Hearts Opening To Jesus Through ESL Classes!
Extended ESL Summer Classes:
After being shut down for more than a year due to the COVID pandemic, our ESL staff and students were eager to get back to classes in the Fall of 2021. No sooner had we started when inclement weather shut us down numerous times.
Students miss the interaction and community that forms in their classes when class has to be cancelled, but they are also dedicated and determined to take every opportunity to learn and practice. So as not to miss a thing, students asked if they could continue into the summer for a few more weeks to make up their missed classes. Their teachers understandably could have said “No, I need a break”, but their heart for their students and their focus on long-term investment, had them enthusiastically say YES!
Gary Edwards, Kathie Peters, Vicky Threadgill and Khoa Nguyen all invested another month (and more) to ensure their students got that extra help and practice.
Here are a few highlights from their additional time together:
“I had the privilege of working through a Bible study with Monica, focusing on who Jesus was and is throughout the Old Testament and New Testament, while also practicing her English speaking and writing skills. She was a willing and engaged student, who has a desire to learn and grow. She wants to represent and talk about Jesus accurately with her family. She met Pastor Alexei and I’m hoping she will get connected with our Spanish church family to get more support and encouragement.
God always seems to put one or two students in my path who have a hunger to learn and grow. I love getting to know students more personally and bond with them heart to heart, both in and outside of class. This week after our lesson, I’m going to introduce her to some Middle Eastern food. “ Vicky Threadgill
“The extended time for conversation was a wonderful opportunity to get to know a few of our students, and a few students who joined us from other classes, better. Our conversation topics opened our students up to talk about their relationships with God. Some of the topics we covered were the power of prayer, ultimate forgiveness and life after death.
We found that God had already opened the heart of one of our students. This Vietnamese man had been given an English Bible, but for greater comprehension and to understand God better, he had purchased a Vietnamese Bible. The month-long extension of our class allowed us to share more about God’s love through Jesus.” Gary Edwards
We never know what our small interactions will do in the lives of those we give time for – but God does and He works exceedingly abundantly. How exciting to think about these students not just improving their English skills but perhaps also taking the Good News of Jesus back to their families – reaching the nations!
