Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 225,000 Americans have served as volunteers in 140 countries worldwide, working on behalf of the United States to create lasting change in all kinds of communities.

Among the 37 Peace Corps volunteers from Alabama (according to 2016 statistics) are two Murphy High School graduates from Mobile: Lila Raouf, 24, who recently finished her two-year assignment; and LoRen Burroughs, 26, who is about halfway through hers.

Lila Raouf lived in a large village in the Kyrgyz Republic, where her main project was teaching English at a local school. She reached more than 70 boys and girls with youth leadership camps, taught yoga and helped teachers plan their English lessons.

"Lila has had an extraordinary adventure in the Peace Corps that has allowed her a tremendous insight into world issues," said her mother, LaVada Raouf. "I am so proud of how she has faced the challenges of living in a developing country with resilience, determination, and hard work."

LaVada and her husband, Wael, recently reunited with Lila during a family trip to Turkey. "We are delighted to have her back after 30-plus months, and I am looking forward to all the great things she will accomplish going forward," LaVada said of her oldest daughter.

LoRen Burroughs is serving in an area of Botswana known for its tourism and safari industry. She works at a center for orphans and vulnerable children. Her primary work is creating a healthy and empowered youth community by educating them on topics such as leadership and self-esteem.

"LoRen has always amazed me," said her mother, Bernadette Burroughs. "Even as a little girl, she was smart and always showed great insight, was very caring and giving to anyone in need. She is one of a kind, and she is loved and adored by our family."

When LoRen's younger brother, London Curtis, who works as a model and actor, was asked by a casting director to describe the worst day of his life, he said it was the day his sister left for the Peace Corps - and he meant it.

Lila and LoRen recently answered questions about their Peace Corps service via email. Here are their responses:

Which college did you attend, and what was your major? When did you graduate?

Lila: I attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. I graduated four years later, in 2014, with majors in international studies and near Eastern languages and cultures.

LoRen: I graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2013 with a bachelor of science degree in healthcare management and community development. Afterwards, I received my master of science degree in community development from Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky.

What did you do between graduating and joining the Peace Corps?

Lila: I applied to the Peace Corps at the beginning of my senior year of college and was offered an invitation at my departmental ceremony of graduation. I had only a few months in between graduation and leaving for the Peace Corps. During that time, I worked and spent time with my family in Alabama.

LoRen: Following undergraduate graduation, I moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, for four months to intern at the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation as a health policy and advocacy intern within their Health Access Initiative. While there, I also volunteered at Heifer International, which is a global nonprofit organization based in Little Rock that aims to end global poverty and hunger by providing livestock and training to communities in need of sustainable assistance. After my time in Little Rock, I moved back to Mobile to begin a year-long AmeriCorps position, affectionately known as the "domestic Peace Corps," at Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Alabama.

Had you done much traveling outside the United States before your Peace Corps assignment?

Lila: Before Peace Corps, I had a fair amount of travel experience. My family has traveled internationally since I was a baby, mainly to visit family, but also for vacations. I studied abroad in Cairo, Egypt, during my undergrad.

LoRen: No, not at all. I received my first passport so that I could begin my Peace Corps service. As a Peace Corps volunteer, I always remind my colleagues of the privilege it is to travel and work abroad and how this ability to travel internationally is not accessible to all. I am grateful for the exposure that I received to Peace Corps and international development work throughout my undergraduate career, but I acknowledge that my exposure is not the norm, particularly as a minority woman from the South.

When did you become interested in joining the Peace Corps?

Lila: I became interested in the Peace Corps after returning from my study abroad experience in Egypt. Prior to this year, I had focused on international politics and diplomacy. After witnessing the political transition in Egypt, I decided I wanted to shift my interests from politics to development. I like working on the ground.

LoRen: I first became exposed to Peace Corps during my time at University of South Alabama because the sorority I belong to, Alpha Kappa Alpha, has a partnership with Peace Corps to promote awareness of Peace Corps within minority collegiate communities.

What made you want to become a Peace Corps volunteer?

Lila: I initially wanted to be a Peace Corps volunteer for the international development experience you receive. I was looking for a job that I could get hands-on experience with, and something that would allow me to travel.

