Calling to Cambodia

I have so many thrilling things happening in life right now!  I realize that many read my blog and I'm so glad!  I would love for you to take one step further and become a follower.  Its super easy, just click on the follow button at the right side of my blog!  I will be updating more frequently in the next coming months.

I will start with what is coming up this summer, since it's very exciting and scary all at the same time for me.  As most of you know, I went to New York City last summer to earn a certification in teaching English overseas.  It was hard work, but I loved being there and experiencing something new!  You all know I am  in love with NYC!  People asked me what my plans were after taking the course.  I didn't have a specific agenda, but I knew that I had a desire to see the world, experience new cultures, while sharing the love of Christ!  I had planned to travel somewhere the following summer.  Before I knew it, January was here and I had not even looked into opportunities to teach overseas.  I received my certification in the mail a lot later than anticipated, however when I did, I wondered if it were too late to start looking.  I searched online and was very hesitant about going to a foreign country alone.  Since I have never been off of American soil, I thought that traveling alone my first time wouldn't be the best choice.  I was at Starbucks one day and found a site called TeachOverseas.org! I read every word on the site and had to find out more.  I discovered that it is a non-profit Christian organization that sends teams overseas to teach English and share God's love through it.  My heart started beating a little faster the more I read!  I knew I wanted to teach children and the place that stood out to me was Cambodia.  I quickly signed up to get more information.  The following day, I talked with someone about TeachOverseas and how to apply. I filled out the application and had a phone interview the same week.  I sent out for references and prayed through each step that God would reveal if this was what I was suppose to do.  I heard word a week later that I had been accepted to the Cambodia Team!!

I was so excited that I could do something like this, but fear and doubt crept in quickly.  I believed lies from the enemy telling me that I couldn't do it.   I listened to him say that I am not the type to do this, that I would be a terrible teacher, that I wouldn't make it in a foreign country or live without my hair and makeup products (lol, I'm not joking).  I worried about how I would afford it.  I had time to pray more about it and through the decision process, God reminded me that was all true.  I can't do any of those things on my own.  They can only be done with Him! A few things needed to be taken care of in order for me to go.  The dates I would be gone could not interfere with school starting back up, I needed to find someone to house sit for me and take care of Jack for 5 weeks, and I needed to raise approximately $5,000. The trip begins on June 16 and I will arrive back on July 23rd.  That doesn't give me a lot of time when I come back, but I will have a little time to rest before preparing my classroom.  God provided someone who graciously accepted to house sit and Jack sit for me while I'm gone.  With those two things set, I accepted the invitation to go to teach children in Cambodia.  Money was still something I was concerned about, but I chose to listen to Him and not the lies.  This gave me Godfidence to follow him and trust Him to take care of it! 
     A few days later, I received a letter at school from someone anonymous.  I opened the letter and read that this family had chosen me to share a random act of  kindness.  They wrote so many wonderful things and decided to bless me in the next months to help me with my trip to Cambodia! I was so astonished and moved by the love from this family to want to help someone like me and be a part of what God will be doing thousands of miles away! It was affirmation that God would provide!  Not long after that, I was visiting with a family that are wonderful friends of mine.  They voiced they wanted to help and made a donation as well!  My heart is so full, not because I've had anything to do with it but that God has had everything to do with it!

My life verse has been Acts 20:24.  I'm ready to put this verse to action.

"But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."


     I am now 9 weeks away from traveling to southeast Asia, a country that is predominately Buddhist, and many have not heard the name of Jesus.  I am humbled that God would choose me to love on these precious children with the love He has given me!  God is preparing this soldier mentally, physically and most importantly spiritually.

"Exercise daily in God- no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever.  You can count on this.  Take it to heart." -1 Timothy 4:8 & 9 (The Message)

I would love for you to partner with me and become a part of my team!  There are two ways you can do this!

One way is to be in prayer for me!  It will be an adjustment and I want God to open my eyes to the pain and lostness of this world so he can use me. I want to leave being forever changed.  Remember my team, that we will work together and make every moment we are there count.  Pray that the hearts of the people of Cambodia will be opened to the Truth.  

Another way is by making a financial donation.  If you would like to make a tax deductible donation, please visit teachoverseas.org  You can click on the donate button.  On the drop down menu, click Staff and type in my name Brittney Lynn Allison and enter the amount. 

Have a blessed day!

Britt

New Year's 2013!

