A gLiMpSe InTo OuR lIvEs!

Time to Make a Change

2009-06-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

My apologies for not posting this sooner- However things have been a little crazy for us this past month. As most of you know Will and I decided to terminate our Peace Corps experience. We thought long and hard about this decision and for those of you who know us the most know what a difficult decision this was for us. We spent almost a month praying and talking about our situation and finally decided it would be the best for both of us to leave. If you ever want the full story we can always hook up for coffee or something and talk about it. With that decision being made a whirlwind of events followed:

1. Will was hired as the Agricultural Teacher at Meridian High School- he'll be teaching vocational agriculture classes to high school students (he of course couldn't be more excited). It is such a blessing for him to have a job in such hard economic times
2. We moved back to Idaho and began readjusting to life in the United States
3. Will's parents are being evicted from their home because the state of Idaho bought their house/property and will be building a freeway right over 35 years of Schumaker memories. Therefore they have 30 days to get out and find a new place to live- We have spent countless hours helping them pack, tear down barns, sheds, and fences.
4. We are finally getting around to seeing close family and friends. One of the hardest adjustments was being so overwhelmed with being home. I felt socially awkward, having missed out on the last 10 months I couldn't relate to the latest fads and material things nor to be honest did I really care :)
5. SO MUCH FOOD! We have eaten so many different things since being back I've been sick sick sick! I love all the options we have though and of course am grateful to have food
6. We've been living here, there, and everywhere. We of course are extremely grateful for everyone that has opened their home for us or offered for us to stay with them
7. We've been camping twice- once to Sumpter Oregon and again to Silver City Idaho- I LOVE AND MISSED THE GREAT OUTDOORS!
8. I have helped my grandma plant a flippin sweet garden. By the end of summer we'll be feasting on corn, onions, tomatoes, squash, watermelon, bell pepper, jalepeno's, potatos, radishes, lettuce, zuchinni, and artichokes.

This Jamaican experience has truly made us realize how grateful we are for all those small things in life. Together we grew closer to god, our family, and friends. We learned a lot about a develping country and wouldn't change any part of the experience. We can't wait to see all of you we've missed over the last year and of course are looking forward to a new chapter in our lives.

My Husband is totally boss...

2009-04-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

He's the cheese to my Easter Bun! If only I liked Bun and Cheese... However this is one Easter tradition that's huge in Jamaica. Everyone goes out and buys their Easter Bun and Cheese. Seen on the left is our Easter Bun and cheese- The bun is delicious by itself- It has raisins and is kind of like sweet spice bread. The cheese however is warm, processed, and has a weird smell (this of course is my opinion!) So together I'm not a fan of this Easter Bun and Cheese business!

As some of you know we headed to good ol Powell Plaza for our Easter Festivities. We got some much needed R&R. Went to the pool almost every day, hung out with the Hunters, talked with our families at home, ate a yummy Easter dinner, and colored Easter Eggs (which I'm quite proud of :) Of course we have brown eggs here and no Easter egg coloring kit. So we were forced to get creative. Jesse found some recipes for natural Easter egg colorings- We used blueberry juice, coffee, kool-aid, boiled carrot for orange color, and sadly did have to stoop to using green food coloring. However our eggs turned out pretty sweet.

Finally we have some very pretty Easter Lily's growing at our host mother's house. They are beautiful so I thought I would share them with you all! Hope you all had a Happy Easter- Love and Miss You!

Weird, Crazy, Funk......?

2009-04-08T05:52:00.001-07:00

I didn't really know what to write these last couple weeks nor do I really know what to write now??! I will begin with some news that shook us the night before last. A friend that we work with on the Moringa project called us and said, "John Jay is missing have you heard from him or seen him?" I replied No and waited to hear of any more news. The following morning we received the phone call that he committed suicide.

Will and I stayed with John J and his family a couple months ago while working on the Moringa project. Words can't express how shocked we are. Will and I talked about how great of a family they were. Sitting down for dinner together, talking about the day, attending football games, and working on homework together. It is something that is hard for both of us to understand and cope with. Such a loving family man gone in just the blink of an eye. Here is the link to an article in the paper... I just don't really know what else to say right now? http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20090407T200000-0500_149064_OBS_MANCHESTER_MOURNS_PASSING_OF_LEADING_BUSINESSMAN.asp

Of course when it rains it pours...therefore more depressing news. I went to visit the school garden yesterday and was saddened to see that it wasn't doing so well. The kids planted some seeds in seed trays a few weeks back- but someone neglected to water them. Therefore as of right now we will not be planting cabbage or cucumbers in the garden. Also someone accidentally left the gate open and a cow decided to go in and munch on corn and lettuce. The kids and I weeded what is left of their garden and talked about taking better care of it- I also found out the kids didn't plant the peas nor are they taking care of them. The principal hired someone to do it. I was saddened and upset with this realization. I suppose this is to be expected when doing development work ;)

Will's crop estimate program is sort-of off the ground. He turned in the necessary program but later found out they already had a program that they had created years ago- This program however doesn't calculate the monthly and yearly totals or carry over the crop data from month to month- which leaves the extension officer to calculate that. The program Will developed does all of that. When they came to do the training on the "new" program it happened to be the old one. Our extension officers were frustrated because they had taken two steps forward only to take four steps back. I suppose this is to be expected when doing development work ;)

On a lighter note- Last weekend we were able to hit up Treasure Beach and get some much needed relaxation. We both have some major sunburns- and we even applied sun screen- the sun must have been brutal! We enjoyed some yummy pizza and took a breather from this weird, crazy, sad, past couple weeks we've been having.

Five Events in One GIANT Post!

2009-03-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

Holy moly what an eventful last two weeks! It began with a trip to Kingston to meet our friends Josh and Jesse for what appears to be Josh's Birth Month! I had a SPA meeting but Will and the Hunters went to tour the Red Stripe Factory. The tour was free but no samples of good ol Red Stripe. Here are a few pictures of the tour:

It is also important to mention that the Red Stripe Factory recently won an award for being Environmentally friendly- Will said it was extremely clean and that they're trying to find new ways to reuse some of their waste products- WAY TO GO RED STRIPE!
On that trip we were also able to pick up two packages- one from Nick and Joy along with our Christmas Present from Cisco and Kaui (We saw it was postmarked December 31- don't ask me why it took so long to get here!) what a nice surprise! We loved the shirts and pictures! A certain object in Nick and Joy's package brings me to my next story.

As all of our faithful readers know- I now have a flippin sweet school garden at Holland Primary- last week I went back to see how the kids were doing and just to make sure they were taking care of the garden. To my amazement they are not only taking care of the garden but they also planted about 10 rows of black eyed peas! WHOA! I had some spare corn seeds along with some cucumber and cabbage seeds I wanted to put in seed trays so the kids started working on all that- Once we were finished I explained to the kids where I went to college in the states and that each school has a school mascot- I then proceeded to show them Joe Vandal (a gift from Nick and Joy) the kids absolutely loved him- I then told him that I would like to take a picture of them with Joe Vandal- for Joe Travels- of course the kids love having their picture taken. I thought this picture was especially funny, mostly because one little boy is holding his pitchfork while the other one next to Joe has this terrified look on his face (mostly because he's getting shoved out of the picture) and of course you have to love the guy in the back, just throwing his arms up in the air! Thank you Nick and Joy for sending that- everywhere Joe goes it seems like people love it!

I also had another compost training with another woman's group. I won't go into too much detail- there were about 10 women there. It was a lot of fun to do another training with women interested in Agriculture.

We also attended 4-H achievement day for St. Elizabeth. We were supposed to be judges for various events however we managed to get lost on the list. At the last minute they asked me to help judge the Environment Challenge so it wasn't a complete wasted day. I have some pictures of the days events...There was a Ferris wheel (looked old dangerous and had a hand crank), a man with a mullet, a cheer leading performance and a display about water and the environment!

Finally this last weekend I went caving with the Jamaican Caving Organization. I was so excited to go but hurried to pack my stuff because I was running late- well I forgot to charge my camera battery! Grr.... However I had a blast. We went to Smoky Hole- the deepest cave in Jamaica at nearly 200 meters. We descended down about 50 meters (165 ft) since it was my first time caving with them and ascended back up. I went back the next day to do it again- what a rush and thrill- It was amazing, breathtaking, beautiful, and totally AWESOME! Andy Kolb- a PCV was there and took some pretty sweet pictures of me descending down, some of the group, and playing dominoes in a rum bar along with the aftermath of some flippin sweet caving bruises.

Progress....finally Progress

2009-03-09T19:02:00.000-07:00

What can I say....things are falling into place! Is it real- boy I sure hope so! Last week was busy with little tasks here and there. As you read in the previous post I was able to give a talk to about 160 kids about Peace Day and my role as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

On Wednesday I was able to do my very first farmer training! It was great! This is something I had always kind of hoped I would be doing- working directly with farmers. I did two different trainings to farmers that grow hot peppers. The first was on Biological Pest Controls- how to control pests in a more natural way rather than using pesticides and other harmful chemicals. The second training was on why it's important to keep farm records. There were about 20 farmers at the training. It was at a hot pepper farm, very hands on, and the farmers were very interested in everything each presenter had to offer. What a GREAT DAY!

<-- Holland Primary School Kids

On Thursday- one of my small dreams came true- We finally did some planting at the primary school in Holland! I have three blisters on my hand which are very painful but totally worth it! Will also came to help and together we helped the kids prepare the ground, carry water, and plant callaloo, lettuce, and corn. I also have some cucumbers and cabbage to plant but we had to start those seeds in small trays. It was inspiring to see so many kids out using the tools to prepare the ground, carry bucket after bucket of water, and get their hands muddy and dirty all in the name of FARMING! Of course it was a hard day because it was not the mechanized farming we're so used to. Instead we had to take a pitch fork, shovel, hoe, and pick to agitate and dig up the soil- oh the pain!

Will is setting up several Production and Marketing organizations with computers and will soon start doing trainings on basic computer skills. He will also train them how to keep accurate farm records on the computer. He has also been busily working with the head RADA office in Kingston to get his Crop Estimates program off the ground- hopefully next month there will be a system online that the entire island will be trained on- all courtesy of my amazing husband!

I need to take a deep breath.....okay! So as you can tell things are really starting to pick up for both of us! We're taking baby steps and being patient, understanding, and above all cooperative. I can't even put into words how much this experience has changed Will and I. We have grown so much as people together individually and in our marriage. I see Will becoming more confident in himself and the ways of Jamaican culture and I'm learning to not take everything so seriously- I can't change the world but by golly I can make a difference in a few peoples lives and I am content with that! We just have to sit back, take a deep breath, and learn to laugh at our mistakes and celebrate those small victories.

Peace Day in JAMAICA!

2009-03-03T17:19:00.000-08:00

Today Jamaica celebrates Peace Day! I was slightly unaware that schools would take such an active role in the day! I was in Beeston Springs working with some organic farmers and was asked to present to the Beeston Springs All Age School. They wanted me to talk about the meaning of Peace and what it's like being a Peace Corps Volunteer. It was exciting to talk to the youth and have them be so interested in what i'm doing in Jamaica.

It feels like Will and I are finally turning a corner- this could be the part of the roller coaster ride where we're slowly ticking up only to fall down again drastically however we're feeling pretty confident in ourselves lately. While people aren't banging down our door to recieve assistance and technical advice people are asking us to do trainings here and there and seem to be more and more interested in the things we can help them with.

In other news we have decided to move out of our current home. We found a small house in the same neighborhood that hopefully we'll be moving into by the end of the month. We're really excited to finally have our own little place to call home with our own kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom. Pictures Soon Come!

