From what I understand, Ukraine volunteers may get very similar/the same titles but have very different assignments, and they have their reasons for that. I will also not be finding out where I am going until we are in training in country, so they can best match my skills with the needs/projects. What I have right now is an assignment but it is not specific...my job title will be Community Developer. Here is what the "Your Assignment" packet says:
"The specific type of work you will do will depend on the needs of the community and partner organizations to which you will be assigned as well as on your ksills and educational background...If you have a business background [that's me], you may apply your skills in the areas of organizational development [in which I actually have experience], business planning [also have experience], investment attraction [hmm...not so much], strategic planning [I have experience and really like doing], business communication [LOTS of experience there] and income generation.
"In all Community Development assignments, Volunteers support the introduction and improvement of organizational systems and structures. This includes project design and management [again, like this a lot] with the accompanying need to identify and secure necessary resources. Organizational sustainability is of central importance to Ukrainian NGOs and represents an area in which Volunteers can play a significant role. In addition, the refinement of cross-sector collaboration and the coordination of programs will be an area for Volunteer support and innovation."
There's more....and mention of secondary projects. What I really want to know right now is whether some of these crazy things on the packing lists people are posting are really necessary....I don't think I will be buying Yaktrax. I mean, I'm from MN - snow and ice are not novelties to me...as a matter of fact, lately it has been warmer in Ukraine than it has been here! Also - a sleeping bag? WAFFLE IRON? Wha? I have three months to figure these things out - but there are holiday sales right now so I was hoping to consider some of the (few) things I actually do not have and actually do need. But suggestions/input from current volunteers are/is welcome.
Just so I don't sound like I am obssessed with packing this early on...
And to correct the faux pas from the last post - I am going to be learning Ukrainian, hopefully at least some before I leave. Whoops. I grew up with the map showing USSR so sometimes I slip!
First step - turn in current passport, apply for PC passport and visa - have photos taken. Check, and check. Sent off today. Next step - the aspiration statement. I wonder what I will say when I don't really know my assignment...how can I write an effective aspiration statement?
Oh by the way, I got a very nice letter from President Obama in my invitation package :) I will be in Peace Corps on its 50th anniversary!
Okay, enough for now...
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The Invite
Happy Hanukkah to me! My invite came in today's mail.
Dear Karin,
Congratulations! it is with great pleasure that we invite you to begin training in Ukraine for Peace Corps service. You will be joining thousands of Americans who are building stronger communities around the world. This call to action gives you the opportunity to learn new skills and find the best in yourself.
The letter continues on, but you all get the "gist" - on March 29, 2010, I leave for staging.
Time to start re-learning Russian...
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
THE phone call
The last thing I want to be is a blogger who just writes about nothing, so I will make this substantive. I got THE phone call today.
The PO and I had a nice chat. Actually I was a little worried at a couple of the questions she asked me (they pay attention - she asked me a question based on something one of my recommendations had on it!) but then we got to the good part.
"About the program to which you were nominated," she said, "tell me what you were told."
"My recruiter did not elaborate - he told me Business Advising, Francophone Africa, leaving in February 2010," said I.
"That's true," she said, "however, that program is full."
I took that in for a moment, during which she told me that the country originally asked for a certain number of people for the program, then cut that number, and now they are looking for alternate assignments for the people left out in the cold (well, she did not use that term).
"Is it more important to you that you go to a Francophone country or that you leave sooner?" she asked. I replied that the priority in my eyes was a speedy exit from this country and into my country of service. Indeed, I am good at learning languages and am confident that I would do fine in another country.
"We appreciate your flexibility," she said, "there are many applicants who are not as willing to go anywhere in the world."
Well, color me happy! I still get to go!
"I am going to check and see what programs are still open for a February or March departure and get back to you in a couple of days," she said.
Sounds good. I can wait another day or two at this point. Well, as it turns out, I did not have to wait more than 20 minutes. I soon got this e-mail:
"Dear Karin,
Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today. I have issued you an invitation for a business program that departs for Eastern Europe in late March. It will go out in this afternoon's mail."
So today I got my belated birthday gift!
Tempting though it is, I will not speculate as to the where I will be going. Anyone interested in doing so can go to the PC web site and poke around - there are only so many countries in Eastern Europe!
