SO! My flight is booked! This milestone brought a bunch of mixed feelings. Excitement, nervousness, and the feeling that I have so much that I want to do before I leave. If I think about it too much I start getting this knot in my stomach and a huge rush of emotions. I have made good friends and have been able to spend time with my family since graduating and it is making it that much harder to think that I am leaving all that for a year. But then I think of all the smiling faces that will greet me each day and the impact I will be having and think that a year isn't that bad.
My flight is booked for December 30th. I leave Long Island to head into the city for a pre-departure orientation on the 29th and leave the 30th at 10:40 am. I have a layover in Johannesburg South African and then arrive in Namibia at 11:30 am December 31st. It is going to be a long day of travel and I will be so thankful to arrive in Windhoek and pass out in the hostel. I have many more updates to write about but I have to head out to get ready for work. I just figured I would share this BREAKING NEWS before I leave.
10.23.2012
10.18.2012
I'll Be Rising From the Ground
A friend of mine recently said that making a name for yourself is imporant; putting yourself out there and becoming known is half the battle. In the next year I will have many names and title. To some I will be a co-worker, to others a friend, teacher, family and advisor. I will be a coach to my students and learning from them as well. Having Worldwide fame is something but being known by those whoes life you are impacting is everything! So as I leave NY I will be leaving behind my familiarity, my family, my friends, and my role as a daughter, friend, sister. I will travel thousands of miles to the other side of the World and make a new life and name for myself. Don't get me wrong; I will still be those things butI will become so much more. It is scary and exciting all at the same time. No one will know me there and I will be rising from the ground...a clean slate but then I stop and think about it; NO ONE will know me there. I won't have a support system like I do at home or a shoulder to cry on when times get rough. My co workers will become that support and breath of fresh air but it won't be like the comforts of home. It will be an adjustment but I am more than ready to embrace it head on.
I recently got my departure date! That made it all the more real! I will be going in to NYC on December 29th for a pre-departure orientation. WorldTeach is providing a hotel for us to stay in that first night. We will be able to meet everyone from our program as well as adjust to the realization that we are leaving for a year. On December 30th we take off at 10:40AM and arrive in Windhoek Namibia on DEcember 31st around 12 noon. It is going to be a really long day of traveling. We are going on South African airlines and traveling via Johannesburg, South Africa. The countdown is down to 73 days and those days are going to fly! Time to get my butt in gear and finish up last minute preparations!
I recently got my departure date! That made it all the more real! I will be going in to NYC on December 29th for a pre-departure orientation. WorldTeach is providing a hotel for us to stay in that first night. We will be able to meet everyone from our program as well as adjust to the realization that we are leaving for a year. On December 30th we take off at 10:40AM and arrive in Windhoek Namibia on DEcember 31st around 12 noon. It is going to be a really long day of traveling. We are going on South African airlines and traveling via Johannesburg, South Africa. The countdown is down to 73 days and those days are going to fly! Time to get my butt in gear and finish up last minute preparations!
10.01.2012
How it all began
The saying "Man plans and God laughs" definitely applies to how I ended up going to Africa. At the beginning of my senior year of college I had no idea where I was headed after graduation. There was the possibility of having a steady job, being married, going to grad school, heading to Argentina for a year or moving back home to figure out what in the World I was supposed to be doing. Africa wasn't even in the picture. Slowly my options, or what I thought to be my options, were crossed off. I definitely wasn't going to be staying at the job that offered me full time. I had decided that law wasn't the path I wanted to take after graduation and marriage was taken out of the picture. I wasn't panicking yet; there was still time. After a visit to see my brother I was almost sold and thought that attending Bible college for a year in Argentina was going to be my next stop. At about this same time talk of being accepted into Grad School came about as well. I still didn't feel that God was leading me strongly in either direction so I continued to look at different possibilities. A girl that I had met and friended was in Africa at this point and I asked her which program she was going through; she mentioned WorldTeach. I looked into the possibility of working with them and started to gather information on how and what it entailed. Living, working, and moving abroad is definitely not something that can be done last minute; even though I thought I could. I wasn't getting any closer to narrowing down what I would be doing after graduation and the months were still ticking. In February/March I began the application process for all three options. I submitted my application for Argetntina, wrote up all my essays and received all my reccommendations for Graduate School, and submitted all my paperwork for Africa and began to pray. I probably didn't do it the best way. I kind of put those three options out there and whichever one followed through I would pursue full speed. Each of them answered, but in their own time.