This is a short and sweet post- but with it being Peace Day I can't help but leave you all with a final thought! "If I have been of service, if I have glimpsed more of the nature and essence of ultimate good, if I am inspired to reach wider horizons of thought and action, if I am at peace with myself, it has been a successful day."Alex Noble

Peace!

It's Official...We're MAC Snobs!

2009-02-23T15:23:00.000-08:00

Actually we're not really however both of our computers kinda took a dive so we were forced to buy a new laptop...after a lot of research we decided to buy a MacBook! This thing is seriously amazing! The design and thought put into this machine is great. Every last detail was thought out and designed so well! Need I say more...

I need to also comment on the last post we made...it was not in any way intended for you to feel sorry for us, the only reason we posted it was for you all to see some of the daily frustrations we have. Someday there will be a list of all the great things about Peace Corps so you can all continue to wait in "wide eyed anticipation!"

This past week was filled with extreme highs and lows...contemplating going home only to have immense feelings of satisfaction and gratefulness! This roller coaster ride is unlike anything Will or I has experienced- we're grateful for everything we've experienced thus far and look forward to the many more things god has in store for us- there truly is a reason for the path we've followed and a reason for being here even though we may not see the light at the end of the tunnel!

We had another great time in Kingston this last weekend. Not only did our friends Josh and Jesse bring us back our cool MAC they also came bearing several other gifts...starbucks, sweeties, underwear, socks, shirts, pants, slipper socks, balsamic vinegar, and cards! I love Christmas in February! We were also able to go see a movie for the first time since being in Jamaica. We got the boys to go see a chick flick with us..."He's just not that into you!" They played the national anthem before the movie and half way through we had intermission for drinks and snacks! It was one of those few moments were I felt like a normal human being once again!

On Saturday we were able to go to Black River and take a boat out to a place known as Peilcan Bar- it's out in the Carribbean Sea. It was not at all what I expected but was so much fun- soaking in some sun and relaxing after a long week!

As most of you know we'll be home to visit in July- I know this is a long ways away however everyone needs plenty of notice! We will be in Moscow for Erin and Michaels wedding and in Boise to visit with our family and friends- We look forward to seeing anyone and everyone that will be in the area! As always we love and miss you all- Thanks for all the great comments you continue to leave on our blog- We really appreciate it!
P.S. There are updated photos on our flickr link! Go check em out!

Why it's hard to be a Peace Corps Volunteer

2009-02-17T11:40:00.000-08:00

*Being treated like you’re ignorant and incompetent

*Living in a fish bowl

*Being stood up over and over again

*Anything that goes wrong is always your fault

*Constantly feeling like you don’t belong no matter how integrated you are

*Setting aside your morals and values- they may not be culturally acceptable

*Being treated like a child

*It’s DAMN FRUSTRATING!

*Not feeling like you have accomplished anything

*No clear path or objective

*Being talked down upon

*Trying to explain your purpose and nobody really cares or wants to listen

*People begging you for money and wanting material things from you

*Not being able to feel safe and secure

*Thinking too much about what you’re doing wrong instead of what you might be doing right

*Being bored and trying to find new ways to pass the time

*Missing our families and friends

*Feeling like you are a nobody

*Lack of support

*Trying to find good, sustainable, and valuable work

Ticks, Toads, and Roaches

2009-02-10T20:07:00.000-08:00

These are just a few of the friendly creatures we've encountered this week. A toad found his way into our house- We kindly showed him the door back outside- not a huge deal. He was actually kinda cute! However the big story is the stupid roach that came inside- I told Will there was a roach on the wall so he went and got the bug spray and fly swatter (we have a routine figured out). Will hit the roach with his swatter and instead of it falling to the ground it flew onto my leg- Will started swatting my leg and spraying me with bug spray- of course I was screaming like a little sissy the entire time! At least we killed the nasty thing. The final creature came to us while we were out visiting some organic farmers. We managed to get into some ticks (uol eap a tick about 20-25)- well Will mostly- It made me quite happy because we could go home and well...I could check him for ticks!

As for work we're starting to get some things going- however we're trying not to get our hopes up just yet. Will is still working very hard on the crop estimates program with the extension officers and the head office. He has a meeting in Kingston on Friday to hopefully get a program created on the web and train the entire island on it. He is also working on getting farmers connected by providing some computers to PMO (Production and Marketing Organizations) groups. This will help them keep better and more accurate farm records, connect them to current farm gate prices so they know when and what to grow, and a data bank of current production costs for all the crops that can be grown in Jamaica.

I am still trying to get my school garden up and running. A student at the school where I work was killed two weeks ago by a motor vehicle therefore the school and parents are grieving. He will be buried this Saturday, a very sad accident. My biggest project that I'm hoping to get off the ground is a community center in Malvern- a town in the Santa Cruz mountains. Currently there is a facility in place but it needs a new roof and doors along with toilets, sinks, and a refrigerator. It is my hope to work with the community to repair the center and then run a small business out of it. I would be working with women that need a source of income. I have identified a market for goats milk soap- therefore I will teach the women how to make the soap and provide them with an income every month. It is also my hope to add a small computer lab in the center along with space for meetings and other various events in the community. Finally I've also been helping out with 4-H. Right now they're doing an Environmental Challenge- so I have been working with a couple schools to help them complete their projects and of course learn more about the environment- this years theme: Water is Life, Protect and Preserve It!

The above picture is a field of sugar cane that we visited in Elam- a community not far from Santa Cruz- Pictured below from left to right :
--I find that by doing yoga not only do I feel more grounded but it helps keep me more sane!
--I made homemade pizza last night- It tasted so good- I know it doesn't look gourmet- Thanks Jesse for the crust recipe
--Will must have found some more ticks- maybe it's his way of telling me that he loves me!

END OF THE MONTH!

2009-01-31T18:03:00.001-08:00

We still don’t have power back at our office! Now it has been almost 4 weeks! I’m told it’s because RADA is a government organization and I need not explain the rest….so that is that :)

Yesterday Will and I had the pleasure of escorting some Cubans around St. Elizabeth. We had a lot of fun talking with them and showing them how farming is done in Jamaica. They will be helping Jamaica in the months to come with some technical advice on how to use better farming techniques. Their goal yesterday was to go around and see how things are currently being done! We took them to several farms that have irrigation, farms that don’t have irrigation, livestock operations, and one of five pumping stations in the lower part of St. Elizabeth. The best part of this entire experience…a gift from the Cubans…some FINE CIGARS! We were so excited to receive these and are looking forward to a special occasion where we can light them up! (i.e. maybe Josh Hunters B-Day???)

Today I had my very first compost training with the women’s group that I work with in Malvern! It was a lot of fun. I trained about 15 women. I’m looking forward to more things to come from this group. (pictured below is the training)

It’s the end of the month and we FINALLY got paid! However it seems that all our money is already almost gone. I would like to give everyone an idea of what we’re paid and how it’s spent: (I need to note that the exchange rate has skyrocketed! When we got here it was $66J = $1US now its $85J = $1US)
----Rent- this costs Will and I $14,000J which is $165 U.S Dollars
----Internet- $2,000J which is $23.50 per month
----Food- The grocery store can be really expensive! Usually with any given month Will and I spend about $18,000J or $212 US on food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc. We went to the market yesterday and purchased:
**Potato’s- $60J per pound or 70 cents US
**Cucumber- $70J per Pound or 82 cents US
**Carrot- $70J per pound or 82 cents US
**Escallion and Thyme- $50J a bundle or 58 cents US
**Garlic- 9 cloves for $60J or 70 cents US
**Tomato- $60J per pound or 70 cents US
**Bell Pepper- $150 per pound or $1.76 US (the price of peppers is up because the demand is so high and there is a shortage right now)
**We buy our meat from the Agriculture school which costs us about $3,000J per month or $36 US- we buy pork, chicken, and beef from them and it lasts us all month long.
----Transportation for the month-
**A trip to Kingston costs us: $400J or $4.70 US to ride the bus from Santa to Kingston (the bus has a capacity of 25 but we manage to fit about 43-45 people)
**Once in Kingston there are route taxis or Chartered taxis- we usually try to take a route taxi which can charge $50J-100J ($60 cents US- $1.20) the problem with these is you have to “small up “which means squeeze as many in as possible. Our personal best is 9 in a taxi including the driver.

These are all rough estimates but as you can see the money is gone just like that and the next month we start all over again!

Extra Extra Read All About It....

2009-01-21T19:34:00.000-08:00

This was the headline in the Observer- a Jamaican Newspaper! I just have to post this because in the midst of a global crisis this is what makes headlines! The article talks about prostitutes having to lower their prices because people can't afford to pay what they were previously charging...why you might ask...well the world is in a crisis. I might be the only one who finds this funny (not the fact that the world is in a crisis but the fact that prostitutes make the front page of a newspaper claiming they have to lower prices to make a living) so please forgive me if you don't find the humor in it!-- A little side note- Prostitution is ILLEGAL in Jamaica ;)

Our office still doesn't have power...tomorrow marks two weeks! When they say things move slow in the Caribbean it's not a joke! They get to it when they get to it! That leaves Will and I going to four hour meetings-- yes I said it- 4 HOUR MEETINGS!!! Don't ask me why because I can't truly explain the rationale behind it. Am I integrated...well yes I would like to think so however there are some things I still don't understand and probably never will!

A short and sweet post- headed to Kingston tomorrow! Pizza Hut is calling our names....and some meetings too! Love you ALL!

Rats and Roaches....

2009-01-16T15:00:00.000-08:00

After arriving home from our Christmas Holiday in Portland, we had an unpleasant and unexpected house warming gift. We went into the kitchen one morning to find a half eaten tomato and little doo doo everywhere. When Andrea was doing dishes she heard something moving around in a plastic bag on top of the cabinets. You could tell by how loud it was being that it was not a little lizard as may be expected. Andrea decided that she should wait until someone got out of the shower before she ventured back into the kitchen to see for sure what it was. When Ms. Brooks finally got out of the shower and came back into the kitchen, she asked Andrea why she was standing looking into the kitchen. Andrea told her that she heard something moving in the bag on top of the cabinet. At that point Ms. Brooks being the brave soul that she is climbed on top of a stool with a broom and began moving the bag around in an effort to get the little creature out of the bag. Next thing I knew, some one was screaming bloody murder. I quickly rinsed off, jumped out of the shower and went to see who had been shot. Too my surprise it was just Andrea and Ms. Brooks. They told me the entire story and said that the little or big rat according to them ran out of the bag and down the wall and out the window. They were shaking in their boots. Andrea had piddled herself and Ms. Brooks was on the ground in a fetal position. ---

Alright I (Andrea) had to take over this story because Will was getting a little out of hand…the "doo doo" as he puts it was getting a little too deep! So there was indeed a rat in our house and yes he was big, hairy, and nasty. We thought he went out the window but boy were we dead wrong. When we came home from work we found another half eaten tomato. Ms. Brooks put out some rat poison with peanut butter and we figured that night we would kill him. He ate the poison that night and survived! The next night we set a trap with a piece of cheese on it. The little bastard ate the cheese and managed to escape being caught. We found out he was in a bin on the back porch- we carefully took the bin outside and each grabbed a machete- when he came running out we would simply chop (kill) him with our machete’s. Easier said than done- the rat came flying out of the barrel and there I was chasing him through our back yard…the little shit escaped! I thought he would be smart enough to know that coming back into our house would be a bad idea…boy was I dead wrong…the next morning we woke up and found 3 half eaten tomato’s. We set the trap one last time- wrapped the cheese in plastic and tied it to the trap. Much to our surprise that night we caught him! I just hope he didn’t tell all of his friends about the great tomatoes in our house!