The PO and I had a nice chat. Actually I was a little worried at a couple of the questions she asked me (they pay attention - she asked me a question based on something one of my recommendations had on it!) but then we got to the good part.
"About the program to which you were nominated," she said, "tell me what you were told."
"My recruiter did not elaborate - he told me Business Advising, Francophone Africa, leaving in February 2010," said I.
"That's true," she said, "however, that program is full."
I took that in for a moment, during which she told me that the country originally asked for a certain number of people for the program, then cut that number, and now they are looking for alternate assignments for the people left out in the cold (well, she did not use that term).
"Is it more important to you that you go to a Francophone country or that you leave sooner?" she asked. I replied that the priority in my eyes was a speedy exit from this country and into my country of service. Indeed, I am good at learning languages and am confident that I would do fine in another country.
"We appreciate your flexibility," she said, "there are many applicants who are not as willing to go anywhere in the world."
Well, color me happy! I still get to go!
"I am going to check and see what programs are still open for a February or March departure and get back to you in a couple of days," she said.
Sounds good. I can wait another day or two at this point. Well, as it turns out, I did not have to wait more than 20 minutes. I soon got this e-mail:
"Dear Karin,
Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today. I have issued you an invitation for a business program that departs for Eastern Europe in late March. It will go out in this afternoon's mail."
So today I got my belated birthday gift!
Tempting though it is, I will not speculate as to the where I will be going. Anyone interested in doing so can go to the PC web site and poke around - there are only so many countries in Eastern Europe!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Lesson to other applicants
The good news of today (happy birthday to me) is that I heard from Peace Corps. The bad news (no happy birthday to me) is that instead of a phone call to discuss an invite, it was in the form of an e-mail requesting more information. This was information that I had skipped those many months ago when I filled out the original application, because I thought it was taken care of with the resume I sent in. Nope.
Here is what the e-mail said:
Dear Karin. My name is (name) and I am a Placement Officer on the Business Skills Desk. Your Placement Officer, (name), has been out unexpectedly for the past few weeks and I am following up with some of her files. I have started the assessment portion of your file and noticed that there is some important information missing. While you provided detailed resumes, you did not fill out the employment history section of the application. This is important because it captures some information not typically included on a resume. Please provide the following information for all the jobs that appear on your resume:
Previous employer name
City/State
From (Mo/Yr) to (Mo/Yr)
Job title
Hours per week
Name of supervisor
Phone number
E-mail address
May we contact your former employer ()Yes ()No
Reason for leaving
Once I have this information regarding your employment history I'll have the complete information in order to continue the review of your application.
My lesson learned in all of this is that I thought that by providing my resume that would cover the information, so at the time I applied I did not fill out those fields. Shame on me for that oversight, as it now means additional waiting. This is getting hard, to see people getting invites for MAY and I am still waiting for February. But this was my fault.
The lesson for other applicants - when they ask for information, give it to them - give them what they ask for. As a matter of fact, give them more than they ask for. That is what I did for the medical portion and that went flying through the approval process. I did not do that with the resume portion, WAAAAAAAY at the beginning of the process, and it has now come back to bite me.
Here is what the e-mail said:
Dear Karin. My name is (name) and I am a Placement Officer on the Business Skills Desk. Your Placement Officer, (name), has been out unexpectedly for the past few weeks and I am following up with some of her files. I have started the assessment portion of your file and noticed that there is some important information missing. While you provided detailed resumes, you did not fill out the employment history section of the application. This is important because it captures some information not typically included on a resume. Please provide the following information for all the jobs that appear on your resume:
Previous employer name
City/State
From (Mo/Yr) to (Mo/Yr)
Job title
Hours per week
Name of supervisor
Phone number
E-mail address
May we contact your former employer ()Yes ()No
Reason for leaving
Once I have this information regarding your employment history I'll have the complete information in order to continue the review of your application.
My lesson learned in all of this is that I thought that by providing my resume that would cover the information, so at the time I applied I did not fill out those fields. Shame on me for that oversight, as it now means additional waiting. This is getting hard, to see people getting invites for MAY and I am still waiting for February. But this was my fault.
The lesson for other applicants - when they ask for information, give it to them - give them what they ask for. As a matter of fact, give them more than they ask for. That is what I did for the medical portion and that went flying through the approval process. I did not do that with the resume portion, WAAAAAAAY at the beginning of the process, and it has now come back to bite me.
