ESL? What is That?

Sally with her "awesome friends"

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The photo album on her phone is called “My Awesome Friends.” She held the phone so we could see as she swiped through picture after picture, pointing to each person as she named them.

“I was an old lady sitting in a Sunday school class listening to stuff I’d heard for 50 years,” Sally Martin began. Then someone asked for volunteers to help with ESL classes two days per week. ​

Sally thought, “ESL? What is that?” Still, she felt led to investigate. 

They needed childcare workers—not Sally’s thing. She stayed, though, and became an encourager. That’s an English speaker who helps adult English students understand the lessons and instructions.

Before long, two young Iranian women wanted to go to church. Sally took them to an existing adult class at her church, but it clearly wasn’t a good fit. These girls had never heard anything about the Bible before! A few weeks later, Sally started a Sunday morning class for internationals, using The Story of Hope, which she received from KIN. The Story of Hope employs simple stories and vocabulary to span a 50-session study of the Bible from Creation to Christ’s second coming. 

Sally doesn't let her age slow her down!

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?"