Halloween, Falling Back! What a busy weekend.

Boo!

This weekend is quite the weekend! Saturday is Halloween. Get ready for all the little fairies, zombies, Minions* and super heroes to knock at your door in search of candy and treats. If you want to welcome Trick or Treaters. turn on your porch lights. If you don't want to be bothered, leave your lights off. Regardless, be careful driving: many people will be out enjoying this holiday that isn't just for children anymore!

After our long night of fun, remember to Fall Back or move your clocks back one hour. The good news? You get one more hour of Halloween to enjoy: no, it isn't midnight, yet! It is only 11:00! Of course, this is only true if you stay up late enough.

Happy Halloween.

International Bible Study, Tuesdays, 9:00-10:30
We read Luke 4: 14-30. Jesus returns to the town where He was raised. They asked Him to read the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He read a prediction from Isaiah and then sat down to teach. The people didn't expect Jesus to teach this way. They knew that He was popular from his travels, but they still saw Him as the familiar boy that grew up among them. Jesus remarks (from the Bible) that prophets aren't respected in their home town. Eventually, the people want to kill Him: they take Him to the hill in town to throw Him off a cliff. Jesus leaves by walking through the crowd. We noticed in this study that Jesus doesn't become angry; He teaches. We were reminded of the famous verses: John 3:16-17. Jesus came to save the world and not condemn it. We talked about how what Jesus does here isn't supernatural. He is a kind teacher. He is a good neighbor that allows 

Tuesday, November 3: Let's read Luke 4:31-37 and then Luke 4: 38-44
IMPORTANT: Tuesday morning there is a funeral at the church, We are meeting in the upstairs classrooms: Rooms 205 and 207

International Friends, Tuesdays, 10:30-12:00

We carved our Jack-O-Lanterns for our porches. Luckily the cool weather held out through the week to help preserve them. You can also spray the inside with bleach water to help save your pumpkins. Next week we will warm up and have what is known as an Indian Summer. This is an unusual warm spell just before winter comes. 

We also toasted pumpkin seeds. This is very easy to do: Wash the seeds from your pumpkin. Season with salt or cinnamon sugar, or Parmesan cheese, or any other seasoning mix that you like. Spread the seeds on a baking sheet and bake at 400. Watch them and stir them to toast them evenly. You can also toast them in a pan on the stove.

Tuesday, November 3: Let's bake pumpkin bread!
Yaying will teach us to make pumpkin bread. We will also talk about the pumpkin craze that is hitting the nation!
IMPORTANT: Tuesday morning there is a funeral at the church, We are meeting in kitchen just off the gym.

Conversation: Wednesday, 4:30-6:00, room 200
We tasted delicious corn cream soup, a popular dish in Japan. Thank you for the treat Elizabeth. Here's the link to the recipe: Japanese Pottage We also shared sports stories. It is interesting to see what sports are popular in the different countries and what we like to do fore exercise and recreation. While most exercise is active, we were introduced to a very still exercise: stand with you legs shoulder width apart, hold your arms in front of you like you are hugging a ball (drop your shoulders and elbows), bend your knees. Hold this stand for 30 minutes to strengthen you total body. This is an amazing practice that requires you to concentrate and relax your tense muscles. It is simple!

Wednesday, November 4: Let's talk about vacation: read Unit 6.

English Classes: Thursday, 9:30-12:00
It was fun to visit the different English classes this week. Everyone was having great conversations and practicing their English skills and discussing some incredible topics. It is so nice to get to know all of you so much better. 


__________________________________________________
quite the weekend: a very unusual weekend

regardless: no matter what
*: when you see a * look to the bottom of the page for a note or personal comment
of course: 
raised: grew from a child to an adult
scroll: a rolled book
supernatural: an event tat defies science and the laws of nature
held out: remained the same; was consistent
preserve: maintain an original condition; not rot or decay
spell: short period of time
craze: fad or trend; everyone is interested in it
hitting the nation: widely popular
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*I find it interesting that everyone wants to be the popular movie character. Back in the day we went old school as ghosts (cut eye holes in an old sheet), old people (powder your hair white and dress in your parent's clothes), Old schoolbed time (wear pajamas and curlers in your hair), bride (white dress, veil, flowers, awww, beautiful), mummy (wrap up in you ghost costume from last year torn in strips). Store bought costumes were not popular, at all. Everything was too big, too small and made from stuff you already had at home.

Helping people directly and indirectly

Hello, Friends.

Today is a truly fall day. The skies are gray and leaves are flying. I find it strange that even though the skies are dark, the atmosphere is bright with the yellow light from the leaves. This is really amazing! Our life can be like that: it seems dark when there is really light all around us. It is a beautiful time to be in Indiana!