I hadn't really been hearing back from Argentina and I didn't feel like God was calling me in that direction. I have been questioned a lot as to why I didn't decide on a Spanish speaking country. I have a bachelors in Spanish, I have a father who speaks Spanish and work in a Spanish restaurant. I own books, videos and music in Spanish. I lived in Costa Rica for a year and still speak it fluently. Will I forget a few words? sure but I even found myself forgetting a few words of English after living abroad and coming back. But for me, it's like riding a bike. You never forget the language, I'll just have to remember the motions. Plus. the Latin American countries that I could have gone to didn't offer the opportunities to help that I have in Africa. In Namibia there is a HUGE need and I have a HUGE desire to try to meet as many needs as possible. So, needless to say, Argentina was out of the picture. My mom knows me so well, she called that one from the start because I didn't pursue it as diligently as I did Africa and grad school.
I had heard back from WorldTeach almost instantly. They wanted me to take part in a phone interview and send in a few recommendation letters. I scheduled it as soon as possible and submitted the letters right away. They informed me that because of my credentials and interview that they wanted to expedite my application and send me to work as soon as I graduated. I originally was scheduled to leave and start work the first week in June 2011. I definitely believed that I would be able to pull that off; yea right! But I'll get back to that decision.
I graduated college a year early. At Towson I was given a hefty scholarship for four years. Since I ahd graduated early I wanted to figure out some way to get my last year of my scholarship. Who wants to leave free money sitting around?! I was convinced that I could start Grad School while in Africa and have my scholarship pay for school and my student loans pay for my time abroad. I made myself crazy trying to figure out all of these classes and independent studies. It would have worked out that my first year of grad school would have cost me less than $5,000 with my scholarship; they agreed to give me my last year of my scholarship to go towards my Grad degree. I was set! I was accepted into the Masters of Social Science (Global Analysis Track) program, my scholarship was already applied and I was accepted and confirmed for Africa. I had my timeline set and God was probably just laughing at me. Graduation in May, Namibia in June and Grad School/Namibia for the year. I even went as far as to check to make sure I would have wi fi where I would be or at least an internet cafe within a bus ride. Do you know how crazy I would be to do that?! I finally realized it. I called WorldTeach to see if I could defer my departure until the next group left, which would be in December 2012. They agreed to that but! Originally I was only going for 6 months if I left in June. With this defferment I agreed to sign on for a year :). After prayer and list making, I decided that would be the best for me. I will be able to do so much more in a year and be there for my students the entire time. The summer finished out and it came time for me to head to MD to start grad school. After making more pros and cons lists; I love lists!; and thinking through what I had ahead of me I decided to not enroll for grad school this coming year and defer my enrollment until Spring 2014; I will be able to be accepted then. But, Towson isn't even where I want to receive my Masters so that worked out. There were way too many more cons than pros.
"Why Africa?" I have received this question so many times and all I can say is, "Why not?!". There were so many countries that were laid out for me to work in but my heart was set on Africa. Each position had different responsibilities and focus. Namibia has a focus on HIV/AIDs and teaching around the country. Namibia has a high death rate as a result of HIV/AIDs. Many contract the disease and do not even know how to prevent it. My job will be to come up with programs to educate them on the disease and teach them ways to not catch it. I have such a heart for the children of Africa. I am not going there with the expectation of changing the lives of an entire village but if I can go and help one child receive a better eduation and show love to the lost than my time there will be more than worth it. My students will be the leaders of tomorrow in Africa and God knows that Africa could use some help. I am well aware of the trials and hardships that I will be facing. Believe me I have read a lot of experiences of people who are there now and it isn't going to be all smiles and happy days. It will definitely be a challenge and stretch me more than I have ever been stretched before but I am so ready and willing to be used in any way possible. No one ever made a difference by sitting on their behinds doing nothing; this is my chance to help make a difference and as Nelson Mandela put it
I hadn't really been hearing back from Argentina and I didn't feel like God was calling me in that direction. I have been questioned a lot as to why I didn't decide on a Spanish speaking country. I have a bachelors in Spanish, I have a father who speaks Spanish and work in a Spanish restaurant. I own books, videos and music in Spanish. I lived in Costa Rica for a year and still speak it fluently. Will I forget a few words? sure but I even found myself forgetting a few words of English after living abroad and coming back. But for me, it's like riding a bike. You never forget the language, I'll just have to remember the motions. Plus. the Latin American countries that I could have gone to didn't offer the opportunities to help that I have in Africa. In Namibia there is a HUGE need and I have a HUGE desire to try to meet as many needs as possible. So, needless to say, Argentina was out of the picture. My mom knows me so well, she called that one from the start because I didn't pursue it as diligently as I did Africa and grad school.
