The big news in the Peace Corps community, maybe some of the biggest in a long time, is that we have been approved for a huge budget increase in 2010. It was the result of the collective efforts of hundreds and thousands of people around the world including Push for Peace Corps, NPCA, Peace Corps Headquaters, Peace Corps Worldwide, Senators, Congressmen, and many other people I can't begin to imagine. This will be a huge boost for our organization at every level and allow things to happen that have only been dreams in years past. Expect to see a lot more Peace Corps countries opening, record numbers of Volunteers recruited, accepted and invited to serve, and I would venture to guess record numbers of current Peace Corps Volunteers extending their service a third year.
Peace Corps' 50th Anniversary celebration starts in 2010 (in honor of John F. Kennedy's first speech on the idea) and ends in 2011 in Washington, D.C. I feel very lucky, as I am sure many other Volunteers do, to be serving in this organization at such a great time of support and growth. I believe in our mission and am very proud to be a Volunteer serving here in Mongolia. Thank you, everyone in the Peace Corps community, for your hard work and support. I hope we are making everyone proud.