I must be the worst blogger ever since my last blog was in July!.  Happy New Year, everyone!  I have barely reflected on this past year, but I opened my journal and found an entry from New Year's Day in 2010.  I would like to share it with you.  Every time I open my journal to read a page from my past, I either wonder what I was thinking or I can put myself in that exact same place and time and remember every single feeling and detail of that experience.  In this entry, I seem so confident of what God has for me.  Truthfully, I spend more of my time insecure and living in fear of the future.  I'm so glad I have little reminder like this to show me that God is in control whether I give it to Him or not! 

"Today is the first day of the new year.  I'm always ready to start a new year. I'm praying for a journey...a journey that you will take me on, Father.  Not for this year, but for life.  I want to thrive and overflow with your love.  I don't know where you are going to take me, but I'm ready to go and learn in how to believe in all the possibilities that you have for me.  Nothing is impossible for you! Show me each step to take, every insecurity to fight.  See, I'm believing you've got a woman in the vessel being prepared for your use.  I've not a clue how she will ever come to be, but you do.  Lord, I know you have been faithful in my darkness that has come upon me, and for awhile I chose to live in it and allow it to define me.  I have put you in a box and limited you.  I've told myself that you would never want anything great for me.  You are refining me for whatever is in store.  This year is going to be a turning point.  I'm so ready for it God!  Help me to trust in what you are going to do even when it feels like you are doing nothing.  I realize it will not be easy."
                                                                               January  1, 2010
    "Arise, shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  See darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.  Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness.  Lift up you eyes and look about you: All assemble and come from afar and your daughters are carried on the arm.  Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with Joy."         Isaiah 60:1-5

 I always look forward to the New Year! I think a lot of people do.  It gives us the hope that we can start over.  We can recommit to the resolutions we slacked off on the year before.  We can say goodbye to all the struggles that hit us and move forward.  I challenge you this year to take an introspective look at your life.  When making a resolution it is a commitment you are making toward some sort of personal goal.  I will lose weight, be a better mother/father, be wiser with my money.  Of course, its a good thing to want to better yourself in health, family, finances.  Those are my resolutions, too!   I want to also make sure to look at my spiritual life and ask God what it is He wants for me this year and be willing to listen and follow when that is revealed.  I suppose you could call it a "Godsolution!"  I'm a nerd, I know!   If you are my sister or brother in Christ, you know following God is more than making some sort of commitment at the beginning of each year and slowly falling away from it by February.  It is a lifelong!  Ask God how you can be His hands and Feet to this lost world.  What selfish desires can you set aside for the Kingdom?  This has been a struggle for me because it is easy to get caught up in the petty things of my life.  This is a dangerous place to be.  I can't be working for God while I'm lounging on the couch all day feeling sorry for myself.  I hope you will join me in this and hold me accountable!  I pray your 2013 is full of God's riches and blessings!       

                                                                                

Sittin' In A New York Coffee Shop

     Today is the last day of my TEFL course!  Although it included tons of tedious paperwork, lesson planning,  and only a few hours of sleep each night, I am definitely walking away with a lot of knowledge.  I feel that this course prepared me well for any future experiences teaching English and even teaching my Kindergartners.  I met really interesting and fun people that made the course even better.  It's strange to think that we will all go back home and to our normal lives and never see each other again.  I am thankful for email and Facebook for connecting us to people so far away.  I was suppose to teach this morning, but my student called and said she wasn't coming.  I was a little relieved because I didn't have much prepared.   So, I'm sitting in a coffee shop watching the people walk by with their umbrellas in the rain.  Its a cool thing because all the times I pictured myself in New York I saw me sitting in a coffee shop, watching the people walk by and being surrounded by skyscrapers.  It has really set in that my adventure here has come to an end.  4 weeks have gone by so fast!  I was able to do many things here but even in 4 weeks you can't see everything.

     Several people have asked me if I want to live here.  I love this city!  This concrete jungle still amazes me everyday.  There is so much to see and do here that it will be hard to adjust from a city that offers everything back to a small town in Oklahoma.   Have I mentioned fashion?  People know how to dress well here.  However, I can think of something that NYC doesn't have, and that's all the amazing people that I dearly love back home.  If I could move you all here, it would be the best! lol!  For me, it's the people that make it home, not the place.  I think it would be awesome to live here for a couple of years but my heart will always belong to Oklahoma:)

     I don't have a real specific plan for my last 2 days.  I do know my friend Mark has ordered me that I must eat a hot dog here, so that's on the agenda.  Tonight, Mariah and I are going to see Batman!  I'm really excited because I just recently saw Anne Hathaway on Jimmy Fallon, so it will be neat seeing her on the big screen after a real life encounter. I'm silly I know.  We were going to go to SOHO for some shopping but may have to move it to tomorrow if the rain doesn't let up.  Tomorrow we will be going to the Bronx zoo, the MET, and then home to pack.

