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I Miss the Rain in Africa
Peace Corps as a Third Act
A Tale of Transformation
About the Book
At a time when friends were planning cushy retirements, the author walked away from a comfortable life and business, taking with her only a couple of suitcases to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in post-war, Northern Uganda.
Her story is a multilayer tale, beginning with a grand adventure of living in a radically different culture, and turning old skills into wisdom. It’s also about the power of stepping into the void to reconfigure life—to enter the wilderness of our own memories and psyches to mine the gems therein.
The final layer unfolds within the surreal experience of returning home to a life that no longer “fits”— becoming the catalyst for new revelations about family wounds, mystical experiences, and personal foibles.
I Miss the Rain in Africa takes the reader to surprising places, both literally and emotionally with all the elements of adventure, wit, discovery, and ultimately transformation. It is the story of honoring the self, discovering a new lens through which to view life, and finding joy along the path.ABOUT THE BOOK
At a time when friends were planning cushy retirements, the author walked away from a comfortable life and business, taking with her only a couple of suitcases to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in post-war, Northern Uganda.
Her story is a multilayer tale, beginning with a grand adventure of living in a radically different culture, and turning old skills into wisdom. It’s also about the power of stepping into the void to reconfigure life—to enter the wilderness of our own memories and psyches to mine the gems therein.
The final layer unfolds within the surreal experience of returning home to a life that no longer “fits”— becoming the catalyst for new revelations about family wounds, mystical experiences, and personal foibles.
I Miss the Rain in Africa takes the reader to surprising places, both literally and emotionally with all the elements of adventure, wit, discovery, and ultimately transformation. It is the story of honoring the self, discovering a new lens through which to view life, and finding joy along the path.
Foreward
I Miss the Rain in Africa: Peace Corps as a Third Act, is an absorbing record of a woman’s literacy work in Northern Uganda. It is also a record of the exploration of self, explored by a woman who enters a remote area of Africa at age 64 to work with an NGO. Ugandans were emerging from Joseph Kony’s cruel and bizarre rebel insurgency which had left the Acholi populace brutalized and mired in poverty. Assigned to an outpost in the north of Uganda, “where all bus trips begin with a prayer” and “bathroom breaks can be hazardous to health,” Nancy Wesson begins to live and work with survivors and strivers.
Western privilege and pride in institutional roadmaps to progress have no place here. Daily life for Ugandans is a struggle unimaginable even to the poorest Americans. Life is indeed precarious in Gulu, yet education is highly valued, and solutions hammered out of almost nothing. Season and weather guide life here and everything is “about the relationship, not the clock.” Westerners used to direct and quick solutions must adjust quickly to decisions made through consensus.
But serendipity lives in Africa, too. Nancy gets to know her landlady’s son which leads to literacy materials made of jigsaw puzzles. The residents of Gulu leave a deep imprint on the author; in particular, Peter, whose education she sponsors. On trips to the bush, exhausting and hazardous, Nancy works with teachers to carve out learning spaces. Her work in Uganda would leave her a bit battered and re-entry to the States—shell shocked at the contrasts. “Recalibration” is sought and achieved through another exploratory journey into the maturing self, requiring a reckoning with remembrance, recognition and reconciliation.
With self-deprecating humor, curiosity in all things, and empathy for all, Nancy takes us through an account of acclimation, acceptance, and peace with all the different geographies she encounters—physical, communal, spiritual. “I had devised a portable life with total autonomy and it was daunting. Having infinite possibilities was both the good news and the bad news.” Living in Uganda brought home the knowledge that having choices is the ultimate luxury, to be made “wisely and often.”
Part adventure, part interior monologue, I Miss the Rain in Africa: Peace Corps as a Third Act is an account of 21st century derring-do by an intrepid, intriguing, and always optimistic woman who will undoubtedly enjoy a fourth and maybe even a fifth act wherever she may find herself.
Eileen (Percy) Purcell, Outreach Literacy Coordinator Clatsop Community College, Astoria OR
Praise for I Miss the Rain in Africa
Inspiring and educational when it comes to what we can accomplish when we put our best foot forward, I Miss the Rain in Africa shows how Nancy Daniel Wesson and others are putting the needs of others ahead of themselves--and what we can all do when it comes to stepping out on faith and choosing to act.
