8-27-03 Hi All - My official service may have indeed ended a little less then 5 months ago, but the complete circle of what I set out to do in my time away is now coming to a completion. It is about 2 weeks now since my counterpart, David, whom helped me get through my two years experience has been here in the states. In many ways watching him see and experience all that he has so far, here in the USA, has been a trip back in time almost watching what undoubtedly was myself back in February 2001 first arriving in Ecuador. Many of his reactions to our country and what we call "normal" in both physical and cultural aspects are shocking, new and exciting for him to see and do. Listening to how he see's things here and what he thinks about how things operate is in many ways similar to the thoughts I expressed in my early e-mails and diary entries home from Ecuador. So it is indeed a unique thing for me to be seeing the circle complete itself in this aspe ct of inter-cultural exchange.
One of my main goals when I started my service was to make an impact on at least one person whom I worked with over there. I would like to think what I did made impacts on several people in Luz de America. But their were always a handful for whom I saw a lot of potential for when I was working. Their was Nubia whom I helped get a job working as a Spanish Professor for Peace Corps, which worked out fantastic and opened up some big doors for her in the future with that experience being there. Their was the leaders in my women’s group whom I worked to get grants and start businessses with... And then their was David, more my friend and all around assistant in many things....and with him I feel his time here in the United States will no doubt leave an impression on him of how big the world really is and how it is possible to advance ones self and their future upward in life. It has been my intention to start that domino effect in him that when he goes back to Ecuador it will be with a new found respect and understanding of our culture and world we live in as well as the possibilities that exist. Along these lines coming here and seeing all the US has to offer, for him, has been a dream come true to reality....and in realizing that fruition one can only hope that he is now inspired to see through other dreams into reality and in turn pass that energy to those people close to him in his life a world away from here. Having the resources and ambition to help a person, and others to then follow, realize that lesson is one of the most important things we can do for other people.
The Peace Corps has 3 main goals that Volunteers are to accomplish in their time that they serve.
(1) To help the people of interested countries meet their needs for trained workers; (2) To help promote a better understanding of Americans in countries where Volunteers serve; and (3) To help promote a better understanding of people of other nations on the part of Americans. So it is with him coming here and visiting our country that my work to really and truly meet these goals, in my heart anyway, has been finally accomplished and has indeed come full circle. "I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do. " These are the words I carried with me through my service and what guided me in my actions and still do, I have shared them before and will do so again now....... In essence this quote became my own added personal goal that carried me through 27 months and still guides my actions in this area of what it is I do. Regards, Stephen Louis Krasner Returned Peace Corps Volunteer http://groups.msn.com/KrasnersOnlinePhotoAlbum/_homepage.msnw?pgmarket=en-us
