English Class

I think this week would be a good time to tell you about English class. Every Wednesday is our preparation day, which is the day we get to take care of our own personal stuff (e.g. email, letters, laundry, most grocery shopping, errands). Preparation day starts after our study time ends (10:30am), and goes until after dinner (6:00pm). Wednesday evening is English class. All missionaries in Taiwan (and probably many other countries) teach free English class for whoever wants to come. We usually have two or three classes, depending on whether or not we have help from an English-speaking church member to teach the upper level. I teach the children (and some of their parents). The first week was a little rough; I had never seen class before and didn't know how to prepare very well. However, last Wednesday went a lot better. We were studying goals and dreams (we have a little handbook with material to teach each week), so I invited everyone to draw what they wanted to be or do when they grew up, and then my companion and I helped them translate whatever it was into English. My companion is very artsy and creative. She decided to buy sandpaper for them to draw on with crayons, and it turned out really cool looking. Plus, I have some dim hope that each semi-caring student will at least be able to remember the English for his or her dream. From 7:00 to 8:00 is English class, and then until 8:30 is a Gospel lesson (but we also use English so they can learn what they came to learn). I decided we could teach about prophets using a condensed version of the Bible Joseph's story (you know, the "Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". I personally have never found the word "technicolor" in the Bible, but I'm sure that's what they meant). I told the story in English, my companion translated to Chinese, and we got some students to help us act it out, some more willingly than others, and it was really quite entertaining. We shared about the current prophet leading our church, President Monson, and taught that he has the same ability to tell us what we need to know and do to prepare as Joseph did. I think teaching it to someone else helped me appreciate how awesome it really is to have God choose someone who can speak for him to us, according to what we need to hear. Also, when you consider what would have happened had the Egyptians not prepared for the famine according to Joseph's word, it gives that little extra motivation to take the prophet's teachings seriously. So I guess English class at its best is a place of learning for everyone involved. Since I'll be doing this every week for the next 14 months, I'll let you know what other exciting or eventful things occur...



With Taiwan Kaohsiung Mission President Hsu and Sister Hsu