Cyrus Webb
Media Personality and Author, Conversations Magazine
Nancy’s experiences described herein are uniquely achieved and rewarded. Her courage and determination allowed her to venture into another life from her previous one, which perhaps for her, had become too familiar and comfortable.
I would think that many of us could learn or strive to live life to the fullest by following Nancy’s example. Imagine venturing into new realms, especially at a later time in life when we possess meaningful knowledge for analyzing, but also for applying a critical philosophical perspective on new experiences.
I do believe this idea may have been in large measure what Mark Twain had in mind when he stated: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
I wholeheartedly recommend reading Nancy’s book, at the very least for a great travel experience.
I would think that many of us could learn or strive to live life to the fullest by following Nancy’s example. Imagine venturing into new realms, especially at a later time in life when we possess meaningful knowledge for analyzing, but also for applying a critical philosophical perspective on new experiences.
I do believe this idea may have been in large measure what Mark Twain had in mind when he stated: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
I wholeheartedly recommend reading Nancy’s book, at the very least for a great travel experience.
Gary Vizzo
Former Management & Operations Director
Peace Corps Community Development: Africa and Asia
Peace Corps Community Development: Africa and Asia
“Will you still need me, will you still feed me/When I’m sixty-four” were taken literally by the author when she went into the Peace Corps in northern Uganda when she was, yep, 64. If you’ve been, this book is a delight, and I walked beside her all the way to her return in 2014. She brought energy and organization to her discombobulated PC posting. If you haven’t been, you see how the second part of this book recreates the need for a life reinvention and how one person went about it. The author took another 7 years to re-orient herself to living in the States where she is happily ensconced in Oregon. Paradoxically, I had been in Uganda in 1964 when I was 24 and returned home 3 1/2 years later to the teaching life that I had started right out of college. Our experiences were pretty much different although we both had geckos in our bedrooms. Wesson’s third act followed a time of wandering the globe with a first husband, and family rearing/profession building time with a second husband which also ended in divorce. She was exasperated in Uganda most of the time, and yet fashioned a purposeful existence in harsh surroundings. This book is an account of a vibrant PC experience, and fashioning life changes without looking back. We should all be so strong.
B. Goddard
Editor: We Were Walimu Once and Young: Snapshots of Teaching in East Africa
This lovely book by Nancy Wesson is a primer in how to be a human being. At 64 years of age, she went to Uganda as a Peace Corps volunteer. Her post was in an area recently ravaged by war, impoverished, full of horror. It was also full of decency, humor, incredible acts of generosity and kindness.
Nancy’s lively writing will take you there and teach you many things. You will become a better person for enjoying her account of two remarkable years.
But above all, her book is fun. She gave me a laugh in the midst of most unlikely adventures, like breaking a finger, or being surrounded by gun-wielding soldiers.
Then there is the last part of the book, after her return: a very touching psychological journey to healing. This part is a primer in self-therapy.
More entertaining than most novels, this personal account is a must-read.
Nancy’s lively writing will take you there and teach you many things. You will become a better person for enjoying her account of two remarkable years.
But above all, her book is fun. She gave me a laugh in the midst of most unlikely adventures, like breaking a finger, or being surrounded by gun-wielding soldiers.
Then there is the last part of the book, after her return: a very touching psychological journey to healing. This part is a primer in self-therapy.
More entertaining than most novels, this personal account is a must-read.
Bob Rich, Ph.D.
Author, Psychologist, Bobbing Around, https: //bobrich18.wordpress.com
Starting this review with an admission, in general I don’t care to read memoirs. A great number of them tend to lean toward self-congratulation and as an empath, I’m likely to feel embarrassed rather than inspired.
So why read this one? Another admission: I know the author. And I like her. Chances were I would enjoy it. Not only because I admire Nancy, but because, in a small way, I was part of this story. And that part was so magical and so powerful, the memory is my own special treasure.
I was not disappointed, nor was I embarrassed at all, to turn the pages of this charming, engaging and light-filled book. Rather, I found myself smiling throughout.
How many of us would be willing to serve by living and working in the developing world for years at a time…at age 64? Imagine the people you know who have lived at least six decades. Now imagine any of them announcing that they are leaving their current life and world behind to go join the Peace Corps. I don’t know anyone, other than Nancy Wesson, who would even give a moment’s notice to the thought.
