E... is our second language too!

I learned Vietnamese first.  Ruthie began life with Punjabi in the foothills of the Himalayas.... A dozen years ago some friends came to visit and asked..."What is the best way to reach into communities, to have the chance to share Christ?"  At the time we were heavily involved in agriculture.  Our response?  "We'd set up an English language center!  And that...that's where we find ourselves today!  After many surveys, we began our program in the fall with the help of teachers from the Covenant's Oasis Training Center in China.  It was a great start.  But the hard work of running a quality program... is going to take a lot more time and work!  Fortunately, we have a group experienced and dedicated friends and volunteers. So, we are now building relationships with area schools and businesses--by teaching wherever we can.  To this end, in the last couple of weeks, I completed a certificate program in Chiang Mai--part of a cohort of 20 students from several nations and backgrounds.  I was amazed to meet several who had dropped everything to move to Thailand and begin a new career.   That's where the naughty kids are kept... For me, this is the fulfillment of something that has been long in coming. Monday I have my first gig--teaching a short term course in Roi Et's Skills Development Center.  Our colleague, Kristi Byford, is teaching many classes in local schools.  I will, hopefully, take over some of them in coming weeks. And we look forward to our next cohort of teachers coming from Oregon in October!