Why in the world am I here, you ask

I feel I should do a better job of explaining my work here. As yet, there hasn´t been a whole lot because I´m in training. We have 7 weeks of training in San Vicente, and it mostly involves culture, development, Peace Corps policy, illnesses, and security. Then, we go to our sites for two months to run diagnostics and (I hope) integrate into the community. After that we have 2 weeks of technical training. Officially I am a trainee right now, and I will become a volunteer on March 27 at the swearing in ceremony in the capital. It´s a big party with the ambassador and most of the PC volunteers in ES.
Basically, it will be a long time before I know what I´m doing, and it will probably change a lot. It depends on what the community wants and needs and what is actually feasible. Peace Corps is about capacity building more than anything else, though, so it will certainly involve training and workshops. It´s like the saying about teaching a person to fish instead of giving him a fish.

I'm here!

I arrived in San Vicente safe and sound! Right now we're in a hotel, but tomorrow night we move in with families who will host us for the next seven weeks while we train. There are 36 of us total in my training class, with 25 Rural Health and Sanitation volunteers and 11 in the Community Organization and Economic Development program. It's a great group!
Some of you asked about care packages, and the Peace Corps staff here said that they have not had problems with customs or boxes being opened.
I love you all!