PORT ELIZABETH

Major update!

I have received my placement and job assignment for next year with GrassrootSoccer, I will be in Port Elizabeth, South Africa! I also found that my job title is Monitoring and Evaluation Intern. This means that my time will be spent supporting the daily monitoring and evaluation of the Skillz program that each child participates in. I still have no idea exactly how the Skillz program works, but can't wait to be able to use my own skillz to further the program.
Port Elizabeth is a major city on the coast of South Africa bordering the Indian Ocean. There are over 1.3 million inhabitants and is known as both the "windy city" and the "friendly city" and is located on the coast. A combination of Chicago, Philadelphia, and Miami?? Sounds good to me!
  It seems like a wonderful place to live, but was definitely a little different from my expectations before I knew of my location. It looks like I will have serviceable internet (which is great for all you followers) and a very nice, safe place to stay. However, a major reason this internship enticed me was experiencing a life of guess and check. I want to know what it feels like to not always have running water for the shower, or have to take time to find a place to wash my clothes, or find internet somewhere other than my own living room. I feel so blessed to live in the United States and not to worry about the minor details of life. Actually the minor details usually don't enter into my conscience due to the luxuries that surround me. But I also know that there will be a lifetime of experiences that I will encounter in this next year, and who in their right mind can be upset living in such an awesome place as Port Elizabeth.

I am still in the midst of fundraising for the trip and I want to thank you again if you have had a hand in making this trip possible for me. Next week I will be hosting a summer soccer camp for 3-5 year old's at a local church and am very excited to spread the word of GrassrootSoccer and help teach soccer to some little ones. I am still looking for participants, so if any 3-5 year old's are reading you can sign up!

Tell your mom, your dad, your cousin, your aunties, your brothers, your sisters and all the 3-5 year old's you know!

Even though I know where I will be placed for the year, that does not mean the preparations are far from over. I am in the middle of an FBI background check, applying for a VISA, acquiring an International Driver's License, getting fully vaccinated, booking flights to PE, and learning the dreaded manual transmission. Although this seems like a heavy burden it has been a smooth process so far and has actually been lots of fun figuring out all the preparations necessary for a year out of the country.

Lots of fun paperwork, edits, and re-edits

I am still working with a child with autism in Old Town Alexandria which has also kept me busy. He just turned 6 yesterday and has responded well to my therapy sessions with him. I would love to share the details of my work, but that would call for a completely different blog.

Today is also Thursday which means Haley and I are eating only rice and beans for the day. This past spring break I had the chance to travel to Nicaragua and stay at an orphanage. It was a wonderful experience, but it was also heartbreaking to see that most children there only had one plate of rice and beans to eat everyday. As part of a fundraiser by the organization I came with VTNoF we ate rice and beans for a week upon arrival back in Blacksburg. The fundraiser went swimmingly and I was able to raise over $100 during the week. As a tribute to the kids not only in Nicaragua, but kids all over the world that not get enough to eat Haley and I picked out one day a week that we would only eat rice and beans.  At first we were only going to do this for the summer but i hope we continue this tradition for the rest of our lives. If you want to support a child for a week, month or year, you can still send donations by following the link below.
Compassion Diet

More updates to come soon!