We are always encouraged to help other people, but sometimes we need to pass on an opportunity and redirect someone to others. One of our teachers and I were approached in the parking lot at the church by a woman asking for money for food. It is important to direct these requests to the church. Tell the person that they need to talk to Jill or Tina at the desk inside door number six. The church has special funds to help these people. Since they are greeting you on church property, it is right that the church should be responsible for handling this situation and not the individuals going in and out of the building. Please let me know if people are approaching you in the parking lot for money. This can become a problem since sometimes people are trying to take advantage of the great hearts and generosity of people who are at the church. This is also the correct procedure when you are approached by someone in a parking lot and are asked for money or other help (like at the shopping mall or other store, or on the street).

You can help people indirectly and practice your English at the same time by joining Janie Willenbrock and other people at the Easter Seals Crossroads at 4740 Kingsway Drive (between Keystone and Allisonville Road North of 46th Street) Mondays from 10:00am-12:00pm. They are currently getting ready by pricing and counting items for the Gift and Hobby Show to raise funds. Easter Seals helps people with disabilities. This organization was originally established to help fight polio. Since that disease and its effects have diminished, they have moved on to help with other relevant social problems.

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:30
We talked about when Jesus was tempted by the devil. This is a great story because it shows us so much about the character of Jesus. Jesus goes into the desert after His baptism and fasts for 40 days and is tempted by the devil. 40 is significant for it symbolizes trial or testing. The devil tests Jesus in three (the number that indicates God) ways. We noticed that Jesus doesn't condemn the devil, but teaches him using the Word ("it is written"  "it says"). We know that the devil is not finished with Jesus for in verse 13 we read that he leaves Jesus "until an opportune time." Jesus teaches from the Old Testament; He leads the devil from God's word...when we are tempted, we can turn to God to provide us with His wisdom to overcome all arguments in this world. The devil may think he has power here, but God has greater power and even the devil knows this and leaves. We can be assured that when the devil comes back at "an opportune time" we can be prepared with God's Word to overcome the temptation. We can also be assured that if Jesus (the Son of God: Luke 2:49, Luke 3: 23) would teach the devil, He would also teach us. We pray (talk to God) that we are ready to hear His Word and be teachable and recognize His great love for us. We pray that God give us the words to overcome temptations when they are presented to us and we can be sure that God will teach and lead us.

October 27: Join us to read Luke 4:14-30 where Jesus is rejected in his home town. Do you ever return home and feel like you are not accepted by your friends and family? How could this happen?

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:30-12:00
We began our discussion of Third Culture Kids: these are children that are being raised in a culture that is different from their parent's culture. Many of us have third culture children, but we also discovered that within a country there can be drastic differences in cultures from one region to another. We will continue this discussion in the future and talk about what we are doing to retain our traditions and to add new traditions that make our family stronger and help us to grow together.

October 27: Let's carve pumpkins into Jack-o-Lanterns and talk about American Halloween customs.
Please bring a pumpkin to carve and a serrated knife. We will toast pumpkin seeds and enjoy this delicious simple snack that is so popular in many cultures. You don't want to carve? Join us for the lively discussions.

Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00
Last Wednesday we shared some Turkish foods and practiced ordering from different menus. We talked about how to ask for details about different dishes.

October 28: Let's talk about sports.
Come and share sports stories. Read Unit 5.

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:30-12:00
I got to spend the morning with the Conversation and Accent Class this past Thursday. What a fun morning! We had a rambling conversation during the second half. I hope to visit with each of the classes over the next few weeks.

I am looking forward to seeing everyone next week.
Carolyn
_______________________________________________
pass on an opportunity: in this situation, say no. This can also mean that you are sharing an opportunity...
redirect: send someone to a different person or place
direct these requests: tell someone where to tell these requests
funds: money set aside for a certain purpose
right: correct, proper
individuals: people
approaching: talking you; asking you. This word also means coming toward.
take advantage of: use
great hearts: kindness; having a kind heart
indirectly: not a straight connection
generosity: being kind and giving
disabilities: physical or mental conditions that limit a person's abilities
diminished: gone away
relevant: appropriate or current
raise funds: earn money
serrated: a knife with "teeth" or bumpy edges
got to: had the opportunity

Fall is in the air and on the ground!

Hello, Friends.

Fall is here! The leaves are beautiful and raining down. We turned on our heat today. That meant that I had to check my filters and close my furnace damper. Do you know what that means? Be sure to ask me when you see me!