Will also found some roaches in the cupboard. It’s amazing because we’ve been here for almost 7 months and I am not as freaked out about them. He just sprayed them and that was that!

I would like to direct everyone to Grace’s final blog post. She was a Peace Corps Volunteer living about a block away from us. She left us the day before yesterday and I can’t quite put it as eloquently as she does so check it out at... http://iboughtapairofbirkenstocks.blogspot.com/ I just need her to know how much we will miss her! It was great getting to know her and having her bubbly personality around!

Lastly a big uop (thanks) to Gail and Luke for sending us a great care package with lots of bug spray and goodies we really appreciated it! Big uop to Lindsey and Brandon as well- they sent a nice package for Christmas too- more goodies! And the final Big uop goes out to my dad- he sent us a GREAT package with movies, popcorn, candy, and lotion! Finally I need to tell everyone thank you for sending us Christmas Cards: Michael and Erin, Grandma and Grandpa Hoobing, Grandma and Grandpa Farner, Annie and Steve, Jeannie and Terry Newlan, and Mario and Alice Reyes! We really appreciated them! Love to Everyone! We miss you all!

P.S. Will updated our photos on flickr so take a look- the link on the top right of the page labeled Schumaker Photos!

As Promised....Christmas Reflections!

2009-01-05T13:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas was spent in the wonderful green parish of Portland! We had a great time! It took us about 5.5 hours to get there which is slightly ridiculous considering the distance itself couldn’t have been more than 150 miles total- which proves to all of our faithful readers just how bad these roads are! The 5.5 hours also didn’t include the time it took us to wait for the bus to load in Santa Cruz and again in Kingston….sigh. However the trip was worth every second of it! We traveled with Dave and Molly another married couple that lives in Clarendon. The 6 of us spent Christmas together!

Josh and Jesse live in a cute little town called Comfort Castle which is located on the Rio Grande- they have amazing views and a perfect little house! We spent Christmas with them. They took us on a little hike back to an amazing waterfall- by far the most beautiful thing I’ve seen since we’ve been here. It was completely secluded and breathtaking. The hike wasn’t too bad- We opted to wear our chacos because we were warned of mud…and oh was there mud; mud squishing between our toes- it was marvelous. Here are a few photos from the waterfall…

We also baked sugar cookies- a uol eap a cookies that is!! They were so tasty and somehow we managed to eat every last crumb! A work of art if I might add- Jesse decided they are Target colored cookies since the red is a little pink and green is so bright!

After our time in Comfort Castle we traveled to Long Bay and stayed in the glass house (a guest house on the coast). Mind you we were supposed to spend two nights here however we couldn’t get a taxi out on Boxing Day- December 26! They were running on Christmas day but not on the 26…WTF! We were stranded at Josh and Jesse’s house for another night- which was GREAT! We made yummy pizza and watched movies. At the glass house we ate more pizza and played dominos while two Peace Corps friends Rob and Un joined us and spent the night.

When I woke up in the morning this was the view…. -->

We then traveled to Port Antonio and stayed in a cute little guest house for two nights. We arrived on a Sunday and of course there wasn’t any cheap restaurants open…so we ate at the marina! It was fabulous! Will had chicken fettuccine and I had a nice greasy cheeseburger. It was MOST EXCELLENT!

<-- the dismay of things being too pricey on the menu with our little peace corps budget!

Josh and Jesse also took us to Frenchman’s Cove a nice little beach tucked away. We soaked in some rays- I almost lost my sunglasses- a wave came at me and nearly knocked me out- I couldn’t stop laughing but then realized I was missing my sunglasses ( the wave was so strong it took them right off my face) Thank god for Josh who found them in the water- sunk on the Caribbean floor. They also took us to monkey island- It’s about a 25 ft jump into the water- the waves were crashing like mad and I was too much of a sissy to jump- maybe next time when the water isn’t so violent! We had a great time with our friends! Christmas wasn’t quite the same but we’re so thankful to have our friends here to share it with. (Pictured Below is Monkey Island)

Oh my heck…It’s finally raining in Santa Cruz! We’re getting our first down pour in three weeks…and it’s marvelous! (just a little side note!) As always love to EVERYONE!

Bye Bye 2008 Hello 2009!

2008-12-30T18:03:00.000-08:00

So in this post we've decided to mention some of our 2008 highlights! With the year coming to a close we find ourselves reflecting on some of the great things we experienced this past year! So without further ado....here it goes!

On January 13 we were blessed with a wonderful god-daughter Kaila! She keeps growing like a weed and we miss her more than ever. We enjoy seeing pictures of her and her beautiful smile.

In January we were also accepted into the Peace Corps! We knew we were going to the Caribbean but were unsure on which country and our exact departure date. We also spent an awesome weekend at a Bed and Breakfast where we did some snowshoeing and snowboarding!

February we tried out cross country skiing for the first time...I'm not sure it's something we'll do a lot of but it was fun to spend some time with the Overstreet's in peaceful Elk River. March was a trying time for both Will and I. My great grandfather passed away... I think about him often especially when times are tough- he gives me great strength and keeps me prayerful. Will's grandmother Betty Schumaker also passed away. She will be sorely missed by all- a reminder of saintliness and kindness.

April brought final preparations for graduation. Will was busy student teaching at Troy High School having the time of his life- traveling with the FFA program and inspiring high school students.

May was extremely chaotic! On May 5 we received the news that we would be heading to Jamaica for Peace Corps! 4 days later we graduated from the University of Idaho with degrees in Agriculture! This was a huge accomplishment for the both of us. We also went camping with Steve and Annie! A beautiful place in Washington called Lake Crescent. June we packed our apartment and left the University of Idaho and our cute little apartment. This time was spent with family and friends saying our goodbyes and preparing for Peace Corps. I traveled to Las Vegas to bring my near and dear friend Erin back to Boise to begin teaching in Idaho!

July we left for Florida for 3 days for Peace Corps staging. This was our last time in the United States- we departed for Jamaica on July 3. July was filled with training, sightseeing, and making new friends. August we found out where we would be living- Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth. We also found out we would be working with an organization called RADA- Rural Agricultural Development Authority. We were also finally sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers. A year from the time we applied for Peace Corps to the time we were sworn in as volunteers. September October and November brought many trying times. We struggled with integration, life as a volunteer, and daily life in Jamaica. We travelled around a little bit in Jamaica. We visited Lovers Leap, frequented Treasure Beach, and Dunns River Falls and attended the Shrimp Festival (needless to say eating shrimp since then has been non-existent) In September our godson-Matthew Kudrna was also born. We have yet to hold him and actually see him but thanks to his wonderful parents we get to see lots of pictures of the little man! Finally this past month we traveled to Portland for Christmas! We had a wonderful time with our friends Josh and Jesse along with Dave and Molly. We hiked to a beautiful waterfall, baked sugar cookies, cooked an awesome Christmas dinner, watched A LOT of movies, stayed in the glass house in Long Bay, visited Monkey Island, stayed at Ivanhoes guest house, and basked in the sun at Frenchman's Cove. All in all a fabulous time- will write more of this wonderful journey in the new year!

Alas we reach today... our 2 year anniversary! We've been married for 731 days...holy moly! We've had a wonderful time together and look forward to many more years to come. Just a little reminder of our wedding day....

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

Since this is the last time we will have internet access prior to December 25 we're going to wish EVERYONE a

from the wonderful island of Jamaica but more importantly from the Schumakers! As you already know we love and miss you all however we hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

P.S. We're kinda cheap so consider this your early Christmas card :)

Is It Really Almost Christmas....?

2008-12-19T11:10:00.000-08:00

Seriously….it’s still hot, there isn’t much Christmas spirit, and WE DON’T EVEN HAVE A TREE!- this is a sin in itself for us! We love Christmas- everything about it- the tree, nativity, advent wreath, food- oh the food, spending time with our family and friends, the parties, movies, music, and just the Christmas spirit. However I like to think this Christmas will be unlike any other…We’re in Jamaica!

I’ve been asked by several family members to illustrate a typical day… this is really hard because no two days are the same however for the most part our Friday’s go something like this:
We wake up at 6:45 a.m. in the morning- for no particular reason- we don’t have to leave for work until 8:15… Below is a picture of our wonderful room...

we roll out of bed and make breakfast- every day is different. Sometimes it toast with peanut butter other times it’s a fried egg or porridge. Once we eat Breakfast Will washes dishes while I get in the shower (now mind you sometimes we have water lock off so taking a shower is not possible unless we use our water from outside to wash up). Once we both get our morning shower in we pack our lunch and walk to work. The walk takes us about 15 minutes- we like to walk slowly- we’re not in a hurry and if we get to walking to fast we start sweating…that’s no fun! When walking we like to take pictures---Behind us is the neighborhood we live in:When we arrive at work we do office tasks for the majority of the day- I might spend my time on the computer preparing lessons for my school children while Will helps Extension Officers enter crop data. On Fridays the office closes at 4 which is an hour early. We walk downtown into Santa Cruz. This is a picture of downtown Santa Cruz:We walk to the Market which isn't too far from the main road. This is one of my favorite things to do in Santa Cruz, they have an awesome market with almost everything produced in Jamaica. Everything is so fresh and the people are really nice to us. We’ve developed relationships with about 5 people at the market- these are the people we buy almost all our produce from. This particular woman is extremly nice to me- she is always really excited to see Will and I. She then proceeds to tell us how beautiful we are!We walk away with bags full of carrots, cabbage, sweet pepper, lettuce, onions, garlic, sweet potato, irish potato, cucumber, zucchini, and sometimes salt fish. We then begin walking back home- since we walked into town it takes us about a half hour to get back home. This is another slow and heavy walk. One of our favorite things when we're walking is to see this calf and his mama! They come to the fence to greet us- almost daily- I ♥ this little guys ears!Once we get home we prepare dinner- This is the best day to cook because we have all of our wonderful, fresh produce. Most nights we sit in our room or on the veranda reading or listening to music.

This weekend we’re going to our favorite spot…Treasure Beach! We’ll soak in some rays, have wireless internet, swim in the sea, and enjoy some Jack Sprats Pizza! Then it’s off to Portland for Christmas- We finally have our arrangements- we’ll be staying at a nice little guest house on the beach for two nights and then in Port Antonio for two more nights and of course with our favorite Portland friends Josh and Jesse for 3 nights. We’re looking forward to Christmas and trying to make the best of it! We’ll be thinking of everyone as they gather to celebrate the spirit of Christ! We love you all!

We've got to keep on Moving....

2008-12-10T07:14:00.000-08:00

First of all I need to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to WILLY! Well actually his Birthday was on December 4 but this was the earliest I could get something posted! I think, for the most part, he had a fabulous day! We were in Kingston taking care of “business” and decided to stay with our embassy friend Roger. He lives at Powell Plaza and has AC, hot water, internet, all the cable channels one can imagine, and a very comfy bed! It’s better than the way we were living in the U.S. (ahhh married housing at UI). For Will’s birthday we were able to eat at a fancy Italian restaurant- (uh yeah I said ITALIAN!) Will had pasta with smoked sausage and I had some yummy chicken alfredo with fettuccini…ahhh my mouth is watering just thinking about it! We shared this delightful experience with our favorite Tennessee”ians” We were also able to find some rainbow chip cake mix and frosting so Jesse and I baked a cake. At midnight we ate that yummy cake and Will opened his gifts!

