Tribute to Emily Balog, PCV Paraguay

With this month's post I would like to honor fellow Peace Corps Volunteer Emily Balog. Emily lost her life the Sunday after Thanksgiving in an automobile accident. While I did not know Emily well--she was in a different training group, working as a Community Education Volunteer--I did know her, and enjoyed her sunny disposition. Emily also kept a great blog, "Oh, by the 'Guay...Emily's Intrepid Adventures in Peace Corps Paraguay"--and I link to it here so you can get a glimpse of this exceptional volunteer.

http://paraguayemily.wordpress.com/

The Peace Corps paid tribute to Emily with this news release published the day after her death:

http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.media.press.view&news_id=1921

The volunteers in her training group, G33, put together an incredible memorial service for her within 48 hours of learning the tragic news. Unfortunately I was unable to get to Asuncion for the event, but another volunteer who did wrote about it on her blog:

http://brittanygoesglobal.com/2011/11/30/emily-balogs-amazing-memorial-service/

I was able to attend a Mass held for Emily in her Paraguayan pueblo, Valenzuela, and meet some of the folks whose lives she touched with her service.

Peace Corps Paraguay staff and volunteers, you are all wonderful! Thank you for showing your love and devotion to Emily, to one another. Each one of you are very special and Emily is surely smiling down on all of us. God bless you, and God bless Emily's family in North Carolina. To her parents, thank you for the beautiful letter you sent to volunteers. I include here some excerpts from the Balog's note to us:

My Dearest Peace Corps Volunteers,
Steve and I are so very grateful to you for being family for Emily in Paraguay
--and around the world. She saw in you the person she wanted to grow up to be.
Emily was by far, the happiest she had ever been serving with you in South
America. All of the hard work of a new language, a new culture and a new life
brought out the very best of who Emily was to us....
Most of all, you honor the memory of Emily Balog by your sincere gift of service
to others. Please read that sentence again. You have made a wonderful, life
changing decision to serve in the Peace Corps. You are brave and courageous
and I love you all for your spirit of giving. You will change the world, one
community at a time - one project at a time - one person at a time...
We love you all,
Steve and Susan Balog

Emily's spirit of giving will live on here in Paraguay. 300 mango trees were provided to Peace Corps volunteers to plant in their communities, to create "Emily's Forest." The mango tree was chosen because when once asked what was her favorite fruit, Emily named the mango.

Peace Corps Paraguay, in coming together through this tragedy, has proven that the Peace Corps esprit de corps is incredibly strong, and indeed makes one feel part of the "Peace Corps family."

Peace,
Denise