mission.possible

Three Kings' Day

2012-01-08T13:43:00.000-05:00

Addressed the congregation today on Thursday's coming departure for Myanmar:

"Jesus chooses unlikely candidates to serve His purpose." Rev. Ich Nguyen 1/21/07 at CBC
"He give us the capacity to do the unthinkable." Isabela Carvalho 3/25/09 at JAMI in Brazil

Cuba Mission 2011

2011-09-25T18:07:00.005-04:00

Spent a week in Santiago and Havana, Cuba on a Humanitarian Mission from September 8th to 16th. This was my third trip to Cuba to donate medications and supplies to needy sites there. This year our donations went to an Elderly Housing Complex in the Vibora section of Havana. The site is run by the Sisters of St Vincent de Paul under the Caritas umbrella of charitable organizations. Our visit to the housing there gave us the opportunity to tour the site and interact with the residents. There are 161 women housed in this very nicely cared for complex. The original building is 150 years old and in very good condition.

'Welcome to our Home'

retired elderly clergy housing

Thomas and some of the donations

our group leader and group of 10
with Sor Waleska

more of our donations...

a typical dorm room for two

giant rice cookers and steamers

kitchen storage

propane burner for emergency cooking

the church at the complex

bloginfo: Since soap, laundry detergent and toothpaste had just been removed from the ration list, many of us brought those items.

Thoughts on Dying/Death in Chuuk

2011-01-24T12:00:00.005-05:00

Spring 1966

A white dove had been nailed to the door of the sixth grade classroom and its blood had dripped down to the sand. There were no students, no native teachers, no one except two scared American teachers. The dove was a sign that the people of Sapuk Village did not accept the new terms of student eligibility. Enrollment numbers had increased far more than was anticipated and the Education Department had just made a new ruling concerning maximum age/grade eligibility. So many students wanted to attend that the upper grades were over capacity. They were on strike and I was at a loss to remedy the problems myself.

I decided to return to the Moen District Office, back the way we had just come. As I left the main campus of the new school and turned onto the seaside path, I knew immediately that I was in trouble. The path, clear and passable just minutes ago, was crisscrossed with cut banana trees. These trees lay across the path as far as I could see. The saying that ‘self-preservation is man’s first instinct’ proved true. Not even thinking to turn around the safety of the school, I proceeded down the blocked road. My motorcycle at first easily jumped the cut trees. They were, however, strategically placed to make it near impossible to go at any ‘escapable’ rate of speed. Jumping and jumping my way to safety through the jungle, I was caught in an one-way escape route. The thing I most clearly remember is the silence that accompanied me through this flight. Rounding each corner I longed for the sight of a clear straight away. The next bend brought a new obstacle: rocks propelled from the jungle side across the road. To complicate matters, it started to rain.

The rocks were thrown without a sound. Music rushed through my head; an adventure movie in the making. But this was no dream, it was an attack on my life. I now seriously began to speed up and jump higher and higher to continue my journey back to the safety of numbers. A large rock hit the chain guard of the cycle and the engine temporarily skipped a beat or two. This caused me to fly up into the air losing my balance. In straightening my course, I saved my life as a rock flew directly across the path that I would have taken.

There were thoughts of dying; what would happen after my death? This was going to be a painful death. Would this be an instantaneous death or would I suffer greatly. Bleeding on a jungle path was not the way I thought I would die. But then I had never really thought about my death before. If death was imminent, I could accept that, but the process was the point that was going through my head. The process and the outcome: this must be the core debate. Why can we accept one and not the other?

Bleeding from my anklebone, rain soaked, in my disposable rain cape, I jumped the last banana tree barrier and found the home stretch. Fast and furious, I sped to the District Education office. This ordeal had taken only fifteen or so minutes but seemed an eternity. My arrival, bleeding and soaking wet, was met with quizzical looks

The next month it was time for my home leave after working on the island for two years. Everyone was sure I would not return. I did return after a summer to try to understand the frustration felt by the Sapuk people wanting the best for their youth but dealing with a bureaucratic system. Since that day I was called by many of the Chuukese: ‘he who the Sapukese tried to kill.’

Prayer Workshop

2010-12-04T12:07:00.004-05:00

Today we had The Prayer Workshop. There were five participants and Pastor Ich. We had a very productive time studying the language of the Bible and the language of prayer. The following is one of the prayers we wrote as a group.

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

We thank you and give our thanks now at Christmastime for Central Baptist Church and our leaders, pastors, teachers, church members and government officials.

We also thank you for food, family and friends.

For all your gifts, we give praise. Amen!

blognote: This is the final class in our 2 1/2 year project: 'Pray, Play, Hello USA'.

The Sewing Circle Project

2010-12-03T10:33:00.004-05:00

While getting ready for tomorrow's workshop, I came upon a new bag that was given to me at the last meeting. These weavings are done by the Karen women in my ESOL classes under the auspices of The Sewing Circle Project in Hartford. Their motto is 'Weaving a New Life in Connecticut.

blognote: This bag was woven by Mu Wah.

Aung San Suu Kyi

2010-11-14T14:51:00.000-05:00

AMEN!

Read the details here.

good class today...

2010-11-06T21:49:00.003-04:00

Class today was on Body Parts and the Emergency Room/Doctor's Office. Had a lot of fun with our fake ailments and that ever present 'on a scale of 1 to 10'.

Only one more class to go in this beginner's session. That will be on the subject of Clothing. Then the following day, Sunday, I will present certificates of completion at the Karen service. It has been a full and fulfilling two and a half years.

New Class Offered!

2010-11-01T22:08:00.006-04:00

We are scheduling a class for December 4th on the subject of PRAYER. It is called the 'Language of the Bible and the Language of Prayer'.

We will be looking into some of the archaic language forms found in older versions of the Bible. Then we will have an interactive workshop on writing prayers. Many of the our Karen brethren have been writing prayers in English for use in the Karen worship. This will enable us to work together to strengthen our writing skills.

Watch for more details....

another lockout...

2010-10-31T22:04:00.005-04:00

Locked out of the church! Couldn't get in for the Saturday class

Now we have only two weeks to go to end this Fall's session for 2010. Discipleship Fair last week took over the church [for a very good purpose] so we had to change our schedule. Went to one and a half hour class to make up for lost time.

Fall Classes Start

2010-10-02T13:05:00.002-04:00

Today was the first day for Fall classes. We met in the CBC parlor for the beginner class from 9 to 10. We will have to cancel two classes because of church usage. So we decided to extend the remaining four classes a half-hour from 9:30 to 11. This will give us the same 7 hours of classwork originally scheduled. There were nine students along with a child guest and Saw K Paw Htoo who interprets. He has been assisting me since the very beginning of my teaching the Karen community.

Teen Activity Day Cancelled

2010-09-08T21:52:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately it was necessary to cancel the Teen Activity Day due to lack of enrollment and scheduling concerns.

Kiva Loan

2010-09-03T16:51:00.007-04:00

Just made my 17th loan to Kiva.

This time it was to Irene in Peru for an agriculture loan; you can read about her on the Kiva website. The money for this loan came from my son and daughter-in-law for my birthday.
Every loan I have made to Kiva has been paid in full. It's a great way to help out. Consider it! You only need $25 at a time.

Basic Literacy Class

2010-08-21T11:35:00.004-04:00

I dropped in on Cheryl's Basic Literacy Class today in the church parlor. Joined in also; interesting to be part of the process and not the teacher.

Not too many students but I think this will catch on. Students were engaged and very eager to learn.

Also learned the honorifics 'Saw' and 'Naw' in Karen: Saw Thomas and Naw Shari.

Grammar Classes finished...

2010-08-14T12:19:00.001-04:00

We have just completed a seven-week course on Grammar for the high intermediate and advanced ESOL students in our Karen community. There will be ten certificates awarded tomorrow morning between the English service upstairs and the Karen service downstairs. A total of 108 student hours was accomplished.

We will take a break for the rest of the summer. Stay tuned for plans for the rest of the year...

slowing down...

2010-08-07T19:55:00.000-04:00

Class today had 9 students; most came in late. Next Saturday is the last class of the session. Will keep classes the future to 1 hour. We did, however, have a great class. We finished verb tenses with the future tense. Started on prepositions and students had some great questions. Cheryl will try a Basic Literacy class the week after I finish this session for a one shot deal to see if there is a need for that.

the beat goes on...

2010-08-02T06:39:00.001-04:00

Started up Grammar Class again this past Saturday. Was locked out of the church again and only 8 students. But we had a good class on Past Tense.

Meet today with Pastor Nick and Cheryl to plan a Teen Activity Day. Details to follow...

A Mission in Later Life

2010-07-20T15:58:00.000-04:00

Gave a talk today at CVOC about finding a mission in later life. Small audience but very involved; some prospective tenants and some residents. I talked about redefining your life in order to find new outlets for your talents. Shared tales of my experiences in Hartford with the Karen community and mission trips to Brazil and Cuba.

blognote: The talk was sponsored by the Marketing Department and was not a part of our established lecture series.

Cuba Humanitarian Mission

2010-07-13T14:29:00.007-04:00

Just returned from 7 nights in Cuba; 5 in Havana and 2 in Trinidad. Took medical and educational supplies. The upper picture is of students in Pinar del Rio at the school in Las Terrazas. The rest of the supplies were given to the principal of the school.

