18/365

It doesn't make much sense, if you think about it. We most commonly associate the letter A with apple. But we say the name of the letter A with /ā/ and the a in apple as /a/. How do you explain that to someone who doesn't speak English? And the letter C? The name of C says /see/ but the picture says cat with a /k/. Psheesh.

If you grew up speaking English, you probably just laugh and shake your head. But if you are an adult and learning English for the first time, you might rather cry. It's not an easy road.

I'm pretty sure my two new Thursday night English students would tell you that. One is a young man; one is a grandpa. (I give the abuelo a slight edge- I know his two young granddaughter tutors...) Both men enrolled in class this week, ready to learn, but not really knowing much English. In the first 30 minutes of class, we reviewed the first nine letters of the alphabet. Then, to mix things up, we worked on the first dialogue students learn in nearly any language.
"What's your name?"
"My name is (fill in your own name)."
"I'm (fill in your own name)."
"Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too."

With a short break for brain rest, that took up our 2 hours of class. It doesn't seem like much, for a native speaker, anyway. But for a brain learning these sounds for the first time, it's a lot. Repetition, repetition, repetition. Lots of gestures. Ask him his name. Tell him your name. Tell me the letters. Fill in the missing letter. We put flashcards of A through H in order. They slapped the board with a fly swatter when they recognized the letter we called out. I cheer when they answer correctly, not at all contrived because I'm sincerely happy with them. I remembered to reward their efforts with a few pieces of chocolate. It came time to finish and they both looked tired, but asked for homework nonetheless.

"Good job! Hasta la próxima semana," I told them with a handshake. "Gracias," they told me as they left the room.

Maybe it should be A for some have entertained angels unaware...

320/365

In a textbook example of What Not To Do as the administrator of the local ESL ministry, I left town for the two weeks prior to the end of the semester and our annual Thanksgiving Celebration. And as testimony to the quality of our ESL ministry staff and to the faithfulness of our students and our God, I arrive back to the good but surprising news that we are expecting over 100 people for dinner on Thursday. 

100 people? 
We added some more tables and chairs and bought some more napkins. 
And I prayed.

We started the Conversational English ministry at Covenant 4 years ago. That very first week we had no idea who would show up. And so we prayed, and continue to pray, that the Lord would give us exactly the amount of people we could handle. That first week, we had three students, and I can honestly say, I was not a bit disappointed, because I really was thankful that we could be trusted with three students. Two of those three students still attend our classes today. Every week after that we continued to add new students, right up to the last week of the year. The ministry has grown every year since. 

So, when we stood at the door and surveyed the fellowship around us, I found myself both giving thanks and feeling somewhat humbled. We figure over 120 people joined us for dinner the Thursday before Thanksgiving. Those faces included students and staff, family and friends and neighbors. I love that our students want to share the night with their family members and their friends. For a long time, I have heard the prayer, "Lord, bring our neighbors to our church." I know from registration forms that most of our students come from the zip code of the church. I know that a few of our students even walk to class each week. Yes, the Lord has brought the nations to our backyard.

I won't post the close-up photos of our students, because I don't have each of their permission to do so. But I do know some of their stories. One dear friend attends classes with us and at another program in town, and I hear her proficiency improving dramatically. Another of my students holds an engineering degree in Mexico, and aspires to work in that field again, but currently works as a waitress. Never assume! One of my students is young, and has changed classes from beginner beginner to intermediate in just a few semesters, always asking questions, always challenging herself more and more. One of my students became a United States citizen last year, just in time to participate in the presidential election. I see my students and I beam. They are dear to me. 

Micah 6:8 reminds us, 
"He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?

The ESL ministry accomplishes all of that. I'm thankful and exceedingly abundantly blessed that our church opens the doors to share Thursday nights with our English students and staff. 

See you all in January.

311/365

He writes the Chinese characters under each English word, the symbols that appear to have absolutely no connection to the Roman alphabet. When learning to read, my kids used a phonics workbook titled Explode the Code. Certainly, that is what it takes for this kind gentleman as he slowly and deliberately learns to decipher and explode the English code.

I spend the morning observing and enjoying the international community that comes to the church in Rochester, Minnesota to learn English. These faithful come through the doors from distant places on the globe, brought to the town by work and by loved ones and sometimes by circumstances in their faraway homelands far beyond their control. They greet their friends at the door with broad smiles and eager handshakes. As we are introduced, each welcomes me, today's newest stranger in the church, with a "nice to meet you," and I smile wide, too.

The writer of Hebrews exhorts us, "Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." I wonder, perhaps that entertaining happened just this morning in a church in a town way up north in Minnesota. 

129/365

A most faithful bunch, they spent their Tuesday evenings serving together, week after week, since way back in September.

