Happy Fri-Yay everyone! Today we have another installment in our What’s Your Story series from our very own ESL Coordinator, Karen Peiser, and one of her students from San Angelo. Karen is also the ESL Director and an ESL teacher at her church Southland Baptist Church in San Angelo. Enjoy this personal take on what teaching ESL means to Karen and how one of her students was able to experience success through ESL ministry.
Happiness is teaching English. It is my joy and passion and my desire is for many to receive the same joy and blessing in teaching internationals. Teaching English can be discouraging and you don’t always see results, but it is worth every effort. Here is one of my success stories.
Alejandra came to our English classes at Southland Baptist Church in San Angelo, Texas several years ago. Her husband was transferred here because of his job. She is a mother of four remarkable children and her desire was to learn English and to get her citizenship and GED. She was an excellent student and amidst her many duties as wife and mother she was able to excel in her study of English. She had many hurdles to jump with sick family in Mexico and challenges with bringing up her four children. After several years, she passed her citizenship and GED. When she accomplished this, she attempted to get a job which was unsuccessful. She loved to cook and bake, so she started baking cakes for special occasions and it grew into her own business. She is now an accomplished baker and has her own business. Her husband’s job moved the family to the Ft. Worth area where she is very involved in her business and in women’s ministry. What a joy to watch her continue to grow. It is also an encouragement to our ESL ministry to continue to meet the needs of our students. Take a step of faith and join an ESL ministry. If you have never done it before, Literacy Connexus has ESL Teacher training for you to attend. You will be blessed if you take that step.
Every student that comes into our programs and classes has a goal in mind, whether it’s getting a job, going to college, getting their HSE, helping their kids with their homework, getting their citizenship, or simply enjoying a cup of coffee and some conversation with their neighbors and making new friends. Sometimes, our students come and go and we don’t always get to see them reach their goals, but when our students do allow us to experience their success with them it is truly a beautiful thing.
If you would like to share your story with us, please send it in to info@literacyconnexus.org. We would love to hear from you! As always, blessings and happy teaching!