By Catherine Lillibridge
When I came to St John the Divine in January, I knew I would be breaking bread with people each Sunday. What I didn’t know was the breaking of the bread would also take place during the week as a volunteer in ESL.
The word companion in the Old French means to “break bread” together and I have found many companions in Houston. I began volunteering for two hours a week in ESL, the English as a Second Language ministry at St. John the Divine. The experience taught me a few things about myself and about people coming to America who want to learn English. I learned that I speak in idioms, that I often don’t annunciate, and that I enjoy helping people learn English. About the students who come to SJD ESL to learn English, I learned these adult students are smart, educated, fun, open to learning, and have goals and dreams just like I do.
Following the classroom sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays we have a conversation hour called Chat & Chew, where students and English-speaking volunteers sit together at tables and talk about a range of topics that are presented. We learned about various topics, such as the museums in Houston; what to do if you have a car accident; education system options for grade school and for higher education; units of measure; hobbies; and many other things. We were breaking bread, often with an international food lovingly baked by one of the students.
As we prepared for our summer break and the need for volunteering slowed down, a few of us wanted to continue by “companioning” together. Putting “ing” on the end of the word companion makes this noun an action. So how could we keep companioning as students and volunteers? Learning English, summer break or not, has resulted in several students and volunteers continuing to visit and explore the English language together. Some are in worship services and Sunday School each week, some formed a book group, others a writing group, and still others got together poolside. Our companionship is an ongoing blessing for all of us, which found its beginnings through the ESL ministry of teaching and learning together.
Here is an example of how 2 of us experienced companioning, where we each learned something about the other person: One day Frank, who moved here from the Congo, and I, were in HEB shopping for apples. He and I were discussing the varieties when an HEB employee decided to jump into our conversation. I observed as the man told Frank which apples were the sweetest. He said to Frank, “Since you are an Aggie, I will help you out.” Frank had on a Texas A&M shirt and as we walked away, Frank asked me what an Aggie was and why did the man call him one. This companioning experience led to a discussion of higher education in the United States. It also showed me that signs and logos around us speak volumes.
The ESL classes and Chat & Chew will begin again in August and the opportunity for volunteering continues. This ground-breaking work of ESL is just over one year old and full of friendship and companioning. Please join us in this dynamic ministry. Contact Barbara Foxhall (bafoxhall@gmail.com) regarding ESL.
Chat & Chew Volunteer Information:
We’re looking for volunteers to speak English with our students for the Fall Semester. The commitment is 11:45am - 12:45pm Mondays or Wednesdays and brief training will be provided. The semester runs August 21 to December 11, 2019. Please call or email Dawn Rutherford for more information 832-525-6870, dawnlrutherford@gmail.com about Chat & Chew.
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