One keeps us on time, and under a serious countenance, cares deeply for the people she serves, sitting alongside and softly making corrections. Another comes in, always with multiple kids in tow, rushing in from after-school tutoring or homework and snacks. She's taught while pregnant, and with a newborn in a sling, and with a toddler fussing for her and with her sweet girl dancing in and out of classroom door.

One keeps the kids, and pushes them on the swing and makes sure they don't jump off the slide, and paints the girls' nails and keeps order. Another makes sure that the students know the history lesson, speaks with perfect diction, and has that dry sense of humor keeps us shaking our heads.

One arrives straight from work, our bouncer, standing guard at the door, and pouring lemonade for all the kids he has given nicknames. Another is my constant ear and encourager, my teaching partner, always ready to fill a vacancy, always my go-to grammar expert.

One kept teaching while preparing for a wedding and virtually commuting back and forth across 330 miles. Another plays games with the kids and answers the constant peppering of "Miss Sarah, yes or no?" One started at the door and then agreed to teach to fill a hole, even in the middle of toothaches.

I can't forget my favorite sub, the only one who I really trust with my lesson plans when I can't be there to teach. There's my snack lady who fills our pantry and keeps us supplied with juice and Cuties. There's the one I need to sit at the door and wait for new students. There are my pastors, who prepare devotions and pray without ceasing (and set out the tables and chairs which I am quite sure is not in the job description) and give this grateful girl a place to serve. They are my ESL staff and I couldn't be more grateful for them. Well done, friends.

45/365

In class tonight, I sat with my English learning student and we perused the local grocery ad, practicing how to pronounce prices and reviewing appropriate names for packages. A bottle of sparkling wine. A box of chocolates. A bouquet of flowers. We looked at the prices for a Valentine's arrangement of flowers (30% off with $59.99 purchase!) and agreed that we weren't likely to spend that much on blooms. (new word- blooms)

So despite the absence of flower deliveries, with a house full of girls and sweet friends, Tuesday turned out to be a day filled with chocolate and sweet notes and heart texts and even a couple of pink carnations. But at the end of the day, what says "I love you" better than scraping out the stinky, rotting food at the bottom of the dishwasher? That guy is the one who has my heart.

10/365

She came with a nifty magnetic calendar and a child's clock and play money, with a hoarse voice she had been saving all day long, with a lesson plan that perhaps did not get much past introductions and counting on this night.

They came with notebooks and pencils, with very little English, with a bravery and fierce determination to learn this strange tongue.

It's a pretty sweet relationship.

320/366

These people, my English as a Second Language students- they help to make my life so very rich.
One became a US citizen this summer, just in time to proudly vote in her first United States Presidential election. One visits her mom and family across the border every weekend to make sure that they go to church. One has brought several other friends and family members to class this semester. One is mom to three busy and very adorable kids. One is a pastor's wife in a bilingual congregation. One was badly hurt in a work accident during the summertime and is yet enduring healing and physical therapy. They work hard and they continue to persevere and I'm proud to know each one of them.

I'm thankful for
the generosity of others,
His love isn't conditional and his grace is never temporary,
a sincere "how are you today" when he didn't have to at all,
examples of friendship in perhaps unexpected places,
gathering together and giving thanks.
(um, and still again, apple pie...)

299/366

You have been treated generously, so live generously.

“Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment...

Matthew 10:8-10 (The Message)

Tuesday nights with these people is all joy.

271/366

Tuesday blessings-
"He always gives you Himself,"
weather for my fave shoes and a long sleeve shirt,
a French press shared,
tables and chairs in place,
dinner in the crock pot,
afternoon quiet visits,
prayer,
returning students,
citizenship!,
cheerful helpers,
GIFs that make me laugh out loud,
His delight is not in the strength of the horse, 
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, 
in those who hope in His steadfast love.

264/366

A day full of tasks, full of here and there and ins and outs, adding items to the list and crossing them off. But the most significant moments of the day couldn't be listed as lines on an index card. Rather, over and again, the best time was spent sitting next to people and listening to stories.

124/366

Oh how we love these people! This evening we finished another semester of Conversational English classes at Covenant Presbyterian Church. Over the last nine months, we have had the opportunity to meet 50 different people who all came in the doors hoping to improve their English skills. We have had the opportunity to teach English. We have had the opportunity to know our neighbors. We have had the opportunity to learn about one another and share joys and trials and sorrows and to pray for one another. And we have had the opportunity to share the Gospel of Christ, to share the reason for our hope. They thank us, but really the blessing is ours. Well done, friends!