Service to Others is the highest of callings. From my perspective Nancy was already answering that call before she left for Africa. Her soul must have been calling her to step it up a notch, but maybe there was more to the calling.
In this insightful and touching account, Nancy shares her daily interactions with the rich culture, people and land of Africa during her Peace Corps tour, knowing intuitively that she would be changed at the end of her adventure, but not until its conclusion would she learn exactly how or how much.
By reducing her world to the very basic of needs…food, water, shelter while being in service to others who had similar needs, first-world comforts and distractions would, over time, no longer obscure her own inner landscape. Finding that balance between crises and opportunities would open up expansion not only for those around her but for her own inner world.
Changing her entire life to accommodate service to the Corps would, in the end, reveal old wounds and bring new light and spiritual understanding to long told stories of her “self.”
“I miss the Rains in Africa” is a poignantly written journal of self-discovery and self-healing, experienced through a thoughtful observation of collective and individual humanity. One comes away with a measure of grace and gratitude for Nancy’s story, as she illustrates so beautifully how we might create a roadmap for our own self-expansion.
So why read this one? Another admission: I know the author. And I like her. Chances were I would enjoy it. Not only because I admire Nancy, but because, in a small way, I was part of this story. And that part was so magical and so powerful, the memory is my own special treasure.
I was not disappointed, nor was I embarrassed at all, to turn the pages of this charming, engaging and light-filled book. Rather, I found myself smiling throughout.
How many of us would be willing to serve by living and working in the developing world for years at a time…at age 64? Imagine the people you know who have lived at least six decades. Now imagine any of them announcing that they are leaving their current life and world behind to go join the Peace Corps. I don’t know anyone, other than Nancy Wesson, who would even give a moment’s notice to the thought.
Service to Others is the highest of callings. From my perspective Nancy was already answering that call before she left for Africa. Her soul must have been calling her to step it up a notch, but maybe there was more to the calling.
In this insightful and touching account, Nancy shares her daily interactions with the rich culture, people and land of Africa during her Peace Corps tour, knowing intuitively that she would be changed at the end of her adventure, but not until its conclusion would she learn exactly how or how much.
By reducing her world to the very basic of needs…food, water, shelter while being in service to others who had similar needs, first-world comforts and distractions would, over time, no longer obscure her own inner landscape. Finding that balance between crises and opportunities would open up expansion not only for those around her but for her own inner world.
Changing her entire life to accommodate service to the Corps would, in the end, reveal old wounds and bring new light and spiritual understanding to long told stories of her “self.”
“I miss the Rains in Africa” is a poignantly written journal of self-discovery and self-healing, experienced through a thoughtful observation of collective and individual humanity. One comes away with a measure of grace and gratitude for Nancy’s story, as she illustrates so beautifully how we might create a roadmap for our own self-expansion.
Candace Craw-Goldman
Founder BQH (Beyond Quantum Healing), Quantumhealers.com
I Miss the Rain in Africa is a great read. Nancy Wesson skillfully takes you on a surprising journey not only into the heart of Africa through her Peace Corps experience but also into her own spirit and mindset. Stepping into the strange and compelling world of Uganda Nancy displayed a unique courage that is only surpassed by her willingness to share her very personal experiences. You will feel connected to both her Peace Corps service and also to the universality of the human experience in all ways, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual.
I Miss the Rain in Africa was meant to be a memoir about Nancy Wesson’s Peace Corps service in Uganda, 2011-2013. In her writing Nancy quickly learned that her story was taking a surprising turn. What began as a journey into the heart of Africa evolved into a tale of reconciliation, self-awareness, and healing. Nancy’s story is universal. I Miss the Rain in Africa is written in such a way as to take you on your own journey. Nancy holds out her hand so that you can stand by her side in order to embrace her lessons learned and make them your own. You will be changed. You will have a deeper self-awareness, and you, too, will discover peace in past relationships and experiences. I Miss the Rain in Africa is that kind of book.
