Well for those who do not know I have moved back to Kratovo where this all started ten-months ago when I arrived in Macedonia. The work in Jance came to a halt due to numerous reasons, the least of which political. So, in the wisdom of the Peace Corps they found another challenge for me that just happens to be back in the community where I did my PST (Pre Service Training) working for an NGO (Non Governmental Organization) called "Regional Center for Sustainable Development". The organization is a ten-year old NGO that is actively involved with assisting and supporting numerous community activities leading toward the Macedonia ascension into the European Union. The primary focus today is assisting elderly and handicapped (physical and mental) citizens of the community. In addition, the organization is very active in promoting living in a multiethnic environment by informing the general public of the rights, opportunities and protection of minority groups within the communities of Macedonia.

My role is to assist in obtaining grants from various countries, i.e. European Union, USA. In addition I will be teaching English to adults (this should be interesting) as well as providing managerial experience primarily in the way of budgeting, financial statement preparation, long-term planning and goal setting for the NGO.

On to a more exciting topic. Stacy, my daughter, was just here for a vacation. We had a great time together and made me realize just how much I miss being around my children. She arrived on July 3rd, we spent the next two days touring Skopje and surrounding area. On the 4th of July we were invited to the American Embassy for a picnic and celebration. We left for Santorini Greece on the 6th traveling through Istanbul and Athens. Took a 5-hour boat ride to the island and enjoyed 4-days of sun and fun. We returned to Athens and spent a day walking around the old city and touring the ancient ruins. Back to Skopje and Kratovo for a couple of days and then she headed home.