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Katie Willey

willey_katie.jpg “I know that being a Peace Corps Volunteer in Jordan is something I could not do without a strong faith. My faith is strong because of my experiences with CCO.” Katie Willey, a 2007 graduate of Westminster College, currently serves as an English teacher in Jordan. Given the opportunities she has to influence lives in Jordan, Katie believes that without the CCO, not only would her life be different, but so would the lives of the people in her village.

Many of the lessons Katie learned through the CCO’s Leadership and Discipleship in the Wilderness program (LDW) in 2005 continue to shape the work she is now doing in Jordan. Katie says, “I can’t tell you how much I learned on that trip or how invaluable those lessons are to me. From climbing Downs Mountain in the dark and then looking back up at it in the light, I learned that I underestimate myself, and therefore I can never doubt my ability to overcome obstacles with God’s help.”

“I often look back to lessons learned from LDW or other experiences made possible because of the CCO. For example, I was scared to come to my village after training. I knew I would be coming all alone to a village with students who didn’t enjoy learning English, and it would be my job to teach them. I would have to work with English teachers who can’t speak English, and my Arabic was certainly lacking. It was a scary thought. My Jordanian friends were even scared for me, but I thought about how impossible climbing Downs Mountain looked to me when I saw it in the daylight. Of course, I was looking up at Down’s Mountain after I had already climbed it. It looked impossible, but I had already done it.

“Teaching English in a village where students are known to not like it and where Arabic—a language I hardly knew—was my only way of communication seemed pretty impossible, too. Of course, just like climbing Down’s Mountain, it is not. It is hard, but I have lived here for eight months and I see little improvements everyday, and recently my Arabic is getting good enough to start building some true relationships. So hey, it’s not impossible if it is a desire that God puts in your heart.”

Katie describes herself as a shy person, soft-spoken, and lacking in decision-making skills. Yet, she credits her involvement with the CCO during her college years as providing opportunities to gain confidence and experience in leading groups. “The CCO,” she says, “was a catalyst to my growth as an individual. The CCO provided for me a safe place to grow and provided chances for me to gain confidence and build up a track record of successes to look back on. Without the CCO, I don’t think I would have the strength of character and confidence to be a Peace Corps volunteer in Jordan.”