The other pictures were taken at the church in the Las Caritas mission. Each participant in our group took 20 pounds of over-the-counter meds. We also delivered medications to the priest working with the HIV/AIDS mission there in Old Havana.

starting up for the summer...

2010-06-26T15:04:00.001-04:00

Finished for a while! We had our fourth class today and will take a break until I get back from Cuba. Cheryl Zeiner will have two informal conversation classes while I am gone. Some church members will [hopefully] help out.

Class today covered the rest of the present tenses with negative and question formation. The class went very well. We had only 16 students today so I guess the beginners have decided to wait until September for the 9 week Beginner course. It was good having a new neighborhood of learners. This will make for a large class in the fall.

June 19th

Hot and humid was the weather forecast and I dreaded the heat build-up in the parlor. But the windows were open and a fan was on and the room was very comfortable.

We are still adding students and the class has gotten quite large. Many of the students are not at the intermediate level but with the help of Hser Nay Chris and her brother, K Paw Htoo, students seem to be learning a lot. We worked on the present tenses, simple and continuous, today.

We have decided to continue the Grammar class in the second Summer Session and save the Writing Our Life Stores for a later date. Cheryl Zeiner visited today and offered to do two session of informal English conversation practice while I am in Cuba. Thanks, Cheryl.

June 12th

Today's class was a little less eventful. There were several new students, most of which were beginners. Several of the advanced students were missing; some to a women's conference and others to doctor's appointments. There has been no continuity to this session. We started the present verb tenses [simple and continuous] and will continue with this next session. Question formation will also be a big part of the next class.

June 5th

The first Grammar class for Intermediate/Advanced students got off to a shaky start.

Pulaski Circle was blocked to traffic because of a Marathon in Bushnell Park. The custodian wasn't at the church to open the doors at 8:45 for the 9:00 class. The burglar alarm went off when we finally entered at 9:30 and he didn't have the code to turn it off. The Parlor was stifling hot and the fans had not arrived. The whiteboard was still at Pastor Gie Dor's house. The chalkboard had only the tiniest piece of chalk available. There were several beginner students among the 23 present for the class.

The good news is that the students sat at card tables in groups of fours, mixing ability levels. They were attentive to what was being presented. The class was about NOUNS and we found seventeen of them in The Lord's Prayer. We had a wonderful time in spite of our obstacles. We prayed at opening for help in learning and prayed in closing with thanks for the opportunity to come together and learn a new language.

God is good!

updated schedule...

2010-06-20T03:02:00.003-04:00

KAREN ESOL SCHEDULE for 2010

latest latest update

July 3^rd – Holiday Weekend

July 10^th and July 17^th

INFORMAL ENGLISH CONVERSATION PRACTICE

with Cheryl Zeiner from 9:30 to 10:30 am

in Central Baptist Church Parlor

No class on July 24th - Wedding

July 31^st to August 14^th

GRAMMAR CLASSES continued

with Thomas Foran from 9:00 to 10:30 am

in Central Baptist Church Parlor

Certificates in church on Sunday, August 15^th

August 21^st
ESOL 'BOOT CAMP'

Activity Day for High School Students
with Thomas Foran, Rev. Nicolas Mumejian, Cheryl Zeiner
9:00 am to 3:00 pm

September 18^th to November 13^th

TEACHING ASSISTANT CLASSES 9:00 to 9: 30 am in Parlor

BEGINNER CLASSES 9:30 to 10:30 am

with Thomas Foran in Central Baptist Church Library

Certificates in church on Sunday, November 14^th

another donation...

2010-06-10T15:04:00.002-04:00

The great people at Education Express have once again donated educational supplies for my humanitarian mission to Cuba. Ooops, guess I haven't blogged yet that I am going again this July.

We will take over-the-counter medications to at least one clinic in Old Habana and educational supplies to some rural schools. This is a great opportunity to meet and interact with the Cuban people. And since we are on a humanitarian mission, there is legal entry and exit.

Will blog with pictures and details when I get back.

bloginfo: Their website is just a click away.
blognote: The Education Express store in Berlin, CT is not only great for teachers but for gifts to children and grandchildren.

Genocide Intervention Network Presentation

2010-04-25T17:10:00.002-04:00

Myra Dahgaypaw, a Carl Wilkens Fellow, from the Genocide Intervention Network was instrumental in setting up the "From the Jungles of Burma to Your Hometown" program today at Central Baptist Church. She gave a brief overview of the problem and led a panel of Karen refugees who told of their journey from Burma to Thailand to Hartford. Speaking today were Naw Peh Htoo, Htaw Nay Moo and Naw Shei Paw. They gave information concerning their lives, past and present, and participated in a QandA session. This was a very moving experience.

The presentations were followed by a delicious Burmese meal provided by the Karen Community of Central Baptist Church.

blogingo: Visit www.genocideintervention.net for more information
blognote: This program was very well attended and the information provided was especially needed.

2010-04-24T19:20:00.001-04:00

Winter session classes ended today!

The 2010 Winter Session Beginner ESOL Class and the Teacher Assistant Class both had their last session in Pastor Gie Dor's apartment. Certificates will be awarded tomorrow at church between the two worship services. Fourteen participants will received a Certificate showing that they successfully completed the 9 week Beginner session. Five of these participants will also have it noted on their certificate that they had Perfect Attendance! The five Teacher Assistants will also receive certificates for the successful completion of the Winter Session Part 1 Course.

2010 ESOL SCHEDULE

2010-04-12T08:32:00.000-04:00

KAREN ESOL SCHEDULE for 2010

June 5^th to June 26^th at Central Baptist Church Library

4 week session on GRAMMAR for Intermediate/Advanced students

Intensive classes 90 minutes 9:00 to 10:30 am

Certificates in church on Sunday, June 27^th

July 24^th to August 14^th at Central Baptist Church Library

4 week session on WRITING for Intermediate/Advanced students

Intensive classes 90 minutes 9:00 to 10:30 am

Certificates in church on Sunday, August 15

September 18^th to November 13^th at Central Baptist Church Library

Continue Teaching Assistants Class 9:00 to 9:30 am

8 week session [+ review class] for BEGINNERS 9:30 to 10:30 am

Certificates in church on Sunday, November 14^th

back to the schedule...

2010-04-03T20:40:00.000-04:00

Two Saturdays ago we had a funeral and cancelled class. Last week Amy Endler took the Review Class. And today I started up again. Classes keep getting bigger and bigger. We have three more classes this session and then we will move to the Central Baptist Church Library. I gave the Teaching Assistants my proposal for classes for the next three sessions. That will take us up to the end of the year, 2010!

Karen Thanksgiving

2010-03-21T15:25:00.009-04:00

Today the Karen community celebrated their second anniversary in the United States. For some members, this was their first year. The celebration was hosted by Central Baptist Church. There were at least a hundred people present in the sanctuary. Many children were present also. The music was wonderful!

The program started with the Baptism of eight new members. Pastor John and Pastor Ich officiated. After the baptism a Teen Choral group sang during the Communion Service. This was followed by a Thanksgiving Feast in the community room. The variety of food was overwhelming and delicious.

Today I met many new people: Karen from other neighborhoods, Hartford school teachers, Karen from other parts of Connecticut and so many people helping out and volunteering to better the lives of the new Connecticut Karen community.

K Saw Funeral

2010-03-20T14:03:00.002-04:00

I attended the funeral for K Saw, an elder in the Karen community, today at the Ahern Funeral Home at 180 Farmington Avenue in Hartford.

Pastor Ich Duc Nguyen presented the Opening Prayer and the Benediction. Pastor John Endler gave a beautiful Eulogy which was translated by K Paw.

After the Viewing and the Prayer Service, K Saw was to be cremated in Waterbury. He was the first Karen refugee to pass away in Hartford.

Goodwin College visit...

2010-03-15T21:42:00.001-04:00

Pastor Ich, Cheryl Zeiner and I had a nice visit to Goodwin College in East Hartford today to explore educational possibilities for the Karen community.

We met with Claudia Lange, Assistant Director of Admissions, and Bobella C. Daley, Admissions Officer. The building is new and fresh and exciting. We hope some of our students will be able to study here.

Conversation Partners

2010-03-06T14:36:00.009-05:00

We have inaugurated a new program of Conversation Partners into our Beginner English Classes. Each week a different church member joins the class to help out with the small group vocabulary work. The students practice in their small groups guided by the Teaching Assistants and then dialog with the conversation partner. The students seem to like meeting new people and practicing their English on a one-to-one basis with a 'stranger'.

bloginfo: Pat Dodge [lower photo] was the Conversation Partner for February 27th and is working on 'Introductions'. Bruce Davidson [middle photo] is working on 'Rooms of the House' on March 6th.
Joan Davidson [upper photo] is working on 'Food Vocabulary' on March 13th.

Teaching Assistants

2010-02-27T12:08:00.001-05:00

These are four of the five Teaching Assistants for the Winter Session:
K Paw Htoo, Hser Nay Chris, Peh Htoo and Tha Lord [Maw Lay is not in the picture].

The TAs are learning to take attendance, translate, work with small groups and do evaluation. The Beginner English Course would be so much more difficult for me without their help.

Winter Session starts!

2010-02-20T14:58:00.001-05:00

The winter session of 'Pray, Play, Hello USA!' ESOL classes started today.

