I am now the “second years” … the group with all the experience… the seniors in the crowd… with the group before me having parted ways, and the newest group still in training. It allows for another moment of reflection… realizing one year down, one year to go… (I can really go home in a little under a year now) how the new group, fresh off the plane, has all these ideas, and they are ready to begin their service, where my group is a bit cynical now.

One year in we see that things are hard to change around here. Motivation from the locals is scarce. We are all a bit tired of living at a lesser level, being yelled at, grabbed at, and demanded at for money, other expensive amenities, and to be someone’s wife (HELL NO).

But this is a time for us to be teachers. Lead the way, and take these ‘new-bee’s’ under our wing and help them understand this culture that we are more or less familiar with now. How to navigate their way through a successful service, and to give us motivation again to successfully complete our service.