Amy had already completed adult English teacher certification through KIN, then Carrie got certified. They started a program at their church in January 2018. Before Covid, that small initiative, spearheaded by two people, had grown to 4 classes and many church volunteers!
 
Carrie loves the mix of cultures populating the classrooms each week. She’s also inspired by the relationships that develop between classroom helpers and students. One retired couple invites students and their families over to their garden, letting them pick fruits & vegetables to take home. But perhaps best of all, Carrie has seen students learn to trust God as he answers prayers. Some students without a Christian background now regularly ask for prayer…and expect God to answer!
 
The program Carrie leads at Buffat Heights Baptist Church should relaunch in-person this fall (2022), if possible. Carrie looks forward to watching church members come together to support not only the English program but also every family represented in the classes. Here at KIN, we’re confident God will provide the increase so that they are back to four classes—or more!—very soon.
 
Carrie was looking for a substitute mission trip, but she got much more than that! She got a fuller, richer everyday life.

This teacher told Mo she had taken the Facebook app off her phone because she was “fasting” from Facebook for Lent. He was curious, so the teacher explained that Lent was a time to be solemn and remember the events leading up to Christ’s death on the cross.
 
He asked questions like, “If Jesus was innocent, why didn’t he fight back?” So the teacher continued the story, sharing that things didn’t end with Jesus death. She spoke of the resurrection and how God gave His Son to die for everyone, even people who didn’t love Jesus. The conversation included pictures and illustrations, diagrams, and Biblical references. Toward the end, this curious man became silent. Finally, Mo asked if he was allowed to go to a sunrise service at a Christian church. (In mosques, non-Muslims are sometimes not allowed to enter.) Of course, he would be welcomed in a Christian church!
 
A male friend of the teacher accompanied Mo to church early that Easter Sunday and discipled him over the next few weeks. Soon, the man accepted Christ as his Savior. Afterward, he said to the teacher, “I am in God’s family and Jesus died for me. He is the way I will have life forever!”
 
Praise God for this man’s salvation--all because of a discussion about not being on Facebook.
 
READY TO GET INVOLVED?

• There are always local adult English classes in need of teachers and encouragers. Sign up for KIN’s next volunteer teacher training or contact our Volunteer Coordinator for more information.
• It usually takes a long time to build the kind of relationship where an international person will listen and respond like this to an American person. Pray for KIN volunteers to be patient as they watch the Holy Spirit work in their friends’ lives. Pray also that volunteers grasp every opportunity to share the Gospel.

When two of the women found work and couldn’t come on Sundays, Sally began meeting with them on Wednesday nights. Others took their places on Sunday mornings. In fact, the class grew so quickly that a church staff member observed to Sally, “You are really attracting them.”

She answered, “It’s not me. It’s Jesus in me.”

At one point, there was a Chinese man named Lee in the Sunday class. One morning, he announced that he would like to speak to someone about starting a church in China. He’s been back in China for several months now!

Another time, Sally asked who wanted to study the Bible at a different time in the week. As a result, she began meeting with two mothers (and their children) at a Burger King. Unsurprisingly, it was loud and distracting, so Sally asked, “Why don’t you girls come to my house?” For over a year now, they’ve been meeting weekly at Sally’s house.

Sally has found purpose, meaning, and joy in studying the Bible with internationals in Knoxville. She says she is more fulfilled than ever before in her life! “Who would not be? I’m sharing the Bible with people who’ve never read it before.”

READY TO GET INVOLVED?
So many internationals long for an American to take an interest in their lives! Volunteering in an adult English class is an easy way to meet some people, then you can seek God's next step for your relationships with them. KIN is here to help, whether you have years of experience or you're still asking, "ESL? What is that?"

There were Christmas cookies and an explanation of their shapes. There were gifts exchanged, piles of party food eaten, and a discussion of Christmas in America. 

But the party also went beyond culture to the Truth of Jesus Christ in the form of a PowerPoint based on Luke 2. The teacher introduced it as an explanation of what she believed and why we really celebrate Christmas. She stressed the virgin birth (awkward in any group, but especially among Muslims) and the Sonship of Jesus. The students listened out of respect, but none of them responded afterward.

          Still, that’s where it happened.

The teacher went home, continuing with her family’s traditional Christmas plans…until about ten o’clock on Christmas Eve morning.

One of the students from her culture class texted: “Will you take me and my daughter to a church so she can hear the story of the birth of your Jesus?”

          "the birth of your Jesus"

“Of course,” the teacher answered.

By the time she found a church with an afternoon service, connected with a volunteer, and drove to the apartment complex, the two interested people had become ten! Three Arabic women and seven children piled into two cars and headed toward a nearby church, where a simple Christmas service was about to begin.​

Finally, one said she was good at cleaning house and another mentioned her talent for cooking dolma (a Middle Eastern dish of stuffed grape leaves). Others piped in with sewing, painting, and even singing.
 
Then the instructor introduced the day’s special guest, saying, “Mallory has a talent for cutting hair.” They talked about the special talents involved in being a hairstylist, including all the tasks she must know and the education involved. Mallory shared 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV), “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” Then she offered her services to the women for free.
 
They were excited! In this room with only women, the long-time students boldly began removing their head coverings and asking questions about their hair. The newer students were slower to respond, but eventually, everyone openly discussed cutting, coloring, and even highlighting their hair. Mallory gave advice on good products to use and scheduled appointments in many of their homes.
 
About four years ago, Mallory’s health began preventing her from going on the international mission trips she loved. She became depressed and thought, “What good am I?” But through KIN, she found a way to use her talents for God’s glory, blessing internationals without ever leaving Knoxville.
 
The students got the message, too. The next week, two students presented our instructor with a pan of dolma and a hand-sewn keychain. “We want to share our talents with you,” they said as they proudly presented their gifts.
 
READY TO BE INVOLVED?
What are your talents? Have you considered how you can use them to bless others? “Hairdresser” isn’t on our list of volunteer needs, but it was a great fit for our culture class. Your talents are definitely a good fit, too. Start the volunteer application on our How to Volunteer page so you can then sharing your gifts and talents with international friends. They are sure to share theirs in return!