There is a training course for Teaching Assistants AND a Beginner English Class going on in Pastor Gie Dor's apartment on Alden Street.

Today's classes had four Teaching Assistants and met from 9:30 to 11:00 and thirteen beginning students from 10: to 11:00. The first half hour is an orientation session for the TAs where they find out the material to be introduced that day. Then they help out during the beginning class by servings as models, translators and group leaders. The session today went especially well for a first class!

We covered Identification patterns using 'my/his/her name' and I/He/She live[s] in Hartford. The letters Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd and Ee were covered along with the numbers 1 to 10. An ongoing pronunciation practice will be The Lord's Prayer. We went up to ...'hallowed be Thy name'.

Traditional Artists' Marketplace

2010-02-06T14:14:00.003-05:00

Went to the IRC Open House today for the Traditional Artists' Marketplace & Community Threads Exhibit. Three members of our congregation were there: Mu Wah with her loom [picture 1 top], Hser Nay Pah [picture 2 bottom] and Thadah [picture 3 top] both in the sale room. The Karen handwoven fabrics will be available in the CBC Crosswinds Store soon!

bloginfo: Today's event was held at The Institute for Community Research, 2 Hartford Square West, Suite 100, 146 Wyllys Street, Hartford, CT

blognote: CBC members at the exhibit: Cheryl Zeiner, Joan and Bruce Davidson, me

planning.planning.planning.

2010-01-23T19:00:00.007-05:00

More planning today. The five Teaching Assistants will be: Hser Nay Chris, Peh Htoo, Tha Lord, Maw Lay and Htoo K Paw. We have decided on a ten week oral course for 15 to 20 beginning students. The classes will start on February 20th and end on April 24th. Cheryl Zeiner will assist with the TA class and we have developed a job description for them.

[previous post January 16th] Saturday morning, I met with a core group from the Karen community to plan for the Winter/Spring session. Pastor Ich and Cheryl Zeiner were there to assist. We decided to concentrate this session's efforts on the beginner students and offer an oral ESOL class. Five students who have a higher level of English proficiency will be trained as Teaching Assistants. They will meet at 9:30 to get ready for the 10:00 to 11:00 class. Members of the congregation will be able to help out as Conversation Partners arriving at 9:30 to find out the theme/grammar for the day. This will allow for more interaction for all three groups: Beginner ESOL, Teaching Assistants and Conversation Partners.

quote from facebook

2010-01-19T10:24:00.001-05:00

Volunteers in Global Mission "And people who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives....and when the bubble has burst they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted." Nate Saint

bloginfo: from Angela Sudermann's facebook

Commitment Cards

2010-01-08T10:56:00.005-05:00

On their commitment cards, several members have expressed interest in being 'guest presenters' at our weekly Play, Pray, Hello USA! classes for the winter session.

Those signed up so far:

Victor Agosto [returning]
Joan Breakenridge
Florence Cato
Bruce Davidson
Joan Davidson [returning]
Lynn Leavenworth
Norma Sproul [returning]
Cheryl Zeiner [returning].

There is plenty of time to get involved; just call the church office and let Linda know. We will have an information meeting at the end of January.

Shining Stars

2009-12-27T11:41:00.003-05:00

At today's service [postponed Lessons and Carols], I awarded a Stewardship 'Shining Star' certificate to each person that helped out this session in the 'Play, Pray, Hello USA!' ESOL classes for the Karen community.

The certificates went to the three pastors: John Endler, Ich Duc Nguyen and Gie Dor.

Those who had helped out with the program [in many different ways] were: Victor Agosto, Linda Carrasquillo, Bruce Davidson, Joan Davidson, Amy Endler, George Grisevich, Kari Miller, Norma Sproul and Cheryl Zeiner.

Without the help of the above, the program which provided 243 hours of English instruction would not have been possible. Thanks to everyone!

Certificate Party

2009-12-19T13:53:00.003-05:00

Today we held our Certificate Party. Many were in attendance; Pastor Ich and Cheryl Zeiner attended also.

We opened with a prayer by Pastor Ich in Vietnamese, myself in English and Pastor Gie Dor in Karen. Then we all introduced ourselves with the help of a passed box of candy canes.

A crossword activity with Christmas was a lot of fun. Then the Karen community sang a song and presented me with a beautiful jacket which I will wear to church soon.

Certificates of Attendance went to:
Hser Nay Paw
Say Lway
Lay Naw
Day Mu Si
Ner Ri [received a Special Award for Perfect Attendance]
Hser Nay Chris [also received a Special Award for Perfect Attendance]
Gie Dor
Peh Htoo [& received a Special Award for Excellence in Story Writing]
Sha Thaw
Taw Nay Moo
Sha Kier Moo
Say Lay Paw
Htoo K Paw
Po Day
We closed with The Lord's Prayer

Cheryl Zeiner then took over and conducted a meeting concerning:
Workshops for Jobs
Prescription Cards
Opportunity to sell handicraft items in the CBC Crosswinds Store
Listing specific needs of the Karen Community

This was definitely the highlight of my Christmas season! Thank the Lord for the opportunity to work with such wonderful people. Hallelujah!

Music Class today!

2009-12-05T19:50:00.001-05:00

Today's class in the 'Pray, Play, Hello USA!' series was taught by Norma Sproul and Joan Davidson. They taught the words in English to three Christmas Carols: 'Silent Night', 'Deck the Halls' and 'Away in a Manger'. They left 'Oh Come All Ye Faithful' for me to teach next week which is our last class of the Fall session.

I visited the class at the end of the session and they were all fully involved. The singing was beautiful. It is a blessing to work with a community so willing and eager to learn the new language.

Thanks to Joan and Norma for their help as Guest Presenters. I hope many more people will get involved in the Winter session that will start in January.

Our Personal Commitments

2009-11-15T19:53:00.001-05:00

2010 ‘PRAYERFUL’ PERSONAL COMMITMENT

Today is Pledge Sunday. You have heard from many people about the importance of pledging both your time and money to increase the life of the church and the power of its congregation. I ask you to consider the Time, Talents and Energies booklet. A pledge of assisting the Karen community in their English classes would be most appreciated. Next year, starting in January, we will embark on an improved program of ‘Play, Pray, Hello USA!,’

I would like to thank those of you who have already been involved in the program. Would the following please stand up: Victor Agosto, Joan and Bruce Davidson, Amy Endler, George Grisevich, Kari Miller, Norma Sproul, and Cheryl Zeiner.

Joan, Bruce and Amy came in to assist with a class.

Cheryl came in to assist with a meeting.

Victor, Cheryl, Amy and Kari taught classes.

George will teach next Saturday.

Norma and Joan will teach two weeks after that.

Eight people have been involved. Next year we can do much better with more people and offer a program that far surpasses anything done in any other church in Hartford. We will meet next January for a presentation about the new program. God bless you all!

guest presenters...

2009-11-07T21:25:00.005-05:00

Looks like the every other week guest presenter format is going well.

Amy Endler was the guest presenter today and I will hear about her class tomorrow in church. She was going to work with descriptive words and prepositional phrases. Will post on the details.

Last slot Kari Miller took on the subject of knitting and worked with colors, clothing, body parts and measuring. The class really enjoyed it. Pastor John used a Bible story for his presentation. Cheryl Zeigler and Victor Agosto talked about job skills and preparing for the job market.

George Grisevich will be the next presenter and wants to talk about Hartford and its history; good subject for the newcomers. The last slot for guest presenting will be Joan Davidson. She is scheduled for early December and will work with the words to Christmas music. That's a good idea as she is an alto and mentors some of the Karen young women in the choir.

blognote: The Fall session ends on December 19th with a Certificate Party at 10am. Everyone is welcome to attend.

first double class day...

2009-10-17T13:00:00.005-04:00

I am so blessed to be able to work with the Karen community.

Today was the first Saturday of our new double class schedule. The beginners met at 9am. We studied the family and learned about my family tree. This seemed to be very successful. The class was spirited and lively with the beginners feeling at ease without many of the advanced students present. Then at 10am the intermediate/advanced students met. We devoted most of the time to the vocabulary in the first practice test for the DMV. Then we discussed the stories that the students are writing. They were pleased with the reformatted stories and most will continue their writing. The stories are very interesting and I will put them together in a booklet for our last class.

After class I joined the students in eating sticky rice and crispy chicken wings. As I was leaving, the group started their choir practice. What a wonderful day!

blognote: Next week Kari Miller, our Director of Music, will be the guest presenter.

Pastor John's class

2009-10-10T13:08:00.001-04:00

Today Pastor John Endler was our guest presenter. He is very familiar with the Karen community so this was a great opportunity to get to know them even better.

Pastor John worked on story telling using the Bible and continued the grammar work on the past tense stressing the differences between the regular and irregular forms. The verbs in English will take many lessons as this is a difficult area for second language learners.

schedule change...

2009-10-04T21:02:00.002-04:00

Classes have been going well on Saturdays. We are averaging 18 students. But they feel they want to change the format. Originally the students wanted one class with varying levels. The beginner students now feel the need for a class of their own. So we will offer two classes on Saturday mornings: a 9 o'clock for beginners and a 10 o'clock for advanced learners. The beginning class will focus on oral skills and the advanced class can do more reading and writing. Even though this is a lot more planning on my part, it will better meet the needs of the Karen community. The guest teacher classes will remain at 10. These classes focus on a theme that can be interesting and useful to the entire group.

