Why Teach English

(Photo courtesy of Teach Beyond via Facebook)

The ministry needs volunteers who are willing to donate some of their time to teach English to people in Brazil, the Philippines, and even parts of Central Asia. While teaching a language may be intimidating, these camps are also an opportunity to share the Gospel. TeachBeyond, through working with national churches, brings together both education and the Great Commission.

“English camps are really a perfect way for people to be involved in short-term missions,” TeachBeyond’s Diane Kraines explains. “There is a huge demand for learning English globally; and in many locations, it’s a way for young people to improve their conversational English — anything from being able to get a better job in the future or improving their English so they can enter a university in an English-speaking country.”

Learning English can also be a way to better understand cultures, such as through modern music and the media. Regardless of the reason to why people want to learn the language, Kraines shares, “The people we partner with in the host countries are seeing English language learning as a huge draw for not only young people, but also for adults as well.”

TeachBeyond has been helping lead English camps for a few years now. Previously, the ministry held camps in Germany, a place where they had a lot of success. Now, using the model they formed in Germany, TeachBeyond has helped people in Moldova, Portugal, Brazil, the Philippines, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia learn English.

“What we do is we recruit teams from local churches who want to bring a team and we are able to train them in team building, spiritual development, working cross-culturally, and also in their individual roles,” Kraines says.

Don’t Teach?

However, if teaching isn’t really your thing, TeachBeyond needs more than just language teachers. The ministry can also use activity and craft leaders, people to lead worship, and even Bible teachers. So if you’re interested in spending part of your summer teaching English or just volunteering, the deadline to apply for TeachBeyond’s English camps is the end of March.

English camp in Brazil. (Photo courtesy of Teach Beyond via Facebook)

“We’d really love to see some people come on board and join us,” Kraines shares.

For a lot of volunteers, it’s huge to do cross-cultural ministry in their own language. In fact, for a lot of the people learning English, just having conversations in the language is impactful and gives them an opportunity to practice their new language skills. More so, it’s a chance to build relationships, often times through which the Gospel can be shared.

“We create a safe, warm, and loving environment for our campers at each English camp. For many campers, this is their first time in a Christian environment, and they immediately notice the difference of warmth and acceptance. They see how we treat each other, how we love and care for them,” Kraines explains.

“In most locations, each staff person is asked to give a testimony of how Jesus has changed their lives. And these testimonies have a huge impact on the lives of the campers.”

What better way is there to spend a couple weeks this summer than to teach English and share God’s love for others?

To learn more about TeachBeyond’s English camps, click here!

To apply to TeachBeyond’s English Camps, click here to apply!

TeachBeyond English Camps Deadline: March 31st

Earlier this summer, a team of three volunteers helped teach a two-week intensive English camp in a suburb of Moscow. For two weeks, they spent eight-hour days teaching kids and adults from the community, aged 12 to 21. SOAR has done this for a number of years in partnership with the local church.

(Photo courtesy of SOAR)

Joanna Mangione of SOAR says it was a great opportunity to share the Gospel with the community. Because English skills can help a child in their future, many families encourage their children to attend the English classes, even knowing they are run by Christians.

“[We] had a lot of kids and a lot of adults, some of whom had never stepped into a church. Some who even walked in and said, ‘Where are we? What is this building?’ The teachers had the opportunity to explain this is the church, and introduce the Gospel to these kids who had never been allowed to enter a church.”

Mangione says the classes sometimes took place in the church basement. Two sisters asked many successive questions about the church and what people believed who attended there. What they learned was different from what they grew up believing about the church and Christians.

Seeds were planted even in those basic inquiries.

After the two-week intensive English class, a final English camp took place in another suburb.

This camp is geared more towards beginners and has plenty of summer camp activities to make it fun for the kids. It is another mixture of students who attend the church, and those who don’t.

“English is very wanted in Russia, so it opens the doors for us to present the Gospel in an English setting,” Mangione says.

Each day they have prayer and devotion which often led into discussion about the Bible, Jesus, and Christianity. They were also able to discuss the unique struggles these kids face on a regular basis.

“One girl even admitted, ‘I believe in God, but I’m a little afraid to admit that to anybody else or any of my friends.’”

When the kids opened up, the SOAR volunteers were able to encourage them. “It’s a scary thing for them to admit to being Christian in their world. So even with some of the kids who are moving towards wanting to accept, it’s kind of a scary step for them,” Mangione says.

(Photo courtesy of SOAR International.)

