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

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!!!

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...

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

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

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