The following email was transmitted from the Madagascar Peace Corps Training Center on February 17, 2006.

Also, we spoke on the phone with Rachel on February 20. She is very excited about her field site, Voloina — a village about 30 km from the town of Maroantsetra on the east coast of the island. She said that is a coveted posting and she is really honored to be chosen to go there. Besides the expected environment PCV duties, Rachel will also work in some way in maternal/child health programs. More on that later, no doubt. For now she is focused on her 3 months of training in Sambaina near Antananarivo.

Teresa & Rick (Rachel’s mom & dad)

Manao ahoana! (Hello)

I am writing this from Sambaina, a town about 30 km from Tana. We all arrived safely in Tana and I’m now settled with a Malagasy host family nearby. I adore my host family. I’m in a highland house surrounded by rice paddies with two sisters, one of whom is 18, married and has a one-year old “zazakely” (little baby) and eight other family members. Have had rice for dinner and breakfast. Will get used to it! All in the house are absolutely lovely. I couldn’t be happier! Learning to use a bed pan and wash from a bucket in the outhouse and other fun things…

Find out my field site on Saturday and will visit it after the first few weeks of training. Other PCTs are great–just fabulous people–all so glad to be here. Getting to learn a few Malagasy words…more language training today. The daughters at my house speak French, which is nice, but they try to avoid using it with me. All are very patient and highly amused by my ignorance…

I see Iambo’s and Steph’s [Rachel’s half-Malagasy sister and brother] faces in all the men and women here. Makes it feel a little more like home… There’s nowhere else I’d rather be right now. Am just so happy…life is hard, but this must be the most beautiful place on earth.

Miss you all …wish you could see it!

Veloma!

Rachel