No, seriously, what is JVC?
No, seriously, what is JVC? Over the past few months, as I have shared with family and friends about my upcoming departure, I have struggled to explain exactly what JVC is. More often than not interactions have gone as follows: Camila: I'll be volunteering for JVC for two years in Peru. B: What's JVC? Camila: It stands for Jesuit Volunteer Corps. B: So, like, you're a missionary or something? Often, I find myself justifying or trying to explain away the religious aspect of the program to many of my loved ones who either practice a different religion or none at all. My usual descriptor of JVC that tends to placate others and my own self-conscious state is: "Peace Corps with a Jesuit twist." I understand why someone might initially balk at the idea of serving with a catholic program for two years. For many years I struggled with my own sense of faith. The very idea of attending a Jesuit university had me squirming in discomfort and the applic