Monday, November 30, 2009
The reason for the hold...
So this morning I called PCHQ and spoke with the Placement Manager - actually he is a Director, in charge of all of the volunteer placements. Luckily for me, he was nice enough to look into my questions - the ones I felt had not been answered on Friday.
As I have long suspected, they have been holding my application until the house has sold. I had previously been told that I could still get an invite with the condition that the house is sold/I am no longer responsible for it as of my departure date. But apparently they decided to wait until it sold to move forward, contrary to what I had previously been told.
Now this presents a few challenges. It is a bit of a chicken-and-egg matter.
Last week the Bank (capitalized on purpose) requested additional information on my circumstances, made sure the buyer and I signed a document stating that it was an arms-length transaction, etc etc etc. So things are progressing. I found out this morning that when they do approve the sale, they usually provide 30 days' notice to closing. I asked if it is possible to get something more expedited than 30 days. Say they approve it TODAY - that is the end of December before it closes, unless I can get an expedited close. That is past the deadline for me to get an invite for a February departure.
Now, the buyers are committed to this, from everything I can tell. They signed the additional documents and have inquired about purchasing the empty lot next door to my house. I am not worried about the buyers. I am obviously committed to this sale, so that is not a problem. It is another waiting game - waiting for the Bank.
That being said, I have assured them that the closing WILL occur before February.
I got an e-mail back from him a little while ago, where he said:
...basically it appears that we are waiting on your house sale to proceed. There is the option of a provisional legal clearance...we would move forward as if your house had sold, and that is something I will discuss with (Placement Officer) when she returns or with another Placement Officer if she is out for an extended time. Also, please be aware that we are a little short staffed right now and doing out best to assess and invite people as we can. I know that it is difficult to understand, but we deal with over 6000 applicants per year and I have very few number of staff to handle all the cases. But be assured that by the end of the week a Placement Officer will look at your file and begin working with you on the final items to make a final determination as to your possible invitation. Expect someone to be in touch this week.
I did thank him, and told him I am very mindful of their situation re: staffing, and that I had in fact waited quite a while before calling and only became concerned after speaking with the Placement Assistant and (this I did not say) feeling like I was not getting the "whole story."
This is, actually, another argument for increased funding for Peace Corps, but that is another discussion...
I do wonder what the final items to make a final determination are - they have my medical and dental clearance, legal background is done, updated resume, etc. Whatever else I need to do, I am willing to do to get this application moving and get that invite.
While I am relieved to have had his assistance, I do not recommend that everyone start calling PC about their applications. I did so because my timeline for a February departure is becoming very short. I also had a bit of a special circumstance to deal with re: my house. But prior to calling, I had previously waited quite a while for them to conduct their business.
More later, when I have more to tell...
As I have long suspected, they have been holding my application until the house has sold. I had previously been told that I could still get an invite with the condition that the house is sold/I am no longer responsible for it as of my departure date. But apparently they decided to wait until it sold to move forward, contrary to what I had previously been told.
Now this presents a few challenges. It is a bit of a chicken-and-egg matter.
Last week the Bank (capitalized on purpose) requested additional information on my circumstances, made sure the buyer and I signed a document stating that it was an arms-length transaction, etc etc etc. So things are progressing. I found out this morning that when they do approve the sale, they usually provide 30 days' notice to closing. I asked if it is possible to get something more expedited than 30 days. Say they approve it TODAY - that is the end of December before it closes, unless I can get an expedited close. That is past the deadline for me to get an invite for a February departure.
Now, the buyers are committed to this, from everything I can tell. They signed the additional documents and have inquired about purchasing the empty lot next door to my house. I am not worried about the buyers. I am obviously committed to this sale, so that is not a problem. It is another waiting game - waiting for the Bank.
That being said, I have assured them that the closing WILL occur before February.
I got an e-mail back from him a little while ago, where he said:
...basically it appears that we are waiting on your house sale to proceed. There is the option of a provisional legal clearance...we would move forward as if your house had sold, and that is something I will discuss with (Placement Officer) when she returns or with another Placement Officer if she is out for an extended time. Also, please be aware that we are a little short staffed right now and doing out best to assess and invite people as we can. I know that it is difficult to understand, but we deal with over 6000 applicants per year and I have very few number of staff to handle all the cases. But be assured that by the end of the week a Placement Officer will look at your file and begin working with you on the final items to make a final determination as to your possible invitation. Expect someone to be in touch this week.