I will be arriving in OKC on Sunday around 1:00 PM.  My friend Jenn will be picking me up and I'm so excited to see her.  I hope that I can get connected with most of you before school starts and catch up. I'm going to have to get started right away on my classroom too!  School is just around the corner.

Oh! One more thing.  I wanted to let you know how I did on the final.  It took my two hours to complete, but there wasn't any questions that I had no clue on.  Most questions were multi-faceted so there were a few that I didn't answer completely.  I am sure I passed, but I don't think I'm going to get to see me grade.  I would really like to see how I did after all that work.  Maybe I can get her to send it to me.

It's about time for me to get to class for the last couple of hours.  See you all soon!

Friday the 13th!

Greetings!  I'm am sorry I haven't updated my blog, lately.  I don't think I've ever done as much work as I have in this class.  The long days still continue as I cram lesson planning, observations, self-evaluations, materials projects, and reading assignments.  I don't get to bed most nights until 12:30 or 1:00 and have to wake up and 6:30.    I don't get to do much during the week so I use the weekends to tackle my list of things to see and do.  Although it is a lot of work, we have fun in class...when I'm the student or the teacher.

Last weekend, Mariah and I went to the 9/11 Memorial.  I was very surprised what had still not been done.  The memorial has the North and South pools where the towers once stood and the survivor tree.  The museum wasn't finished so it didn't take long to look around.  From the outside the new towers look like they are almost finished.  We visited a couple of churches where the rescue workers and volunteers would go for food and rest.  It was hard to imagine that 11 years ago so much turmoil happened in the place we were standing.  St. Paul's church has a banner hanging inside from Oklahomans sending encouragement and hope.  We walked down Wall St. and saw the New York Stock Exchange and another bride.  That makes 4 I've seen so far, but having it on Wall St sounds strange.  Saturday, we went to see the Broadway show "Chicago."  It was wonderful!  The set was simple with the orchestra on stage and a small cast, but it didn't take away from its entertaining factor.  I recommend this one or Wicked it if you're ever in NYC.  I looked through a few exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Sunday.  It is huge and there is not way you could do it in a day...or even 3!  I plan on going back sometime this week.

Jump forward with me one week to today, Friday the 13th.  I'm not what you would call superstitious, but there are many times I seem to have some rotten luck.  But today was the opposite.  After class today, Mariah and I went to the taping of the Jimmy Fallon show.  I was like a kid in a candy shop sitting there in that seat just watching how they make it all happen.  Anne Hathaway was gorgeous as always did a hilarious scene with Jimmy before making her official appearance.  There weren't any audience shots that I can recall being in but that didn't matter when I tell you what happened at the end of the show.  So, Jimmy signed off and then ran through the aisles to give high-fives, handshakes, and autographs.  I was sitting in one of the last few rows he would greet, waiting patiently to get some physical contact.  The girl in the same row got an autograph and then he quickly past me and hugged the girl in front of me.  I held out my hand for a handshake but he hadn't even noticed me.  Then, he looked up at me and shook my hand.  But the best part was when he looked back and leaned in to give me a hug.   Mariah said my face was priceless and that moment for me was priceless!

I promise I will put up more pics and update my blog sooner rather than later, but the lobby is closing now and I have to get ready for bed.  I am going to see the Statue of Liberty tomorrow:)  Goodnight my dear friends.  sweet sleep!

New York State of Mind

Hello friends!  It has been very busy the past couple of days.  The work load in my class has more than doubled since the first week.  There are so many forms to fill out for every section of the course.  I wake up at around 6:15 and get home no earlier than 9:00.  After I teach a lesson, I have to complete a self-evaluation, class lasts until 3:30. Next, I plan for my lesson the following day, and then stay during the evening lessons for my observations.  The work is very tedious!  Creating lesson plans and teaching ESL students is very different than preparing and teaching Kindergarten.  It has a different structure and I am reteaching myself parts of speech, rules of grammar, phonology (all the "stuff" I was taught in elementary school, except I don't remember all this terminology).  In fact, its hard to write this blog without thinking..."Oh, that's the noun with the modal verb and past participle," or "Is this sentence in the perfect present or the present continuous?" Don't even get my started on adverbs, articles, and prepositions! LOL! I suppose this is a good think, but it takes a lot of work.

    Last Friday, I visited the Empire State building.  I really wanted to arrive to see the sunset from the top, but I didn't make it in time.  It wasn't a very good experience.  I'm glad my first time to go to the top of the Empire State Building was in December with Jana.  We did not have to wait in any lines to go up and it was not crowded.  We got to freely roam to any side to see the view.  This time, I was fighting through the crowds just to get a glimpse of the city.  I'm glad I have my first memory to hold on to.