Benediction Prayer

2009-09-27T11:03:00.000-04:00

as we leave this hall today
do not leave the message here
make it clear, take it home
shine the light, keep it bright
the message of Jesus is dear
to our hearts, bless those who
were recognized today, those
absent, those of us who will
take on the struggle, the fight.
Lord, show us the light; amen

blognote: This is the Benediction I will use as Master of Ceremonies at the conclusion of the Membership Recognition Dinner today at Central Baptist Church.

a simple memory...

2009-09-24T10:08:00.010-04:00

This is the town of Manaca, Santí Spiritu, Cuba where I bought the 'campesino' shirt I wanted to wear for the Recognition Dinner on Sunday at CBC. It has gotten so cold here it's definitely not anything like Cuba. So maybe I can wear it for the slideshow presentation I plan to do later.

I rode a 1940's steam train from Iznaga to reach the small town of Manaca. The train used to bring workers from Iznaga to work in the sugar cane fields. This simple short-sleeved white shirt made here of local 'linen' with wooden buttons cost 6 CUP [$7.20]. Jokingly I was told it was made of washed rice sack material with lots of starch. It has laundered beautifully and embodies so many of my memories of rural Cuba: pristine, honest and pure.

School Supplies

2009-09-10T09:28:00.000-04:00

One of the two stops to donate supplies was a rural school outside of Trinidad de Cuba. It had been raining and mud had overtaken the schoolyard. The children had been sent home but when our bus appeared, they came running back to the schoolhouse. Some even stopped to put on their school uniforms.

They gathered in one classroom and greeted us. We took a tour of the four room schoolhouse and then presented our school supplies to the principal. The children were overjoyed; they sang to us and we sang to them. The school was very clean and neat but lacked most amenities that our schools here take for granted. They did have TVs in each room for beamed-in classes but not for internet activity.

This was a very humbling experience. What a difference my packets of encouragement stickers would make is beyond my comprehension. Others had crayons, rulers, notebooks, storybooks, etc. It was like a big party with lots of gifts.

In spite of the weather and the muddy spare conditions of the school, the children were so happy. This is what we found all over the island and it was not what I had expected. Whether or not we were bearing gifts, we were always greeted as friends and as Americans there was no ill will.

Medical Supplies

2009-09-06T09:42:00.001-04:00

The first stop to donate supplies was at Caritas, a hospital/clinic/shelter run by the Daughters of Charity, Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul. We met Sister Judy, the sister in charge, and handed over many medical supplies, most of which are practically impossible to attain in Cuba. There were 17 members of our Humanitarian Mission and each brought between 10 to 15 pounds of supplies. The major part of my donation was 10 pounds of Oyster Shell Calcium with Vitamin D. We left them about 200 pounds of supplies.

The mission houses a clinic; one sister is a medical doctor. She will catalog everything, dispense it there and also make it available to the sisters that work outside the clinic. They also feed the indigent and the elderly. The nuns live there and work in the community. We also met 5 'orphans' but I will leave that wonderful story for another blog entry.

Cuba Humanitarian Mission

2009-09-05T22:09:00.001-04:00

Just back from Miami where I stayed after my week in Cuba on a humanitarian mission and celebrated my 72nd birthday!

Will start blogging tomorrow!

Orientation Session for 'Pray, Play, Hello USA!'

2009-08-23T19:27:00.011-04:00

We held an orientation session after service today. It was very well attended even though the library is not air-conditioned and was quite warm. It was like the proverbial 'preaching to the choir' in that everyone was ready to volunteer.

I gave some background to the program and the 'experimental' eight week spring session. Then we went on to discuss the ways in which members of the congregation could be 'guest presenters.' There were only six open slots in the coming fall/winter session and there were lots of volunteers. Right now the following are on the list: Cheryl Zeiner, Victor Agosto, John Endler, Amy Endler, Kari Miller, George Grisevich and Joan Davidson. Some of these people will be looking for a partner to co-present with them

What a great way to serve the Lord and help the Karen community integrate into our English speaking body of worshippers!

blognote: The first class of the fall/winter session is scheduled for September 17th.

SHOUT OUT!!!

2009-08-22T17:08:00.006-04:00

Here's a SHOUT OUT!!! to the folks at Education Express for putting in $10 extra worth of stickers in my purchase today. I went there to buy stickers to donate to the schools in Havana where I will be visiting in early September. This is a Humanitarian Mission with Bringing Hope Foundation in Miami and Elderhostel. I have already bought my 12 pounds of Oyster Shell Calcium with Vitamin D and big bottles of aspirin at BJ's [thanks Kristen for the one-day pass]. We will give out the medical supplies at one of the hospitals run by the Sisters of Charity. I hope to take some pictures. Stay tuned!

bloginfo: Education Express, LLC is located in the Ridgeway Plaza at 1400 Berlin Turnpike in Berlin, CT. The phone is 860.829.0306

JAMI students' future plans...

2009-08-13T15:33:00.006-04:00

Here is the Culto de Encerramento (Closing Worship celebration) picture of my JAMI students from March of this year: Raquel, Anderson, Juliana, Salvador and Sandra.

Juliana will head for the Amazon in a couple of weeks, Raquel is jetting off to Peru the first week of September, and Anderson is hoping to begin an English course in Trinidad also in September (he hopes to arrive in D.R. Congo early next year). Salvador is preparing for Angola but I haven't heard a departing date yet. Sandra is hoping to head for England early next year and will eventually serve in Niger with Ana Paula [a student from year one (2007)].

GLAD @CVOC Gala

2009-08-08T20:08:00.004-04:00

GLAD, the a cappella quintet, will be the featured performers at the CVOC Gala on Sunday, October 11th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cromwell, CT.

Hope you will be able to attend. It is a wonderful evening to benefit the Benevolent Fund of the Covenant Village of Cromwell where I live.

Details to follow...

Planning Meeting

2009-08-05T19:35:00.009-04:00

We held an important meeting today at Pastor Gie Dor's apartment. Attending from CBC there were Pastor Ich and Cheryl Zeiner. Also many people from the Karen community came to help with planning.

The decisions we came to:
1. keep the same format of ESOL classes at the same site
2. concentrate on all 4 areas of language learning: listening, speaking, reading and writing
3. change the day to Saturday morning from Wednesday afternoon
4. keep class attendance to improve attendance
5. give a certificate at the end of each seasonal session
6. advanced students would prepare extra written materials
7. institute the 'guest presenter' plan to involve more CBC members
8. individualize work for any student needing extra help

Diaconate Meeting

2009-07-26T09:08:00.005-04:00

Today after service, I made a presentation to the Central Baptist Church Diaconate. I asked for their support in the continuation of the Karen ESOL Project. This is the draft of the letter I will send to the congregation.

‘Pray, Play, Hello USA!’

‘Play, Pray, Hello USA!’ is in the planning stages to be an integrated ESOL program of English conversation for the Karen Community of Central Baptist Church. This would be a weekly one-hour content-based course offered in Pastor Gie Dor’s apartment on Alden Street.

The setup of the course would consist of two-week modules: Week One concentrating on form and function and Week Two on a specific language topic. The continuity of the program will be held with Thomas Foran’s teaching the first week of each module. Different guest presenters would offer a new topic each second week.

Involvement in the ‘Pray, Play, Hello USA!’ program for individual guest presenters would consist of a one-time two hour commitment during the Fall/Winter session. You could even pair up with a friend. The first hour would be in developing the topic with the help of Mr. Foran and the second hour would be the presentation at the class site. Think about your gifts and turn them into talents. A talent is nothing but a shared gift! We all have gifts from God: fixing something broken, reading a story, writing a poem, teaching a hymn, baking some cookies, drawing pictures, etc., etc. All of these activities can be used to teach English. Together we will figure out the vocabulary needed and the verb forms to use for you to present it the first week. Then the second week, Thomas will review it and get the class ready for the next presenters.

This program could start in the Fall of this year; the first session running from September to December. If this program is successful, a second session could be planned starting in January as a Winter/Spring course.

Please let me know if you might be interested in using one of your many gifts as a talent. Your involvement in this program: ‘Play, Pray, Hello USA!’ will make a world of difference to the Karen community. An orientation session will be held in mid-August after service.

John 5:30 “I can do nothing on my own”.

ingenuity...butterfly houses

2009-07-22T13:56:00.003-04:00

Humanitarian design organization TYIN Tegnestue from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology conceived the project in response to a need for more dormitories for Karen refugee children in the village of Noh Bo on the Thai-Burmese border. The six woven bamboo huts, dubbed Soe Ker Tie, or The Butterfly Huts because of their “winged” appearance were designed with the children’s happiness and health in mind. As simple as these new dorms may seem, they provide something wonderful for a growing child - a space to call their own to learn, sleep and play in. This small luxury is one that so many of us take for granted but makes a huge difference in the development and happiness of these youngsters.

bloginfo: read the entire article here

Good News from Japan!

2009-07-17T15:37:00.010-04:00

Just heard that my good friends, the Kudos, are doing better in Japan. They are serving as missionaries there. Humberto and Josie were two of my students at JAMI in 2007, the first year I served there. Their children, Gabriel and Raphael in the picture, called me Vovô, grandfather. I do miss them and hope to visit them next year. You can see the story here in the 'Answer to Prayer' section of the article.