LoRen: All the work that I have dedicated my adult life to stems from my altruistic nature and desire to do community work. Peace Corps seemed like a natural choice; to be able to travel abroad and do community, grassroots work has been a dream come true.

Where were you assigned, and what is your job there?

Lila: I was originally assigned to the community youth development program in Jordan. Six months into my service, our program was suspended, and I accepted a transfer to the Kyrgyz Republic in the English education program in April of 2015.

LoRen: I was assigned to Botswana, and my official title is HIV/AIDS civil society capacity building volunteer. I work at a community nonprofit organization that provides care, mentorship and psychosocial support to orphans and vulnerable children. My specific tasks revolve around adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. I facilitate trainings, programming and initiatives centered on gender-based violence and its connection to HIV, reproductive health, female empowerment and children's rights advocacy.

What was your reaction when you found out where you were going?

Lila: I was really happy that I was invited to serve in Jordan; this was the program I wanted actually. I was upset that I had to leave Jordan, but relieved that my Peace Corps journey was not over and that they were offering me another service in the Kyrgyz Republic.

LoRen: I chose Botswana! Peace Corps gives you the opportunity to dictate your top three choices for country placement, and Botswana was my top choice. I chose Botswana because of its political stability and its prevalence rate of HIV. With an HIV prevalence rate of roughly 19 percent, I felt Botswana would be a good place for my skills in community development and health policy to be put to good use.

How did you handle leaving home/your family?

Lila: It's hard to imagine leaving home for two years. I remember being very anxious and nervous, but also really excited.

LoRen: It was difficult, but I was determined. My family did not understand my desire to leave, initially, but they soon came around (because they had no choice, my bags were packed!). My fiance and circle of friends provided so much love and support prior to my departure. Their support keeps me going, even now after being in country for almost a year.

What have you missed the most about home?

Lila: I think I have missed some aspects of American culture while being away. There is a lot of freedom in the United States that we don't realize we have until we live in another society were there aren't as many options of what to eat, where to go, what to do for fun, etc. And of course I miss Target and Chipotle.

LoRen: I genuinely miss people who understand me on a deep level. Being in a foreign country requires constant adaptation and continuous attempts to integrate and understand a culture unlike your own. I miss being surrounding by those I deeply relate to.

How long did it take you to adjust to life in your assigned country?

Lila: The first three months of your service is training, and this was a big adjustment period. I think I adjusted to Jordan quickly because I had a lot of culture and language experience prior to my service. But Kyrgyzstan was more difficult for me; it took me six months to really get into a routine living there.

LoRen: That's the thing: I am still adjusting. And I probably will still be attempting to adjust until my service ends. Yet, I have finally become comfortable in Botswana and my village. I have a routine, I have neighbors who I stop to chat with daily. I have a new favorite grocery store. I've begun to develop a sense of normalcy again. Botswana is home.

What do you like most about the country you're living in?

Lila: I love the textiles and handicrafts of Kyrgyzstan, specifically southern Kyrgyzstan, which is where I live. My site is situated where the Silk Road once was, so as you could imagine the clothes, rugs and other textiles are amazingly beautiful.

LoRen: I love that Batswana (Botswana citizens) have a deep connection to a culture that has sustained them for generations. Coming from America, I don't think there is such a thing as a "unified culture"; we are truly a melting pot in that way. In Botswana, culture is the underlying vein of every facet of life. It dictates how you greet elders, how you prepare your food, how you communicate with your colleagues. It is rooted in utmost respect for your fellow countrymen, and it is a beautiful thing to observe and be a part of.

What's your daily life like?

Lila: I am a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) volunteer in a village school. So I go to school almost every day in the morning until the afternoon. During school, I either co-teach or observe classes, provide feedback or advice to teachers, or conduct trainings or seminars. In the afternoon, I might go into the nearby city to buy groceries or run other errands.