I Miss the Rain in Africa was meant to be a memoir about Nancy Wesson’s Peace Corps service in Uganda, 2011-2013. In her writing Nancy quickly learned that her story was taking a surprising turn. What began as a journey into the heart of Africa evolved into a tale of reconciliation, self-awareness, and healing. Nancy’s story is universal. I Miss the Rain in Africa is written in such a way as to take you on your own journey. Nancy holds out her hand so that you can stand by her side in order to embrace her lessons learned and make them your own. You will be changed. You will have a deeper self-awareness, and you, too, will discover peace in past relationships and experiences. I Miss the Rain in Africa is that kind of book.
Holly Copeland
Retired LMFT
Co-Founder Family Copeland Foundation: scholarships for St. Mary’s Midwifery Training School, Kalongo, Uganda www.familycopelandfoundation.org
Co-Founder Family Copeland Foundation: scholarships for St. Mary’s Midwifery Training School, Kalongo, Uganda www.familycopelandfoundation.org
I Miss the Rain in Africa is a great read. Nancy Wesson skillfully takes you on a surprising journey not only into the heart of Africa through her Peace Corps experience but also into her own spirit and mindset. Stepping into the strange and compelling world of Uganda Nancy displayed a unique courage that is only surpassed by her willingness to share her very personal experiences. You will feel connected to both her Peace Corps service and also to the universality of the human experience in all ways, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual.
I Miss the Rain in Africa was meant to be a memoir about Nancy Wesson’s Peace Corps service in Uganda, 2011-2013. In her writing Nancy quickly learned that her story was taking a surprising turn. What began as a journey into the heart of Africa evolved into a tale of reconciliation, self-awareness, and healing. Nancy’s story is universal. I Miss the Rain in Africa is written in such a way as to take you on your own journey. Nancy holds out her hand so that you can stand by her side in order to embrace her lessons learned and make them your own. You will be changed. You will have a deeper self-awareness, and you, too, will discover peace in past relationships and experiences. I Miss the Rain in Africa is that kind of book. This book of personal transformation offers a truly funny but sobering look into a totally different cultural and the lessons learned about self while navigating the unknown. Ms. Wesson keeps the reader entertained, while also stopping along the way to reflect upon our own self journeys. A FUN read. I highly recommend this book of unique adventure and self-discovery.
Ms. Wesson offers the reader a delightful accounting of a REAL Peace Corps experience and the life-changing opportunities this can bring to those searching for something to broaden their minds and their hearts. The book and the hilarious and soul-wrenching experiences keep the reader turning the page.
I HIGHLY recommend this book.
A highly entertaining and insightful exploration into self and personal transformation set in a unique place in war-torn region of east central Africa. Ms. Wesson’s insights into what she learned through her personal experiences and friendships developed in the Peace Corps life in Uganda holds lessons for all of us, if we want to explore what has made us what and who we truly are. An EXCELLENT read.
I Miss the Rain in Africa was meant to be a memoir about Nancy Wesson’s Peace Corps service in Uganda, 2011-2013. In her writing Nancy quickly learned that her story was taking a surprising turn. What began as a journey into the heart of Africa evolved into a tale of reconciliation, self-awareness, and healing. Nancy’s story is universal. I Miss the Rain in Africa is written in such a way as to take you on your own journey. Nancy holds out her hand so that you can stand by her side in order to embrace her lessons learned and make them your own. You will be changed. You will have a deeper self-awareness, and you, too, will discover peace in past relationships and experiences. I Miss the Rain in Africa is that kind of book. This book of personal transformation offers a truly funny but sobering look into a totally different cultural and the lessons learned about self while navigating the unknown. Ms. Wesson keeps the reader entertained, while also stopping along the way to reflect upon our own self journeys. A FUN read. I highly recommend this book of unique adventure and self-discovery.
Ms. Wesson offers the reader a delightful accounting of a REAL Peace Corps experience and the life-changing opportunities this can bring to those searching for something to broaden their minds and their hearts. The book and the hilarious and soul-wrenching experiences keep the reader turning the page.
I HIGHLY recommend this book.
A highly entertaining and insightful exploration into self and personal transformation set in a unique place in war-torn region of east central Africa. Ms. Wesson’s insights into what she learned through her personal experiences and friendships developed in the Peace Corps life in Uganda holds lessons for all of us, if we want to explore what has made us what and who we truly are. An EXCELLENT read.
Jeanne H.
RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer), Uganda