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Where is God in my story?

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When I retired from full-time work as an administrator, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague for a year. I expected to help with administration and running the library, but I was also unexpectedly asked to teach English to some of the international students there. I had no previous experience of this, but using the materials provided and brushing up on my English grammar from GCE many years ago (!), I managed to stay one step ahead of the students and help them through the year. Actually, I enjoyed it so much that on my return to the UK I went to college to qualify in English language teaching, praying that God would give me opportunities to use it – and He did!

In 2017 I met Caroline Pathak and heard about the English Conversation class she had started at Northcliffe Church. I was only too happy to accept when she asked if I would like to help with this. Being part of this group has been a wonderful and enriching experience. As well as helping the ladies to improve their language skills, Caroline and I have done baking, crafts and eaten lots of food with them. We have taken them on trips to the Library and museums, and last summer we filled a 53-seater coach and took them and their wider families to Scarborough for a day out. They keep asking when we can go on another trip!

Caroline has shown them such love and care, which has created a wonderfully warm and trusting environment and they have felt able to share their joys and their sorrows with us – we have both laughed and cried together. Their English has improved – two ladies are now taking courses at Shipley College and one lady has a job. Others are more confident and recently, Taslim’s daughter told us how proud she is of her Mum and the progress she has made.

Perhaps the greatest privilege is that each Easter and Christmas we have been able to tell them about the real meaning of the festival and what Jesus means to us. They have thanked us for this and always share their prayer requests with us as we pray together at the end of each class. God opened up new opportunities for me in retirement. You just never know what He may have in store for you!

Barbara B, Northcliffe
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