We have started to email again. I just received some pictures from them so updated this entry. They have invited me to visit them in Japan next year, 2010. What a joy that will be!

News Release #4

2009-07-16T05:10:00.006-04:00

The ESOL classes for the Karen community are finished for the summer. July 15th was the last class in this conversational English course held at Pastor Gie Dor’s home in Hartford

Our guest presenters for the summer session were: Bruce and Joan Davidson, Amy and Jeremiah Endler. Ask them about the experience; they all had a great time!
The four-week session that was scheduled to begin on August 5th has been cancelled. We are using that time to refocus and restructure the course for September with the guidance of Pastor Ich, Pastor Gie Dor and members of the Karen community. An Information Session will be scheduled for Sunday, August 16th in the Church Library. At that time, Thomas J. Foran will give details on this new program where you can become involved in a class.

You can read entries about all the eight classes already held with the Karen community at Thomas’ website: www.mispos.blogspot.com

Hello USA! Class #8

2009-07-15T14:58:00.006-04:00

The Lord surely works in mysterious ways!

Today's lesson was to be the eighth and final lesson of the introductory series. But attendance today was very poor. However, Pastor Ich was there to visit and a member of the Karen community who speaks excellent English was there also. Pastor Gie Dor came in a bit later after his driving lesson.

So we had a great planning session. Pastor Ich and Pastor Gie Dor will meet on Saturday to help refocus the program. A new day and/or time may come out of the meeting. I stressed that the community's needs were the most important and a program could be made to fit any situation. We will go on 'summer vacation' while this planning is being done. The middle week of September will be our target date to start a bigger and better program.

I will meet with the Board of Deacons on July 26th to explain the 'guest speaker' function of a coming program and ask for their blessing. This is stewardship in it's true meaning. Then I will meet with interested members of the CBC congregation on August 16th to outline the program and ask for volunteer 'guest presenters.' Everything is falling into place. Praise the Lord!

blognote: Pastor Gie Dor's youngest son, Blu Mission Ku Taw, got up from his nap and sat on my lap [again]. What a thrill to have a nearly two year old from another culture show so much trust. God is good!

News Release #3

2009-07-08T17:15:00.003-04:00

THOMAS J. FORAN continues to work with ABCCONN in teaching ESOL classes for the Karen community. The classes are held at Pastor Gi Dor’s home in Hartford.

AMY and JEREMIAH ENDLER visited and helped out with their Family Tree and JOAN DAVIDSON assisted in a lesson about Food, Cooking and Shopping. Ask them; they both had a great time!

July 15th will be the last class in this series. A new four-week session will begin on August 5th and continue each Wednesday until August 26th. Come and visit us at 1:00 any Wednesday afternoon.

Watch for exciting news about the Fall/Winter session where you can become involved in a class. You can keep up with THOMAS at his website www.mispos.blogspot.com

Hello USA! Class #7

2009-07-08T17:07:00.007-04:00

At the beginning of class there were only two women in attendance. This was good in one way as the class was all about food, cooking and shopping. Several of the young girls sat in and helped out a lot. Pastor Gie Dor came in later after his driving lesson.

Joan Davidson was our guest teacher today. She had brought so many items from her kitchen. First we started out setting the table and learned the names of all the dishes and the cutlery. After that we 'cooked' a few things with the use of different types of cooking vessels. Then we talked about shopping and decided the mystery vegetable in the refrigerator was lemongrass. Everyone had a fun time.

Next class will review the entire session of seven classes. We will take a two week break and then begin a four week session. These new lessons will concentrate on Transportation and Housing and incorporate some writing.

blognote: The class was interested in fitting us all into a family tree when they found out that Joan is my sister-in-law.

CUBA!

2009-07-06T20:47:00.005-04:00

I am going to Cuba in September!!!
Details to follow.... and I will celebrate my birthday in Havana!

Hello USA! Class #6

2009-07-01T15:49:00.007-04:00

Today's class was great! There were five adults and half a dozen children.

We spent a bit of time on the pronouns: I, he and she. This went along with the verbs to be and to have; the change from 1st and 3rd person singular was our goal. We practiced body parts and going to the Emergency Room and describing our problem to the nurse/doctor.

The topic for the day was Clothing. We learned a lot of new vocabulary and ended up telling what each person was wearing. Then we discussed what one would wear to a specific place or activity. 'I am going to church. I have on a white shirt, etc.' This necessitated a review of colors which most everyone had under control.

The Bible passage for the day was John 9:25 - "...I was blind, now I see." During the Lord's Prayer at the end of class, the 'baby' [2 in August] came and sat in my lap until I was time for me to leave.

blognote: At some time after our last class of this session [in two weeks], we will meet and sort out the best way to continue classes in the Fall. It is my hope that some members of CBC will get involved.

Invite your Pastor to Lunch...

2009-06-25T13:43:00.002-04:00

Today is the 'Invite your Pastor to Lunch' day. So Pastor John Endler joined me here at Covenant Village of Cromwell. CVOC has been my new home since this last August.

Since this is a Christian Retirement Community, CVOC is reaching out to area churches to show what we have to offer. This is a very popular addition to our marketing ventures and shows us off to good advantage. Lunch is always very good [as is dinner].

Pastor John and I sat with Burt Johnson, Executive Director of CVOC, and had a very enjoyable lunch. Burt and John had friends in common and John knew several of the pastors at other tables.

bloginfo: check out the CVOC website
blognote: I reviewed last month's Birthday dinner at my restaurant site

Hello USA! Class #5

2009-06-24T16:14:00.004-04:00

Not too many adult students at today's class but lots of children [which is always a blessing].

Amy Endler and her son, Jeremiah, were visiting and helped out a lot with the concept of younger/older child. We reviewed our family trees and introduced brother/sister-in-law.

Most of the lesson concentrated on body parts. We practiced the singular and plural forms of these words and used the words: this/that and these/those. We drew happy/sad/tired/sleepy/angry faces. The five senses were introduced with statements such as 'I see with my eyes.'

We practiced being at the doctor's office/emergency room by telling what hurt. The 1 to 10 scale was a lot of fun with me hitting my finger with a hammer and yelling: 'That's a 10!'.

The second five books of the New Testament are pronounced in Karen and English very closely so that part of the pronunciation went very quickly. Our Bible passage for today was John 3:4-5.

News Release #2

2009-06-23T10:59:00.010-04:00

THOMAS J. FORAN continues to work with ABCCONN in teaching ESOL classes for the Karen community. The classes are held at Pastor Gi Dor’s home in Hartford.

This past week BRUCE DAVIDSON accompanied Thomas in “career conversations”. Bruce reported that it was very enjoyable and that the members of the Karen Community are learning English very quickly. AMY ENDLER and JOAN DAVIDSON are both scheduled to be ‘guest speakers’ in the next few weeks.

titles of respect...

2009-06-18T11:55:00.007-04:00

I have been honored with these titles of respect:
Don Tomás = Dominican Republic/Puerto Rico
Mang Tomas = Philippines
Vovô Thomas = Brazil
and now
Pu Thomas by the Karen people from Burma [now in Hartford via Thailand]

Hello USA! Class #4

2009-06-17T15:53:00.004-04:00

Very good class today with several new female students. The Wednesday afternoon Karen ESOL Conversation Class is getting popular.

Everyone came in and sat on the floor so that is the way the class went. We were all so much more comfortable that way. We reviewed my Family Tree and identified each member of the family. Practiced the difference between father and grandfather/mother and grand mother. Also spent time reviewing occupations/workplaces/tools.

The core of today's lesson was Seasons and Weather. Since summer starts this week, we wrote down the dates for each season. Today was hot and sunny and not breezy. Everyone had a good idea of telling time and the numbers but we practiced half-past and quarter after/of.

Pronunciation practice this week concentrated on the first eight books of the New Testament.

blognote: I can't believe that we are half way through this eight week session.

Protestantism in Burma

2009-06-14T14:19:00.008-04:00

Protestants in Burma make up 3% of that nation's population, many of them Baptists. The Protestant Churches of Burma were begun in the early 19th century by Adoniram Judson, an American Baptist missionary. Since the 1800s, Christianity has become deeply rooted and has grown stronger through many adversities.

In 1966 all missionaries were expelled by the Burmese government, but the Burmese Church has become a vibrant missionary-sending movement, despite financial limitations and geographic isolation. Baptists, Assemblies of God, Methodists and Anglicans form the strongest denominations in Burma. Many Christians are well-educated, but cannot rise to positions of responsibility.

Most Christians are from the minority ethnic groups such as Karen, Lisu, Kachin, Chin, and Lahu. An estimated 0.1 per cent of the Bamar population is Christian.

bloginfo: above taken from Wikipedia
blognote: Picture is Kawthoolei Karen Baptist Bible School and College.

Hello USA! Class #3

2009-06-10T16:26:00.009-04:00

Today's class had a guest speaker! Bruce, my brother-in-law, came along and added to the lesson.
We reviewed last week's work and focused on the days of the week and months of the year. Bruce introduced himself and we went through our ritual of say, spell and write.

The Bible passage was 2nd Corinthians 5:14 and we concentrated on the pronunciation of Christ /krayst/ emphasing the final consonant cluster. Everyone did very well on that.

There were two topics for this week. The first was family. I showed my 'family tree' and we learned the members of the immediate family. After stressing my two children and two grandchildren, we contrasted that to Bruce's family. He has four children and eleven grandchildren. The students had fun repeating the names of all our grandchildren.