I had heard back from WorldTeach almost instantly. They wanted me to take part in a phone interview and send in a few recommendation letters. I scheduled it as soon as possible and submitted the letters right away. They informed me that because of my credentials and interview that they wanted to expedite my application and send me to work as soon as I graduated. I originally was scheduled to leave and start work the first week in June 2011. I definitely believed that I would be able to pull that off; yea right! But I'll get back to that decision.
I graduated college a year early. At Towson I was given a hefty scholarship for four years. Since I ahd graduated early I wanted to figure out some way to get my last year of my scholarship. Who wants to leave free money sitting around?! I was convinced that I could start Grad School while in Africa and have my scholarship pay for school and my student loans pay for my time abroad. I made myself crazy trying to figure out all of these classes and independent studies. It would have worked out that my first year of grad school would have cost me less than $5,000 with my scholarship; they agreed to give me my last year of my scholarship to go towards my Grad degree. I was set! I was accepted into the Masters of Social Science (Global Analysis Track) program, my scholarship was already applied and I was accepted and confirmed for Africa. I had my timeline set and God was probably just laughing at me. Graduation in May, Namibia in June and Grad School/Namibia for the year. I even went as far as to check to make sure I would have wi fi where I would be or at least an internet cafe within a bus ride. Do you know how crazy I would be to do that?! I finally realized it. I called WorldTeach to see if I could defer my departure until the next group left, which would be in December 2012. They agreed to that but! Originally I was only going for 6 months if I left in June. With this defferment I agreed to sign on for a year :). After prayer and list making, I decided that would be the best for me. I will be able to do so much more in a year and be there for my students the entire time. The summer finished out and it came time for me to head to MD to start grad school. After making more pros and cons lists; I love lists!; and thinking through what I had ahead of me I decided to not enroll for grad school this coming year and defer my enrollment until Spring 2014; I will be able to be accepted then. But, Towson isn't even where I want to receive my Masters so that worked out. There were way too many more cons than pros.
"Why Africa?" I have received this question so many times and all I can say is, "Why not?!". There were so many countries that were laid out for me to work in but my heart was set on Africa. Each position had different responsibilities and focus. Namibia has a focus on HIV/AIDs and teaching around the country. Namibia has a high death rate as a result of HIV/AIDs. Many contract the disease and do not even know how to prevent it. My job will be to come up with programs to educate them on the disease and teach them ways to not catch it. I have such a heart for the children of Africa. I am not going there with the expectation of changing the lives of an entire village but if I can go and help one child receive a better eduation and show love to the lost than my time there will be more than worth it. My students will be the leaders of tomorrow in Africa and God knows that Africa could use some help. I am well aware of the trials and hardships that I will be facing. Believe me I have read a lot of experiences of people who are there now and it isn't going to be all smiles and happy days. It will definitely be a challenge and stretch me more than I have ever been stretched before but I am so ready and willing to be used in any way possible. No one ever made a difference by sitting on their behinds doing nothing; this is my chance to help make a difference and as Nelson Mandela put it
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
9.26.2012
Coming All Together
The fact that I will be in Africa in a little less than 3 months is really starting to sink in. It makes me more and more excited each passing day. Excitement, nervousness, anticipation are just a few words to describe what is going on in my head! Looking back a year ago I never thought that I would be here, getting ready to work abroad. It is crazy how everything just fell into place and has worked out. Maybe crazy isn't the right word; God's plan and perfect timing seems more fit; but that is for a different post. Things have definitely started falling into place. I haven't reached my financial goal yet but I am more than halfway there which is a huge relief. Jobs and opportunities have been coming my way and I am taking every one that I can :D. It seems that when I start to worry about raising money or gathering enough things that another opportunity pops up. So as far as updates go....
