It has been a wonderfully full 2 months! I’ve been teaching weekly classes at our ESL program, and have been surprised by how much I’m enjoying it and how positive the response has been from the students. In this beginner level, the age ranges from 4 ½ to 50 years old, people coming from Syria, Iran, and Palestine, and no two weeks look the same in terms of attendance. The constant change is comical but the students are eager, the challenge is fun for all of us, and the relationships being built are precious. As the weeks progressed, I recalled a completely forgotten childhood memory - my cousins, sister and I playing School (though we were magical creatures to make it interesting) While I almost always wanted to be the teacher, younger-me never thought this “game” would ever make its way into the real world. Thirteen years later, I’m bending over kids’ shoulders to help with homework, getting adults and children alike to play Simon says to practice vocab, and answering to the title “Teacher” a lot.
God has shown his provision in this program. Months ago before I started work, a teammate leading the program would explain the need for more teachers. It became a main point of prayer, and today we have enough regular teachers to add a needed “intermediate” level, and there are substitutes to boot! God is faithful to provide. In line with that, ESL has been – wonderfully - a point of contact; several people seeking more spiritual answers have found their way to our classes. Just this past week, a student asked me when and where the classes about the Bible were, that she was coming “because I want to learn more and am interested in changing religions”. Please pray with me as we invest in her, and for others with similar questions to find life-saving answers.