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:30
We had great discussion over two Bible verses: Luke 3:21 and 22. Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist. This is an important event in Jesus' life and the account is told in all of the Gospels (biographies of Jesus in the Bible). You can read them for yourself:

• Matthew 3:13-17
• Mark 1:9-12
• Luke 3:21-22
• John 1:29-34

In all accounts:

1. Jesus was baptized: He hadn't sinned, but he followed the practice to "fulfill all righteousness"
2. Jesus was baptized by John (you can not baptize yourself, someone else performs that service for you).
3. All three persons of God were present in one place, separately. God the Father clearly identifies Jesus as His Son. The Holy Spirit (usually a spirit isn't seen) appears.
4. We got off on a discussion of how, why, when, etc. people are baptized in the different Christian churches. We realized that the Bible never specifies any of these details (and where practice details are important, the Bible is very explicit. For example, see Numbers 17. We decided that the important point was to be baptized with water and "in the Name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit" and the rest is negotiable.

October 20
Let's read Luke 4:1-14: Jesus is tempted by the devil.

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:30-12:00
We had "swearing class" this past Tuesday. Wow! We discovered so many things that are inappropriate in some countries that mean something else in another country and mean absolutely nothing in other countries. This is always a strange meeting to lead, because it is hard to actually say some words because of our training. These words are always important to know because you want to avoid them in your own conversation (probably....) and you want to stop them in your children's vocabulary.

October 20: Let's talk about raising our children in another country.
How do you hang on to your traditions? How do you add new traditions? What do you take home with you?

October 27: Let's carve Halloween Jack-o'-Lanterns.

Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00
I was sorry to miss this past week of English classes. I really missed you and was experiencing my own road trip!

October 21: Read Chapter 4. I'll bet my favorite topic will be discussed!

English: Thursdays, 9:30-12:00
I was sorry to miss Thursday classes. Thank you students and teachers who touched base with me to keep me up to date. You know I like to know everything that is going on with all of my classes. You are all special to me!

October 22: We are still meeting for English classes. I know many of you are gone for your Fall Break. I hope you have a great time and look forward to sharing stories when you come back.

See you soon!
Carolyn
____________________________________________
the account: the story; not the bank account which is your money
got off on: followed a course of discussion
practice: how something is done
explicit: stated clearly without room for confusion or doubt
fulfill: complete a task
all righteousness: the quality of being morally right and justifiable
His Son: I am going "old school" here and capitalizing his because I am referring to God (in honor) and son because it is Jesus' name and title.
negotiable: open to discussion
inappropriate: just don't do it!
touched base: contact someone to share information (not running for a home run)
going on: happening (not moving forward ahead of the rest of the group)

CORRECTION!

Hello, Friends,

I was so excited I skipped all of next week when I gave you dates. We are meeting as follows:

International Bible Study: 9:00-10:30
October 13: Let's read about Jesus' baptism and His genealogy. Luke 3:21-37.

International Friends: 10:30-12:00
October 13: Let's talk about swearing in English.
Join us as we talk about bad language. What are swear words and gestures? What is rude and bad language? What words in your home language can be confused for swear words?

I am sorry for any confusion.
Carolyn

__________________________________________
are: when something is written in bold type it is emphasized. We are meeting next week.
as follows: means that the the information that is listed next explains further

Fall Days

Hello Friends,

I hope that you are enjoying a beautiful fall weekend. Many of our schools are enjoying fall break. Carmel Clay Schools is having their break over the weekend this year. We are off Friday and Monday. Other schools are off Thursday and Friday. This is a great time to enjoy the fall color. Many college students are enjoying a break from classes after their midterms. Usually they still have plenty to study.

If you have been driving around 465, you should have seen billboards for haunted houses. These can be fun. This is a great time to get your big pumpkins for decorating your yard, but don't carve them, yet. They will rot before Halloween and be too scary.

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:30
We read Luke 3:1-20. John the Baptist warned that there is consequences for our actions and no one can escape these consequences. He preached "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" (Luke 3:4). He was serving the people by "washing" away their sin and then taught them how to change their life so as not to commit the same sins. Specifically, he told people to share with people who have nothing. He told people not to take more than they were required. He told people not to accuse others falsely to get their money. He told people to be content with their pay. This was good news. He gave them hope for their life. He taught that God forgives the sins of all people who are sorry and who want to change. Not everyone accepted John's teaching: when the Jewish king was rebuked, he became angry (how could John tell a king his faults?) and locked John in prison.

October 13: Let's read about Jesus' baptism and His genealogy. Luke 3:21-37.

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:30-12:00
Thank you to Joette and Adena for their time and advice. I hear that you had many great questions and good discussions.

October 13: Let's talk about swearing in English.
Join us as we talk about bad language. What are swear words and gestures? What is rude and bad language? What words in your home language can be confused for swear words?

Casual Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00
We talked about traveling in our home countries and using mass transit.

