Fast -- Forward to Slovakia: Come and See!

I'm sitting in our sunny and cozy little apt (the outside temp is only a bit above freezing). The laundry is reluctantly drying in our living area once more, our two newly acquired Christmas cactii are reveling in the brilliant warmth of their sunny shelf, and our new clock (one must have a clock SOMEWHERE in the area) is telling me why my energy level has suddenly plummeted. So, this post will be mercifully brief!

Larry will begin teaching additional English conversational classes to faculty/staff at the U. of Zilina in the next week or so. Since the curriculum is his choice, he's considering using The Shack as the discussion focal point to generate conversation. Should be lively! Furthermore, he has been asked to be the Guest Lecturer at the University Nov. 12, so he is busily putting that talk together--Topic is "Learning Styles". He's kinda excited about this. God is creating "audiences" that we would have never anticipated! And since religion is not a taboo in public educational settings here, the possibilities are breathtaking! Please pray!

I'm thoroughly enjoying the delights of working with 16 individual students (teachers at the Lutheran Elementary School here at the Bible School). In many ways this "job" reminds me of the work I did at HomeLink as an educational consultant. I have 16 clients with individual skills and needs who sit beside me 45 minutes/wk where, in addition to the tutoring, more importantly we learn about each other. And this, to me, is where ministry happens. Already some confidences are being ventured: One very bright young teacher--she holds a Ph.D in education and is a mother of 2--invited me to lunch in lieu of an official tutoring session Wednesday. Our conversation was insightful as she began to sharing some of her struggles and needs. Oh, Yes!!!! Again, please pray.

The Bible School here (now becoming known as Martin's Center for Christian Education (CCE), recently made a bid on and received a grant to provide English as a Foreign Language (EFL) to city employees. The CCE obtained this bid on the strength, in part, that they could provide instructors whose first language is American English. Thus, Mary Hamilton, Larry, and I are rather integral players here!

Thus, I also teach 3 separate classes of Beginners per week attended by Martin city employees. Each class meets twice a week. Sisa, a CCE employee and an excellent speaker/instructor of English, teaches each class their first sessions each week, focusing solely on grammar and pronunciation; and I meet with them their second sessions each week to help them review, practice, and explore the grammar presented earlier in the week. Many of these employees comprise the police force here; others are clerks. What fun I'm having with them. We laugh a lot at each other as we teach each other words in our own languages. “Circle” is a hoot for them to say; likewise, “zmrzlina”, their word for ice cream, tickles and twists my languid tongue, for It must transition from a “z” into a closed “m”, then on to the trill of the upcoming “r”, then back to the “z” which follows it, and then instantly embrace the awaiting “l”, before finally encountering a fairly straightforward “ina” (“eena”). Try it—but not when anyone else is around and not in front of a clean mirror. (This I know!!!!!) But the rapport we are building will hopefully open doors that just wait to be entered! Again, please pray!

Fall here is in full display, the mountains are declaring God's flair for color . . .