English Class

It seems as though the countdown to my return back to America has begun… not that I’m counting down… but just realizing how much there is to accomplish in the time left. Joanne and I have just begun our English class, and I am looking forward to seeing how it goes. I told the class on Friday that I am learning French just as they are learning English… so I should have a bit of an idea of how things ought to go… :) Not that I have any great revelation on teaching English when I cannot communicate to them in their native tongue… Which leads us to another question… just what is their native tongue? I was curious to know if French was their second language, and with Joanne translating for me, I was informed that they all speak an African dialect as well. There are twelve students in the class, whether they all return next week will depend on how committed they are to the class. The class meets on Fridays at the Bible school, but it is open to the community. One of the students asked me what I liked about this country and what I did not like. I tried to speak very slowly and use simple words, but even though some do know a little English, they are taught British English, so understanding me is as difficult as me trying to understand their Ivorian French. But I told them how much I loved the beach and the beautiful flowers and the baby goats that roam the streets. I also told them how much I loved being warm all the time! I’m never cold here, and I appreciate that very much! They could not understand how I could be so grateful for that! They said it was bizarre and asked how that could be so. So I told them about all the snow that you have received this winter, but I know they had no comprehension of it and they still seemed very confused that I could be so thankful for this heat. Finally, I told them that perhaps it was because I knew I was return home in a few short months and knew I would once again be cold! :) I will also start working on Saturdays at the Bible school trying to get their little library in order. It was begun by another missionary who had to leave, so I spent last weekend trying to make sense of what had been accomplished already. It only took me a couple hours to figure out that the abbreviations for the cataloging system were French abbreviations and not the English list I was going by. Now that I have had that revelation hopefully things will speed up a little bit… :) We are racing ahead with school, trying to get the kids finished by the first week in May. For those of you who are aware with the problems I have had with my return ticket home… please keep praying that things will work out. I would like to return home sometime this summer! :)