(Josh really liked the CAKE!) -->

We returned to our site and decided that this slump we’re in needed to come to a screeching hault! This might sound easy however; admittedly this is the hardest thing Will or I have ever done…this Peace Corps business that is! We’ve decided that if our supervisor isn’t willing to work with us then we need to find our own things to do. On Friday I went to the 4-H office and was relieved to hear they needed my help. I will start working with them almost every Friday doing trainings for 4-H kids in agriculture, home economics, and the environment. On Monday we were pleasantly surprised with work…not real, tangible, Peace Corps, meeting goals work….but work! We went to a farmer’s house and helped him plant some onion seed. This leads me into my next lesson…..

Farming 101 Jamaica Style!

I watched the farmers take a machete and chop all the dead debris from the field. After doing so they raked it all into a pile, out of the field. Once finished they took their onion seed and scattered it about the field (I’m told there is a method to it). Once they spread the seed they got down on their hands and knees and used their machete to bury the seed. Carefully they would agitate the soil with their machete until they believed all the seed was covered. Once this tedious task was finished the farmers would take some guinea grass and cover all the soil.

Our job was to run a test plot and show them a more mechanized way to farm. A rotovator (commonly know to us as a rototiller) was purchased for this particular project along with a seed planter. A training session took place to show the farmers how to use the machinery and together we figured out how much time it took to till and plant 1/10 of an acre…I will go through later and do the math to figure out how long it will take to use this machinery on 1 acre. This will show farmers that by using the machinery they can cut their labor in half.

Other than that things are moving along…We’re really excited for Christmas but sad at the same time! We’re going to stay in Porti with Josh and Jesse which will be really fun however we’re going to miss everyone at home…especially the snow! I think it might be 85° here now….so cooling off! HAHA! Love you all!!!

P.S. This is the view from the top of Mandeville the mountain Northeast of us- therefore this is kind of an aerial view of where we live!

Finding the Words....

2008-12-01T16:51:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago we traveled to Ocho Rios for Early Service Conference…a time to decompress and talk about the things we’ve been experiencing these past 4 months. On our way to Ocho we had quite an adventure. We reached a taxi stop in Albert Town and were told that we couldn’t go any further- the road was flooded up ahead! They told us to take a taxi back and find an alternate route. We had already been traveling for about 3 hours and didn’t really want to turn back. Thank goodness a taxi driver decided he would take us through the flooded water. They managed to cram us into a car including us 9 people in the car. Two men pushed us through waist high water for about a ¼ mile. I was laughing the entire time- I was sitting in the back of the hatchback car- Will was in the back seat with two other PCV’s Curt and Ryan. The car began to fill with water- by the time we were through the car had about 6 inches of water. They had us bail out of the car and began bucketing the water from the car. It gave me a good laugh for the day. The conference was frustrating mostly because Will and I don’t have a lot to share. We’ve had frustrations with our supervisor and finding work has been left up to us. It was inspiring though to hear that we’re not the only ones experiencing this. Another breakthrough was my husband becoming quite the singer. He decided that karaoke is his thing! He was singing some Myrle Haggerd- Okie from Muskogee and even sang- Ray Orbison- Crying Over You to me!

<-- thanks Josh and Jesse! I now have evidence!

The following week we returned to work revived and excited to try some new ways of communicating with our supervisor. On Monday we had a meeting with him. We had all of these great ideas- projects we could do within our organization and the parish. To make a long story short- we’re back at square one. We’ve even been told to do the work asked of us even though it doesn’t meet the goals of Peace Corps and then turn around and tell Peace Corps we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing. That is not what we signed up for! I feel as though we’ve exhausted all of our resources and we still haven’t accomplished anything. We’re both mentally and physically exhausted running around in circles with our supervisor and our organization.

Living in a foreign country has had its fair share of frustrations and sometimes I just can’t find the words to describe what we’re going through on a daily basis. I mean we have internet access for the most part, we live in a nice house, we have a fan to keep us cool at night, and we’ve met a lot of wonderful people along the way. However there are times I could just pull my hair out! I understand this is all part of the experience therefore I won’t bore you with all the depressing things because I’ve come to realize that we signed up for Peace Corps. There will be bad days and really bad days. You will meet people who love the work you’re doing here and on the flip side you’ll meet people who could care less why you’re here or what you’re doing. There will be times when you’re rewarded and feel a sense of accomplishment but there will be times when you feel as though you’re useless and disposable. Don’t sweat the small stuff, love the journey you’re embarking on, let there be challenges and frustrations- they only make you stronger and build your character. Most of all have fun and take time for you!

Overall I think Will and I have decided to just let go and let Jamaica take what they want and need from us. Not for us to dictate what we give. Yet, we are also finding that you have to set boundaries and limitations to what you give, or else they will take everything you have and leave you frustrated, exhausted and longing to get away.

Thus, once again we struggle for balance and to find the courage to stay with it, because the rewards and satisfaction of knowing that you overcame a huge obstacle is what we have to remember.

As always we love and miss everyone! We really wanted to feast on some Thanksgiving turkey with our loved ones- as they say here- soon come! Love to All!

Wagawan en Jamaica?

2008-11-17T07:19:00.000-08:00

One of my projects is to work at Holland Primary School on a school garden and environmental club project. This photo to the right is the group of fourth graders I work with, about 20 students. I work with grade 4, 5, and 6 totaling 60 students. This can be challenging in itself- 60 loud, crazy, but enthusiastic kids. The area we’re trying to start the garden still hasn’t been cleared. I’m quickly learning that if you want things done you have to do them yourself. Therefore- I’ve set a work day for the parents and children to come clear the garden. I’ve also written letters to the minister of state and 4-H asking for funding or supplies. Hopefully this will get the ball rolling.

This last weekend we went to Treasure Beach to work on the Moringa Project. The organization is bringing in a man from Africa who knows a lot about the project. He will give presentations to several organizations on island. This will hopefully give Moringa Farms the direction they need. They're looking at using the tree as an animal feed. Currently they’re running a study to document the nutritional value the plant has for animals. Will has been busily preparing for his visit with invitations, contact lists, and attending meetings. . Of course while in Treasure Beach we had to eat at Jack Sprats- the famous pizza place we commonly indulge in~ however almost every time we eat there it upsets our stomachs- this time was no different. We stayed the night with the woman who started the Moringa project in Jamaica- we played scrabble, ate yummy lamb sausage spaghetti, had wireless internet, took an early morning swim in the sea, and played with some absolutely adorable puppies.

There were 7 in total. I'm sure they were infested with heartworm and several other ailments but I couldn't keep my
hands off of them.

After a positive discussion with our supervisor about the inadequate amount of work, we came away feeling more confident about our two years of service. It has become clear that we must find the projects, funding, and expect to execute it on our own. Is this the goal of Peace Corps- I’m not sure- it is my understanding that we are supposed to hopefully work ourselves out of a job…work together with our agency to make a positive difference. That’s what we signed up for when we applied for Peace Corps. Often times we question our purpose here, I have come to realize that maybe it’s just our presence. There is a reason we received an invitation to serve in Jamaica- of all the places we could serve we were sent here and while it may not be crystal clear what our purpose is we have to be content with that fact (thanks Jesse).

After attending several meetings with fellow Jamaicans I have realized they aren’t looking for handouts- but they’ve come to expect it. At whose fault? Probably organizations that continually support them instead of expecting Jamaican’s to put their feet on the ground and become self sufficient. Some questions arise in these meetings about how things are going to be funded, who is going to take care of it and the attitude is that foreign agencies will do that. It’s an attitude that lacks gratitude but is consumed with anticipation from these foreign agencies. And if those agencies can’t or don’t follow through well then; “shame on you!” This at times can also be hard to swallow- as an american I have dollar signs written on my forehead.

I was finally able to make the national dish of Jamaica (pictured on the left)- Ackee and Saltfish- I have to admit it tasted pretty darn good- maybe it's because Will and I prepared it- self gratification!

As always we love and miss you all! Thank you for all of your continued love and support we greatly appreciate all of it!

Daily Struggles

2008-11-05T12:04:00.000-08:00

Throughout our time here in Jamaica I have tried to remain extremely positive despite some of the things that occur in our daily lives. However I wouldn’t be doing any of our readers justice if I was always happy and bubbly. Right? I mean we’re human beings and everything isn’t always hunky dory!

This presidential election has made us realize a lot about not only American people but the world as a whole. Will and I struggled immensely with this election primarily because we couldn’t support either candidate 100%. We went back and forth, back and forth, and it was even more complicated not being in the United States amongst all the commotion. We were left to evaluate our thoughts with fellow Jamaicans. This at times was extremely frustrating because they thought if it wasn’t cut and dry for us to vote for Obama then we were racist. This is obviously not the case for us- why would we surround ourselves in a country where we are clearly the minority if race was an issue. This was also daunting because people would also tell us that we should vote for him primarily because he’s a man of color-forget about the issues- Please lord tell me that after the election last night we can honestly say that we have moved past the issue of color and race! I would be lying if I said it wasn’t hard being white in Jamaica- let alone a woman- but that’s another issue in itself. We’re both excited to see what Barack Obama is going to do for the United States of America and bring change and hope to this ever-evolving world.

The daunting task of walking down the street! Pssst pssst pssst….(walk a little faster with your head down) pssst pssst pssst! Hey sexy, hey baby, hey pretty white lady, white girl you’re looking good….there is no respect for women and whilst you try to do your best ignoring it, there are times when I would just like to walk over and slap them silly!

Mosquitoes and now fleas have been attacking us on a daily basis- they don’t congregate in small numbers to take us on either- it’s a large army swarming and attacking us! I have been bit in places I never thought it was possible to have bug bites- I thought the butt was a bad place to be bit- well try your breasts- oh that’s even better- scratching your boobs!

Inconsistent bowel movements are almost a daily issue- it’s amazing how one minute you’ll be feeling fine and the next you’re running to a bathroom- whenever we go places we have to ask where the bathroom is- mostly because you never know when you’ll need it. We also carry toilet paper with us wherever we go. For some reason in most of the bathrooms there isn’t any- just imagine how it feels after sitting down on the toilet, having an inconsistent bowel movement, and then realizing your worst nightmare is true…NO TOILET PAPER!

Things for us started out great in our jobs- we were meeting a uol eap of new people and several projects were discussed however now we’re at a stand still. Our supervisor has now doubled the amount of people he’s supervising and taken on the role of the parish manager for 5 months- where do we fit in all of this- well we don’t really- we sit in the computer lab most days staring at the screen hoping some kind of work will come along! We suggest potential projects however the follow through is lacking and at times extremely frustrating.

The last thing that has made me really sad about Jamaica is the amount of men that cheat on their wives. I am an extremely naive person but there is no escaping the reality of it. For example there are men we know who are model citizens in their communities, god fearing family men, and what are they doing on the side- sleeping with another woman! For me the saddest part is the children- especially the little boys are taught that it’s acceptable so the vicious cycle continues.

I can’t tell you how much I have loved this experience thus far, how it continues to mold both Will and I into better, more accepting, open minded people. However I have to thank the lord everyday that we have our faith and each other to keep us grounded during this wonderful journey.

P.S. I know many of you read the last post and thought when I said we were going to Portland you were thinking Oregon- I hate to be a bearer of bad news but we won’t be there during Christmas- There is a parish in Jamaica called Portland- therefore that’s where we’ll be staying with our Peace Corps friends Josh and Jesse.

What's New?

2008-10-31T09:30:00.000-07:00

The Schumakers feel like kids again! We went to the zoo this week! It’s not a zoo that is ready for tourists but is almost finished and will soon be open for business. We had a lot of fun walking around looking at the animals- our tourist guide- a kitten! He was following us around playing with the animals, chasing butterflies, and meowing. He reminded me of LT- a sad moment- because I kind of miss the little guy- even though he was really obnoxious! While at the zoo we saw all kinds of animals- zebras, lions, crocodiles, raccoons, squirrels, monkeys, llamas, parrots, toucans, and the list goes on!

