The kids in my first grade English class are starting to get bored. For some reason, pointing to words on a white board and having them repeat the words, just doesn't keep their attention for 20 minutes!
 When I first began teaching, a month ago, the children were very attentive and well-behaved. After 4 weeks, I think they are becoming so familiar with me that they don't feel the obligation to become engaged in whatever I am doing and saying at the front of the room. So, I am starting to take some risks in ESL with the kids.I have found many great websites which offer tons of games and I have also thought of my own. For 2 days now, I have been testing out games to see which actually works. I also need to lead games that can be explained very simply so that the Khmer-speaking teacher will understand and be able to translate the instructions, or I can just act out the instructions. Ideally, I would to be able to switch the activity every 5 or 10 minutes, to keep the little ones interested.
In the evening, I am now teaching' level 2 English' to young adults. Level 3 is the highest level of English in the school. In both level 2 and level 3, a translator is not needed.
It has been a great opportunity to be able to talk with such a large community of young-adults who are a mixture of Christians and non-Christians. In order to attend the English class the students must either pay $5/month or they can receive a scholarship and learn for free by attending 5 church programs a month. There is a youth program on Saturday night and then church on Sunday morning. There are over one hundred students who attend the English classes and I think most of them must opt for the scholarship, because the youth program and church is packed! The students are hearing the gospel, learning more about Jesus and meeting people whose lives have been changed by Jesus.
I am meeting with a student who got saved, the night that Josh preached at the youth program. She is in level 3 English, and so she speaks English very well. We meet every morning to pray together, talk about God and study English. I have purchased an amazing book that is all about 'foundational Christian truths'. It explains foundational Christian doctrine, in basic English and yet it reveals deep truths about God and the Bible. It has pictures and it's even bilingual with the Khmer translation. I have read through the book and have written questions for each section, making it into kind of a course. This girl is very eager to learn more about God, and she is greatly benefiting from the book, along with her own personal Bible study that she does at home.
Today, I am meeting with 3 other girls who are in Josh's level 1 English class, and we are going to talk and study the Bible. So that is what's been happening for these past couple of weeks. Josh has become famous with the children for singing the action-filled song 'baby shark', which he learned during the summer at Double H Ranch. We bought a fruit called sour sop, and I think we'll be sticking it in the juicer and seeing what happens.
Tonight is the youth program and we are celebrating Thanksgiving. Please pray that the students hearts would be open wide to invite Jesus in.