Finance and Accounting
Charles E. Gillman Company
Accounting Specialist Health Care
CENTRAL ARIZONA COLLEGE
DIRECTOR OF HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT Mechanical
Komatsu Equipment Co
Resident Field Mechanic Administrative & Professional
Tucson Urban League
CEO/President Health Care
Dependable Health Services
Physical Therapists Trades/Construction
RANCHO RESORT
MAINTANANCE POSITION Sales and Marketing
Everready Glass
Sales Reps

I am an English teacher in rural Mongolia. My village, Orkhon, has a population of 1,500. We have no Internet, running water or paved roads, but we do have a school, a hospital and a spirit of community.

I live in a nomad's round felt tent, called a ger, without heat, save a wood-burning stove. The winters push 50 degrees below zero. For a native of Arizona, this is a dramatic change in climate, but one of many things to which I have become accustomed. Everywhere I go, I am followed by choruses of "hellos" from my students. I'm sure it will make the winter warmer. I am a volunteer in the United States Peace Corps. This is the greatest experience so far in my 25 years.

Being in such a remote country, I was surprised when my country director called me to tell me my congressional representative, Jim Kolbe, was coming to Mongolia. Mr. Kolbe said he would like to meet with me. It took me three cars and five hours to travel the 120 miles to the capital, Ulaanbaatar. I had breakfast with Mr. Kolbe and two other congressmen who were touring Asia.

Mr. Kolbe was approachable and conveyed a genuine respect and admiration for the work the Peace Corps does. He mentioned to me how important he thought the work we were doing was, not only for the people of Mongolia, but also to Americans, in that Peace Corps volunteers return to the United States with a sense of international compassion and openness. As a volunteer, I can corroborate the truth of Mr. Kolbe's statement.

One great thing about serving in this country is that sometimes, while walking through a herd of cows on the way to school, for example, I am struck by moments of spontaneous joy. Early in my service I was on a train bound for the capital talking to a fellow volunteer about these feelings of euphoria. He said he had also experienced these sentiments. We named this the "Peace Corps Feeling" and since then I have spoken to other volunteers about it, too.

The longer I am here, the more I realize this emotion stems from living in such a foreign environment, but while being welcomed to live here and doing it successfully. Ultimately, it speaks volumes about the unity of humankind. After living here, I know now that the commonalities we share as peoples transcend any differences we may have. This is the ethos of the Peace Corps.

The Peace Corps constitutes a unique approach to development. It is a quiet and gentle form of development. We don't build infrastructure, such as roads or bridges. Perhaps more importantly, we build roads to hearts and minds and bridges among peoples. The current American foreign policy stance purports to win hearts and minds. I think the Peace Corps does this better than any other American agency, which in these troubled times, holds infinite significance. Mr. Kolbe's record as chairman of the House Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs has shown his support of the Peace Corps. I wish him luck on his retirement and hope his successor will continue to support our great organization.