I did thank him, and told him I am very mindful of their situation re: staffing, and that I had in fact waited quite a while before calling and only became concerned after speaking with the Placement Assistant and (this I did not say) feeling like I was not getting the "whole story."
This is, actually, another argument for increased funding for Peace Corps, but that is another discussion...
I do wonder what the final items to make a final determination are - they have my medical and dental clearance, legal background is done, updated resume, etc. Whatever else I need to do, I am willing to do to get this application moving and get that invite.
While I am relieved to have had his assistance, I do not recommend that everyone start calling PC about their applications. I did so because my timeline for a February departure is becoming very short. I also had a bit of a special circumstance to deal with re: my house. But prior to calling, I had previously waited quite a while for them to conduct their business.
More later, when I have more to tell...
Friday, November 27, 2009
What??
I think I have been doing a good job at being patient re: waiting for my invite. Reassuring myself that I am a great candidate - not only no medical problems but two grad degrees, 15 years of full-time work experience, did well on the French proficiency exam, etc. Trying to remind myself of how busy the Africa "desk" has been, what with pulling people out of Guinea, reassigning them, re-opening Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Madagascar. Reminding myself that I am not at the top of their priority pile, even if they are on the top of mine.
I'm getting frustrated.
Today I found out that another person with the exact same nomination as I have got a call on Wednesday - saw it on her blog (Mazel Tov Katy!). So I called my Placement and Assessment Assistant to check in on the status of my application. And found out that my Placement Specialist (aka Placement Officer) has been "unexpectedly out of the office for the past two weeks." Hmm. I told her I hope everything was okay with this person, but also mentioned how I thought she had called Katy the other day (I later found out that Katy was called by a different P.O. - somehow her file got transferred) and how I looked forward to hearing from her early next week.
No, she said. I should not expect to hear from her within the near future - not within the next three weeks.
Umm....
I pointed out that we are bumping up against the deadline for me to get an invite for a February departure. She then told me that if "I" missed the deadline, they would consider me for another position.
Wait a minute. If I missed the deadline? I've made all of their deadlines, with plenty of time to spare. I pointed this out and she clarified - if I did not get an invite in time. She also mentioned that they tend to go in order of when a person was medically cleared, and that may be why the other person got the invite already and I did not.
Now, wait a minute. I was medically cleared two weeks before said other person (Katy). But again, this was before I found out that it was another P.O. that called Katy.
She (Placement Assistant) assured me that my file was still "actively being considered" and that she would leave a note for the P.O. that I had called to check in.
So I'm frustrated. I feel utterly and totally powerless - I have done all they asked and been patient, waiting while other people with later nomination dates have gotten their invites. I feel like the Placement Assistant was not telling me something, and it is really heard to just keep waiting when "I" may miss the deadline for getting an invite - there must be something I can do?
I found a number for the Placement Manager on the PC Wiki and left that person a message. I am hoping that he will call me back on Monday...because I would really like to know whether I will be getting an invite for February, or if I need to change my plans because it will be delayed.
I'm getting frustrated.
Today I found out that another person with the exact same nomination as I have got a call on Wednesday - saw it on her blog (Mazel Tov Katy!). So I called my Placement and Assessment Assistant to check in on the status of my application. And found out that my Placement Specialist (aka Placement Officer) has been "unexpectedly out of the office for the past two weeks." Hmm. I told her I hope everything was okay with this person, but also mentioned how I thought she had called Katy the other day (I later found out that Katy was called by a different P.O. - somehow her file got transferred) and how I looked forward to hearing from her early next week.
No, she said. I should not expect to hear from her within the near future - not within the next three weeks.
Umm....
I pointed out that we are bumping up against the deadline for me to get an invite for a February departure. She then told me that if "I" missed the deadline, they would consider me for another position.
Wait a minute. If I missed the deadline? I've made all of their deadlines, with plenty of time to spare. I pointed this out and she clarified - if I did not get an invite in time. She also mentioned that they tend to go in order of when a person was medically cleared, and that may be why the other person got the invite already and I did not.
Now, wait a minute. I was medically cleared two weeks before said other person (Katy). But again, this was before I found out that it was another P.O. that called Katy.