Work is going alright- we continue to struggle with the culture and finding our place in a country that is still fairly new to us- even though we’ve been here for 4 months now! Yesterday we walked to the store and on the walk back it started pouring rain- we were soaked to the bone- freezing cold- in JAMAICA! We finally found a vacant house to duck under until we thought the rain had passed- of course after walking a short distance it started pouring again! Go Figure! We walked home, changed into pajamas, and drank some hot tea.
We’re getting excited for Early Service Conference (which will be in Ochi Rios- in a fancy hotel) and Christmas- We’ve decided to go and spend some time with our friends Josh and Jesse- We’ll be staying in Portland with them and hopefully doing some touristy things!

Up and Running...for the time being!

2008-10-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

Our internet crashed again…this has become the story of our life- however it’s up and running again- keep your fingers crossed that it works for at least the remainder of the week!

We have been keeping busy these last couple weeks. Last Monday we hosted the first ever environmental regional workshop- for the most part it was a success…I won’t get into how our supervisor somehow managed to squeak his way out of it because that would take me an entire blog entry to write! We have some new goals which are related to agriculture! We’re both really excited about this since we are working for RADA and a lot of the stuff we’ve been doing relates directly to farmers and agriculture.

We went to Mandeville to celebrate World Food Day- the food we were displaying was pumpkin, anything and everything made from pumpkin….sauce, chutney, jam, steamed pumpkin leaves, pudding, and the list goes on. I had no idea you could make all these things from pumpkin! While there Dr. the honorable Chris Tufton (the Minister of Agriculture) chatted with both Will and I- we haven’t seen him since being sworn in as PCV’s. St. Elizabeth is his parish and he has some projects that he thinks we can both work on.

We attended the Shrimp Festival in Middle Quarters on Sunday. RADA set up a booth to disseminate information and register farmers. It rained for a good portion of the day. We both ate lots and lots of shrimp… shrimp curry, shrimp punch, spicy shrimp dip, coconut shrimp, and shrimp chutney, I don’t think we’ll be craving shrimp anytime soon. While at the festival we began to take down our booth when who decides to show up….Dr. Tufton! Our supervisor saw him coming and frantically said- put the displays back out…the minister is coming! I started to laugh because I’ve never seen my supervisor get so worked up before. Dr. Tufton came over to our display and chatted with us. He told our supervisor not to take down the display- He said, “There might still be some farmers that have questions, you should stick around and answer their questions!” I was laughing the entire time- It was the first time our supervisor was whipped into shape, he reminded me of a dog with his tail between his legs! (The above picture is from Shrimp Festival - A cultural dance representing several apects of Jamaica)

Finally Monday was a holiday- Hero’s Day- Will and I went to Dunn’s River Falls in St. Mary- It’s quite the drive- took us about two and a half hours to get there. It probably would have taken longer if we had to take public transportation. I didn’t realize the place was such a tourist trap! The price to get into the Falls is $J300 which translates to about $4 U.S. The price for non-Jamaican residents $15 U.S. we explained that we were peace corps volunteers so they let us pay $J300. Once inside I was almost embarrassed to be white- Tourists were handing out money left and right – thank goodness we were with a group of Jamaicans! I came to realize why Jamaicans always try to get money from white people. When we got ready to hike the falls a group of tourists came up with a guide- they formed a line, held hands, and began climbing the falls as a group! Can you say LAME??? We were able to climb the falls independently without holding hands. We climbed the falls a couple times, ate the lunch we packed on the beach, enjoyed an iced cappuccino, and some cherry berry passion ice-cream. It was nice to have these luxuries while relaxing in such a beautiful place.

<---- Yeah that's an iced Cappucino!

This weekend we are going to Kingston for quarterlies. I applied to be on the SPA committee and was selected to be a member. I’m really excited I will have this opportunity especially since Jamaica is known for their SPA program. We’ll be attending meetings and hopefully get in some yummy coffee and American food! We’ll also cast our votes for the presidential election! I’m not going to elaborate on who we’re voting for and politics. My grandma always told me there are two things you should not discuss- politics and religion, therefore I will just say that we’re doing our American duty and voting for a presidential candidate!

<--- I ♥ my chacos!

P.S. I forgot to mention that mosquitos suck! They have reached an all time low! I was bit on the rear end by one! Does anyone have any idea how bad that sucks?? While riding the bus, sitting at work, or chatting with your supervisor and your butt itches so bad you can't concentrate on anything but that!

This is a typical Saturday- Handwashing Laundry

and praying that it doesn't rain :)

You want me to eat what....?

2008-10-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

We finally have internet back!!!!! Things in Jamaica usually take a long time and that’s no exaggeration! We didn’t have internet for nearly 3 weeks plus our phone lines are still down! To me this is insanely crazy…people haven’t been able to get work done because the farmer registration system is all online- go figure! My apologies for not updating our blog sooner, it’s just been a little crazy and not being able to use internet at work has made it sometimes inconvenient. I keep forgetting that there are some things I want to discuss with my fellow readers. So here it goes:

The first week we were back in Santa Cruz after being sworn in we attended a church function. While there we indulged in something called Manish Water- (I’m not entirely sure that’s how you spell it) I had no idea what it was. When the woman handed it to us we could smell the hot steamy soup. It didn’t smell nice at all, in fact it stunk! It reminded me of when we raised goats and the bucks would smell of urine during breeding season. I tried to get past the stench and take a sip of the warm drink. Upon doing so I nearly barfed in my mouth! Will and I both decided we weren’t going to choke it down. We asked the nun sitting with us what was in this particular soup. She explained to us that it’s a delicacy in Jamaica- the contents include: the head, feet, and belly of a goat! No wonder it smelled like a stinky buck! The following day we once again indulged in some more soup…this time chicken feet soup! This wasn’t nearly as bad. It smelled nice and contained some wonderful vegetables. However it is extremely hard to get past the fact that there are indeed chicken feet floating in your soup (not little feet either). Will and I both ate two bowls of it. Not so bad! However I’m not sure how much more soup I can eat- it reminds me of lunch as a child- “Who wants Meatloaf Surprise??”

That same day we also met a nun…her name Sister Eva! She has been one of the sweetest ladies we’ve gotten to know. On Sundays when we see her at church she always asks how we’re doing and tries to give us something. She has given both Will and I a new pair of Crocs, rice crispy cereal, rice, beans, and peas (all in quantities to feed an army). We really appreciate her kind and genuine heart. Going to church brings me a lot of comfort. It’s nice being able to find one thing familiar to us in this unfamiliar place. Church here lasts slightly longer but I don’t really notice. Will and I are considering getting involved in the youth ministry where we would do some religious education with the kids. It’s saddening because several of them can’t even make the sign of the cross.

Some of the things we took for granted and miss:

1. Windy Roads + Potholes = Bumpy Ride (We’ve both miss a smooth, quiet ride in a car)
2. The seasons….It is sad to know the leaves are changing and fall is upon everyone there! It’s still hot here :)
3. Bug Free Houses! The mosquitos, cockroaches, lizards, etc. are everywhere and nearly impossible to keep out
4. Having our own car and being able to drive anywhere at anytime
5. Good Italian food and Starbucks! (this was a given)
6. Our friends and family!

However there are many things to love about living here!

1. Every week we go to the market and buy fresh produce- this is GREAT!
2. In our backyard we have lime, mango, cherry, coconut, avocado, and orange trees. In the morning I can pick an orange for breakfast and for dinner an avocado to have with dinner.
3. We have both lost weight- we’re not sure exactly how much- we found a scale for sale at a store in town and weighed ourselves- we’re guessing between 10-15 pounds each!
4. Our Supervisor! He’s our guardian angel and a truly genuine kind man! We both love working with him and the staff at RADA
5. The working pace…everything is so much slower- this is a nice change from our fast paced lives in America
6. The scenery- there is nothing like a sunset in Jamaica and there are some really nice beaches and I hate to say the word but “tourist” attractions

All of the pictures are from our lastest visit at Treasure Beach a little over a week ago: Enjoy

Meet myfriend Mr. JellyFish- "You Shall Be Mine And I Shall Call You Squishy"

Boat at Treasure Beach

Lack of Internet....

2008-09-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

So when we arrived to work on Monday we found the internet wasn't working- turns out that the massive storm we had on Saturday destroyed our precious internet at work. The lightning actually hit the modem and well for a lack of better words...killed the internet! So I have to write this quickly because I'm in a little internet cafe in Santa Cruz- with little time left!

We recieved two yes I said two packages on Tuesday- 1 from the Reyes's and 1 from the Newlans! Oh the joy of recieving a package! I felt like a child at Christmas!!! Even though you have to claim the contents on the outside there are still unexpected surprises! Kaui and Cisco- I'm not going to lie the loofa's you sent- AMAZING! We have been in Jamaica now for 3 months and I've searched hi and low trying to find becuase the one I brought fell apart! I havn't been able to find one and then a package comes from you with what....TWO LOOFAS! I immediatly took the sticker off and jumped in the cold shower- and how wonderful it was! Scrub a dub dub...well you know the rest! Also in your package was more toiletries than I can shake a stick at! I think Will and I will be squeaky clean for at least a month! At first I felt as though this was your silly way of telling us we stink therefore you should have some shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and oh by the way brush your teeth with this toothpaste, new toothbrush, mouthwash, and would you please floss for crying out loud. However I then realized that you truly understood how bad we needed those things- TRUE FRIENDSHIP! Nick and Joy we also recieved a wonderful package from you! I loved the little notes attached to each item- I took them off and will hopefully hang them in our room- once we get some time to decorate! I also loved the pictures you both sent! How I miss both of my girls! I take the photos around telling everyone I left my children at home and look at how cute they are.

Jamaica is making us crazy! Somedays go by so fast that I can't remember the date let alone the month! This is a good thing though- makes the time go by much faster. Will trained some extension agents on a new program he designed to calculate their crop production every month and to also compile the totals for a parish report. I started working at a primary school (grades 1-6) on a school garden and compost pile. I love working with the kids. Last week when I went to visit them I allowed them time to ask me any questions they had about me, the United States, etc. A lot of the kids asked me if I was married- I told them yes to a man named Willy (that's what they call him here)...and then they immediatley asked if I had kids- when I replied no several of them said, "Mrs. can you take us back to the United States to be your child." I laughed of course and told them they would miss Jamaica too much if I did that. Some of the kids are so intrigued by me they just want to touch my skin or hair...it's kind of weird but easy to cope with. (It's almost like I'm a celebrity here...haha)

Last week we went to a funeral- one of the extension agents we work with his father passed away. The night before they have what is called a "wake" They stay up all night celebrating the life of the person. The next day, which happened to be a Sunday the service began at 1:00 p.m. needless to say we didn't leave until about 6:00 p.m. It was extremly long but is something I think can be admired about Jamaican culture- They have much respect for their elders!

Once again we need to say thank you to everyone who has sent us letters and packages. We have several people asking us what Will wants for his Birthday and what we want for Christmas! We will compile a list hopefully- we were able to get some pro deals through Keen, Chaco, NorthFace, etc. so if you're interested in helping with a purchase from one of these fine places we would really love that but I will post a list....soon kum!

Until later--- JAMAICA TO DI WORL!!!!

Erin and Michael

2008-09-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

We LOVE YOU 10X OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN!!!