    
     I'm continuing to meet great people, see different places, and try new things. Ashley and I went to a fine-dining restaurant within Bryant Park late Friday night.  It was my first time to try Guzpacho and muscles.  I thought Guzpacho tasted like cold salsa and the muscles  like cleaning products.  Maybe I'm the only one that thinks this way.  Apart from my opinions of fine cuisine, I am proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone.

My classmate and friend Ashley from Venezuela

                                          

I tried to go to the Hillsong United church on Sunday, but was unable to attend because there were too many people!  I just think that is crazy!  I couldn't go to church because there wasn't enough room.  I was very disappointed.  I plan to try again next Sunday:)

After class yesterday, I went to Bryant Park where they were showing the Wizard of OZ.  This is one of my top 5 favorite movies.  There were tons of people sitting on the lawn with their kids, friends, and family.  I thought how lovely it would have been to watch it with someone, but exhaustion quickly kicked in and had to go.  However, I did get to see the scene where Dorothy sings "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." Take a look below.  Thank you to those who have kept in touch with calls, fb posts, and texts.  Even though I am staying pretty busy, its nice to hear a familiar voice that cares.

Sweet sleep everyone!
B

Big City Life

I'm really enjoying the city!  People are everywhere!  Men and women are focused on getting to work quickly and there is no time to stop.  I'm usually distracted by those I'm passing.  I feel quite plain amongst all these beautiful people.  Their style has the New York signature fashion.  Most commuters have their ear buds in and shades on...whether in sunlight or on the subway.  It's just a different kind of world and I like it!

The weather has been delightful here this week.  Yesterday was probably the best!  It was about 85 degrees and sunny with a breeze.  Perfect. After class, I visited the New York Public Library and walked through Bryant Park.  

I'm really enjoying my class and making new friends!  We will begin teaching next week and I'm nervous.  My partner, Isabella, and we will be preparing lessons for a level 4 class and also a class for an ESL student's children.  I'm happy about that because I will have a chance to experience what it is like to teach young learners with limited or no English.  Gisela is going over parts of speech, methodology, grammar, and phonology.  It seems to be one my forte.  At the end of class today, we played Jeopardy.  The team captain picked me first to be on their team (I don't think I've ever been picked for anything first) and I got most of our team's points.  I got a lot of compliments from my classmates.  It made me feel really good.

I stopped to grab a bite to eat this evening and got hit on by my waiter.  He gave me his number and told him to call me if I wanted to hang out.  Don't freak out (not my type), I'm not going to call him but it was flattering.    Well, I suppose I will do a little studying and then off to bed.  Can't wait to see what tomorrow holds.  Anyone have suggestions on where I could go this weekend?  Keep in mind I've already done a lot of tourist attractions.

In front of the New York Public Library

The statue of the lion Patience.

and this one is Fortitude.

The Teacher Becomes the Student

I started class at the TEFL Institute, yesterday.  My instructor's name is Gisela.  She is from Germany so I thought it was a bit strange that she was teaching this class on how to speak English.  She has an accent so it helps me focus on what she is teaching.  She told us that she was going to teach us a foreign language so that we would know what a student learning another language would feel like.  She decided to teach us Russian.  I have to say I was pretty stressed and found it difficult to remember phrases and words or get the correct pronunciation right.  Some of my classmates caught on well, but learning a second language doesn't seem to be my forte.  I had lunch with my classmate Ashley.  She's really nice and from Venezuela.  I thought she was probably my age, but she is actually 36 with a husband and 2 kids!  She does not look 36.  After lunch, we continued with learning a foreign language but she had those that could speak another language go up and teach the class.  I couldn't tell you anything I learned it was that confusing.

Today, we went over things like classroom management and grammar.  That was more up my alley, of course.  I felt a little more confident than the first day.  Gisela taught us some more Russian but she wrote the words on the board and told us how to sound out the words.  Being able to visualize it was helpful.  I had pizza with a few of my classmates at a pizza place.  It was really good, but can you believe most places here do not serve Dr. Pepper.  It's mostly Coke or Pepsi...but seriously. lol! We went over parts of speech, which was a good refresher for me and then had to take this insanely long grammar test but it was easy (although do not feel free to correct me on any grammatical mistakes as I'm sure there are many).  I took the subway home and grabbed some dinner and now about to go to bed.

The residence is great! I have a nice room and facilities.  Everyone is really nice and accommodating and its a great part of town.  I like that it is just a few blocks from the park.  You wouldn't believe how many people are there just laying out and resting in the grass...something you don't see much here.

Sweet sleep!