Karen Thanksgiving

  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

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...

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

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

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!

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

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