Today we recieved your package and what a great package it was!!! You probably forgot what you sent so here it goes:

*Chips Ahoy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies/ MY FAVORITE!!
*Granola Bars
*Gobstoppers
*Mike and Ikes
*Fruit Roll Ups
*Fruit Punch and Lemonade Mix
*Sunscreen
*Bug Spray- 100% Deet ( I Love You)
*Chapstick
*Headbands!
*Shampoo/Conditioner
*Body Wash - our favorite kinds- Old Spice and Dove- YOU ROCK!
*Q-Tips- how did you know we were running low....?
*Hand Sanitizer
*and an amazing letter that you hand wrote!

I just want to say thank you thank you thank you for these wonderful treasures! They seem ridiculous to most people but I was so exicited to open it I nearly cried! I was also amazed at how great you were at stuffing everything into such a tiny box...AMAZING!

The story about Cisco in your letter made Will and I laugh so hard!! I can just picture him cutting his finger and thinking his finger was going to fall off! Even the woozy feeling and possibly needing stitches!

Again we just want to Thank You so much- you not only made our day, but our week, and possibly our month. We Love You!

Chuggin Right Along!

2008-09-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

There is so much to share from these last two weeks I’m not even sure where to begin!

We came back to our sites after Gustav- There wasn’t a lot of visible damage however when we went to work on Monday there was nuf nuf damage to assess. We spent the majority of the week visiting farms and looking at the damage caused from the storm. From this a document was compiled and sent to the Ministry of Agriculture which should help aid some of the farmers who suffered the most damage. It is calculated that St. Elizabeth suffered about $25 million dollars worth of loss.

In the midst of all this we moved into another house. We actually ended up moving in with the secretary we work with. She has more space and lives alone which is different from the 9 total people we were living with before (including us!) We have really enjoyed getting to know her and actually feeling like we’re a part of her family!

I went to a farm on Friday because there was a man there claiming to have lost 25 goats. The minute we arrived (myself, my counterpart, another extension officer, and a man from JAS) the farmer was extremely angry. I won’t get into a lot of detail as to why…lets just say politics here can make people FREAK OUT!. When my counterpart went to introduce me to the man he was extremly angry. He said, “I know who she is! She works with RADA!” My counterpart dumfounded said, “Well, why are you so angry about that?” The farmer went on to explain that she is one of those whitey’s here to destroy him, you know the ones from the CIA! I kind of chuckled as did the group from RADA I was with. This was my first encounter with someone who wanted to have absolutely nothing to do with me and the work I was trying to do. To make a long story short- the farmer couldn’t show us his goats- turns out he doesn’t even own any! This is probably why he was so angry with us and why he accused me of being with the CIA- to unveil him being a fraud and taking advantage of the government.

The photo on the left was an actual goat farm we visited- not one a farmer made up...I saw it with my own two eyes:)

On Saturday Will and I attended the first ever meeting held by the women of St. Elizabeth. The organization is called SEW (St. Elizabeth Women) this will be a primary project for me as I will be working with these women in several different areas. One of my first projects is to teach the women how to make products from goat’s milk. I will be teaching them how to make soap, lotion, cheese, and several other income generating products. I will also be doing some training around the parish on composting, organic farming, and environmental education.

This week has been packed full of more exciting things. Will has started working on a project dealing with the Moringa tree. It is the hope that this tree will be grown throughout Jamaica as it has several uses. Our hope is to make oil from the seeds in the pod grown on the tree and market it as cooking /spa oil. We went and visited a woman, who is willing to grow 10 acres of the crop as a test plot while we find an industry to produce and manufacture the oil and a marketing plan which will include education on the product.

The cattle above were a small road block on our way to YS Falls!

Finally we went to Lovers Leap. I will try to make the story short and sweet since I’ve babbled on enough in this posting. Before emancipation there were several plantations owned mostly by the British. Tunkey and Mizzi were both slaves working on plantations located next to each other. It is said that Tunkey and Mizzi fell in love but were not supposed to see one another because the owner (we’ll call him Mr. Slavedriver) of Mizzi was actually in love with her. Mizzi’s brother despised the fact that she would run off every night to visit Tunkey because he knew that if she could be with Mr. Slavedriver he would have a better life. Mizzi’s brother told Mr. Slavedriver that every night at 9 p.m. they meet (at this place where Lovers Leap is currently located). There are two endings to the story but I’ll share the one I hope happened. At 9 o’clock Mr. Slavedriver showed up and surprised them. Looking at one another they realized there was no way out. They didn’t want to be separated so together they decide to jump to their death.

Lovers Leap!

Swearing In and Hurricane Gustov!

2008-08-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to drop a couple of quick notes as we wait out this wonderful hurricane! Today we were officially sworn in as peace corps volunteers!

This is how we look when we bling out and dandy up for swearing in- Pretty snazzy if I may say so myself!
We've now been here for 8 weeks and it has gone by quicker than you can imagine! We stay very busy but always miss our family and friends. We enjoy the contact we are able to have with everyone though and love the pictures we see of our godchildren and family.

I have to admit I've never been in a hurricane- it is exciting and scary at the same time. Please don't be alarmed as we will get through it just fine- it's only a category 1 for crying out loud :)
For now we look ahead and truly wonder what this two years will bring- the saying is so true, Life is calling...how far will you go! The adventure begins now and we couldn't be more excited.

Little shout out to the Overstreets- We received your package- enjoyed the wonderful reminders of our St. Joe trip which actually happened about a year ago. This was also the time we submitted our peace corps application- crazy how time changes in just a year. We just wanted to say thank you for the wonderful things you sent us- We love and miss you both! Also thank you to my grandparents and Will's parents for their thought fullness in writing sincere letters to us. You have no idea how much we really do cherish those! As always we miss you all and look forward to hearing from you!

P.S. We added a ton of pictures to the flickr website so take a look and feel free to leave comments! (remember the link is on the left of your computer screen- 'Schumaker photos')

Pictures

2008-08-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that we now have a new link to our pictures on the left side of our page. The link is titled 'Schumaker Photos'. This link will direct you to a flickr page at which point you will be able to view all of our posted pictures.

Secondly, our address has been moved to the right hand column.

We're back in good ol Santa Cruz- been here for a week now! Crazy how time flies! The last thing we had to do in Kingston before we left was unveil the compost pile we've been working on! I wish I could show you all a before picture! There was so much trash!!! However this is the after picture- our environmental group in front of the dandy looking functional compost pile!

There are a few things I would like to share that I'm learning about the Jamaican culture.

1. Speaking patois is a joke! I sound like the biggest moron going around saying "ya mon," "mi jus takkin et eazy man," and "waagwaan!" However Will and I hunker down, grind our teeth, and get through it.

2. Jamaican men LOVE women! They love women no matter what the shape, size, or color. They stand along the street and pssssst women they find attractive. Needless to saying there is a lot of psssssting on the street. Not just at me but at several of the women! This can be extremely annoying however I just ignore them and keep walking.

3. Our host mother's sister washes our clothes (for a small fee $J900) The first time she decided to do this we gave her a uool eap ( a lot ) of laundry not really thinking anything about it. About 5 minutes later she came running in hollering my name. I went into the kitchen to meet up with her. She stood on her tippy toes and whispered in my ear, "Andrea I can't wash your underwear can you please come take them out?" I shook my head yes and walked out in dismay to remove my underwear. I asked her if I should take Will's too- she told me no she would wash his dirty smelly underwear but not mine! Later I found out that women wash their own underwear! Even if you put them in a washing machine a womans underwear have to be washed alone!

4.The typical jamaican dish is rice and peas (kidney beans), chicken, and cabbage salad (kind of like coleslaw). This can get old after awhile! However Saturday we received a real treat! Pig Tail Soup! Will was much more brave then me! I gagged and decided to pour the soup back into the pot when my host mother wasn't looking! Will ate about half his and then did the same as me :)

5. Jerk Chicken is truly delightful! Will's favorite is Jerk Pork! On any day you can drive alongside the road and find little huts serving bits of delightful jerk chicken, pork, and goat!

6. There isn't a McDonalds to be found on the island (thank goodness) however Burger King and KFC are huge here! When we were in Kingston we ate at TGI Fridays! It was soo good- but left us both with upset tummies!

Latest News!

2008-08-05T15:32:00.000-07:00

We've been at our site for two weeks now and are currently back in Kingston! These last two weeks were challenging, exciting, tiring, and awesome! Our host mother takes very good care of us! We're really enjoying the organization we're working with. They keep us very busy!

We participated in the Denbigh Agriculture Show! This was what really capped off our two weeks! We were able to finally see all of our hard work come together and see some of the places Will and I will fit into this organization! I have to admit though 40 hours without any sleep can take a toll on your body- and then when you finally can lay down for rest sleeping in a pavillion on the concrete floor is not that much better :)

Welcome to Denbigh! The giant cock!

The goats at the fair!

This is the night before we decorated-

This is the after picture! A night full of work and this is part of the finished product! We had several other exhibits in the pavillion but this was the centerpiece! All our hard work! In this you can see beans, corn, cashew, watermelon, pineapple, sorrel, pumpkin, onion, scallion, eggplant, yellowsquash, sweet pepper, bell pepper, banana, ackee, honeydew, tomato, cauliflower, carrot, mango, papaya, pimento, and I'm sure I have missed some! All of this was produced by farmers that live in our area! It was amazing! On Friday morning each exhibit was judged! We were hoping to walk away with first prize but ended up second out of the 13 parishes- booooo! It was a lot of fun- a great way to network and meet a lot of new people! We can both say we're very excited for the work we have ahead of us!

Finally I wanted to give a little rant! To all of our family and friends, please don't forget that we're in the Peace Corps- We've been here for a month and let me tell you living in a different country is very hard and challenging! Right now is a time when we need love and support from our families! Jamaica is not the vacation everyone sees on T.V. there are real issues here every day! It's a tough job and we love it but we do miss our family and friends! We would love a card saying hi or a letter with some of the latest details going on in all of your busy lives! Even just a comment on our blog would be wonderful! As always- Love to Everyone!

Welkom fi Santa Cruz- mi nu yaad!

2008-07-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

The news everyone has been waiting to hear!

We were placed in the parish of Saint Elizabeth which is located on the Southwestern part of the island. We are both working for an organization called RADA (Rural Agricultural Development Authority). It is directly under the Ministry of Agriculture! We will be working with farmers and extension officers.

It has been almost a week since we found out and moved to our new location. We’re living with a woman, her sister, and little boy. We can’t give a lot of details about it for safety reasons. However I can tell all of you that it’s HOT, cozy, safe, and exciting!!!! Our house mother has pigs which make me very very happy- they’re even durocs! Last night I made a new friend- a little kitten- he looks like LT- I’m hoping he stays around and keeps eating the lizards, bugs, and rats! Hopefully he doesn’t get eaten by a dog or squished by a car!

We’ve been touring some of the local farms; agriculture schools, and talking with 4-H leaders. They hosted a welcoming ceremony for us on Tuesday! It was really nice, there were several guest speakers, food, and we sat at the front table (as if we were special guests of honor or something like that).

We’re busily preparing for next week- the fair! It will be really exciting to see how it is different from the good ol Canyon County Fair in Idaho!

We’ll post some pictures soon, hopefully of the latest happenings! Lots of love to everyone!

Updates!

2008-07-13T18:59:00.001-07:00

These last couple of days have been awesome!

On Thursday we went to a Botanical Garden! The flowers here are amazing! There was bamboo, cattail trees, and trees with vines we could swing from. Here are a couple pictures from that day.
Will hanging from tree

On Saturday we went to St. Katherine to a current Peace Corps Volunteers site! It was awesome! They showed us how they do tissue cultures, pineapple tree planting, and some Ag in the Classroom!

