Hey everyone, well we had our first meeting of "el club de jovenes" or youth club. it was for people ages 14-25 and we actually had a pretty decent turnout. I was tasked with having the group decide the schedule they wanted to have and playing a closing activity. I have pictures and some videos that I will upload at somepoint. Oh, and last night I was to waht´s called¨"la procesion" which was basically the catholics of the pueblo of Diriama moved marched some saints into the church and some people were out in the streets in costume with music and firework... Pretty interesting. Anyway, I wanted to give you all my address in case you wanted to send me some love. To my family, send me hard copies of pictures so I can show everyone here, and maybe books and treats) that can´t melt..

Lucas J. Alamprese PCT

Voluntario del Cuerpo de Paz

Apartado Postal 3256

Managua, Nicaragua

Central America

Anyway, Tomorrow I get to take a trip back to Managua for some technical training. Miss you all dearly! And to Frank, the weirdest thing I´ve eaten so far is some salty ass chesse that is served raw, as in raw milk style yo! Oh, and the most delicious thing I´ve had were nacatamales, MMMMM! I miss pizza though, apparently in Nicaragua they make it with ketchup! WTF!!

PEACE!

Hey everyone, Well... I finally got to an internet cafe and even though I wasn{t supposed to I bought a cell phone... I think it{s because they don{t want us to get distracted, I guess I understand that. Anyway, if you have the means to pay for a call to Nicaragua the number is 505 8361 6327. The calls are free for incoming calls. But I ask that you only call me after 5pm central time on the weekdays and pretty much anytime on the weekends. I must warn you, I may not always be able to pick up the phone because 1. I am super busy, and 2. I may not have coverage. So please be patient.

That said. So far, this stretch has been pretty difficult, but I am starting to get used to this place, slowly but surely. I live with a 46, 47 year old couple and their 20 yr old son named Luis Fernando. Also, they have a daughter of 23 who{s married and has a little 4 year old named Sarai. I get my own room with shower too, but the thing is that the water here stops at around 1230pm, so I have to fill a big bucket with water if I want to bathe in the evening, and I relly do beacause it{s hot as hell over here! Anyway, Hope you are all doing well. I miss you all dearly. Think of me as I will of you often. You{re all in my heart!

Te Veo,

Lucas

The semester is over and it's just hit me that I will not be returning to school until Fall 2012. It has been a super-busy time for me lately, but I've successfully completed my finals with the last being a 16-page paper entitled "Development, Health Care and Nutrition in Rural Nicaragua". This paper was my final for my International Development Seminar class. I would recommend that if you are gearing up to do any kind of aid work overseas, that you do extensive research on the history of the region you'll be working, and what you'll be doing over there. I know that the Peace Corps will give me proper training during my PST but I am glad that I will come into it with more knowledge than I had before writing this paper.

Currently I am awaiting the paperwork from the PC for pre-staging or orientation. This is where the PC sends you information on where you'll depart from here in the US and a more solid date on my exact departure date. Right now I am also getting the apartment ready for move-out. I get to decide what I will be taking to my moms to store and what I will give away to charity. It looks like the residents of Aggie Village will be coming into a lot of kitchen stuff, furniture and clothes. Basically, everything I can fit in my car to California will be going with me, everything else... well, it's up for grabs. If you want to take advantage of this come to my place and see what you can get.

Well, I'm off to pack some more... Hope everyone is doing well!

PEACE!

Today I woke up determined that I would go through as much of the Peace Corps literature/paperwork as I could handle. I got quite a few things done; I updated my resume (they request that you tailor it according to your PC job description) and an Aspiration Statement. This Aspiration Statement asks questions like "[what] professional attributes [do you] plan to use and what aspirations [do you] hope to fulfill during your Peace Corps service?" There were a few more sections with similar questions. Needless to say, I love assignments like these because I get to talk about myself a lot:) Another thing I had to do was fill out 2nd passport application; apparently you need a "no fee" passport, even if you currently posses one! I filled out other things that required my signature such as a Hometown Press Release and my Volunteer Registration Form. All in all I would say I had a fairly productive day. Oh yeah, I was able to download a Peace Corps Welcome Book specifically tailored to those going to Nicaragua. If you are interested in reviewing this literature go to the following website: http://www.peacecorps.gov/welcomebooks/niwb524.pdf

Funny, I don't think that the fact of me leaving to Nicaragua has really hit me yet... I had an experience like this before, it was the summer before I left for the Navy back in '98. I'm sure it will be tough like going into the Armed Forces, but the challenges will be quite different indeed.

I'll keep you all posted on what happens next. Until next time...

Peace!

Today I received a package in the mail... from the Peace Corps. It was my invitation to serve. Here are all the details I know so far:

I am going to Nicaragua...

The name of my Program/Job Title is Community Health Promoter and I will work in conjunction with the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health (MINSA) several NGO's.

My primary duties will include:

Working with multiple community project partners, working closely with MINSA's system of health centers/posts, community-based birthing homes, and voluntary community health promoters.

I will be in charge of training:

MINSA staff, volunteer community health promoters (brigadistas), NGO staff members, local schools, youth groups, and other community members.

My primary focus will be:

the formation and training of youth programs to promote healthy sexual practices, providing creative non-formal health communication, strengthening the capacities of local health institutions, organizing and training womens' groups to decrease the high rates of maternal and child morbidity and generally promote good health within the community.

I leave for my orientation on January 19, 2010 (probably in S.F.)

I will be in Nicaragua on January 20, 2010 for pre-service training (PST) for just over 11 weeks ending April 9, 2010...

The pre-service training (PST) will be in Managua, Nicaragua. Upon arrival, myself and fellow Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV's) will participate in a three-day arrival retreat.

Upon arrival to the training camp we will meet other PCV's and Peace Corps staff assigned to that post from the Community Health Promotion project and commence the 11 weeks of intensive training. I should have phone and/or internet access at this time.

The training will focus on four major areas:

Language - Spanish (good thing I'm all set here), technical job orientation, cross-cultural adaptation, volunteer health and safety.

I will also receive training in the following:

Nicaraguan Ministry of Health, developing health communication programs, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS prevention/education, maternal and infant health, education topics, youth development, hygiene related illnesses and their prevention, participatory training and education techniques

...and many more!

I will be living with a Nicaraguan family as part of the Peace Corps "Community Based Training" (CBT) model for the duration of my PST.

April 10, 2010 will be the the day I swear in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer!

My site will be in one of the following towns:

Chinandega, Jinotega, Madriz, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan or Rivas.

I will move in with a different host family, likely to be a community leader or someone that is well-known by the health center or health post. This will be for at least six weeks and depending on housing availability this might be where I reside for the remainder of my service.

Well, now I am going to go study the literature I have received with my invitation.

Thanks for all of your support. Leave me comments, suggestions or ideas if you would like

Peace!

Well, after a long awaited response from the Peace Corps I finally got a call this morning around 11am or so. The call was from a placement officer named Brennan from the Peace Corps. After answering a couple of questions regarding my commitment to serve, she was ready to give me more thrilling news. "Mr. Alamprese, you will be leaving in February and will be working on a Health and Nutrition Extension project in either Central or South America..." Pretty cool, right? Well, I wanted some more specifics, you know... Which continent, which country? Of course, Brennan was unable to answer my questions. However, she did say that I will receive a letter in the mail detailing more information about my invitation and the country I will serve in...

This is my first ever blog, so I thought it appropriate to start it off with the news of my Peace Corps invitation....

I will keep you all posted, check back often!