October 14: Let's talk about driving. Read Unit 3.
I will be out of town on a road trip experiencing this unit. Let me know what you talk about.

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:30-12:00
We are continuing to bond and to grow together in our classes. I am glad to hear so much discussion and sharing in English! Some of our staff is out of town on business or pleasure. We hope that you are getting to know other staff as a result.

Butter Braids
We are continuing with our classes. We got to taste delicious butter braids (I owe Level 1). These are a fundraiser for a friend's daughter. This product is delicious and easy to make (just remember to get it out of the freezer the night before!). Delivery is November 17, 18, and 19. Just in time for the holidays. Let me know if you want to make an order.

Paying for Class
I will be out of town on a college visit with our daughter (and to celebrate our last High School fall break). If you haven't already paid for your classes, please see me the next week: October 21 and 22. We accept cash or checks made out to CLC.

Get out and enjoy the fantastic fall weather.
Carolyn

fall color: the changing trees
midterms: tests given in the middle of a semester
billboards: large signs along the road that advertise events, places or ideas. Many times these signs promote seasonal events. When you are on the road, this is a great way to know what restaurants are at the next exit.
I hear: this is another way to say that someone told you something
rebuked: to tell someone what they are doing wrong and express disapproval
gestures: motions made with hands
mass transit: buses, trains, ferries, and other ways of moving people around a city or country
Let me know: tell me
out of town on business or pleasure: not home, traveling because of your job or family responsibilities or traveling for fun
college visit: go to a college to see if the school is where you would like to attend
fundraiser: a way for a group to make money

Dear Friends,

I hope that you had a great week. We wrapped up September in style. You should be beginning to see Halloween decorations in the stores and popping up around the neighborhood! This is one of the favorite holidays for children and adults. It is fun to dress up in costumes. Children trick or treat from house to house. Adults enjoy costume parties. Bigger kids love to go to the haunted houses for a scare. Keep your eyes open for the fun!

Be sure to check our Things to Do list for Halloween events. If you find a good idea, share it with all of us in the comments.

Have a great weekend!
Carolyn

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:30 in room 100.
We read the Luke 2:41-52. This story is a wonderful story of family relations and misunderstanding. Jesus is a young man. The family went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish Passover (when the Jewish people left slavery in Egypt. This is another great, dramatic story. You can read it in Exodus 12). Young men Jesus' age

October 3: Let's read Luke 3:1-19. 
John the Baptist is Jesus' second cousin. God had great plans for John: he was born to Zechariah and Elizabeth in their old age. He bring back many of the Jewish people to believe in God. You can read the predictions about his life in Luke 1:15-17. Luke tells more of John's story in Luke 3.

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:30-12:00 in room 100
The International Friends risked rain and set out to Stuckey Farm. We were successful in our apple picking and were surprised to find quince trees. For people new to quince, this is a popular in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries and was a popular fruit in England. Quince turn orange when they are cooked, and since they are very acidic and sour, you want to cook them. You know when they are ripe because they are soft. You can ripen them by placing them in a bag until they are soft and yellow.

October 3: Let's talk about having babies!
Joette Morris a nurse at St. Vincent Hospital Maternity Ward and Adina Nelson a Duela will come to talk with us about having babies in Indiana and in American hospitals. Come and join the conversation. Bring your questions. Bring your stories to share about having babies in your home country. Let's compare notes!

Wednesday Casual Conversation, 4:30-6:00 in room 200
We finished sharing our "maps" of our lives and played a game where we were different people in different jobs speed friending. We enjoyed delicious Turkish baklava! What a delicious dessert and snack.

Let's talk about travel. You can prepare for talking about travel by looking over Unit 2 (pp. 9-16). Bring questions about the material. Think of some interesting travel stories to share.

October 4: Let's talk about travel.
Join us as we enjoy each other's company and learn more about each other. We will enjoy Turkish baklava!

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:30-12:00 in the upstairs classrooms
It is great to see so many friends at our classes. I hope that you are practicing your English at home and when you go out. You can engage your cashier in friendly conversation when you check out at the grocery store. You can ask for advice from the other shoppers, in English. Costco is a great place to listen to English and have a little chat. As you taste the food, you can make small talk.


dramatic: full of excitement and emotion
Jesus': when a name or noun ends with an "s" and you want to show belonging, you do not add an "s" (not Jesus's). 
compare notes: share stories and information to see if we have had a similar experience
speed friending: speed friending is not an official word. It is a play on the idea of speed dating where people meet and talk for several minutes to decide if they would like to date. A bell rings and they move to the next person. The idea is to meet as many people as possible.
looking over: reading, reviewing
material: the study information
engage: involve, participate
chat, make small talk: talk to people in a friendly way about small matters: the weather, the food, their outfit, etc.