Swearing In

An application, interview, two months of medical appointments, waiting, waiting and more waiting, invitation to Mozambique, training in Philadelphia, homestay families, ten weeks of training in Mozambique…...after all that, yesterday, we finally officially became Peace Corps Volunteers! 

Leaving our families in Namaacha was somewhat bittersweet, excited to be moving on but sad to say good-bye.  Mae told me some nice things and said their door is always open for me.  Then we hopped on a bus and headed to Maputo to the US Ambassador’s house for our Swearing In ceremony.

The Ambassador Leslie Rowe, PC Mozambique Country Director Carl Swartz, the training staff, representatives from the Ministry of Education and other Mozambican government officials, a few current volunteers, and 50 excited Moz 17 trainees attended the hour or so long ceremony including a speech from Carl, speech from a volunteer in our group, speech from the Ambassador, and one from the Ministry of Education representative.  We stood with our right hands raised and repeated an oath swearing to uphold the US Constitution and serve as Peace Corps Volunteers.  In fact, it’s the same oath used to swear in the President.

Apparently the ceremony was televised.  Our waiter at lunch today asked where we were from and what we were doing in Mozambique and then said how he remembered seeing us on TV yesterday.  Got that a couple times actually, so pretty cool!

So now we can officially call ourselves Peace Corps Volunteers!!  In a couple days, we begin what we all came here to do.  It’s bittersweet to see everyone leave to go all over the country, sad leaving good friends, but excited for everyone and the new experiences we are all about to have.  :)

Also, today I took my first shower with running water in almost 70 days!

Here are a few pictures.  Hopefully I'll be able to upload all of the pictures from Training soon!

Moz 17 Peace Corps VOLUNTEERS

Me with Carl, PC Mozambique Country Director

Me with Leslie Rowe, US Ambassador