I am halfway to my financial goal and still have 3 months to gather the rest of the money! That wouldn't have been possible without the wonderful donations I have received thus far.
I am patiently waiting on the approval for me to observe ESL classes in Patchogue-Medford HS. While in Africa I will be receiving my TEFL certification (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and in order to do so I need to complete a few steps before. The paper work is in for me to observe; I am just waiting on the response. When I went to the HS to talk to a couple of my previous teachers they were more than enthused about the opportunity that I have and are giving me the chance to help teach some of their classes! This will give me hands on experience and so many ideas as to how to conduct my own classes.
I am very determined to raise enough money and gather enough supplies to start and maintain a library in the school that I will be teaching at. So in my efforts to start to gather supplies and necessities of a library I went down to my town's library and asked if there was a way they could help. I spoke to the Assistant Administrator and she said that any books that were donated that I was able to use! I told her what types of books I was looking for and she has already started looking for books for me as well as setting aside many that I can use. Savers near me has also said that I could take 40+ books if they have them available for free!! These books are more than an amazing start to the library. Now all that is left to do is figure out how to take all of them down with me. If anyone has any ideas as to a company or an organization that could help with the cost of shipping the books to Africa please let me know! I am open to any ideas or suggestions!! Trust me, no idea is silly!
All my paperwork for a visa is being processed and completed. Once my background check is sent I will be ready to start the long journey to receiving my visa to live and work in Namibia.
Shots: a terrible invention that will help in the long run. Thank God all of my necessary shots are up to date. There actually aren't any required shots to get in to Namibia but definitely precautionary ones. Thankfully I only have yellow fever to get and that is because I want to travel to Angola while down there.
Those are all the updates for now. Each day is a step closer to having everything together and a day closer to being there!!
I am halfway to my financial goal and still have 3 months to gather the rest of the money! That wouldn't have been possible without the wonderful donations I have received thus far.
I am patiently waiting on the approval for me to observe ESL classes in Patchogue-Medford HS. While in Africa I will be receiving my TEFL certification (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and in order to do so I need to complete a few steps before. The paper work is in for me to observe; I am just waiting on the response. When I went to the HS to talk to a couple of my previous teachers they were more than enthused about the opportunity that I have and are giving me the chance to help teach some of their classes! This will give me hands on experience and so many ideas as to how to conduct my own classes.
I am very determined to raise enough money and gather enough supplies to start and maintain a library in the school that I will be teaching at. So in my efforts to start to gather supplies and necessities of a library I went down to my town's library and asked if there was a way they could help. I spoke to the Assistant Administrator and she said that any books that were donated that I was able to use! I told her what types of books I was looking for and she has already started looking for books for me as well as setting aside many that I can use. Savers near me has also said that I could take 40+ books if they have them available for free!! These books are more than an amazing start to the library. Now all that is left to do is figure out how to take all of them down with me. If anyone has any ideas as to a company or an organization that could help with the cost of shipping the books to Africa please let me know! I am open to any ideas or suggestions!! Trust me, no idea is silly!
All my paperwork for a visa is being processed and completed. Once my background check is sent I will be ready to start the long journey to receiving my visa to live and work in Namibia.
Shots: a terrible invention that will help in the long run. Thank God all of my necessary shots are up to date. There actually aren't any required shots to get in to Namibia but definitely precautionary ones. Thankfully I only have yellow fever to get and that is because I want to travel to Angola while down there.
Those are all the updates for now. Each day is a step closer to having everything together and a day closer to being there!!
