Park Cities Presbyterian Church (PCA)

The world at our doorstep

ESL lets us love our neighbor and go make disciples simultaneously

By Jessica Young

Published August 1, 2009 in Witness

Suppose I went into a Sunday school class and asked, “Jesus gave us the Great what?” What would the answer be? ”Commission”? He also gave us the great command to love our neighbor. The two are not at odds; in fact, they go hand in hand. The ministry of teaching English as a second language offers a great opportunity to obey the Great Commission, to go make disciples in the context of loving your neighbor. When Jesus asked the lawyer “Who is your neighbor?” his answer was the Good Samaritan.

As we ask ourselves, “Who is our neighbor?” remember that God has orchestrated who and where they are.

And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us (Acts 17:26,27 ESV).

Neighborhoods across America are changing because people from around the world are moving here to live, work, or study. Dallas is at the center of this change.

Clearly God brings each ESL student here for this specific time. He also knows that many will arrive with a huge need—to learn English. By God’s providence, He has established English as an international language. People from around the globe gather at our doorsteps. We can meet that need and reach them with the gospel through English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.

We teachers have the incredible opportunity not only to teach English, but also to share our lives as we tell our stories and develop friendships with our students. We demonstrate the love of Christ as we seek to teach with excellence, treat them with respect, and invest in their lives. The students are very eager to learn English, not only for improving their lives and their families, but also for fellowship. Some of our students walk up to an hour each way just to come to class twice a week. One student told me in a Bible study, ”I’m concerned about my weight. I could go with my friend to exercise class, but, no, it is important for me to be here and learn.”

Put yourself in their shoes for a minute. Imagine going to a parent-teacher conference and not being able to understand what is being said about your child. Imagine your child asking you questions about homework, but you cannot help. Imagine you want to go through the drive-through at a fast-food restaurant, but you can’t understand the menu or the clerk.

So how do we serve our students in these challenging times? I’m not always sure how, but I know simply praying and being there are the first steps. This summer I went to my student’s home to practice English with her and some other ladies from her class. When I arrived she was tidying up as usual, but then she proceeded to tell me that the day before her son’s teacher had called to set up a meeting with her and her husband about their son’s need to repeat second grade. As she shared this news with me, tears streamed down her face. Months before she told me her reason for coming to ESL was not only to improve her English but also to help her children with their schoolwork; now she felt like she had failed.

During this visit, I listened, prayed, and shared with her. I told her that I would be praying for her family and that I was willing to help them. This was a wonderful reminder to both of us that she is not just my student, but she is my friend.

Come share what we take for granted, the English language. Come with a willing heart that has been transformed by the love of Christ. Come share Christ with the nations here on our doorstep. Come share your story and make new friends. As we teach our language, we share our lives—lives marked by the transforming presence of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.