Even so, the seeds planted year-after-year have been watered.

Mangione tells of one girl who, last year, was hostile to the Gospel. She refused to touch the Bible and was enamored with atheist philosophy. But her parents wanted her to go to the camp anyway to learn English. Her critical questions about the Bible brought up many good conversations last year.

This year, the girl has started to read the Bible. It’s a big step.

The church SOAR partners with does a good job of following up with the children who decide to follow Jesus during the camp. They make sure the kids are discipled and connected with a church.

“There are a lot of seeds being planted and it’s been fun over the course of the last two, three years to get to watch some of these kids growing in their faith or growing in their curiosity or the seed being watered.”

It’s encouraging to hear how God has worked this summer. But it’s also a reminder to pray. Pray for the students who have heard the Gospel, that they would accept it. Ask God to provide people in their lives to disciple and love and encourage them in their faith.

In light of recent events in Russia, you can also be praying for SOAR as they plan their next ministry events. Ask God to guide them, protect them, and to provide for them.

Today, we’re going to look at the transition home where three interns spent six weeks teaching English and communication classes. SOAR also taught Bible and life skills classes.

A summer well spent

Three students from Moody Bible Institute volunteered a large portion of their summer to work with kids who had largely given up on doing anything with their lives.

The interns. (Photo courtesy of SOAR)

The fact is many orphans in Russia grow up thinking they are worthless. They feel unloved and abandoned. Furthermore, they lack life skills.

The transition home in Ryazan, Russia houses orphans who have aged out of the orphan-care system.

Joanna Mangione of SOAR says, “There’s not a lot of hope in their life. They get out of the orphanage system and most of them, at least the ones that are entering the transition home, are considered disabled — so, unable to get a job. They’re told they don’t have the ability to learn what they need to learn in order to be considered smart.”

These kids have lacked the kind of nurture and care that helps them grow into confident, curious adults. Mangione says many of them leave the orphanage without really understanding basic self-care practices like hygiene.

And worse is the emotional baggage they carry. Many of the kids are social orphans — it means they have either been taken away from their parents or abandoned by them. Most of them have endured abuse. This often leaves them bitter, angry, and frustrated.

“Their instincts, when they’re frustrated or they’re sad, is to lash out in physical violence, which occurs a lot. There are a lot of fist fights in the transition homes,” Mangione says.

(Photo courtesy of SOAR)

She explains the violence, which also occurs in class, was quite shocking for the interns this year. At the beginning, they weren’t sure they could handle it. Even more, the kids had been fed the lie that they couldn’t learn. They believed this lie and regurgitated it.

Mangione says it was important for the team to hold on to the fact they were serving God, and He was in charge of what happened there. All they could do was serve faithfully.

They worked with the kids to help them process and work through their emotions in a healthy manner. By the end, kids weren’t fighting, they discovered they could learn, and they gained a new perspective on their life.

The transition home

(Photo courtesy of SOAR)

This transition home is devoted to helping orphans learn the skills they need to succeed in society. But more importantly, it introduces them to the hope of the Gospel.

“Every kid who comes into the transition home is required to do devotions in the morning and the evening with the entire home. They have to go to church, so they are exposed to the Gospel.”

At the transition home, they learn basic things like hygiene and how to care for others. They are mentored to be aware of and to help people in need, like elderly neighbors.

The community they are in often asks the kids for help with projects. Mangione says this is a confidence builder.

“As they live in the transition home, they start to learn, ‘Okay, I’m worth something, number one, and I have the ability to help and do things. I do have the ability to cook and help others, and I’m appreciated, and I’m not stupid.’”

With the addition of these summer classes, which were supplemented with summer camp activities, they were convinced they actually could learn. Even for those who only learned simple phrases in English, it was an encouragement.

And as they became engaged in the English, communication, and life skills classes, they also engaged in talks about Jesus.

(Photo courtesy of SOAR)

“Even with the Bible classes too, hard questions are being answered with forgiveness,” Mangione says.

They are encouraged each year to go back and see children who were angry and frustrated before now carry the lightness and joy of being a child of God.

Next time, we’ll talk about the English classes they did this summer. In the meantime, could you pray for these kids in the transition home? Ask God to water the spiritual seeds planted this summer. Ask Him to bring people into contact with these kids who will love and disciple them. Also, pray for guidance for SOAR International.

