Asking for Prayers

There was a tragedy here this past Sunday. Another Peace Corps Volunteer had her parents visiting her from the States. She had been telling us all for weeks how excited she was to see her father. There is no other person in the world to whom she was more close to. Last Sunday she took her parents to Savaii, the bigger more rural island. She and her father were snorkeling when the tide switched and carried them out past the reef. They both struggled. A boat saw them and attempted to make a rescue. They went to her first and rescued her. When they went for her father it was too late and he drowned. Yesterday was a miserable day. All the volunteers came in to be around for comfort for her and her mother but as you know there was very little we could do or say to comfort them. We saw them off at the airport late last night. I've been crying off an on for the last 24 hours. I'm asking for all of you to keep her and her family in your prayers.

Ideas for Packages!!!

I wouldn't normally ask for people to send me things and beg for packages and the like, but many of you have asked what things I need and what is really hard to find here. Sooooooooo, okay, I can give you a run-down of items that are always good to send.

Sugar-free drink mixes (kool-aid, crystal light, etc.)
Sugar free gum
Tuna Fish packed in water (probably easiest to send the flavor fresh pouches)
Zone Power power bars
Any low-carb or organic fun food
Music (I'm dying for some new CD's. If it's been re-leased in the last six months you can bet I probably don't have it!)
Nice smelling things (body shower gels, lotions, anything from Victoria's Secret, The Body Shop, and/or Bath & Body Works)
My address is:
Amanda Kucich, PCV
Peace Corps
Private Mail Bag
Apia, (Western) Samoa
South Pacific

First "real" attempt at writing my own post

I'm attempting for the first time to actually type my own post. Up until this point, I've been mailing letters to the States and sending e-mails to my good buddy Todd, who has so graciously offered to help me with this little website record keeping of my Peace Corps experience in Samoa.
Well, if you haven't already heard by now, Samoa started the new year off with a bang or as some might call it, a tropical cyclone. Her name was Hurricane Heta and she left a wake of destruction in her path. She came Sunday night of January 4th. Peace Corps evacuated us inland to a hurricane safe hotel for three days. The capital city, Apia, was without water and electricity for 6 days. Most of the island has water now but most of the villages are still without power. Luckily, there was no terrible destruction done to my school where I live, only a few fallen trees. Other volunteers' sites were not as lucky. There are a couple whose houses were completely detroyed. Samoa is doing an amazing job at cleaning and rebuilding though. There hasn't been a hurricane since '91 but they seem to hit every 10 years or so and I guess the people here are accustomed to the process.
Well, this is a quick post. More to come soon as now I know how to do this myself.

New photos!

Hey guys,
I have some more pictures for you. These were taken during the early to mid training period. See the photos here.