From: "Patrick Kadian" <pkadian@khujand.pragma-tj.net>

Date:  Wed, 12 May 2004 10:55:26 +0500

Dear Ms. Mack,

 It's hard to believe that it has been seven years since Jeremiah died.  Most of what I remember of Jeremiah are the same things, it seems, that most people remember about Jeremiah: the times he made me laugh, his funny way of twisting his accent, the crazy things he did, and, of course, his kindness.  However, Jeremiah also made a real impact on my life and the course that it would take.

 When I was in Niger, I had a tough first couple of months at site.  I was sick for most of the time and lost more than forty pounds in 5 weeks.  Of course, I also had to deal with uncomfortable position of being a foreigner for the first time and all the other things that came along with being a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger. 

 I was lucky, though.  Jeremiah was at our hostel doing some work on our maison-sans-bois when I was thinking about leaving.  Not only did he make me laugh while I was miserable, he also was able to convince me to stick it out. 

 The decision to stay has certainly affected my life.  Since my time in Niger, I have had an opportunity to work with poor women in Ecuador to create a micro credit union, with people devastated by Hurricane Mitch in Honduras, and now with entrepreneurs in the former Soviet Union.  None of that would have happened without Jeremiah's influence in my life.

Jeremiah lived his life with presence and force.  Your work in establishing a scholarship in his name and the wonderful website to fallen Peace Corps Volunteers are great tribute to the man he was.  Please live with the certainty, as I do, that other great things are occurring, unknown to us and unmarked by his name, which would not have happened if Jeremiah never were.  The energy he released still ripples through, affecting people all around the world.

 Sincerely,

Patrick Kadian