The replacement volunteer

Once upon a time, a California girl arrived in a quiet little town in Northern Peru. She was an energetic, nice Peace Corps volunteer, ready to work in everything that is disease prevention. Through the sweltering first few months, she went out and met the people. She taught English, played sports — never missed a dance — and the community loved her.

But no matter how hard this girl tried, she kept getting sick. Her stomach was in knots, pounds melted off of her like sweat, and no matter how many pills she took, she couldn't get better.
After a few months of physical misery, she could no longer sacrifice her own health to remain a health volunteer. And so, sad, sick and full of great memories with her community, she said goodbye and returned home ...

One year later.

A Minnesota girl arrived to the same quiet little town in Northern Peru. An energetic, nice Peace Corps volunteer, she was ready to work in everything that is disease prevention. Through the sweltering first few months, she went out and met the people — only to encounter an unforeseen obstacle.

"Are you going to teach English?" they asked her. "Lizzy* taught English."

"Are you going to play sports? ... Lizzy played sports."

"Why don't you dance more? ... Lizzy always danced."

"Lizzy was thinner than you."

"Hey, Lizzy! ... Lizzy! Come over here!"

... The girl had known about the volunteer before her. Within the first week, she had gotten the full story about her sickness, physical description and activities.

But the stories didn't stop there.

Every person she met began the same conversation:

"Are you going to teach English? .... Wow, you're a little fatter than Lizzy was ... She was really active, you know. ... Man, isn't Lizzy great?"

"Actually, I don't know Lizzy," the girl replied to surprised and confused faces. How could she NOT know Lizzy?

She tried to be patient. "I know I'm not Lizzy," she would say to them with a smile. "But I'm nice; I promise."

Day after day, she faced the same defeating challenge. These people don't know how many times I've had this conversation, she thought to herself. It's only natural they would compare me with her.

She fought to remain calm and friendly in the face of mounting tension. She wasn't Lizzy. She would never be Lizzy. And dammit, why didn't they just GET IT already?

Her only solace was the hope that when she left after her two years of service, she would be just as loved ... just as remembered.

If she could only hold out on biting heads off for two more years ...

*name has been changed to protect the poor girl who suffered from all those awful stomach problems while it was a billion degrees outside and yet STILL was able to make a community fall in love with her.