Ailish Dooley

Thank you for reading about my gap year. I am excited about the year ahead of me. I chose to do a Gap Year with Scripture Union Scotland because, during a church service one day, I felt God speaking to me and calling me to go to Scotland. I wasn’t sure at first what that would look like, but after lots of prayer and seeking guidance, I felt that a Gap Year with SU Scotland was the right next step. I held onto the verse that says, “Knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) and trusted that if this was from God, He would make a way, and He did.

I’m excited about this opportunity to grow, meet new people, and gain experience – especially by living and working away from home for the first time. I know some of it will be challenging, especially moving from the Isle of Man to Scotland, but I also know it’ll be worth it. I’m really looking forward to seeing how God works through this year and being able to serve Him in everything I do.

One of my biggest hopes for this year is to grow in confidence both in who I am and in my faith. I’d love to become more comfortable stepping out, whether that’s speaking up, taking initiative, or leading. I also want to deepen my relationship with God and become more secure in who He’s made me to be.
In my spare time I enjoy going on dog walks with my family, going to the gyp where I do box fit and playing the drums. I also love getting creative with things like painting, colouring, and other crafts.

I have opted for the gap:church placement where I will be based at a local Church, working with their children and young people, helping with their community café, and going into local schools to help run clubs and assemblies. There will also be training, wider SU events and SU Holidays.