FLYER FOR FUNDRAISER
This is the flyer I made for the fundraiser. I scanned it in so that it would be easier for those attending the fundraiser to print out. You can save and print it and bring it with you when you come dine on some delicious food. Gallo has a variety of food from Chicken dishes and sandwiches to typical Colombian food and seafood dishes. You can't go wrong with anything you order and can make modifications if desired!! Here is the website you can go to to check out the menu: http://www.gallotropical.com/diningmenu.htm.
9.25.2012
NOM NOM for NAMIBIA Fundraiser
BENEFITING:
WorldTeach
and Ashley Willoughby’s
Year
in Namibia
WHAT’S THE DEAL?
Gallo
Restaurant has agreed to donate 15% of every check towards WorldTeach and the
efforts of Ashley Willoughby in Africa.
WHAT TO DO:
Present
this flyer the 2nd week in October (7th-13th)
when you dine at Gallo Restaurant. Enjoy an amazing meal while you help out a
great cause!
WHERE TO DO IT:
Gallo Restaurant located at:
3 East Main Street
Patchogue, NY 11772
9.12.2012
Thinking, thinking, thinking
So as the countdown reaches to almost 3 months before I leave things are starting to become extremely real and all I can think about is everything I want to do with these children down in Namibia. We are encouraged to write up grants and receive money in order to fund a project while we are down there. I have been starting to brainstorm ideas and contact some places to see if they would sponsor something. So far, I haven't heard back but it is hard to ask for a grant when I don't really know what the need of my individual school is going to be. I am hoping to receive enough money to begin a library that is fitted with tape players so they can listen to books on tape. I found an organization that will send calculators to universities in need! Once I get down there and see which subjects I am teaching this organization will be very helpful. School supplies in Africa are very scarce. Many students don't even have a pen to use so for me to be able to give them a calculator would be such an amazing thing.
If anyone has children's books or books on tape they are looking to get rid of let me know. I will be more than willing to take those off your hands :). Another source of reading that I am thinking about bringing with me are magazines. I am told that Namibians love the pop culture in America. They listen to our songs and know many of our famous actors and actresses. I am asking if you guys could help me collect magazines. If you work at a Dr. office or subscribe to a magazine that you throw out each month I would love to take them when you are done! Not only will the be awesome reading material but I can do different lessons and crafts with them. Such as cutting out pictures and letters for the students to make an "about me" poster.
I will be posting and sending out a flyer by this weekend that will have the details about a fundraiser the first week in October. The restaurant that I work at is helping as much as they can to receive the funds I need. There will be dates and information on the flyer. I hope you all have appetites the first week in October :)
Things have been coming together quickly. I really only have my visa paper work to finish and a physical to get done and I am physically prepared for Africa. This takes a lot of pressure off and allows me to focus on what I need to do. I have been blessed with many words of encouragement and support and I thank you all! Sorry if my posts seem scattered, my thoughts and ideas are going in a million different directions as there is so much to do before I leave. Namibia is on the brain :)
But for now all I can do is pray and trust that everything I need for my year in Namibia will come through.
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on thine own understandings. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths."
If anyone has children's books or books on tape they are looking to get rid of let me know. I will be more than willing to take those off your hands :). Another source of reading that I am thinking about bringing with me are magazines. I am told that Namibians love the pop culture in America. They listen to our songs and know many of our famous actors and actresses. I am asking if you guys could help me collect magazines. If you work at a Dr. office or subscribe to a magazine that you throw out each month I would love to take them when you are done! Not only will the be awesome reading material but I can do different lessons and crafts with them. Such as cutting out pictures and letters for the students to make an "about me" poster.
I will be posting and sending out a flyer by this weekend that will have the details about a fundraiser the first week in October. The restaurant that I work at is helping as much as they can to receive the funds I need. There will be dates and information on the flyer. I hope you all have appetites the first week in October :)
Things have been coming together quickly. I really only have my visa paper work to finish and a physical to get done and I am physically prepared for Africa. This takes a lot of pressure off and allows me to focus on what I need to do. I have been blessed with many words of encouragement and support and I thank you all! Sorry if my posts seem scattered, my thoughts and ideas are going in a million different directions as there is so much to do before I leave. Namibia is on the brain :)
But for now all I can do is pray and trust that everything I need for my year in Namibia will come through.
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on thine own understandings. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths."
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