After about six months of work we got over a gigantic hurdle on Monday March 8, 2010, when we were notified that our recruiter had nominated us for a Peace Corps position.
I was telecommuting that day and received the call at home. There was an employee from Atlanta Kitchens present who was measuring the kitchen for granite. He was telling me something when the phone rang. I saw on the caller ID that the call was from the “Federal Government”, and I knew who it probably was. I knew that Kyle had the intention of nominating us. He would either say he was able to nominate me or that he was not.
I asked the guy from Atlanta Kitchens to please hold on, that I needed to take the call. It was Kyle. I said that I was hoping he was calling with good news. Then he did give me the news. He had nominated us for our first choice which was in Eastern Europe with a departure date of March 2011. Tish would be performing health care and I would be teaching English. Kyle and I talked a little more before I got off the phone. When I got off I told the person in my kitchen, “Sorry, I had to take that. I have been waiting for that call for six months.”
What this means is that we move to the next steps which are Medical, Dental, Vision clearances and any other things the application process throws at us. We have plenty of time, and we are in good health, so I feel pretty confident we will cruise through, until we (hopefully) get the “Invitation”, which is the final step in the process of getting hired. I am assuming that will happen around December.
This process has been long, and we have had to be patient. I am so grateful for Kyle, our recruiter. He got to know us and I really feel he is our advocate. He is the one who suggested we teach English as a volunteer to become qualified to teach in the Peace Corps. This qualified me for the job I was nominated for.
That night we did some celebrating !!
The countries that we may go to in Eastern Europe are Macedonia, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, or Ukraine. I am not sure if Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are included.
