This day was a long time coming...for me, about 35 years! It was a bit surreal, I have to admit, but it was also a serious reckoning of what it means to take an oath of promise to try our best on behalf of our country and the people we serve alongside in Namibia.
“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter.”
and the Peace Corps Pledge...
“I, Lynn Nestingen, promise to serve alongside the people of Namibia. I promise to share my culture with an open heart and open mind. I promise to foster an understanding of the people of Namibia with creativity, cultural sensitivity, and respect. I will face the challenges of service with patience, humility, and determination. I will embrace the mission of world peace and friendship for as long as I serve and beyond. In the proud tradition of Peace Corps’ legacy, and in the spirit of the Peace Corps family past, present, and future – I am a Peace Corps Volunteer.”
I also drew the short straw to give the "Volunteer Speech" (actually, I lost the "nose goes" game), but I still felt humble and proud to prepare and present the speech. Here is a copy of the speech that required prior approval....I did ad lib a bit, but stuck to the script for the most part.
The ceremony took place at the U.S. Ambassador to Namibia Randy Berry's residence in Windhoek. A rural Colorado native, Berry is a graduate of Bethany College in Lindsborg, KS, and actually knew a connection to a friend of my friend Pam, also a graduate of Bethany. It was fun to talk informally about our love for Colorado and to make the connection!
Here are some photos from the ceremony:
Desmond and Junibel, our host family from Okahandja, also looked sharp in their classy outfits!
Dressing up in shiny shoes and carefully pressed outfits for special occasions and work is an important part of the culture here. I'll delve into this further in another post about my work environment.
A week earlier in Okahandja, the Peace Corps hosted an informal opportunity to meet with Randy and ask questions. Here are some photos from the meeting with Mr. Berry and the Q&A session.
We're all official now, and there was no time wasted as we were driven to our housing site with all our luggage, and then expected to report to our offices the very next day!
Now's the time to really dig deep...
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