Peace Keeping
A letter to a mother
by Kalea Dupont
27 september, 2006
Dearest Mother,
I’ve only been away for a few days but I miss everything about home. Warm beds, and hot meals. My comrades who have been here a while are very intense and I feel a bit out of place. They all have had experience in this area, I've heard war stories that seem impossible but they talk about them like their normal.
My first mission is tomorrow, it probably won't be exciting but I am anxious to prove myself. I want my comrades to be able to rely on me. I will write to you soon to tell you more. I look forward to hearing from you and everyone from home.
See you soon,
-Dallas
A letter to a Sister and Comrade
by Kalea Dupont
18 April, 2007
Dear my brave sister, Peyton,
It has been a year since I’ve seen you last, I can't bear to stay away from home any longer. The legacy father left for us was more than I imagined it to be. The only reason I have lasted this long is because I know you are going through this too. In your last letter you told me you survived a shootout in Haiti, I looked up the report and I saw not many of you made it. I can imagine the loss you’re feeling right now, I have experienced it.
I'm writing to tell you that I'm not going to give up. I miss our home so much but I can't go home now, not with this unfinished feeling. I hope to supply you with the same motivation you have given me. I have hope both of our missions will succeed if we continue to do our best. I wish you and your comrades the best of luck and I pray constantly for your continued success. Your prayers for me give me peace so I thank God for them every day.
Go with faith, peace and hope from your loving brother,
-Dallas
Letters to Siblings
5th December 2007
To my lovely sister Holly,
It hasn’t been too long since I got here, but I had to write because I missed you so much. And everyone else of course. I suppose I just miss our sisterly chats and deep conversations. I could write my thoughts to you here in this letter, so here we go.
Coming to this mission I was almost certain that I would face some problems because of my gender, but nothing prepared me for how much problems it caused. The men here are so unbelievably closed minded and it makes me so angry. In my division there are only a few women but none that are willing to speak up for themselves. It really upsets me but I’m not in the headspace to call anyone out on their stupidity. So I’ll just have to endure it and take my anger out on the battlefield. Speaking of which my first big mission is in two months and I am not going to lie to you, Holly, I’m scared.
My senior officer said that it could result in a shootout and that terrifies me. Please do not tell mother this. I know she's still grieving dad's death, I really don’t want anything more added to her plate. She deserves some peace of mind. I would hate for her to have that thought at the back of her mind that she could lose me the same way she lost dad. I know this is a scary situation but I believe everything will be okay!
Oh, I’m so sorry. I forgot to tell you where my mission is. We’re in Haiti doing a stabilisation mission. Apparently there has been a lot of chaos and riots due to a confrontation between two cities a year back. I don’t feel as though I should go through the details as it’s really quite boring.
Prayers are always welcome my dearest sister. I knew it was going to be a lot following in dad's footsteps and it would be nice knowing I have your prayers and support. Let everyone know I miss them and love them dearly and that I will see them in the summer.
Stay safe please and take care of the family for me.
Love, Peyton
By Ella
28th march, 2007
To Dallas,
Greetings brother, I have missed you greatly. Is peacekeeping as exciting as you imagined? How are you holding out? I know at times it can be very overwhelming so I wanted to write to you to see how you were doing. There was a shootout at my mission in Haiti about a month ago but I’m okay. I don’t want to waste words so if you want to know what happened you can probably look up the report.
How are your missions going? I want to know all the details. Are you coming back for summer? Because we have so much to catch up on. Have you written to Mother or Holly recently? I love to hear about what's happening at home, however it makes me miss it more. I am continuing to pray for our success and I hope you will too. Remember you can always count on me.
With love,
-Peyton
By Ella
Letter From a Husband to a Wife (UNEF I)
By Audrey Vickers
January 5, 1956
Dearest Mary,
I hope you have been keeping well. I know it has not been so long, only a couple months, but I miss you with all my heart.
Do not worry about me, I am with good company. It is a good feeling, to be a part of a team with similar minds and hearts. We have a job to do, and we all want to do it well.
To be on the first force of this kind is an honour, and we all feel it. There is a lot of pressure and uncertainty, since none of us have done this before, but we are determined to do it well.
More forces arrive here in Egypt every day, which will help. We are expected to have everyone (for the time being) by February, so not too far from now.
I have heard there are eleven countries here helping, including us. It is truly grand to be working alongside so many different people, I do wish you could know this feeling.
My love, I hear your calls from home, but you know I feel my calling here.
I hold you in my heart always, but I know my head must be clear.
You help me to feel some peace, which I need for this job, and I feel I cannot truly repay you for that.
Hopefully what we are doing these days and in future days will help show you that it’s all been worth it...
That I’ve been worth it.
Love, James.
Letter Between a Mother and Daughter (Haiti)
By Audrey Vickers
June 20, 1995
Dear Mom,
How are you these days? I'm sure not much has changed since I last saw you, but honestly, to me you feel a world away. Time seems to move much faster here, but it still feels like it's been a while.
As you know, we got here three months ago, in March. Boy, am I glad we came then, because if we had come in this boiling summer heat I swear I might’ve walked myself back to Canada.
Haiti has been about as expected so far, I think. There is a lot of unrest, fear, and uncertainty as we were told before coming here.
They have had a very unstable leadership that has threatened their human rights for a long time, so we are here trying to help to keep a good person into power and hopefully calm a lot of the turmoil within the country.
Everything here is so different from what I know, but this is what I signed up for, and I’m happy to do it. Especially since I'm one of only two women in the Canadian force here currently - I feel the need to prove myself and do just as well as everyone else.
I’m sure you’ll laugh at that last sentence, especially considering I’ve not ever been a notably hardworking person, but I really am determined this time.
I hope everything is okay at home. I know our family doesn't always get along, but I also know that you always do the best you can for us, and we appreciate that.
I miss you, Mom. Please write back soon.
Love, Danielle
Letter Between a Couple (The Congo)
By Audrey Vickers
September 12, 2004
Dear Sydney,
Hello from the Congo, it’s your boyfriend, Sam! Just making sure you haven’t forgotten about me yet.
‘Dear’ felt like such an old-fashioned opener, but it felt the best considering I am writing a letter, after all. Besides, things feel a lot more serious here than in Canada.
We, as well as a lot of the world, have known about the Congo’s tumultuous history as a country. There’s a good reason that peacekeeping missions have been coming here since the 60s, and I’m sure there will be more in the future.
Leadership has always been, and continues to be a struggle in the Congo. They also have had trouble with a lot of refugees seeking shelter in a very unstable country - not a great mix.
The coup in 97’ was terrible - I heard over three million died during that. Nothing nearly as devastating has happened during the following seven years, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.
I’m not even here for very long I don’t think - less than a year. There was a specific area of unrest and violence on the Eastern border, so we were flown in to help provide stabilisation and anything else they might need. Since I’m pretty new in the forces, they’re not keeping me here for as long as the others might be - but I’m okay with that.
Your last letter made me laugh, I’m glad to hear you’re still as funny as ever. Thank you for the photo too, you’re so beautiful - as always. Sometimes when I find myself feeling overwhelmed here, I picture you in my head and that helps me.
Too sentimental? I thought so. I suppose now is as good a time as ever to sign off, then. I miss you a lot, Syd. Thanks for always sticking with me.
Love, Will.
