Hello folks,
The time is drawing near! In only a few short days, for some of you, you will find yourself boarding the plane and flying to North America. It is a time of nervous excitement, isn't it?

It is also a time where you are on the verge -- you have questions, fears, excitement, and you are ready to jump! But, I hope, you are also in a state of asking yourself questions -- Am I ready?

Preparation for a year abroad is your shared responsibility with the International Volunteer Exchange Program’s staff. Though we have determined that you would be a good candidate for the program, it is you who will take the major responsibility in preparing yourself for your time in North America. And it is also you that will take the major responsibility for having a successful year at your placement (with our help!). We hope that you have been deliberate in preparing yourself for what will, no doubt, be a life changing year.

I would like to help you along. The following is a list of questions that might help you, in these last days, to come to a place where you are fully prepared to embark on this adventure. This kind of self-assessment will help prepare you for the challenges that you may encounter in North America. I am not asking you to respond to me with answers, but rather just to consider the questions carefully. The more aware that you are – of yourself, your expectations and your cultural perspective – the easier your adjustment will be when you arrive in North America. Be honest with yourself!

Self-Assessment Guide

Initial questions
· What am I looking for in a volunteer abroad experience? Have I made a list of my goals?
· What are my hidden (or unspoken) expectations? i.e.: to fall in love; to get a job there; because my parents did IVEP and said it will make me more skilled; to discover a different set of interests; to become more worldly, etc)? Are these appropriate hopes, knowing the goals and expectations of the program? Do I need to re-adjust my expectations?
· What cultural experiences am I looking for during my IVEP experience?
· How familiar am I with my own cultural heritage? Can I answer questions about my hometown? My culture? My country?
· Am I interested in going abroad in part to gain some physical distance from relationships or situations here at home?

Am I prepared for the discomfort of culture shock that comes with living in a new culture? Am I prepared to learn new ways of doing things? Am I eager to share about my home culture and ways of doing things with people who may know nothing of my home country?

Am I ready to travel with an open mind and an open heart? Am I able to accept that things are going to be different -- and that I will need to adapt my way of thinking in order to survive in a new culture?

Am I ready to try to experience new ways to worship God which may be uncomfortable or strange at first?

Am I ready and prepared to rely on God in ways that I have never had to before? Take a moment and ask God for a clear mind and an open heart.

Personal Readiness
· Have I been learning about news in both my country and North America?

Have I made attempts to learn about my new home in North America? Have I tried to find out as much as I can about the community in which I am going to be living?
· Am I prepared for restrictions and house rules that come with host family living? The family's expectations regarding the use of hot water, heating, and power consumption? Use of telephone, kitchen facilities? Am I ready to adapt my eating habits to fit my family?
Am I prepared to accept new ways of relating to supervisors, bosses, and coworkers? Am I willing to adjust to having a female supervisor, if necessary?
· Am I being honest with myself about any physical, medical, or emotional health issues that might make living abroad risky to myself or others? (examples: diabetes, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, asthma).
Am I ready to deal with long-distance relationships? Absence from family, friends for holidays, special occasions? Financial hardships? Can I do without easy access to e-mail if necessary?
Am I prepared to handle frustration and disappointment? How?
· Am I prepared to commit to serving in the name of Christ in the placement which I have agreed to withouth pay or compensation other than the stipend which MCC will offer me? What will I do if I don't enjoy my job?
· Am I prepared to commit to the values of living simply – accepting the stipend offered by MCC without complaints which may mean that I must forgo certain luxuries to maintain a simple lifestyle?

These are just some initial questions to keep you moving in the direction of being ready and prepared for your new life in North America! Good luck.

Cordially,

Isabella Sellar Voll
IVEP Canada Coordinator

Akron, PA Orientation

Waterloo, ON Orientation