Learning a New Language

Well, here I sit in my pleasant home office. A man born with the privilege of having two parents, a home, the ability to travel, a stellar education, a wonderful wife, three healthy, well-educated, and successful children, grandkids, clothing, food in the fridge, a car, money in the bank, a God provided career, and a great retirement.

And then God felt that He needed to give me more, which came in the form of Ottawa Innercity Ministries (OIM). I had a great winter experience chatting with fine people at the clothing racks at OIM's Winter Wear! A neat treat for me. In the spring, God introduced me to a truly dynamic, effervescent lady who had the most marvellous shoes covered with colourful puzzle pieces! She was OIM's new English as a Second Language class leader and teacher who introduced four of us volunteers full tilt into a marvellous language adventure, which I will not forget.

We were asked to spend two and a half hours a week for a couple of months helping friends from various parts of the world as they worked on improving their English skills. The program, created by our leader, was impressive. Oh, how difficult is our language to learn! These wonderful friends were diligent, thoughtful, strong, dedicated, friendly, willing, kind,

determined, courageous and often shy individuals. They came from various places, such as Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. They loved to laugh and strove to grasp topics such as time, calendars, and household words. Some took notes in their own language, which they would later translate into English. Others took pictures of PowerPoint presentations, which the leader had already downloaded to their cellphones, but these friends were pretty insecure. They enjoyed playing language games too. Seeing them grow stronger not only in the language but in confidence and assurance was remarkable. We worked in small groups or often in a one-on-one meeting. It's easy, but not encouraged, to form attachments, although I do understand and support the rationale. How can you resist being greeted with huge smiles and healthy hugs as they grow to trust you with each session?

Success can be measured in different ways. Some of our friends became volunteers at the thrift shop on Merivale Road. Wow! What an opportunity to learn a language firsthand. Success, too, can be seen by the joy and the laughter during the sessions. I remember one man who was so shy and had no grasp of English. His head was constantly lowered onto his chest early on in the classes, but near the end, he was coaxed to participate in a game involving the whole group. His head came up, and he smiled and laughed as he participated fully.

These are wonderful people who will make Canada a better place for all of us. When my wife and I left OIM every Tuesday, we experienced absolute joy. It literally filled us with love, but not in a self-congratulatory or prideful way. Joy in these times is often hard to find, but we did. We found joy in helping some of God's people for whom life has not been kind. They gave us so much more than we could ever have foreseen. They were a gift to us.

~Ian David Fromow, OIM Volunteer