She (Placement Assistant) assured me that my file was still "actively being considered" and that she would leave a note for the P.O. that I had called to check in.
So I'm frustrated. I feel utterly and totally powerless - I have done all they asked and been patient, waiting while other people with later nomination dates have gotten their invites. I feel like the Placement Assistant was not telling me something, and it is really heard to just keep waiting when "I" may miss the deadline for getting an invite - there must be something I can do?
I found a number for the Placement Manager on the PC Wiki and left that person a message. I am hoping that he will call me back on Monday...because I would really like to know whether I will be getting an invite for February, or if I need to change my plans because it will be delayed.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
A new home for the kitties, mama's still waiting
Thanks to assista
nce from my friends, it looks like my kitties will soon have a new, loving home! A friend of a friend has recently moved back to the area and is closing on his house today, and he wants an "older" (why is nine years considered an old cat?! They live to 16 or so!) bonded pair. I talked to him for a while on the phone and could tell from the way he talked about the kitties he had to leave with his ex that he is going to be a good dad to my two loves. This has taken a big
nce from my friends, it looks like my kitties will soon have a new, loving home! A friend of a friend has recently moved back to the area and is closing on his house today, and he wants an "older" (why is nine years considered an old cat?! They live to 16 or so!) bonded pair. I talked to him for a while on the phone and could tell from the way he talked about the kitties he had to leave with his ex that he is going to be a good dad to my two loves. This has taken a big weight off my shoulders - I was more worried about them being in a good home than about anything else. I've even made a couple of new friends because of this!
Speaking of other goings-on, the house sale seems to be moving along. My realtor sent in the information that the bank requested, and right now I'm waiting for them to move through their process. They provided a timeline that starts as of the day they get the completed information, and from the timeline it looks like I will likely close in mid to late December. Of course, the bank is the one who will make this call, but that's my estimate. After that, I am officially homeless, and a kind friend has offered me a room in her house until it is time to leave.
Leaving for the PC assignment, for which I am waiting for the invite, still. A lot of people have been receiving their invites for Jan-Feb-Mar 2010, but I am remaining patient because PC has had A LOT going on in Africa. I still have three months to February, and even though I would like to know now where I am going I am trusting the process, that I will soon hear from the Placement Officer. It is tempting to speculate based on the information on the PC Wiki, where people are posting their staging dates. I am trying to resist that temptation though!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Inching forward
So this past week I had a little bit of good news - I got an offer on the house. One step forward. Now that the offer has gone to the bank, it is up to the people there to determine whether they will accept it, and up to the potential buyers to not back out of it. I am hoping that since they had to sell their former house in a short sale, that they won't back out. They have also been asking about the land next door, which I see as a promising sign. For those of you without the background knowledge...when I bought this house, there was a house on the lot next door, which was a rental. It was sold to a new buyer, who ended up walking away from it, so it sat empty for two years while I bothered the city to take it down. This past July, the house was finally razed. So basically, my house, in St. Paul, sits on a 25-foot lot, and my yard is the 25-foot lot to the east of the house. The house that was torn down was on the 25-foot lot to the west of my house, which is also a corner lot. So my house sits alone now, with space on either side of it. Pretty good deal for a house in the city, where you can usually literally reach out and touch you neighbor.
The buyers asked for a closing date of 11/30, which I doubt will happen, since it is 40 days after their offer AND they are not first-time home buyers to boot, but it is really up to Wells Fargo. Either way, as of sometime around the end of Nov, or if it is moved out, sometime in December, I will be without a home. A kind friend has offered to let me stay with her and her husband until I leave. I would feel bad imposing upon her for so long but I might need to. Speaking of leaving...
The buyers asked for a closing date of 11/30, which I doubt will happen, since it is 40 days after their offer AND they are not first-time home buyers to boot, but it is really up to Wells Fargo. Either way, as of sometime around the end of Nov, or if it is moved out, sometime in December, I will be without a home. A kind friend has offered to let me stay with her and her husband until I leave. I would feel bad imposing upon her for so long but I might need to. Speaking of leaving...
I also talked to the Placement and Assessment Assistant at Peace Corps, who was reviewing my file for completeness. I sent her an updated resume, my file is now complete and, I hope, going to the Placement Officer. I hope to hear from her soon.
