Saturday, May 27, 2006

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please Pray for Me!
>Physical, emotional & spiritual protection while traveling and serving in Zambia.
>Quality relationships with other Peace Corp volunteers.
>Comprehension of the language and culture in order to effectively learn and teach.
>Unity with my host village.
>Preparation of the Zambian people to be open to information regarding prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.
>Guidance and direction as to the best methods of communicating with my village.
>Opportunities to share my faith with other volunteers and/or the Zambian people.

You will be in my prayers as well! Blessings, Caitlin

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

PRESSING NEEDS

“And let our people also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs,
that they may not be unfruitful.”
– Titus 3:14

Dear Friends~
When I came across this verse last week, I was encouraged once again as I prepare to embark on this journey. There is a “pressing need” to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic that is affecting so many lives in our world. I truly feel blessed to be a part of attempting to change the tide of this deadly disease. As a Peace Corp volunteer, my mission while in Zambia is to work closely with the Government of the Republic of Zambia to establish vital integrated and accessible HIV/AIDS care, prevention, and treatment services to help ease the burden of HIV/AIDS. With 16.5% of the population infected, Zambia is facing the most critical development and humanitarian crisis in their history to date.
I leave June 4th for Philadelphia to meet up with the other Peace Corp volunteers that will serve in Zambia. Then, 3 days later we will depart for Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia. We’ll be in the capital for 3 months of intensive training, and then I will be placed in a rural village. I’ll be living, teaching, serving and learning from the people of my village for 2 years. Visitors are welcome!
Amidst the tearful goodbyes to friends and family, I feel peace and confidence that the road ahead is one which God is going to bless! He has me at a place in my life where I am able to do this, and He has opened doors for this opportunity. I’ve included my mailing address for the 3 months of training- I would love to hear what is going on in your life while I’m away. Mail normally takes a minimum of 2-4 weeks to arrive…so if I don’t reply right away please don’t be discouraged! The Peace Corp advises that you should number your letters and also write “Air Mail” and “Par Avion” on all envelopes. Also, for those of you that use internet, I have started a blog and I’ll do my best to post messages and photos–the address is below!

Let the Journey Begin!
Love, Caitlin

Mailing Address:
Caitlin Clarkson/PCT
PEACE CORPS
P.O. BOX 21527
KITWE, ZAMBIA

Blog Address:
http://zambiak8.blogspot.com/

Email Address:
caitclarkson@hotmail.com