March 19: English class at Seeds of Hope

I am thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to teach English once a week at the Seeds of Hope ministry.  If it didn't take a 50 minute bus ride each way, I would definitely love to be more involved.  The girls are very appreciative and are quick learners which is so fun to see.  Today one of the girls had a great big smile on her face as she shared that her English teacher at school asked her if she was learning from 'gringos' (Americans) because she had a much better accent than her classmates.  I certainly don't take all the credit because they have another English class at Seeds of Hope too but I share it simply because  it's wonderful that these girls are feeling affirmed for the hard work they're putting into their classes at Seeds of Hope (they also have Bible, sewing and tourism classes) on top of their regular schooling so they are all working really hard.

The educational and vocational training that the Seeds of Hope girls receive  is helping to make a difference in their lives and giving them a hope for a better future.

One of the things that I'm really thankful for is learning about TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) which is how I'm teaching English at Seeds of Hope.  Recently, I was reading a post by one of the leading TPRS teachers in the US.  She described what is true for most language teachers as they approach a lesson with a question like:  how can I teach my students (the past tense) today?  This veteran TPRS teacher encouraged teachers to rethink that question as we approach a lesson:  What can I learn about my students today by using (the past tense)?  It's a totally different way to approach a lesson and is sometimes scary because it means there's less 'control' (which is hard for us control freaks!) but I have been richly blessed in trying to do this with the girls at Seeds of Hope.  Today, was pretty 'light' because we talked all about their pets which they were excited about.  Other weeks we've talked about birthdays (one of the girls shared that she just turned 16 but didn't do anything at all to celebrate except eat a packaged ice-cream bar....which was humbling as we're in the midst of celebrating our kids' birthdays and we've been able to celebrate with more than just an ice-cream sandwich) and why one of the girls was sad (her friend has a heart problem and his family doesn't have money for his medicine). 

Each week on Tuesday I come home hot and dusty from the bus ride and tired from a long day but so thankful I have the opportunity to get to know these girls.  Would you please say a prayer for them?  Most come from difficult home situations, have painful past experiences and are longing to feel loved and accepted.  Please pray that God would protect these girls from physical and emotional danger and that they can better grasp Christ's unconditional love for them through the ministry and staff of Seeds of Hope.

Here's a short video recently made for the ministry.  If you don't blink you'll spot me in the background :)