Planting Pineapple Trees!

Agriculture in the Classroom- This is where the students learn all about Ag- currently they are planting tomatoes, yams, lettuce, kallalu, mangos, and the list goes on. Will and I though this was good that kids were getting some hands on experience in raising some of the crops they produce.

Today we went to the BEACH!!! It was GREAT! The water was warm, the lobster was tasty, and the sun was hot!

mmmmm Fresh Lobster

And finally to everyone We LOVE! Sent especially for you from Jamaica!

Pictures as Promised

2008-07-09T18:15:00.001-07:00

We went from this in Florida

To this in Jamaica

The view from our room!

My wonderful legs with tons of bite marks

My wonderful husband relaxing

And finally my little lizard friend

Ya Man!

2008-07-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

Well I will try to sum up the last couple of days in some short stories...as promised.

When we arrived in Kingston there was a welcome dinner for us that night. Now mind you this was a very tiring day however we were dressed snazzy for the welcoming of the Jamaican Ambassador! What an honor! The playing of the national anthem nearly brought a tear to my eye! How great it is to be here and doing a service to our country!

On Saturday we had our first experience in Kingston off campus...this was equally exciting but nerve racking! We had several places to visit in a small amount of time. With little to no Patwa at this point it can make traveling somewhat complicated. We got onto a bus $J50.00 which is just under a US Dollar! After that we had to wave down a "Red Plate Taksi" and go to our next destination. Well this was equally entertaining. Imagine; riding in a taksi, stopping for gas, and cutting someone off that was at the gas station first. Mind you the gas was $J89.90 per liter! You do the math- say your prayers it's not that expensive in the US yet :) The taksi driva jumped out and started hollering at the other man- I seriously thought there was going to be a brawl for the gas! Fortunately they were able to work out their differences and away we went- For our listening pleasure--SNOOP DOGG! Then we went to the Market- this was fun but kind of stressful. We got onto another bus only to have it stopped and searched for weapons. The gentlemen behind me had a knife which he slid onto the floor by our feet- everyone was kicking it hoping they wouldn't be the one caught with a weapon. We all asked to get off the bus, were frisked :), and loaded back on the bus- No Harm No Fowl!

Yesterday we decided to handwash all of our clothes from the last week- that is some freaking hard work! My back was aching to say the least- Will was a trooper though and kept me in line while helping me rinse and hang the laundry. Amen for a Washer and Dryer in the U.S.

It has become very apparent to me that the Jamaican people are a very caring, sweet, and nice culture. Over the last few days we both receive several smiles, nods, mornins, and evenin's. We have become more accustom to the heat- however we both still sweat like little pigs in the middle of the day! The food has taken some getting used to- I'm not going to lie- we have both had some seriously upset tummys! The showers are still FRIGID!!! Although some days they are bearable! The bugs must love my skin- I have about 15 bite marks on each leg- oh the pain…and the itching!

We're learning so much about the culture and language! It's so amazing and we haven't even been here for a week! This week we have a couple of field trips planned which will be exciting- I will get better about taking pictures I promise- It's been an adjustment so give me a break:) The thing we're the most excited about is finding out where we will be placed, what our job will actually be, and who our host family is!

Lastly I wanted everyone to know that it’s practically a requirement that we carry a cell phone- therefore if you would like the number please comment or send me an e-mail and I’ll hook you up- We can receive international calls for free but it costs us money to call you!

Likkle Mo! (See you later!)

Welkom Gruup 79

2008-07-04T18:25:00.000-07:00

This is your first lesson in Patwa- the official language in Jamaica!

I just wanted everyone to know that we arrived. It's freaking HOT! It's hot at night and we're sweating, sweating, and did I mention we're sweating! Yesterday we took our first cold showers here! I actually showered with a lizard that came climbing up out of the drain! Look at me go- I'm trying new foods- even eating peas! The fruit is delicious and very different-

The rumors are true- the Mangos are AMAZING! I'm loosing battery power however please know that I will post some more soon.

Love to Everyone!

Famous Last Words

2008-07-02T16:18:00.000-07:00

Training is finally over!! It reminded us both a lot of RA Training because there are so many little house keeping items to cover!

I just wanted to take this final chance to express some of our thoughts before we actually depart for Jamaica...

We're so excited to live in a different country! Jamaica has so many fantastic things to offer. We both can't wait to immerse ourselves in the culture, meet new people, and begin our projects. The most important thing we're looking forward to is living our lives much simpler. While there are still many unanswered questions....this has been normal for us however at times it can still be frustrating.

Tonight we dine for the final time in the United States! Tomorrow we fly to Jamaica!

What a way to start.....

2008-07-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

Well we did it...we're sitting in Florida preparing for Peace Corps- While this is exciting I would like to share some thoughts about our day yesterday :)

We arrived at the airport at approximatively 5:30 a.m. We were flying through Delta airlines- When flying in the United States you're only allowed to check one bag- However if you're flying out of the United States you can check two. We needed to check two bags each because eventually we'll be flying to Jamaica. The clerks just couldn't seem to understand that- we explained to them that our tickets were purchased through the government and we were doing a service to the country. The gentlemen at the counter (Will was his name) proceeded to tell us that Peace Corps is not a service to the United States! Now I want everyone to think for a minute whether or not we're really sacrificing two years of our lives for this country........after much thought I tend to think...uh duh! I was deeply offended by this mans comment and chose to walk away- after a nice hefty bill for our extra bags we walked away and boarded our plane to Florida.

It was extremely hard to say good bye to ALL of our loved ones however I'm grateful to have Will through this entire process. We're preparing to meet everyone in our group! We're excited to meet these people but I have to admit we're also a little nervous. There are so many unknown things ahead of us!

Yesterday for dinner we ate at a fabulous Sushi restaurant and this morning we had some delicious Starbucks Coffee and ate at a little Crepe restaurant. Our hotel is very nice and we got some much needed rest last night.

Love to Everyone!

Our Address

2008-06-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

You will be happy to know that I finally found our temporary address! It is listed at the bottom of this blog but I’m also going to post it here, just in case.

William and Andrea Schumaker
C/O Country Director. Howard Anderson.
Peace Corps. 8 Worthington Av.
Kingston 5. Jamaica, West Indies

Maybe I’m not as scatterbrained as I thought…. Or am I…. This address will only work until August 29, 2008 however we would still love to hear from all our family and friends even if it’s just a card to say Hi!

Peace Corps Preperation

2008-06-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that in less than 3 weeks we'll be in Jamaica!

The realization that we're actually leaving brings a smile to both our faces. I can't help but have several emotions running through my body! There is sheer excitement for the unknown...a new culture, family, friends, and life for two years. There is sadness simply for leaving our loved ones for such a long time but most of all there is opportunity and joy! We are going to Jamaica to serve our country and the people there. Not only are we going to be learning their culture but they will be learning all about crazy Americans :) I have this sneaky suspicion that people are going to call me "Crazy White Girl," mostly because I'll be running around swatting at cockroaches and mosquito’s. Needless to say I think this is the least of my worries.

Today we booked our airline tickets- We’re leaving June 30 for Florida. We’ll be in Miami from June 30- July 3! On July 3 we’ll depart the United States and board a plane to Jamaica to begin our Peace Corps training.

I promise that sooner or later I’ll find the sheet that has an address where everyone can send our mail however for some reason I can’t find the one piece of paper it’s written on- Go FIGURE!

Utter Chaos!

2008-06-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

First off I need to apologize for waiting so long to post something. This last month has been nothing but Chaos! Therefore this will be a fairly lengthy post to provide everyone with all the latest details.

On May 10 Will and I graduated from the University of Idaho- even though it's a month later I still can't believe we were there for 4 years and actually have a degree. The graduation was very tiring and we thank all of our family and friends that were able to attend. We also had a graduation party afterwards- lots and lots of food, chatting, and gifts. I didn't get many pictures from graduation but here is one of Will and I:

After Graduation we finished working- we both finished our commitments to Residence Life- Will worked a little bit for facilities and I finished working with the Latah County Youth Advocacy Council. We went to see Annie and Steve for Memorial Day Weekend. We went to Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park- It was BEAUTIFUL! The bluest water I have ever seen! We had such a great time. Poor Annie is 5 months pregnant and made the trip with great ease :) She even hiked back to a waterfall which totaled about 2 miles- I'm sure the baby really enjoyed all the ca motion. Owen is so fun to be around- he is full of life and energy- I don't know how Annie and Steve keep up with him. We also took our washer and dryer to their new home, coincidently the hose to the washing machine wasn't pushed down far enough and we had to clean up a flooded mess :) Here are some photos from that little trip:

We also had to say our goodbyes. This was probably the worst part. There are a lot of people that we won't be seeing for more than two years so it's kind of hard to say goodbye to them. We went to the Broiler with Cisco, Kaui, and Kaila. I love that little girl and saying goodbye to her was one of the harder things. Saying goodbye to little miss Sadie, Nick, Joy and Brenna was also hard- we went to 1/2 price appetizers at Applebees to say farwell- how I'm going to miss that as well :) I also had to say goodbye to the Knott's! This was awful- I'm going to miss Mauri and her family- She has done so much for me and I can't even begin to tell you how grateful I am for her friendship and love!

On Thursday we loaded up the Budget Truck and towed the pickup. We got 8 freaking miles to the gallon which made for a long drive and expensive with gas at almost $4.00 a gallon! We unloaded all of our stuff into our shed that we bought and put on my grandparents property. It's only 8X8 and fit all of our stuff!! So now we're down in the Boise Valley trying to relax before we depart for Miami July 1 and Jamaica on July 3!

Finally Some News....

2008-05-05T16:48:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited- We finally heard from Peace Corps!

We're going to JAMAICA!!!!

We're scheduled to leave July 1 for staging which will last for 3 days in the states and then on July 3 we fly into Jamaica to begin our training. Training for us only lasts from July 3 until August 29 and then we begin our two years of service.

The packet came in the mail today- It talked about our assignments and the things we have to look forward to. There are still many uncertainties as you can imagine but we finally know where we are going! Our assignment is listed as Environmental Business Promoters however we will be working with environmental awareness, planning and promoting environmental events such as Earth Day, Implementing activities with 4-H clubs, and assisting communities with watershed management- environmental education, and sustainable eco-friendly income generation activities.

This is a map for all of those who have no idea where Jamaica is!

Free and Easy

2008-04-24T17:19:00.000-07:00

So we got tickets to go see Dierks Bentley and Bucky Covington. We didn't realize where our tickets were because they were all one price therefore I thought it was just general admission. When we got to the concert they told us we were on the floor. We walked down onto the floor and assumed we might have one of the chairs but oh no they looked at our tickets and were like- yeah you're in the front- So we walked to the front- got a bracelet to show we belonged there, and had the time of our life! It was an amazing concert despite Will being ill (hey that rhymes). It was so loud that when we left we couldn't hear each other talking. I felt like an old lady, huh what did you just say? :)

Mr. Bucky

That's us and Bucky in the background

Um yeah- that's Dierks- I could see the sweat on his face!

Captivating Life With Some Photos!

2008-04-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

So I've decided to do this post in mostly pictures to highlight some of the things we've been doing these past couple weeks!

This photo is courtesy of Lindsey-
Meet Juanita- the Guinea Pig at the Family Carnival

Will working so hard at the Family Carnival!

College Rodeo- the theme of this night....
Bucking Bulls and Sushi!

The extension office gave away some Amaryllis
Bulbs- this was the outcome! BEAUTIFUL!!!

Falling into place...