321/365

thankful to have opportunity to know and love these English language learners and their families and our ESL staff, for those who served us so well this evening, for cross-cultural and bilingual smiles, for little people cute as can be, for grace, grace and more grace.

300/365

We native speakers don't ever think about how much there is to remember when forming a grammatically correct sentence, subject and pronoun agreement and singular and plural verbs and word order and accent marks that aren't even written down. Yet these women persevere and make mistakes and receive correction gracefully and continue on with diligence. They encourage me in my own language-learning journey, and they exhort me in my walk with Christ, reminding me of His steadfast love and faithfulness to us. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy...

244/365

almost ready...

159/365

“Perhaps it’s not enough to have a heart in the right place. Perhaps you actually need to do something,” Neichelle Guidry’s call reverberates like hope.
- from "When You're Kind of Weary of All the Injustices," A Holy Experience blog, June 8, 2015

I love teaching others to teach ESL, no matter where, no matter who. But this was perhaps the most hopeful training I've ever led. Missionaries, church planters, pastors' wives, current and future ministry volunteers- all ready to carry the Gospel, all ready to actually DO something. Blessings abundant, in spite of me. 

125/365

And so ends another academic year in the English as a Second Language ministry.
Oh how these faces cause me to smile! We have so very much to be thankful for-
our students, who come in week by week, who arrive for two more hours after already long days, who greet us cheerfully, who dare to make mistakes out loud, and who persevere even when making sense of this language seems so very nonsensical;
our staff, who are so very faithful, who are so very dependable, who serve and love so very well;
and our God, who provides exceedingly more than I can ask or imagine, who gives His gospel for every nation, tribe and tongue.
We are blessed.

See you in September, friends!

97/365

I confess, mostly to myself but certainly in repentance, that I am too often of little faith. I spent the afternoon with prayer as breath, wrestling with the contradiction of realizing how very insufficient are my abilities to fix much of anything and yet ever confident that my God always proves Himself absolutely trustworthy. Why do I doubt?

Two hours later and all goes well and indeed, we are exceedingly abundantly blessed. I get to smile and rejoice and eat cake with these sweet ladies who surprised their teacher with a baby shower!

Grace, indeed.

69/365

Homemade tamales and posole and arroz and frijoles negros and enchiladas (and BBQ chicken and Church's) and ensalada de pollo and ensalada macaroni and chicharrones and rayas de cebolla y poblanos en queso and two kinds of Jello salad and two kinds of cake with whipped cream frosting.

And my students, who persevere and keep on trying to master this crazy English language, and opportunity on opportunity to love and to be loved. I remain so thankful for Tuesday evenings.

322/365

She came to me before dinner started, holding two papers in her hands. “Teacher,” she asked me in Spanish, “is this good?” I looked at the papers, which screamed in bold-face type, “A $5000 loan has been approved for you!” Easy! Fast! The paper made no mention of the penalties, fees, and sky-high interest rates that typically accompany such offers. The promise appeared so very enticing to my student, who could undoubtedly use extra cash to supplement her very tight budget. I was able to warn her that it was unlikely to be the great promotion that it appeared to be, that in the end she would likely pay much more, perhaps even double, than the original loan amount. “Oh thank you!” she told me, clasping my hands.

Another student arrived, away from class for the last couple of weeks and surprised to find that it was our Thanksgiving dinner night. I welcomed her, so pleased to see her, and asked about her sister, who is also a student. “Please pray for her,” she told me. “She is depressed because she has not been working.” “I will,” I promised. And I am.

One of our students wants to come to classes more regularly, desperate to learn better English, but without family or friends to care for her young and very busy children during class time. Another is seeking out more opportunity to learn, recognizing that she isn’t speaking the language enough but finding few options for formal learning in her everyday life. Every one of our students has a story to tell, the path which led to our classes, the factors which motivate them, the obstacles they face in their quest to master a new language.

As in all of the world, we meet people who have marital problems, who experience family difficulties, who battle constant economic struggles, who face health issues, and so much more. But for a couple of hours each week, our students push those things aside as we gather around a table and stumble over English pronunciation. We learn new vocabulary and unfamiliar sentence structure and the nonsensical irregularities of this non-native language. We laugh together with one another, and encourage each other along the way. We care for one another, and share a small sliver of life together.

And hopefully, with specific intentionality, we share our faith that in this world where struggles are many and real and there are very few EASY! FAST! solutions, we have hope. We believe in the son of God, Jesus, who came to save all nations, tribes and tongues, who offers eternal salvation for those who put their faith in him. What a privilege, to know Jesus, and to know these dear friends as well, to share a bit of their walk along the way.

167/365

Double blessing-
ESL training AND feeling at home in the church from the moment I walked in the door.
Thank you, Oaklawn PCA.