Now as college-age team members return to school, God is taking a backseat to homework and part-time jobs. Sophia,* a teaching assistant at the Hua Mei summer camps, attends college in Shanghai and shared her struggles to maintain a close relationship with Christ.

"I am always so busy; I get up early for classes, then I study in the library," she said. "After dinner I study some more…. By that time, I am so exhausted that I just want to go to bed and sleep.

"How can I spend more time with God?"

Do you face similar struggles? Share your story on the Mission Network News Facebook page. You can help college-age believers worldwide draw closer to the Lord.

Erik Burklin, China Partner president and summer camp team leader, advised Sophia and her peers to intentionally carve five or ten minutes out of their schedules each day. He said to spend those moments alone with God, relying on His strength to draw them closer.

"To find time for God during a busy college day is tough," Burklin acknowledged. "Read a few verses in your Bible and pray to God, asking Him to help you grow closer each day."

Pray that college-age team members grow in their relationships with Christ. Continue praying for Chinese youth who met Christ through China Partner teams this summer.

Want to help with next summer's English camp? Contact China Partner here.

* Last name omitted for security reason.

Its emphasis this year was on the days of creation. Since its inception in 1993, it has grown from
a handful of students to the 620 in attendance this year.

Over 250 of those attending were unbelievers, and it
is a great training ground for believers to learn firsthand how to counsel and witness to the unsaved friends they bring with them to camp.

Twenty-six professionals were in the class to learn better
English. Many of the students were unbelievers, but a few had attended LIFE
Camp in the past. They learned about the love of God and the Gospel as well as
better English pronunciation techniques and vocabulary. 

The Bible teacher faced campers with the question, "What will you do with
Christ?" Many left camp with the new assurance of an eternal home in heaven. At
last count, over 50 accepted Christ as their Lord and Master.

Please continue to pray for those who were born again, that the seed of life
will continue to grow amidst questions and possible ostracism when they tell
their family of their decision. Pray for the churches that will follow up these
new believers.

For their team in Hungary, one of the felt needs was
the English language. Often, knowing the
English language opens the door to better educational, employment, and social
opportunities, both in the local setting and abroad. Immigrants to
English-speaking countries learn English to become active members of their new
community.

Searls details their response. "We hold home English
clubs throughout the school year where we try to develop relationships with our
students and develop a bit of spiritual hunger. Then camp is the time where we hopefully 'cash in' on all of our
investment throughout the semester, where we really evangelize quite freely and
openly."

Searls says they're recruiting short-term mission teams to
help with the English camps. Why? "Short-termers sometimes have the
opportunity to display boldness that those of us who are going to be staying in
the community can't always do. It gives us, as career missionaries, an
opportunity to come behind and do the follow-up work."

The nationals are often impacted by seeing the love of
Christ that compels a volunteer to give up vacation, pay for the trip, and
travel around the world to serve them. 

Todd Eckhardt, director of WGM's World Connection
Department, says the short-term trips also play a critical role for WGM. "God uses these trips to call His church
to a broader ministry. Over 80 percent of our new missionaries since 2000 did a
short-term mission trip before being appointed." Click here if you want
details.

Some of the students revealed a searching heart through their
questions. The gospel was sared through chapel services and in personal
conversations. The church that sponsored the classes will follow up on those
who attended.

Since Mongolia's
government may not welcome missionaries, ABWE personnel seek to provide
services that will commend them to the government and community. Often it is
professional skills and services which provide people opportunities for
spiritual ministry.

Pray for four short-term teachers from Michigan as they hold English outreach
classes in two other churches over the next two weeks. In the fall, they will return to the U.S. leaving one sole
ABWE missionary in Mongolia.
Pray that God would lead other workers to this field.

Click here if you want to get involved. 

ReachGlobal personnel will be in Brazil conducting an evangelistic
English camp in July. It's an
opportunity to reach about 200 teens and young adults with the Gospel.  

Camps like these provide strategic contacts for the national
church or missionary while involving North Americans in cross-culture
evangelism. Teams like these are often committed to going at least two weeks
overseas and working with missionaries and
national host church leaders.

They've used this outreach ministry in a variety of formats,
including overnight camp settings, day camps, as well as day or evening classes.
Classes have been held in public schools, host churches, ministry centers and
homes of students.

Participants receive extensive pre-field training, including
a team-training weekend where they are equipped to use the curricula developed
specifically for the ministry.

Please begin praying for God to work in the hearts of many
unchurched teens attending and for the 25-30 people from the U.S. coming to run the week-long
camp.