2008-04-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

Things are starting to fall into place! We found out that I cleared dental which is wonderful. I also called the placement office Thursday and they told me that by next week all of the medical documents will be on their desk for the FINAL REVIEW!!!! They have to know by May 21 if we've cleared medical in order for our project to leave on time. She also told me we're expected to leave in early July. This is more news then we knew before and it's exciting!

We sold the Jetta :( I have to admit- I really loved that car despite how annoyed I might have been with it at times! When the car was driving away Will mentioned that it was bittersweet! So now I'm on my bike and feet for the next two weeks- which is fine by me as long as this weather stops acting up!

Will had a great time in Twin Falls with Troy FFA! One of the kids that he works with won job interview and is going to Nationals in October. He met a lot of potential employers and had a lot of fun networking and trying to find a place we might be interested in settling down in once we complete Peace Corps. I have a hard time thinking that we might settle down... Grad School is still in the future, but I have to admit I'm starting to get a little tired- maybe it's just because we're so close to graduating.

Graduation is May 10! Our announcements are done- just sitting on the table staring at me- I'll put them in the mail on Monday so that everyone gets one :) The final projects, book reports, and teaching lessons are coming up- it's so surreal that we're almost done. Seems like yesterday we drove to UI to begin our freshman year! Time sure flies but I know for a fact that Will and I wouldn't change it for the world.

The idea to visit Brandon and Jen in China is becoming more of a reality. We're talking about leaving June 3 and staying for a couple of weeks! Still looking at plane tickets and waiting for the price to go down. We'll visit our friends Annie and Steve Memorial Day weekend and do some backpacking at Olympic National Park! We have to be out of the apartment May 31- I dread the packing part but look forward to all these new adventures we're about to embark in.

Bye Bye my little Jetta

YIPEEEEE!!!!!!

2008-04-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

It's official the Medical Packet is on it's way to Washington D.C. Once again we find ourselves waiting but I'm so glad the Medical stuff is done. Let me go through the list of things that had to be done so you understand why it's taken us a month and a half to get through this.

1. Physical- this included:
*Hearing
*Eyesight
*Urinalysis
*Pap Smear
*Tuberculin Test
*Lab Tests- HIV- CVC- HepB- HepC- and G6PD
*Immunizations- Tetanus, Polio, and MMR
2. Dental Exam- this included:
*Dental X-rays
*Evaluation of mouth and teeth- cavities, areas of bleeding, restoration, etc.

As you all know this has been a long grueling process! I'm thankful that everything is now out of our hands and finally being evaluated by the Peace Corps office! Once again we're waiting to find out our exact departure date and country we'll be going to!

April Fools

2008-04-01T12:17:00.001-07:00

It is indeed April Fools--

It's been a long couple of weeks to say the least! Will's grandmother passed away on Good Friday...I'm telling everyone right now to stay away! I think we have death written on our foreheads. Betty's service was very nice and it was good seeing the Schumaker family. Will's parents stayed with us for most of the week- they had a chance to visit Troy High School and see all the great things Will is doing there during his student teaching experience. They left on Saturday and now we're both trying to get caught up from the crazy couple weeks we've experienced.

Today Will gets two of his wisdom teeth pulled. We were able to find a different dentist to do the work- Bearable Dentistry- for much cheaper- this bill will cost us in the end about $1400.00 which is much different from the previously quoted $4,000.00! Will is on Spring Break which is nice however he'll be leaving next Tuesday for Twin Falls- State Leadership Conference. He'll be gone until Sunday...the entire apartment to myself...and of course Mr. LT!

Things are going good for me...I have loads of homework to get caught up on, graduation announcements to finish addressing, and peace corps stuff to get sent off! I'm ready for this month to be over and it really has only just begun.

We've also been having some crazy weather- it snowed several times last week- Today the sun is shining and it's fairly warm- thank goodness- maybe this is the true sign of spring- I'll try not to jinx it however...it just gets me excited for backpacking, camping, and fun in the sun!

To Be Read at Your Funeral

2008-03-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

It's hard loosing someone you love so much. My great grandfather was truly inspiring throughout my short life. My travels after Melba High school took me to the University of Idaho. I knew this made grandpa especially proud. He always spoke to me about his experiences in Vandal Country- His $150.00 railroad scholarship that brought him to northern Idaho to study Dairy Production. There is one story I’ll never forget. Before driving home to Melba in the winter time he needed to buy a wool jacket. Grandpa’s dad told him to only use that checkbook in the case of an emergency. Feeling as though this was a true emergency he wrote a check for that jacket. There was snow on the ground and he was traveling home with some friends in a jeep without a top. When grandpa got home he had to explain why he had just spent $10.00 on a jacket.

He was also the inspiration behind raising those fantastic Farner pigs- Durocs to be exact! He always said they were the best! There is nothing better than a fat, fine, red hog!

His love for my grandma Treva has also given me great strength. I find that strength shining through in my own relationships! When she passed away in July 2000 he was absolutely crushed but fought for eight years without her! My grandpa is truly a special man and I will deeply miss his smile, friendship, and love however I know that right now he’s smiling down from heaven cradling his wife in his arms.

A reading that gives me great comfort can be found in Revelations chapter 21 verse 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

He always used to say- I prayed for you today Andrea and now I can say to him- Grandpa- I prayed you would find happiness in the lords kingdom, Welcome home!

Say Your Prayers

2008-03-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted something on here!

We decided to send Will to another dentist for a second opinion. This one looks more promising. While his wisdom teeth will still need to be removed this dentist is cheaper. He didn't find nearly the cavities the other dentist did and had never heard of something called gingivitis therapy. That's a sigh of relief. I found out that I need to get another tetanus and polio shot! Will most likely will have to have another polio shot. ARGH! Not fun at all!

On another note my grandma called me this morning with some bad news. My great grandpa whom will be 96 next month is in the hospital. He has been suffering from dementia which explains his outbursts in the nursing home. He was becoming extremely angry with nurses and even members of my family. Yesterday he suffered from a massive heart attack and double pneumonia. When I talked with my grandmother this morning she said they removed all the tubes- he's in a coma- and living on the oxygen being supplied to him. It saddens me that this is the way he has to die.

It's going to be hard to loose someone you love so much. My grandpa has always been an inspiration to me. He always spoke to me about his experiences at the University of Idaho- His $150.00 railroad scholarship that brought him to northern Idaho to study Dairy Production. His tales of buying a jacket using his dad's check book because it was cold here and riding home in a jeep without a top in the middle of winter! He was also the inspiration behind raising those fantastic pigs- Durocs to be exact! He always said they were the best! His love for my grandma has also given me great strength. When she passed away in July 2000 he was absolutely crushed but has fought for eight years without her!

My grandpa is truly a special man and I will deeply miss his smile, friendship, and love but I will know that he'll be in a great place. He will once again be reunited with his wife and the pain and suffering will end! The only thing I can do right now is say my prayers and hope that gods grace will take him to a better place. He always used to say- I prayed for you today Andrea and now I can say to him- Grandpa- I'm praying for you! I love you grandpa!

Frustration!

2008-03-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

Today I can almost officially say that the doctors and dentists are over with!
However there is good news and bad news. The good news is my dentist appointment went great! I didn't have any cavities and my wisdom teeth are happy as clams nestled in my gums. My doctors appointment went well too! I had the good ol' pap smear which is never exciting and some blood drawn- the results will be back next week- I'm sure I'm healthy-
The bad news- Will went to the doctor and he too passed with flying colors- however when he went to the dentist it was a different story. Apparently two of his wisdom teeth are already through but there is a piece of his gums on top of them which makes it to where he can't fully brush the tooth- therefore they would like to pull his two bottom wisdom teeth. If that doesn't add insult to injury he has 8 tiny cavities in between his teeth! GRRRRR...I know I'm the only one that can go to the dentist throughout my life thus far and be cavity free so when he told me 8 cavities I was like what the freak! We brush and eat the same! How could this be? Along with that he has one gum that measured a 4 meaning it's covering one of his teeth and once again brushing is a problem. So on top of this whole mess they want to do gum therapy. Total bill $4,000!!!! I don't know where this money is going to come from??? But I guess we'll find a way- we always do it's just very frustrating right now and the feeling of- is this really worth it- is beginning to set in :(

Doctors, Dentists and other Tid Bits

2008-02-28T10:35:00.000-08:00

One more week and I have to go see the Doctor. I'm really not very excited about this! Will came home yesterday with two bandages on his arm- one for drawing blood and the other for some shot! It is a huge relief though that we don't have to pay for any of it- THANK GOODNESS! I spoke with Moscow Family Medicine and they were more than happy to cover the bill. Then I called Palouse View Dental Office and they were also willing to work with us. It's a relief that we won't have to pay for this all out of pocket. We hope to have the medical packet complete within the next couple weeks so we can receive our actual assignment and departure date. Once that is finalized the reality of our situation will hit and the scrambling will begin.
On another note life has been crazy busy but exciting all at hte same time. Will and I were both nominated for Outstanding Senior in the Ag Ed department. I went ahead and applied for it so we'll see how that turns out. The awards banquet isn't until April so it could be a little bit of a wait.
We also tried cross country skiing for the first time- Lets just say 6-7 miles isn't what we were expecting but we had a blast. The snow conditions weren't that great making it much harder. I found myself speeding down a mountain unable to stop and crashing into the only tree in sight (go figure) Our friends Brandon and Lindsey took us! Needless to say it was a great workout and that Western Burger in Elk River tasted pretty darn good :)

Below are some fun pictures from the day:

Happy Skiing

Mrs. Lindsey and her Dad

Will's got Skills!

And I fall down- The story of my Life

Congratulations You're in the Nomination Process!

2008-02-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

As some of you know when you apply for the Peace Corps you are able to check the status of your application online- For several months I checked and received the same notification over and over again, "We have received your application and we're currently reviewing it." Argh Therefore when I finally checked today and it said- "Congratulations you are now a nominee for the Peace Corps" I was ecstatic!

Now there is a list of things we have to do in order to actually receive our assignment. The list includes medical and dental visits, lots of fun legal information, and reimbursement forms. Once all of this is completed, sent back, and we're cleared then we'll receive our actual assignment- The exact country and date we'll be leaving! So here in the next couple weeks you can find Will and I at the dentist, doctor, and the good ol eye doctor!

School is as busy as ever- Will is getting ready to go out to Troy and student teach- I have to admit he looks pretty handsome having to wear a shirt and tie everyday! I'm still working 35-40 hours a week and going to school full time. Thank goodness for yoga, Will, and great friends or I would go absolutely nuts! Preparing for Graduation is exciting along with starting another chapter in our lives- Peace Corps Here we come!

Love To All!

The Adventure Begins

2008-01-31T15:50:00.000-08:00

It's official we have heard from Peace Corps- We've set this blog up for those of you interested in keeping up with where we're headed! Last Friday our recruiter told us we would be leaving in October for placement in Western Africa in a French speaking country. I can't tell you how excited we were to hear the news. As most of you know Africa was not our first choice but we slowly began telling ourselves it was going to be a great experience. We also began telling friends and family when we were leaving and where we would be going.

And the plot thickens....

Today our recruiter called us and told us that someone from the Caribbean saw our application and wants us there in July!!! Words can't express how happy this makes us! The Caribbean was our first choice and we'll be leaving much sooner! Not only that but we'll both be working in specialized Agriculture programs. Will's job will allow him to be a business agricultural consultant educator. As for me I will be working with the local 4-H program and their 4-H leaders, exactly what I wanted to be doing!!!!

I hope that all of our family and friends find this useful and I hope this provides them a way to keep in touch with us and know what's going on in our lives...Let the Adventure Begin!