The bad news is, I have to find a new home for my two wonderful kitties. This is breaking my heart to do, even more so because I have already sent out a number of communications to people about it and NO ONE is interested in taking them - I could cry. I cannot take them to a shelter or to the Humane Society - I just can't. So when I send out the link to this post, I am hoping that someone will read this and fall in love with my kitties, and help me out. A lot of people don't understand how important pets can be to people - they are basically my "children" and I have had them for nine years. They mean the world to me, and it is essential that I find a home where they will be as loved as they are here. Like everything else, I am trying to continue trusting that everything will work out...
Friday, October 9, 2009
Clarification
Okay, I heard back from the placement eligibility specialist. We have a nice chat on the phone. So it seems I CAN get an invite after all, but the house is going to have to sell, or be resolved somehow, before I can actually leave. He told me my file is back with the placement officer for my "region" and now I am just waiting to hear from her, when she starts sending out invites. That is some relief.
The house, the house, the house. Anyone in my area who knows someone who is buying, please tell them about it. Those of you who know me and have seen the house know how nice it is, due to all of my renovations. It's a tough market out there for selling a house. If it does not sell by a certain date, I may end up in foreclosure. This could affect my status, because it is considered a "major life event" for PC and they don't like it to seem like a person is joining PC to run away from obligations or major life events. That being said, he told me that a foreclosure today is not viewed the same as it was five or ten years ago. Nonetheless, I would much rather the house sells than go into foreclosure...if it gets to that point, I will definitely share my experience and hope it does not impact my being able to leave.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Stuck
My PC application, which for a few weeks was going swimmingly, is now "on hold" until my house sells. This may be never, so I am really worried about this situation.
I received a note from the financial/legal "placement eligibility specialist" on Sept 29, stating: "Before I can grant you final legal clearance, I will need documentation that either these obligations have been paid in full (e.g. account balance statements) or that you have left behind sufficient funds to meet this financial obligation in your absence, as well as a mechanism by which monthly payments can be made (again, monthly account statements showing income and automatic deductions). If you have someone else assume this debt, we will need the original copy of a notarized letter from them stating this intent mailed to me at the address below. We have time before this financial issue can hold up your application, and we can move through much of the application process without final legal clearance. Please respond to all requests for information and documentation, particularly from the Office of Medical Services, even though this financial issue is not yet resolved.
Please be aware that you do not want to take any concrete steps regarding your home until you have been offered an invitation to serve in Peace Corps."
So effectively he said I cannot get an invite until I sell the house, but not to sell the house until I get an invite. I asked for clarification, and was told "You can go through the entire application process with a legal (financial) hold on your application. If you are offered an invitation, we would need verification that your financial obligations (credit card, house) have been satisfied prior to your departure. You can still be invited to serve on the condition that we would have the necessary documentation before you could depart.
Continue making payments as planned. I will follow up with you as your file moves through the application process. If anything happens with your house, please contact me. "
This reply still did not really clear things up for me, so I asked for clarification. This morning I got an e-mail that said "Be patient. Your file is going through the normal application process. The hold remains until your house sells."
I've also tried to get in touch with this nice person via telephone, which always goes to voice mail, which is not returned. I'm kind of frustrated at this point - getting conflicting messages. First that I have to sell the house to get an invite, then not to, then that my file is on hold until the house sells. Since my house has been on the market for 41 days with 9 people looking at it, and no offers, a sale does not look imminent. I am worried.
Eventually if the house does not sell, it will go into foreclosure - a realistic-looking scenario, given my circumstances. If I cannot get someone to be my representative through this, starting pretty much immediately, my application will never be cleared.
So I'm frustrated.
I received a note from the financial/legal "placement eligibility specialist" on Sept 29, stating: "Before I can grant you final legal clearance, I will need documentation that either these obligations have been paid in full (e.g. account balance statements) or that you have left behind sufficient funds to meet this financial obligation in your absence, as well as a mechanism by which monthly payments can be made (again, monthly account statements showing income and automatic deductions). If you have someone else assume this debt, we will need the original copy of a notarized letter from them stating this intent mailed to me at the address below. We have time before this financial issue can hold up your application, and we can move through much of the application process without final legal clearance. Please respond to all requests for information and documentation, particularly from the Office of Medical Services, even though this financial issue is not yet resolved.
