Why Can't Life Be Like an ESL Class?

I read this Facebook status update recently, and had to laugh because I can recall saying the same thing a couple years ago: Why can't life be like my ESL class?

Here's what I love about ESL classes:

I cannot teach without the power of God working through me, and I KNOW I can't! So I pray...I pray for wisdom, guidance, ability, and opportunities. I pray for my students and their ability to learn, their openness to the Gospel, their enjoyment of the classes, and God's working in their lives. I pray for the other volunteers and God's direction for them...as well as God's blessing in their lives. Most of all,I pray that God would be glorified!

I know I'm not in it alone...so I pray with others before class and as class starts.

I want my students to see that God hears and answers prayers, so I ask them how I can pray for them, and then we pray together.

I look for opportunities to share how God's Word applies to our everyday lives. It always does!

I seek out opportunities to share the love of Christ with my students.

I see each student as God-sent, there for a reason. Each is important. I want to remember their names and call each by name.

If conflicts arise because of cultural differences, grace is extended!

I find absolute joy in meeting the needs of others...physical needs, emotional needs, and spiritual needs!

What if I lived my life like this all the time...not just for a couple hours a week doing ministry, but every day, all day?

What if I knew I couldn't get through ANY day without spending time with the Father, so I started the day with Him, and checked back frequently?

What if I prayed not only for myself, but for those that don't yet know Him, and for those that do?

What if I prayed with other believers, becoming unified in heart and mind?

What if I asked those around me, each one God-sent and important, how I could pray for them...and then prayed with them?

What if I remembered peoples' names, and called them frequently?

What if I looked for ways that God's Word applied to everyday life and shared that with others?

What if I looked for opportunities to serve others and share the love of Christ?

What if, when cultural or personality differences arose, I extended grace?

What if I found joy in serving others, however menial the task, as I could see that in doing so, God was meeting physical, emotional and spiritual needs?

What if?

Why Do We Make Things SO Complicated?

It's so easy to get caught up in logistics...at the expense of the heart of the mission we've been called to do!

I was thinking about all those people I've encountered who do not get involved with ESL or tutoring kids ministries because all we've really shared so far have been ministries that are very structured. What a disservice we have done to both the mission field and the prospective missionary. In our workshops, we share that all it takes to have a literacy missions ministry is one volunteer and one student. We cannot forget that! What defines a missions ministry is not the number of people involved! It is the heart of the missionary sharing Christ as he/she ministers to the person that God sends. It may be one person. It may be a dozen.

I was thinking about others that hold back because they're afraid they aren't any good at it. We learn to walk by walking (and falling down). We learn to run by running (and sometimes tripping). We learn to read by reading (and often mispronouncing words). We learn to teach by teaching...and rest assured, we will make mistakes. But God is good. We will learn from those mistakes. He will equip us. He will work through us. If only we will be willing vessels and let Him!

So if you were looking for a nudge, this is it! Take that step of faith...get involved! You won't regret it, and neither will those that God blesses you with.

Tutoring Workshop...Have You Registered??

The deadline for the upcoming Tutoring Children & Youth Workshop is rapidly approaching! If you're planning on attending, please register by September 14th!

The workshop is scheduled for Friday and Saturday (Sept 25-26) 9am to 5pm at Midvale Baptist Church in Madison, WI. I am so thankful for God's provision through ministry partners to fund this workshop. Participants' cost is very low...only $30/person which includes lunches! Our workshop leader is Renea Adkins from Indiana. I cannot wait to hear from her! I'm excited to learn more about this ministry and to be equipped to minister to the kids and teens in my community.

The Need!
Last Sunday I had the opportunity to share my testimony, calling and vision with my church. I shared about the different areas of literacy missions, and asked those who knew a child or teenager that was struggling with their schoolwork to please raise their hands. Just about every hand in the room was raised. I asked those that knew kids/teens that could not read to keep their hands up...there were still a number of hands raised. This is a mission field we are all aware of...what will we do?

If you'd like to attend, but you're having a schedule conflict, I urge you to find a way to get there! This is not something that comes around often. However, if there's no way to make it, would you please drop me a note and let me know that you are interested?

And please keep praying...I cannot wait to see what God will do through this!