Its been a busy week, starting week 1 of 4 insanely busy weeks!

Had a few meetings at work to get feedback how everything is going with the Minimum Standards folders that I helped create and implement into the office a while ago. So far its pretty good. No huge issues or anything that can't be fixed with a bit more work and organizing so thats good. Lots of lacking knowledge and misunderstandings about what certain documents are and how they should be used...but I was expecting that since all of the program managers are being trained next week on all of those things.

Had a meeting with my boss Rob on whats going on and the workshop coming up. Mostly we just laughed a bit and he shook my hand and "introduced" himself in a funny way because I've been absent for a few weeks trying to work on my thesis.
Good talks and good feedback so far.

I met Mariana today who is the Assistant Program Manager at Mercy Corps HQ in Portland, Oregon that came a few days early so we could talk and catch up in person about whats going on her. The Program Management team at MC HQ is only her and the Director of Program Management. I had no idea that this huge global new initiative was only being implemented by 2 people. Mariana says that everyone assumes there is a big team of Program Management people at HQ but due to lack of funding, its needed, but isn't a reality.

One of the reasons that MC is known to be one of the best International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) is because it gives so much of its funding to field offices worldwide, which is amazing and needed, but sucks for the program management (2 people) team at HQ cause they don't have the funding to hire more people to help, which they also really need. Crazy! I'm learning so much inside knowledge about this INGO that I never knew since I'me over here at MC Jordan.

Mariana and I have been emailing for probably 6 months on all of this Minimum Standards and Program Management stuff that I'm doing here and she's doing there, since she has pretty much been my main resource at HQ throughout my work on this project here....so it was nice to finally meet her in person. She's my age and has been a great help even just today on things.

I realize already from our one very long meeting that over my last few months here, there is going to be a crazy amount of work and editing and reorganizing that i will be doing on this project in Jordan before I leave. its going to a be a very busy and work-filled summer. I leave at the very end of August and since O started this new system, I feel I need to make sure it is as complete and good as it can be before I go...especially since I have no idea who is taking it over after I go....I don't think any one has thought about that at all yet.

After a semi-stressful day, i watched my little birdy friends out my kitchen window for a few minutes. I love how they cuddle up inside their feathers and just hang out. They looks so cute and super puffy.