We knew upfront being accepted as Peace Corps volunteers would be exceptionally difficult.  Of the 7,000 current volunteers, only 5% are married and only 7% are over 50.  So we’re doubly challenged…

We’re not there yet, but we’ve reached the “finals”.

We applied early last October and were notified we were “under consideration” for service in the Philippines.  So much for all our español training!  On December 1st we reached another significant milestone – a 3 hour video interview with a placement officer in Washington.  Leslie and I were individually interviewed for about an hour or so, then together for about half an hour.

If accepted, Leslie would serve as a secondary education English teacher trainer.  Per her job description, she would “work with new and experienced English teachers training student teachers at teachers colleges or providing in-service training to experienced teachers in current education technologies”.

While living in Mexico City during 2014, we both attended an intensive Cambridge University 4 month teacher training course (CELTA) to prepare for this PC work and we also did volunteer ESL teaching while in Ventura to “increase our place-ability” (PC jargon…).

I’m under consideration as a Community Development Facilitator.  That job entails “working with a counterpart at a governmental, non-governmental, or community-based organization that addresses the needs of children and youth in especially difficult circumstances (CYEDC) including indigenous and disadvantaged children and youth, at-risk out-of-school youth, orphans and street-children, victims of abuse and trafficking, and children in conflict with the law.”  Serious stuff where I believe I can make a substantial difference.

We’ve been told we’ll know by March 1st if we’re accepted or not.

So living here in Xela, we’ve stopped our español training (Tagalog in the Philippines!) while waiting in a holding pattern…!