The second focus was occupations. We learned those of the people present: teacher, pastor, student and engineer. Bruce had brought a mini toolkit. The students learned tool vocabulary and we discussed uses of tools with appropriate verbs.

Each week the student population changes a bit. This week, with school in Hartford out for the year, the students were at a bit higher level than the first two weeks. I will adapt those differences into next week's lesson.

CBC Scroll

2009-06-06T13:21:00.004-04:00

This month's Central Baptist Church Scroll is out.

Unfortunately they got my website address wrong! It's not blogspo.

Of course if you are here reading this you know it is blogspot!

Hello USA! Class #2

2009-06-03T15:40:00.006-04:00

Today's class had several more people. Pastor Gie Dor was the only male in the class. One of the female students has a very good grasp of English and was able to help out in some of the cultural portions of class. All in all, it went very well.

Since most of the class had not attended last week, the handout review became the basis for the lesson. They seemed to enjoy seeing the vocabulary and grammar patterns in writing. The students took copious notes. They are surely an enjoyable group with a great desire to learn this new language.

Today's Bible verse [1 John 4:19] emphasizes the role God plays in our life on earth. I went on to introduce the days of the week and months of the year. We practiced yesterday, today and tomorrow; and this month, last and next month. The pronunciation contrasts need more work on my part as it is difficult to find known vocabulary that fit a sound pattern.

An Unexpected Welcome

2009-05-29T14:42:00.003-04:00

Walking into the apartment where I was to begin teaching English to Karen refugees, the first thing I noticed in the sparsely appointed room was a blue patterned tablecloth. These students had come to Hartford from Burma via the refugee camps in Thailand. The tablecloth had come from Brittany, France. How did the two meet?

The tablecloth was a bright spot in an apartment furnished with donated furniture. Handmade posters on the wall: ‘Talk English!’ said one. A pleather couch and a row of wooden chairs were waiting for me and for the few students in this first class. Everyone was ready and waiting nervously for the class to start. A reading from John 5:30 [“I can do nothing on my own…”] was my introduction to this eight week series of conversational English lessons.

A little fabric store somewhere in Brittany, outside the Fine Arts Museum was where we bought the tablecloth. The bright blue of the background and the yellow, white and red figures holding hands and circling the border caught our attention. I don’t remember what it cost but it was a happy reminder of a beautiful trip. And a reminder of a great life when we were together before my wife’s untimely death. It wasn’t so important then as a memento or later when I broke up the house and moved to a retirement community.

That day a circle became complete. This donation to the church refugee ‘housewarming day’ evolved into a sign of rebirth, a sign of a higher power’s plan for my life. What had been a tourist purchase, basically unused in our busy lives, became part of the life of another family. It now had a new life and so did I. I realize how true my reading was for ‘I cannot do anything on my own’.

News Release

2009-05-28T09:06:00.007-04:00

English Classes for the Karen Community

Thomas J. Foran is teaching an eight-week course in English for the newly arrived Karen community. He devised the course, Hello USA!, to meet the needs of this particular language group. The classes are being held each Wednesday afternoon at Pastor Gie Dor’s apartment. The Rev. Linda Lee Snyder, ABCConn, was instrumental in setting up this program while the Rev. Nguyen Duc Ich is helping in the coordination.

You can follow the progress of Hello USA! at Mr. Foran’s mission.possible website: www.mispos.blogspot.com.

Hello USA! Class #1

2009-05-27T16:13:00.005-04:00

The first class went well. Pastor Ich accompanied me to the apartment. This was Pastor Gie Dor's apartment on Alden Street. His family comprised most of the class. There was one other student and there will be more next week.

All of the students are at differing levels of English but I am used to this. The first class was really for me to get to know levels and numbers. Now I have a good idea how to proceed for the next seven weeks.

We covered Introductions [name, address, birthday], Greetings, a Bible Passage [John 5:30], Numbers, Spelling [alphabet letters] and a Pronunciation Contrast [/iy/ vs /i/ (feet vs fit) as this is a problem for Karen speakers].

I had a great time and know that this 8 week session will be just the beginning. God willing!

Cambridge College [new] Grace

2009-05-15T13:37:00.008-04:00

“Pro cibo inter esurientes, pro comitate inter desolatos, pro pace inter bellantes, gratias agimus”.

“For food in a hungry world, for companionship in a world of loneliness, for peace in an age of violence, we give thanks.”

bloginfo: click here

HELLO USA!

2009-05-12T10:35:00.013-04:00

Watch for the Hello USA announcement.

There will be classes starting soon.

Classes start on Wednesday, May 27th from 1 to 2 pm at Pastor Gie Dor's apartment at 57 Alden Street in Hartford for the Karen community. Pastor Ich will go with me the first few times.

The pronunciation Bible passage will be "I can do nothing on my own." John 5:30

Central Baptist Church

2009-05-03T09:17:00.004-04:00

Another presentation today at Central Baptist Church in Hartford where I worship. This will be the same talk I gave at CVOC the other week but will emphasize the religious motivation of my volunteer mission.

CVOC Presentation

2009-04-17T09:58:00.007-04:00

My presentation this afternoon during the '3rd Friday at 3' series here at Covenant Village went very well. There were between 50 and 60 in the audience.

I started with three disclaimers: not a missionary, not a poet, not a photographer. So I interspersed my report with 'word pictures,' [actually my attempt at blogged poetry]. There was a suggestion at the end of the talk that I put my notes and poems into a folder and leave in the library. This way, people can reread it at their leisure and those unable to attend can visit it also.

bloginfo: The title of the presentation was 'Mission Travels and Poetry: JAMI 2007-2009'
blognote: I am giving the same presentation the first Sunday of May at church, Central Baptist, in Hartford.

Lord, I Lift Your Name on High

2009-04-13T17:28:00.004-04:00

This is one of my favorite Praise and Worship songs! We sang it many mornings during Devotionals at JAMI in Belo Horizonte, Brasil.

blognote: This was one of three songs that the students sang at my Despedída [going away party] in March, 2009.

Biblia en Lenguaje Sencíllo

2009-04-11T15:15:00.005-04:00

I am using Bible Gateway.com to translate my Bible reading passages this month. I find that the Biblia en Lenguaje Sencíllo version is the best form of text to use for a congregation that does not speak Spanish.

This Sunday's reading is 2 Corinthians 5:1-5:

1 Bien sabemos que en este mundo vivimos como en una tienda de campaña que un día será destruida. Pero en el cielo tenemos una casa permanente, construida por Dios y no por humanos.2-3 Mientras vivimos en este mundo, suspiramos por la casa donde viviremos para siempre. Sabemos que, cuando estemos allí, estaremos bien protegidos.4 Mientras vivimos en esta tienda de campaña que es nuestro cuerpo, nos sentimos muy tristes y cansados. Y no es que no queramos morir. Más bien, quisiéramos que nuestros cuerpos fueran transformados, y que lo que ha de morir se cambie por lo que vivirá para siempre.5 Dios nos preparó para ese cambio, y como prueba de que así lo hará nos dio el Espíritu Santo.

blognote: As we read in English, French, Spanish, Vietnamese and Karen, the reading becomes more symbolic than linguistic.

JAMI Talks

2009-04-04T15:02:00.006-04:00

Will be giving two presentations in the near future about my volunteer work at JAMI. This first at CVOC for their 'Third Friday at Three' on April 17th. The second will be on May 3rd at noon at CBC after service.

Both will be talks with Q/A session. I don't have a lot of pictures as I prefer not to do the 'touristy' thing and just get to work. At CVOC I will include the poetry that I wrote there [April is National Poetry Month].

blofinfo: CVOC = Covenant Village of Cromwell where I now live and CBC = Central Baptist Church, my church in Hartford.
blognote: poetry blog click here

a joke [?] from comedy central...

2009-04-02T09:24:00.001-04:00

Mom and Dad were trying to console Susie, whose dog, Skipper, had recently died.

"You know," Mom said, "it's not so bad. Skipper's probably up in Heaven right now, having a grand old time with God."

Susie stopped crying and asked, "What would God want with a dead dog?"

blognote; That raises some good questions. What is the final answer; where are we going; Is finality final?????

NEXT???

2009-03-31T09:56:00.004-04:00

Just talked with Angela Sudermann at ABC about where I could go next. She has some great ideas. Details to follow......

'Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...' [Matthew 28:19]

bloginfo: ABC = American Baptist Convention at Valley Forge [International Ministries]

Reflections...

2009-03-29T11:32:00.004-04:00

My Volunteer Mission:
@ JAMI in Belo Horizonte, Brazil

After three years one would expect things to be the same. Some were and some weren’t. Getting to JAMI is always a challenge as modes of transportation change. The first year, I scheduled a layover in São Paulo; the second year a transfer in that airport and the third year a direct flight from Miami. This year was the easiest.

My living arrangements had not changed from last year; I had the same apartment just off the dining room. This is a great room with direct access to meals and classes. A fan, this year, was a welcomed addition. The shower was now enclosed with glass doors, a ‘shower box’ in Portuguese. A bowl of fresh fruit welcomed me and was again filled for the second week. I was honored by such hospitality.

