Happy Halloween

Hello Friends,

We had our first frost Thursday morning. Is there snow around the corner? We will have to see.

Tuesday is Halloween and one of the most enjoyable holidays of the year.  If you want to entertain trick or treaters, you decorate and leave your porch lights on. If you don't want to give out treats, keep your lights off. The times are slightly different per area; click to see the time for you community from WISH TV. It looks like the weather will be nice, so you should get plenty of scary visitors. Some communities have Halloween parades, some churches or companies sponsors Trunk or Treating (this is like tailgating and trick or treating; read more in this IndyStar article). 

Some tips for a fun and safe Halloween:

• Be sure to take a flashlight. 
• Be careful running wearing masks and costumes.
• Adults dress up too!
• Look through the treats in your children's bags and throw away any candy that isn't wrapped. 
• Be careful driving: children wearing masks and seeking candy don't watch what they are doing.
• Do go with your kids and enjoy the night! Older kids will want to go with their friends, but make sure you know where they are and who they are with at all times.
• Do enjoy answering the door and practice your English skills by complementing the small superheros and princesses.
• Try and enjoy a meal before you go out to trick or treat.
• Don't eat all your candy in one night (this includes the candy you buy to give out!)
• Have a great and scary and fun night.

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:30-10:30, room 100.
"O LORD, our Lord, How Majestic is Your Name in all the earth!" With this praise King David begins his eighth psalm, glorifying God for His goodness, which he sees all around him in nature and even in the words of praise that come from children. We talked about how inspiring a children's choir can be, singing God's praise with their pure hearts and voices. David says the world around us also testifies to God's glory. It's impossible for me to look at the stars and the moon shining in the night sky without feeling in awe of our amazing God, who made it all!

We also finished the third chapter of Matthew and the story of John the Baptist. When the Pharisees and Sadducees (two groups of Jewish religious and social leaders) came out to the Jordan River to see what was going on, John had some strong words for them. He basically called them a bunch of snakes!  We discussed the idea that John felt a responsibility to point out their hypocrisy and their need to repent and clean up their lives. John spoke to them in their own language and style to remind them that they were sinners in need of a Messiah. John's role was to prepare the way for Jesus, by making people aware of their need for a Savior. John baptized Jesus to "fulfill all righteousness," and Jesus received the approval of His Heavenly Father and was filled with the Holy Spirit. What an amazing event!~Jan Heimann October 31: Please join us next week when we will read Psalm 1 and begin our study of Matthew Chapter 4.

International  Friends: Tuesdays, 10:30-12:00, room 100.
We met and enjoyed talking about 101 things that we do in America or that we do as Americans. Some of the statements seemed run of the mill to us natives, but they made for interesting discussions. It was interesting to compare how many things are the same around the world and how many customs we take for granted.

October 31: Bring your pumpkin and a knife and a large spoon and join us as we carve pumpkins into Jack o Lanterns! We will roast the pumpkin seeds and talk about Halloween preparations.

Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00, room 209.We have been talking about puns and a couple of people shared a pun they knew in their language, and explained them to us. We had some good chuckles and laughs.  We read two articles from the November newspaper...one focusing on issues with North Korea.  Our South Korean Friend shared some information from the perspective of South Koreans, which was very interesting as well.  We also read the article on grocery shopping in America and specifically shopping for produce (spent a little time talking about produce and produce....as in to "produce a new automobile" and "purchasing produce at the grocery store").  We ended by reading some from the Fred Gwynne book, which everyone seemed to enjoy, talking about the play on words..

November 1: This time of the year is called autumn or the fall.  It is the time when many crops are harvested by our farmers and when our vegetable garden gives up its last yummy bits of goodness.  It is a time for picking apples, squashes and pumpkins and making some food dishes that are made mostly in the fall.  Things like apple pie or apple crisp, pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie are baked.

What is a favorite fall or autumn food or dish from your home country that is a seasonal food item that you eat mostly at harvest time?  Think about this and be prepared to talk about this with our class.~John Happersberger

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:30-12:00, upstairs classrooms.

It was nice to visit each class and see what is happening. I hope that you are feeling comfortable with your teachers and with the other students. Sometimes it takes a while to catch on to a new class, so it is always good to give a new class some time. When you join an English (or any other language class) your success in learning the language lies in building a relationship between you and the other members of the class. When you are comfortable talking and listening you will learn faster.

have to see: wait to find out

it looks like: it seems

majestic: characterized by or possessing supreme greatness or authority; having regal or lofty grandeur
hypocrisy: pretending to have a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess

reading some: reading some

play on words: clever use of words like puns
harvest time: the season for gathering crops, in the United States our traditional harvest time is the fall even though crops are harvested throughout the year
catch on to: to understand