Going to Panama!

So! A lot has changed since my last post! What you really need to know is that my placement has been changed, and I am now officially serving in Panama! I'm super excited about this opportunity and what is in store for me there! So, I thought I would re-introduce myself and describe exactly what I will be doing there!

Who am I? :

I’m Rachel Carter and I just graduated from North Carolina State University!  Two semesters ago, I studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina and absolutely loved it. Once I returned to America, I realized I had the travel bug and couldn’t wait to get out of America and travel again. That’s when I heard of this really cool opportunity to work for the Young Adult Service Corps, and realized I couldn’t pass the opportunity up.

What is YASC? : In early March, I was officially accepted into the Young Adult Service Corps  (YASC) through the Episcopal Church. YASC is a global outreach program that sends out young adults to serve in foreign communities through the Anglican Communion. Basically, YASC is like the Peace Corps, but only for one year.

What will I be doing? : I will be working at the Instituto Episcopal San Cristobal (St. Christopher's Episcopal School) which is the largest Episcopal School in Panama with 1500 Students. During the academic year of March-December (the seasons are opposite here, so summer is January-March!) I will work alongside the history teacher in the school as an assistant teaching 11th and 12th grade history. During the summer (January-March) I will work with the school Social Outreach and the Diocesan Youth Program. Sounds like it's going to be a lot of work, but I'm really excited about it!

What’s this blog for?: So in order to keep everyone back at home updated on all of the work I’m doing, YASC asked that we keep a blog so that we can give updates as well as post pictures. So even though I'm not a pro-blogger, I'll give it a try and try and make this as painless as possible for y'all :)

I decided to name my blog Buena Onda in Panama. "Buena Onda" is slang for "good vibes". It is commonly used in Chile and Argentina (and maybe is spreading to other countries as well) but it was in Chile and Argentina where I learned this term. The people used "buena onda" for almost anything that pleased them or anything they liked -whether they are talking about a friend or even about a soccer game! So, I thought Buena Onda in Panama would be the perfect name for my blog since I have been feeling nothing but good vibes about Panama!

Last of all…I need your help!: I can’t believe I have been so blessed to have this beautiful, terrifying, amazing, challenging, and incredible opportunity. BUT, in order to even partake in this mission, I’m going to need some help and support. We have to fundraise $10,000 to help fund us on our trip. If you are interested in donating (even a little bit helps!) please e-mail me at rjcarte3@gmail.com.

I hope y’all will keep up with me while I go on this journey! This is just the beginning!

Rachel