Program. In between the 2 Trainees is a relative of the host mother where I stayed.
My conditions were much different from Linda’s. There was a large compound with at least 4 houses, and I’m not sure how many families in each house. I saw so many different people. We all share a toilet. I always had to wait in line, no matter the time of night or day!
I was anxious to return back to Shirvan.
Note of explanation: There is an Azerbaijan proverb, “East or west home is best.” The meaning is wherever you travel it is always best to return home and die at home.
A tender moment for me was during the Friday 10:00 conversation club. The group wanted to know what I was doing in Tegiyev and about what was asked. The host family in Tegiyev wanted to know if I liked Azerbaijan. I used my limited language skills to say I loved the Azerbaijani people, and “Azerbaijan menim ichinji evimdir.” Translated Azerbaijan is my second home. Then a couple of the students asked if I wanted to live longer in Azerbaijan. I explained that we missed our sons, family, and multitude of friends, and as much as I love Azerbaijan, I love them more. One girl responded, “East or west home is best.”

From Country Director to Trainees

Last week was a busy one for us. On Wednesday the 18th our Country Director Meredith Dalton visited us. She is a very caring person who has committed much of her life to the Peace Corps. Her father is a surgeon in Oklahoma City. Meredith’s goal is to visit every Volunteer at least once a year.
Linda does not teach on Wednesdays and was able to prepare fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans for lunch. That knocked the socks off of her! We deeply appreciate her concern for every Volunteer, but shared with her that we have a wonderful support system in the United States. Both Linda and I are fortunate to have excellent counterparts who work with us.
The counterpart can be the most important person in regards to a successful and rewarding Peace Corps experience. Linda has described Matanat, and I have shared a little about Alma in the past. Alma helped us get our apartment, works to get students for conversation clubs, and spends a lot of time with me talking about Azerbaijan culture and traditions.
Basically, we shared with Meredith, don’t worry about us, and thank you for all your support, and the support of the staff. Pictured with Meredith and Linda is one of the Peace Corps Drivers. These men are responsible for the safe transportation of the staff. They also inspect potential housing for Volunteers, and act in behalf of the Volunteers with landlords. They must speak Azerbaijani and English, and are quite educated. They must be able to navigate the roads between and within each city and village. It is a very difficult job.

On Sunday afternoon two AZ7 Trainees came to spend 2 full days with us. Connie Hayes who is about 50 and Sarah Ferguson a recent university graduate arrived about 1:00 p.m. We settled them into our apartment and had lunch at a local Turkish café where men and women are accepted to eat together. Another Trainee, Derek, stayed with Jesse, our site-mate, and we all got together for supper at our home Sunday night.
On Monday, Connie went with Linda to school to observe an Azerbaijani classroom firsthand and observe what a Teaching English as a Foreign Language volunteer does. Sarah went to the Library with me to observe and interact. Unfortunately, halfway through the first conversation club the Library Director invited us to a ceremony for the “Picture Gallery”. We locked up the library and everyone went to see local artwork.
In the afternoon Connie and Sarah went to the library with me for a couple of conversation clubs. Linda again prepared a wonderful supper, and we spent the evening answering questions about life in Azerbaijan.
On Tuesday Sarah went with Linda, and Connie went with me. In the afternoon Connie, Sarah, and Linda went shopping and Linda answered practical living questions.
Sarah and Connie made very good impressions on us. Connie will be a valued member of the “Mature Women Volunteers Fellowship.” Connie is especially enthusiastic. Connie was an editor at a local newspaper in Arizona. As the paper needed to downsize she applied for the Peace Corps. She had wanted to serve in the Peace Corps since college days. Now was a good time for her to serve, then she will return and seek another career until retirement.
Sarah has a degree in Business Management and wants to do consulting work. She went to school in Rhode Island and her family is from the Boston area. I am sure she will be an asset for the Youth Development Program.
Early Wednesday morning they left to return to training. The last two pictures are of how PCVs travel and the taxi drivers discussing who will take them to Baku.

On Saturday we are going to Baku to meet with Volunteers with whom we shared a Bible study. Then on Sunday we will all go to church at the Baku International Fellowship. After church Linda will travel to the village of Saray where she will spend five days observing Trainees teaching. She will be mentoring them in preparation for their service. I will return to Shirvan and conduct conversation clubs on Monday.
On Tuesday I will travel to the village of Teqiyev. Wednesday I will assist my Program Manager in a presentation about teaching computer skills in Azerbaijan. Thursday I travel back to Shirvan and await Linda’s Friday or Saturday arrival. I am not sure which day Linda will return. This Sunday is the end of Daylight Savings Time, and we are not allowed to travel after dark between cities. The roads are very dangerous after dark due to animals potentially on the road, and poor lighting in cars and trucks.
Hopefully we will have much to share after the experiences.