Top 10 Reasons I Believe in the PC Mission

Just a quick disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect the U.S. Government or Peace Corps.

Here we are, with just four weeks until my Close of Service (COS), and I’ve been doing my share of reflection on what this experience has meant to me.

Also, now that DOGE just walked into Peace Corps HQ last Friday, 4 April, for their so-called “cost-saving examination," I've had more anxiety about what's to come of PC since it not only will affect me, but Rebekah, as well, who just started her two year journey as a volunteer in Zambia!

I wonder what this means for the future of the Peace Corps and over 240,000 volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1962 if it were to be defunded?

While I'm not sure about the full spectrum of implications for our world and the countries where we serve, I can only imagine. What I do know, however, is that PC as a whole has changed me and thousands of lives in ways we'll never fully realize.

Just ten months ago, on the steps at the US Ambassador's residence, my swearing-in speech offered the words: “Aan die einde van die dag" (at the end of the day); there is just one thing that matters: our WHY, or ‘hoekom' in Afrikaans.

The bulletin board in my office.

What has been my why this past year?

Well, it likely changed from when I first started this journey in November 2023, but for now, it embraces the premise of Edwin Hubbel Chapin's quote:

“Every action in our lives strikes on some chord that vibrates through eternity.”

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My housemates and friends at a pizza party

We’ve all heard the saying, “You get out of it more than you put into it.” For most Peace Corps Volunteers, and especially for me, that couldn’t be more true.

So, as someone who came into this experience at 62, I wanted to share a few of the things I’ve gained and the lessons that have shaped me as a person, as an American, and as a human being.

1. Meeting people from around the world—really meeting them. I’ve connected with people most Americans will never have the chance to know. Not as tourists, but as neighbors, colleagues, and friends.

This work has shown me that we aren’t meant to live in silos. We are meant to connect. Small bridges build a better world, especially for America!

2. Confidence to live outside my comfort zone. Yes, I’ve run marathons and chased adventures, but this was different. This was choosing discomfort and staying in it even as lonely or tired as I felt at times for a purpose bigger than myself. And for America, this means volunteers will bring home ideas and ignite their passions for innovations that benefit us all.

3. Embracing a new kind of independence. Living in Namibia has been liberating. I feel fully myself here -strong, capable, whole. And for America, this means I will likely, and God-willing, always remain self-sufficient and independent until the day I die.

4. Understanding God’s timing. I applied to Peace Corps when I was 22. It didn’t happen. But here I am, 40 years later after spending the first half with my "one and only" for 30+ years and raising three amazing children. It was meant to be and I don't regret any second of those precious years.

5. Deep, lifelong friendships. My cohort became my family. We came from all corners of the U.S., each with our own stories, but we were united in purpose. That kind of bond is rare and lasting.

And for America, it means there is hope for all of us to unite for a common good where peace, freedom, equality, and justice prevail.

6. Pride in representing America. There was a time when being an American abroad carried deep respect. While that may be shifting, I still found joy in working alongside my Namibian colleagues and showing up with humility, compassion, and curiosity.

For America, we can't get any better positive public relations, and, let's be honest, we need it now more than ever!

7. Sharing my journey with my mom, mostly, but friends and family, too. At 84, mom won't get to see Namibia in person, but the best part of my day is our phone call where she gets to hear about all that I've experienced across the globe.

Everything I wear is in my one, tiny closet. This is luxury here!

8. Learning to live simply, and with less. Life here is quieter, slower, and more essential. And I’ve come to love that and I can't even imagine going back to a big house with a hot tub, firepit, and so much more!

There’s peace in paring down. And for America, it is the epitome of the American dream, I believe, where we are truly content with what we have and not always chasing something more.

9. Being a part of something bigger than myself. Peace Corps isn’t about bullet points or our quarterly VRG reports, and it's never about just projects or programs that we are working on. I believe it's about listening and leaving behind mutual respect for humanity and growing in ways that can't be measured.

There is no price tag you can place on this kind of growth - not for me, not for America, and certainly not for the world.

10. Learning to love self and others in a deeper, more profound way. I love being here. I love the people I've met. I love living with purpose. And I love our God and creator who brings hope to a broken world. While we all see injustices, inequalities, despair, and suffering in the world, it's the love of our world that we all must embrace that gives our lives meaning and purpose.

So for now, I’ll keep doing my part here in Namibia - loving the people I’ve come to know, and holding tightly to the hope that Peace Corps will continue, not just as a program, but as a promise.

It's a promise that others matter. Not just US! Because every action in our lives strikes a chord that vibrates through eternity.

In peace and friendship,

The Dig Deep Runner Lynn

When the sun sets in Namibia, I know it's rising somewhere else!