The students, only five in number this year, were motivated and eager to learn English. They were all at distinct and differing levels of language proficiency. Classes at JAMI are intensive to say the least. The students are in class at least three hours a day with additional assignments, activities and tutoring sessions. My job was to assist the two missionaries, Bruce and Ann Borquist. They were in control of all the academic language instruction. I, as a volunteer, worked with them in classes, prepared materials, led activities and worked with individual students. At night, after the staff went home, I was involved with the students in their daily assignments, devotional preparation, cultural questions and pronunciation problems.

Devotionals were held each morning. They included Praise and Worship music, Bible readings, group prayers and a devotional message. The message was given in English while being translated into Portuguese. I gave the devotional message twice, once each week. My messages emphasized the need to learn English, the new language, and the problems one faces during this process. The first week, I spoke about ‘roadblocks and detours’ on the highway to success. The second week, I focused on the GPS, an external device, to guide your trip and the internal GPS [God’s Positioning System] which we all have to guide us.

Food and customs were two aspects of my stay that taught me a lot. Being able to ‘fit in’ to a new culture is very important in a group setting. What to eat, when to pray, how to comport oneself during different periods of the day, what water to drink, when to explain, when to let the student figure it out – these questions and many more can make or break your stay. Group prayer is individually vocalized; ‘clamor’ for Jesus. Breakfast is only a roll and coffee. Lunch is the big meal of the day; main course is limited but amount unspoken. There are two periods of meditation daily and enforced. Everyone washes ones own dishes in cold water. Sanitary facilities are not what we are used to. So in order to be integral part of the community, you need to change!

Looking back on the three years, I see all the mistakes I have made, remember all my new friends, appreciate what I have here, miss the joyful music and the vibrant prayer, understand myself better and feel the need to go further in yet a different setting. I am already looking forward to my next mission.

HOME soon...

2009-03-28T08:06:00.005-04:00

Now that I am on my way home to CVOC, I want to thank everyone for reading my blog; it has been great keeping a record of my trip.

The only question is: WHERE TO NEXT?

JAMI: my going away party + departure

2009-03-27T19:54:00.004-04:00

Yesterday afternoon [Thursday] I was told that I wasn't part of the afternoon activity, so I managed to get away from campus [thanks to Bruce Borquist] for a while. When we got back, the dining room was decorated in black and white and everyone was wearing black and white, also. These are, of course, the only colors I wear so this was a great tribute to me. The students sang several of my favorite praise songs, read a passage from the Bible and gave a few speeches. They had spent the whole afternoon decorating and cooking. A delicious fish pastel was the dish of the evening and was certainly a labor of love; layers and layers of fish, vegetables, cheese and pastry. There was also a huge chocolate cake. This was a great time.

On Friday late afternoon we all left for the airport in the new VW Kombi; this was the maiden voyage. Using every experience for an English lesson, I went through check-in and then reported the process back to the students [lots of wh-questions]. I was early to get through the gate entry so we browsed around the terminal. The Belo Horizonte International Terminal [CNF] is great and very user friendly. At last it was time to go through security to the gate. I waited in the lounge and had one last pao de quijo [cheese bread/roll]. The flight was great; short and sweet and only took 7 hours to get to Miami. Immigration and Customs were a breeze and there was a taxi line so didn't have to wait at all. Arrived at sister and brother-in-law's house in Miami Shores at 5:00 AM local time.

I am close to home; God bless!

JAMI mornings

2009-03-27T08:29:00.005-04:00

Every morning we start the day with fresh rolls from the bakery up the street and the best Brazilian coffee. As soon as the bell rings, everyone gathers in the dining hall. Someone is appointed to say Grace and then the day begins.

I usually walk up to the bakery, Paníssima, with our cook [we call her Tia Mi (Auntie) but her full name is Mircia Vitoa Rosa] early in the morning to get the freshest rolls ever. She has a method to get the best: knock on the little window to let the baker know we are there and he pushes out a couple dozen of the most newly-baked. No buying an hour old roll for her! This morning´s rolls came to R$3.80 [less than $2.00!] I bought a coconut sponge cake to add to the breakfast. It cost R$2 but he couldn´t change my R$20 so gave it to me for R$1 [about 85 cents].

The coffee is delicious, hot and strong. I even use sugar here in Brazil and hot milk; the best way to go. The cups are so tiny that I try to get a few for that caffeine rush. That will keep me going until lunch time. Sometimes there is a piece of fruit to supplement breakfast or someone will share their stash of fresh cheese. Anyway this is quite different from breakfast at home.

Today I was able to share some apples and carambolas [star apples] that were in my weekly fruit basket. The students were in charge of the meal so the bread was yesterday's but toasted in a waffle iron tasted very good. Especiallly with the good coffee!

This will probably be my last blog onsite from JAMI. The computers have been down because of the rain and connection problems. I will tidy up the entries and embed pictures when I get home at the end of the month.

I hope everyone has enjoyed reading about my short term volunteer mission here in Brazil. Being able to share this venture has been very important to me.
God Bless!

JAMI customs

2009-03-26T08:38:00.003-04:00

Everyone shares everything here. Even the lowly lime that someone picked on their way to dinner or supper. Limes are used to spice up the juice drinks that are used as the beverage of choice. You put what you want to share on the table for anyone to use: limes, cheese, coldcuts, a bit of candy.

There was a big bowl of fruit in my room to welcome me. I put out some bananas on the breakfast table today and will share the rest during the next few mornings. I could never eat that much fruit anyway!

Before every meal we stop and say grace. This is not the 'four line ditty' said at the Thanksgiving table; this is the real thing. The weekly leader asks someone to give the grace and they pray in Portuguese or English. I haven't been asked yet this time but have had the opportunity many times before.

The students cook on weekends so we had fried egg, lettuce and tomato sandwiches for dinner with fried manioc!

There is student meditation/Bible reading time each morning. Some students even climb up the hill and pray while the sun rises. Prayer during devotional time is very integrative and personal and we often pray for a missionary who is having difficulty at their foreign site.

This is such a special place! Harmony, peace and brotherhood reign supreme! We have not had computer access for two days now and someone just gave up their space and time on the computer so I could blog this entry.

JAMI: some lessons...

2009-03-25T03:15:00.010-04:00

My classes here at JAMI have been very interesting. Some of the more 'memorable' are:

...a pronunciation lesson dealing with the th/TH sound contrast using the words from the song: 'Glorify Thy Name' with Father, earth, the, Thy, etc. This sound contrast is not easy for speakers of Brazilian Portuguese.

...a Language Informant Activity [LIA] which is new this year to JAMI in which I was the bus driver [informant] while Salvatore asked cultural and linguistic questions. I tried to be the ultimate NYC bus driver with 'sit down, keep to the rear, exact change, etc.. This was lots of fun.

...practicing the names of books of the Old Testament in English. This turned into a rap session and was livened up by a rooster. I
pronounced a book [Exodus] and the rooster would reply [cock-a-doodle-do] before the students got a chance to reply. I faked out his rhythm though and accomplished the lesson. The students never realized there was a problem.

...individual work with students on pronunciation of subjects they brought up. There were many energetic sessions here. Lots of cultural questions...

...trip on the bus from JAMI to Minas Shopping, a huge mall. We left at 8:30 and caught a fory minute bus ride. I was with the guys, Anderson and Salvatore, while the girls were in another group. First we visited the supermarket as the mall section didn´t open until 10 o'clock. The guys bought supplies for their cottages. They live here on campus for seven months and have to maintain their own living quarters here. Then we went to the bank [part of the assignment] and discussed the ATM machines in English. It's a wonder we weren't arrested we hung around there so long taking notes. Next we did some shopping and I bought three black and white jerseys which will be a surprise for the guys and our 'uniform' on Friday my last day here. Next a snack in the Food Court [part of the assignment, really] where I bought a banana and cheese pastel [fried pastry] and a fresh orange juice. Last minute shopping for keychains for the girls and then a run across the highway to get the bus back home. The other passengers on the bus must have really wondered what was going on. The entire trip was a big moving English lesson.
We made it just in time for lunch!

bloginfo: 'Casa do Nações' in the top picture is our classroom [House of Nations]

Words X 3 [or 4]...

2009-03-24T14:38:00.007-04:00

...on January 1, 2007 Pastor Ich Nguyen used the following phrase in a sermon; I keep it with me always:

"Jesus chooses unlikely candidates to serve his purpose..."

...during evenings here at JAMI, I am reading Mean Streets a collection of novellas. In "The Warrior" by Jim Butcher, it reads: '...God isn't about making good things happen to you, or bad things happen to you. He's all about making choices - exercising the gift of free will. God wants you to have good things and a good life, but He can't gift wrap them for you. You have to choose the actions that lead you to that life."

...on May 20, 2009 Missionary Cecilia Carvalho gave the devotional message here at JAMI. This is exercepted from her message, 'God Uses Broken Things' ©Child Evangelism Fellowship, Inc. 1964,67 :

Many people believe that they do not have the talent, training, or ablility to attempt work in the missionary field. When they learn that God is not looking for ability but for weak and broken vessels through which He may pour His power, their attitude changes. They find that it is not so much natural ability and talent that God wants as it is complete submission to his His will. (Not by might, nor by power but by my spirit says the Lord Almighty [Zc. 4:6])

We place high value on natural talents, gifts, training, and ability as requisites for the Lord's service. How differently God looks at things! God is looking for those who, in their weakness and brokenness, know that they themselves can do nothing, and will look to him to do it all through them. He delights to give strength to those who have no might ([Is. 40:29] He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.) Oh, what an encouragement to those of us who want to serve the Lord!