LoRen: Peace Corps volunteers' schedules vary, but my daily life is extremely similar to my life in the United States prior to coming to Botswana. I work from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. I sit at a desk with my laptop, working on grant proposals or sexual health programming. I take a lunch break around 1 p.m. and sit with children at the center who eat lunch around the same time. After work, I usually walk to the grocery store to pick up food for dinner or to buy airtime (reloadable phone data). I go home, cook dinner, work out or practice yoga, and then it's bedtime.

Where do you live, and what's that like?

Lila: My village is Kengesh, which is about 20 minutes outside of Osh city, the second biggest city of Kyrgyzstan. My village is ethnically Kyrgyz, but the city is more diverse with a mix of Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Tajik, Russian and then foreigners. My village is rural, but since it is close to a city it sometimes feels like a big suburb. The homes are big and families have large plots of land and animals. People are always working, either in school, in their business or at home. Aesthetically, the village is beautiful. It has large trees along the streets, flowers everywhere, and cows and horses roaming about.

LoRen: I live in a large village with about 65,000 residents. There are grocery stores, coffee shops, hotels and even an international airport. On the continuum of extremely rural to more developed, my village definitely lies closer to the more developed end. I live in a small yellow house with a fence around it that barely keeps the chickens out of my yard. I have electricity and sporadic access to running water. Initially, going without running water for days at a time was difficult, but you'd be surprised how easy it is to adapt. My neighborhood is filled with children and working professionals. I walk everywhere, but I truly enjoy it. Peace Corps volunteers are not allowed to own or drive cars and that has been, surprisingly, a blessing in disguise. Being able to walk around my village gives me an opportunity to meet so many people and the opportunity to truly integrate.

What do you do for fun there?

Lila: For fun, I usually go into the city and get lunch with colleagues or other volunteers in the area. During the summer, I like to go to outdoor cafes to enjoy the weather.

LoRen: Other than being away from family and friends, my life, and hobbies, have not changed much. I read books on my Kindle, listen to podcasts or catch up with one of friends at one of the local coffee shops.

How often do you communicate with your family and friends, and by what means of communication?

Lila: I speak with my family almost every day via WhatsApp. It's really easy to keep in touch with family and friends across the world thanks to social media.

LoRen: Every day! I have access to messaging through Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp or video calls through Google Hangouts when connected to Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi is not as consistent as many may be accustomed to in the United States, but I am able to stay connected, one way or another, every day.

What's the best thing that's happened to you during your Peace Corps experience so far?

Lila: It's hard to choose one thing as being the best from my service. I feel like I have learned so much about the world through my Peace Corps experience. It's really eye-opening to see how different societies live: what they prioritize, how they work, how they celebrate, etc. Family truly is the center of life in both Jordan and Kyrgyzstan, and witnessing this has really changed how I want to live my life and what I find most important.

LoRen: So many wonderful things have happened to me during my service, it is hard to pinpoint one. My job working with adolescent sexual health and gender equity has been the highlight of my service, and I could not have asked for a better placement.

Has joining the Peace Corps changed your life? If so, how?

Lila: Peace Corps changed me definitely. I feel more capable and experienced. Not only did I gain incredible work experience, I feel like a better person now: more empathetic, patient, flexible, and understanding. I appreciate things that we take for granted in the US, like nature, good weather, and family.

LoRen: Without a doubt. Professionally, I have gained an insurmountable amount of practical skills in the field of nonprofit management, organizational development, gender equity, global health, and human rights. But, more personally, joining Peace Corps has been the most difficult decision I've had to make within my adult life. Leaving your home and starting anew in an unfamiliar place is never easy. But, for two years? It takes bravery and fortitude. Deciding to join Peace Corps solidified, for me, that I do possess these characteristics and I am stronger and more determined than I ever gave myself credit for being. It is a wonderful feeling.

My service has proven to me that nothing is too far out-of-reach; no matter your background or circumstances, the seemingly impossible is possible.

What do you plan/hope to do after you finish your service? (And when is that?)

Lila: I am traveling all summer and returning to Mobile in August. I am hoping to work in Mobile for a year or so, help out with some initiatives I feel passionate about and save up so I can pursue a MBA.

LoRen: I will complete my service approximately one year from now. After returning, I plan to devote my time to nonprofit work with a concentration on gender equity, children's rights and service to the marginalized, in one form or another.