JonandLaurieIrons

Teaching English as a Second Language can be a difficult task from year to year, If I don't have the desire to teach. Yet, each year for me seems to get more enjoyable and more exciting as the students are not the same from year to year. 'Practice makes perfect' is a phrase I have taught my students this semester to remember for it is pertinent to the current status for all of us.  For the six students who came to join us this semester to learn and for me to teach them. I so appreciate this older couple closest to me, who are from Incheon, South Korea. They are fellow missionaries, with YWAM, like myself, who have a heart to understand each others language to communicate it more effectively. We also have a heart for young people to join us in reaching others for Christ, Jesus.

Twenty-four years ago, this November 7th, this little guy came into our lives. It wasn't the usual pregnancy that most couples who are having their babies delivered naturally, yet all the same I want to give a great "shout out" to the many young girls who place their babies up for adoption each year instead of choosing to abort them or just discard them in some horrific way. Many of our friends know this young man today as he has grown to be quite the respected individual in our community serving them at the local Dairy Queen for the past six years as the training Manager and Assistant Manager. Now he has made the transition to becoming the future manager at the local Wal Mart of shipping and receiving. Since he has been gone, DQ corp. called him to offer him to be manager of his own store in the nearby area. He declined. We still love having him around.

Have a BBQ!  Offer food to University students and you got yourself a party. That's right, either host one or go to one, and just hang out with people from different nations and just start talking. The tough part for me though, is remembering who I had talked to, their name and what he had talked about.  I am part of a group of ESL teachers from YWAM Tyler who fellowship with a group of Graduates students who called "English Corner". We meet on Friday mornings to discuss helpful topics such as how order a subway sandwich, how to tip waiters and waitresses in America, how to make friends, what to do if you 'pulled over' by the police; etc. We also have fun learning new idioms that us Americans take for granted but our Internationals have little or no idea what we mean by them.

From time to time there will be blog posts sharing about Adoption stories from the perspective of both parents and children. If you feel you have a story to share, please email me or send me a comment and I will be glad to invite to you share your story in a series of blog posts. What does a parent, such as a Father go through when a wife has a pregnancy? I can tell you from experience, I don't know. But what parents go through to adopt children is a whole different story. And what the Children who are being adopted are going through at the time is something I have always wondered. I have asked other adoptive parents and adoptive children to share their feelings, frustrations, and experiences on this blog so other adoptive children and parents can 'hear' what the other has to say. I hope this will be a place of insight and healing for those who read this. International Adoption during the year of 2001 was a challenge for me. If it wasn't for numerous emails from

One of the students told me that besides getting little sleep these past two weeks since being in Texas and the United States, for the first time, he has had a difficult time venturing out to other places to eat besides the University Cafeteria, He says he is getting tired of eating at McDonalds. I totally agreed with him. I have the awesome privilege to be able to have conversations in English with University of Texas-Dallas graduate students very close by.  We meet in a home close to the University Campus in Dallas each Friday morning and discuss Culture Shock type issues, learn how to order a Subway Sandwich at the local deli, have a successful job interview, learn about American customs and Holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, etc.   In preparing the next generation of International Leaders, we offer them to also get to know Jesus as well.

I just finished working with a group of International students from several different nations. All with the purpose of knowing God more and making Him known to others. We laughed with them over the good times and cried with them over the bad times. God planted them here so we could feed them and watch them grow more closer to a better understanding relationship with God. Many of them are headed home to their own countries as this being written and published. Half of them will return to continue their discipleship and build their trust in Him.  Be in prayer for these future International Leaders.

In learning a new language there are some days I just can't understand what my teacher is saying due to my lack of concentration. Yes, there are times in my life where I get distracted with other thoughts and ideas. I am currently working along side students from Benin, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Haiti, South Korea, China, and the USA. French, Spanish, Portuguese, Creole, Korean, Chinese and English. How do we all get along? By preferring one another, and seeking the highest good in the other person, we are able to co-exist with one another.