...Isabela Carvalho [daughter of Cecilia] gave the devotional message on Thursday. She speaks Portuguese, English and Spanish and spoke about learning a new language, French. This was aimed at the missionary students here learning English. In her talk she said: "He [the Lord] gives us the capacity to do the unthinkable...". This is so true.

JAMI Missionaries

2009-03-23T14:14:00.000-04:00

Ann and Bruce Borquist serve as missionaries of International Ministries ABCUSA in Belo Horizonte, Brazil in partnership with JAMI, the international mission agency of the National Baptist Convention of Brazil. The Borquists equip Brazilian missionaries to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in countries around the world, including unreached people groups in Brazil. Based at JAMI's missionary training center in Belo Horizonte, they serve as teachers and pastoral counselors training new missionaries in the areas of cross-cultural ministry skills, Christian community and economic development, and English language for mission.

Ann and Bruce are excited to be part of the growing response of "majority world" churches to the Great Commission, as these churches increasingly send and support their own missionaries. In addition to their ministry in Brazil, they share with American Baptist congregations what they learn from our Brazilian Baptist partners. In this way, we they live out Paul's command to "encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." (1 Thess. 5:11) The Borquists served as American Baptist missionaries in the Philippines from 1987- 1996, supporting ministries of Christian leadership development, education, church strengthening, and community and economic development.

The Borquists served as American Baptist missionaries in the Philippines from 1987-1996, supporting ministries of Christian leadership development, church strengthening, and community and economic development.

blognote: The picture includes their son, Asa, who has become a very good friend to me.

'morning on campus'

2009-03-22T08:25:00.001-04:00

guineau hen strolling up a gravel path;
sounds of breakfast preparation,
a morning chill blankets the ground
while a soft morning sun rises slowly
melting early fog at mountain's base

the vista: lush plantings fronting
a far cityscape nestling in foothills
[the sun rises as I write]
the chill diminishes, sounds increase
while a rooster announces that
a new day has started once again

blognote: I had hoped to write 'a poem a day' like last year but this is only the second. The first will appear on the poetry blog @www.tjjfpoems.blogspot.com when I get better computer access.

A Special Time of Day

2009-03-21T08:11:00.004-04:00

Every morning [except Sunday], I accompany Tia Mi or 'Auntie', our cook, to Panissima. This is the padaria, bakery, where she purchases freshly baked rolls for breakfast. I usually buy something to add to the coffee and rolls. Today I bought a coffee cake for R$1.99 which converts to about US79 cents. The students are overjoyed and cries of 'obrigado' ring out.

On the way to the bakery we converse in that international language of mixed Portuguese, Spanish and gestures. We talk about our families mostly: mine in Connecticut and hers here and in Italy. This morning I learned that she had worked in Connecticut as a household helper; what a small world. The conversation is light but bridges two cultures.

She is a wonderful woman and reminds me of my Aunt Kiki who brought me up in my early childhood in Hartford. But now the ages are reversed; she is a lot younger than me. God bless!

Belo Horizonte

2009-03-20T12:56:00.001-04:00

Belo Horizonte (Portuguese for "beautiful horizon") is the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third-largest metropolitan area in the country. Belo Horizonte (or "Beagá", as it is more familiarly known from the sound of its initials "BH" in Portuguese) has a population of almost 3 million, reaching over 5.5 million in the official Metropolitan Area

Belo Horizonte's climate can be classified as Tropical of altitude, with yearly average temperature between 9°C (48.2°F) and 35°C (95°F). As a city located in the southern Hemisphere, Belo Horizonte's spring starts in September, its summer in December, its autumn in March, and its winter in June. Belo Horizonte is located about 300 km (186 mi) distant from the sea.
Even though inter-seasonal differences are not as pronounced as they are in temperate places, and many people believe that, as in much of Brazil, there are just two seasons (a hot and humid one from October to March, and a colder and drier one from April to September), there is a contrast between spring and summer, and between fall and winter.

The weather this week has been beautiful; cool in the mornings, warm in the afternoon and sometimes chilly at night. I had to use the beautiful black and white blanket last night. It rains a little in the afternoon and there have been two torrential downpours during the night.

bloginfo: above taken from Google
blognote: The picture is the Brazilian flag [but you knew that].

JAMI campus

2009-03-19T08:52:00.002-04:00

This is the main JAMI building. It houses the offices of the administrators and one of the classrooms is upstairs. It is also where the computers are housed. I keep trying to add to the blog but there is usually a wait to get online.

This morning [Saturday], I am using a student's laptop as the computers are down.

There have been many improvements here. The big classroom above the offices in this building now has a ceiling. We had class here yesterday and it was very nice. Another great improvement is in my bathroom; it now has sliding glass doors in the shower which makes for a much drier situtation.

Last night we went out for pizza [Brazilian style] to celebrate the end of the week. Just me and the Borquists, what a treat. The pizza here is unbelievable, maybe I should open up a pizza place in Cromwell. I would make a fortune [or go broke as there is so much filling]. Anyway it was delicious!

blognote: the review for the pizza and some other BH restaurants is at www.mofongoman.blogspot.com

a quick note...

2009-03-18T19:47:00.003-04:00

I am at the Borquist family apartment in the city and am using their computer. I checked my email and deleted just about everything. Sending me an email is of no use as I never know where or when I will have computer access.

Everything is going fine. The weather is great, the students are wonderful and it is really great to be back here for the third time.

Being away from all the news, Dow average, Biggest Loser, American Idol, etc. really does have its benefits. There is no media here but there is the Grammar book, the Portuguese/English dictionary and the Bible.

Tonight I spoke to a group of English language students at the Borquist neighborhood church, Igreja Batista Reviver. What a wonderful experience. I learned a lot about neighborhood outreach. I hope they learned something about me and my experience in Brazil with my rapid English. There was even a young Brazilian poet and we exchanged blog addresses. He is even on blogspot.

JAMI students 2009

2009-03-17T14:07:00.004-04:00

Anderson trained to be a pastor and has taught seminary classes. Before coming to us, he also completed a linguistics course for Bible translators. His mission goal is wide open. He dreams of serving in Greece, but is also interested in Bolivia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Juliana is a nurse who worked two jobs in a hospital and put herself through seminary by taking Saturday classes. She’s the first evangelical Christian in her family and one of her best supporters in her new calling is her mother. Ever since she heard one of our former students speak at her church several years ago, her heart’s desire has been to serve an indigenous people group in the Brazilian Amazon.

Raquel is also a nurse who put herself through seminary. Her great love, though, is urban mission, especially children’s ministries. She was very active in her church’s Sunday School and at the same time she served in its ministries in the favelas (slum areas) of her home city. Her mission goal at this point is Peru.

Salvador has done many things in his life before coming to us. He worked as an
administrative assistant, studied in seminary, and completed technical training as a clinical pathologist: which was also his most recent job. Throughout this journey, he has had the dream of cross-cultural missionary service. He finally convinced his pastor that this was his calling, and is the first missionary to come from his church. At this point his mission goal is Ethiopia.

Sandra served last year in Bolivia through a Brazilian parachurch mission agency. She is active in her home church’s worship and dance ministry, and also is a leader for the young adult group. An administrative assistant by profession, she now feels the call to serve through JAMI in cross-cultural ministry in Sudan.

JAMI sunset

2009-03-17T08:49:00.001-04:00

Last evening.
Belo Horizonte means beautiful horizon. This is that view.

Looking out over the city, the lights disappear with only the glory of the sunset to be seen. Calm sets in, today's classes are over. Supper is finished, showers are taken, homework is being completed. The staff has all gone home. Students begin to congregate in the dining hall, wandering in, talking softly, praise songs are playing on the stereo.

Getting up enough courage to ask a question in English, we start to talk. This is the core of my existence; the reason for my mission. Communication is open and flows freely. Culture and language problems disappear. Everyone chips in to keep the conversation ongoing. We stay up late knowing that tomorrow will be another difficult day but this is so important. This is where you can posit that personal question without fear.

Praise the Lord!

This morning I gave the Message at Devotionals. I spoke about Life´s Journey: Roadblocks and Detours. The talk was based on the past four years of my life; three volunteering at JAMI. I used the following passages:

Lamentations 3:19
I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.
Isaiah 43:18-19
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
Psalm 30:11
You have turned my mouurning into joyful dancing. You have taken away the clothes of mourning and clothed with joy.

The message was simultaneously translated into Portuguese by Missionary Ann Borquist.

JAMI: the shedule

2009-03-16T16:44:00.003-04:00

Started teaching today. Here is the schedule for the next two weeks:

7:00 Coffee/rolls
8:00 Staff meeting
8:30 Devotional
9:00 to 10:45 Class
11:00 Individual help/Tutoring
12:00 Lunch
1:00 to 2:30 Meditation/Rest
2:30 Class
3:45 Structured Review
4:30 to 5:30 Practicum
6:00 to 7:00 Dinner
7:30 to 8:30 Fellowship/Activities

Arrival

2009-03-15T15:48:00.001-04:00

Here I am back home at JAMI for the third year in a row. This is the entrance to the Missionary Training Center in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
I arrived here on Sunday morning and will start teaching on Monday.