Please be aware that you do not want to take any concrete steps regarding your home until you have been offered an invitation to serve in Peace Corps."
So effectively he said I cannot get an invite until I sell the house, but not to sell the house until I get an invite. I asked for clarification, and was told "You can go through the entire application process with a legal (financial) hold on your application. If you are offered an invitation, we would need verification that your financial obligations (credit card, house) have been satisfied prior to your departure. You can still be invited to serve on the condition that we would have the necessary documentation before you could depart.
Continue making payments as planned. I will follow up with you as your file moves through the application process. If anything happens with your house, please contact me. "
This reply still did not really clear things up for me, so I asked for clarification. This morning I got an e-mail that said "Be patient. Your file is going through the normal application process. The hold remains until your house sells."
I've also tried to get in touch with this nice person via telephone, which always goes to voice mail, which is not returned. I'm kind of frustrated at this point - getting conflicting messages. First that I have to sell the house to get an invite, then not to, then that my file is on hold until the house sells. Since my house has been on the market for 41 days with 9 people looking at it, and no offers, a sale does not look imminent. I am worried.
Eventually if the house does not sell, it will go into foreclosure - a realistic-looking scenario, given my circumstances. If I cannot get someone to be my representative through this, starting pretty much immediately, my application will never be cleared.
So I'm frustrated.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Medically Cleared!
Just got this update on my PC status:
"A decision has been reached regarding your medical review. Please look for a letter in the mail."
Getting a notification like this is usually a good thing, as in, look for a letter in the mail to say that you have been medically cleared. The next wait is to hear from the placement office.
To provide an idea of how long it takes to get a letter from PC with these updates - my dental was cleared two weeks ago and I got the letter in the mail yesterday...
BUT - things are moving forward - yippee!
"A decision has been reached regarding your medical review. Please look for a letter in the mail."
Getting a notification like this is usually a good thing, as in, look for a letter in the mail to say that you have been medically cleared. The next wait is to hear from the placement office.
To provide an idea of how long it takes to get a letter from PC with these updates - my dental was cleared two weeks ago and I got the letter in the mail yesterday...
BUT - things are moving forward - yippee!
Monday, September 21, 2009
The waiting game
I am waiting again. I do wonder if part of the PC weeding out process is having people wait. Realistically, I know the reasons for the waiting - there are a lot of applicants, they have a lot of paperwork to get through, etc. I also know I am fortunate to have been nominated in late July for a position starting February 2010, rather than a full year out like most people. Nevertheless, the waiting kind of stinks.
Now, granted, it stinks partially because I have been unemployed a long time and have a lot of time to kill during the day. I've been creative, and have also applied for position after position - both temporary and permanent. After making the decision to really go for PC though, I am finding myself wanting things to just happen already...
I sent in my medical packet on Sept. 4, and it took a whopping ten days to get to Washington, D.C. - had I know it would take so long, I would have sent it overnight! My dental paperwork cleared within a couple of days, and I got the standard note about medical:
"Peace Corps received the results of your physical exam on September 16, 2009. If the program you are nominated for is not scheduled to leave in the next 4 months you may not hear from Medical until the time of departure is closer. Currently those programs scheduled to leave in the next 4 months are being reviewed. For applicants leaving within 4 months Peace Corps may request additional medical information. Please respond quickly to these requests."
I guess since it is September and February is technically more than four months away, I will be waiting for a while. Rats.
Now, granted, it stinks partially because I have been unemployed a long time and have a lot of time to kill during the day. I've been creative, and have also applied for position after position - both temporary and permanent. After making the decision to really go for PC though, I am finding myself wanting things to just happen already...
I sent in my medical packet on Sept. 4, and it took a whopping ten days to get to Washington, D.C. - had I know it would take so long, I would have sent it overnight! My dental paperwork cleared within a couple of days, and I got the standard note about medical:
"Peace Corps received the results of your physical exam on September 16, 2009. If the program you are nominated for is not scheduled to leave in the next 4 months you may not hear from Medical until the time of departure is closer. Currently those programs scheduled to leave in the next 4 months are being reviewed. For applicants leaving within 4 months Peace Corps may request additional medical information. Please respond quickly to these requests."
I guess since it is September and February is technically more than four months away, I will be waiting for a while. Rats.
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