On the course of the Boston Marathon, there is only one milepost that is not exactly at a mile interval: the one in central Wellesley, MA that marks 13.1, the halfway point of the marathon.
Our halfway point passed just this week, which is an unbelievable milestone that, just like the marathon, I was doubtful that I would ever be able to achieve. I’ve faced some incredible challenges in this past year, including language barriers, isolation, illness, abuse, and even crime. But I’ve made it this far. And, by sheer luck, I was able to mark the occasion by welcoming another Harvard alumnus to Osh: Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet.
Director Hessler-Radelet is in the midst of a whirlwind around the world trip. On Monday, she signed the agreement with the government of Viet Nam alongside President Obama that will send Peace Corps to that country for the first time, an incredible testament to building friendship and cultural exchange in that beautiful country.
On Wednesday, she flew to Kyrgyzstan as part of a program review we are working on to improve our program. On Friday, she flew to Osh with our Regional Director for Asia and the Country Director for Kyrgyzstan. And they came to spend a full hour with me and my counterparts to talk about our work in Osh oblast.
In addition to talking about the HIV/AIDS Stigma Reduction Training that we held back in November, and my new Osh Oblast Traveling Training series, we also talked about overall improvements we are making to help all the volunteers be of better assistance in their communities.
A few minutes in, the Director reminded me that we should pause to translate for the counterparts, and so I immediately began to explain to them in Kyrgyz what I was sharing with the Director, and they shared additional thoughts. Within seconds, and without realizing it, I was providing simultaneous interpretation between English and Kyrgyz-Russian. As that initial moment passed, the three Directors’ eyes widened, and they stopped me to point out to me what I was doing. Somewhere in the past year, without me realizing it, my Kyrgyz became good enough for me to interpret for someone who reports to President Obama and meets with presidents and prime ministers around the world. My wonderfully supportive Regional Manager, who was accompanying them to actually serve as a proper interpreter, was beaming with pride.
It wasn’t until the Director was pointing out to me everything that I’ve been able to do that I was able to realize just how much I’ve been able to accomplish in the past year. As a perfectionist who pushes myself to the limit at minute levels of detail, and as someone whose 4 oblast-mates are doing far more than I am to help people here, I’ve generally felt like I wasn’t doing enough work here. I felt like I wasn’t trying hard enough, and that I should be capable of overcoming the challenges I have faced, even if some of them have been so great as to be insurmountable for many other volunteers.
The Directors saw something completely different. They saw a Mark who came here with a mission, and has created opportunities for himself where none seemed possible before. They saw someone whose counterparts don’t have time to team-teach with him, so he learned Kyrgyz well enough to give entire day-long seminars without missing a word. They saw someone who is thinking ahead to the next 5 years of Peace Corps in Osh, not just to the end of his service. They saw someone who, despite missing months of work due to illness, has landed on his feet with projects and trainings to fill every last second of his time.
I’m left humbled, thrilled, and energized, both for the next year of my service, and also for what’s to come next. Director Hessler-Radelet bid farewell to me and said to stay in touch, saying “I look forward to seeing where life takes you…”
Thank you, Director Hessler-Radelet, for your visit and your support. Meeting you was a true privilege and honor, and will certainly be one of the highlights of my service.