Birthday in Zambia!

September 25, 2008
Had a great birthday! Along with 29 other Peace Corp Trainees I cooked from early morning until afternoon preparing a meal to honor and thank our host families. I have never seen such a huge batch of chocolate chip cookies in my life!
Today we are saying goodbye to the families who have welcomed us into their homes and going back to Lusaka, the capital.
Friday we will be going to the US Ambassador's home and be sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers.
Not sure when we leave for our respective villages. I'll keep you posted!

Yea-I passed!

After studying all week for my language test I was relieved to learn that I passed!

"Tizamuonana". (Farewell/We'll see each other later)
Jessica

New address for the next 2 years!

Wondering.... what is going on in your world??
Here is my new address. Hope to hear from you soon!
Love, Jessica

Jessica Petrone, Peace Corp Volunteer
PO Box 530376
Lundazi, Zambia (no zip)
Africa

FIrst email from Zambia!

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 17:43:51

Hi Everyone!

I am finally on the computer for the first time today! Don't have much time but wanted to say hi. We would have ha more time to spend in the internet cafe |(i am using that term loosely) but I decided to hang out at the dambo behind the castle (castle in Lundazi, Zambia...strange, huh?) We were climbing on rocks, watching kids play in the water, and most importantly...wandering out on a log in the water watching a HIPPO!!!! We must have only been 50 feet from the massive animal who came to surface for 8 seconds (at most) at a time to let out a groan and twitch its ears! I am still in amazement! Running out of time on the computer so I will have to wrap this up.

I miss you all so much. Zambia is amazing andI love it here. I am still in training (where I learn technical skills for service and also the language Tumbuka). Right now we are on out second site visit, staying with a volunteer who has been here for a year. We head back to Chalimbana (where my home stay family and the training center are) on friday. We swear in on September 26 and then durring the first week of october i will be dropped off in my village, Zumwanda! I will have a new address. I will try to get it tonight and pass it on asap. So any mail you wish to send please send to the new address. There is nothing I would love more than to recieve letters. I have not really had tome to write, but I will have great opportunity to do so once I am through with training. I would love to know how everyone is doing.

Love and miss you all!

Jessica

ps...i apologize for typos...no time to proof read!

New Address!

Jessica's new address:

Jessica Petrone PCV
PO Box 530126
Lundazi, Zambia

P.S. Jessica's birthday is Sept. 24th.
Postage for 1 0z., normal sized envelope is 94 cents.
Let's overwhelm her with cards!! (should be mailed ASAP!)

Zumwanda will soon be my home!

9/2/2008

I'm on the road traveling within the Eastern Province of Zambia with 4 other Peace Corps Volunteers. We've left our host families and the training site for a couple of weeks in order to travel to the villages that we'll call home.(once our training is complete and we know the dialect)
Each of us has been assigned to live in a different town or village.

I just visited the village Zumwanda where I soon will be living and working!
It is the second smallest town in Zambia. I love it!

The day I visited I saw about 20 people. It's hard to know how many others belong there and may have been traveling.
I was told that the head of the village died recently. There are 3 men left.....I don't know what happens next about that.
I saw about 10 children. Everyone was very friendly and greeted me.

This week we'll be moving on to visit the villages where the others will be assigned. I really like the 4 other PC Volunteers I'm with. We are staying with Michelle, an experienced PC Volunteer who was assigned to Zumwanda previously. This is great because she can tell me everything I need to know! She was the only one from the previous group of Volunteers that decided to stay on in Zambia with the Peace Corps. She is now like a coordinator for the small group of us serving in the Eastern Province.(as well as other duties)
The plan at the moment is for me to move to Zumwanda October 1, 2008!

If you are thinking about writing, it's probably best to mail it to my new address...or it could take even longer to reach me.
I should have my new address posted here in a day or two.
"It is ALL good!" .......love you, Jessica

(posted via her mom)- check out a satellite view of Zumwanda! - www.maplandia.com/zambia/eastern/chama/zumwanda