English Class

...for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
Revelation 5:9

At around 2 o’clock every Monday and Friday I walk down the dusty dirt road outside our back door to Moffat Bible College. There, for a couple of hours each time, I pray, laugh a lot, cry some, learn about other African cultures and teach a little English to some of the most remarkable women I have ever met. Their husbands are students at the bible college studying to become pastors and will hopefully return to their own countries to serve the Lord.

These women come from great poverty and suffering and horrendous backgrounds but are very joyful and faithful and it is my privilege to be with them. One of them, Mama Amos, is from Congo and speaks a little English and Kiswahili but mostly Lingala. Two of the others are from Sudan (by way of refugee camps). Martha speaks a little English, a little Kiswahili but mostly Arabic. Lastly, Rose speaks only her tribal language and Arabic and cannot read or write in any language.

So teaching and learning English takes a while with all the translating (and laughing). And it’s hard work. So at the end of each time together I take out a child’s Bible picture book and read a story from it in English but with much gesturing and simplifying. Honestly, even if they know the story they always sit in rapt attention, closely following every detail of each picture.

Sometimes there are questions that come from Arabic to Kiswahili to English but mostly there is awe for God and his work. And there is faith, gratitude and gladness for the Lord’s ways. It is a beautiful, humbling thing that makes me cry almost every time.

God’s word is purposeful, peace bringing and life giving—it is His loving gift to all people, in all places, at all times even to these incredibly courageous women who are far away from their homes and living in difficult circumstances in a strange, foreign and often unfriendly country. They are choosing to love Jesus and trust God to provide for them each day.

I have much to learn.

- Kathy