So much to talk about...

Happy Easter, Friends.

I hope you enjoyed a beautiful weekend and are taking advantage of all that Indiana has to offer. Our neighborhood egg hunt has been rescheduled for after school on Monday because of the soggy weather today. You can't complain too much about the weather, though because you can see that April showers bring May flowers! And, as we wrap up April and look forward to May, get ready!  May is a big month here in Indy. Aside from the graduations and the end of the school year, our entire community will be involved in the 500 Festival.

Starting Sunday, you can officially wear white shoes, white pants, white skirts, etc.! Enjoy your warm weather wardrobe!

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100.
The twentieth chapter of the Gospel of John records the resurrection of Jesus and several of his appearances to his followers on that first Easter Sunday and again on the following Sunday. These stories are pivotal to Christian faith, since as St. Paul explains, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15: 17)

One of our participants asked the question, “Are you ready to die?” This question sparked some wonderful discussion!  It is only human to fear death, but Jesus’s resurrection changes all that for believers. We discussed how much comfort can be drawn from this chapter, how it makes all the difference for us as we live out our life on this earth, and especially as we think about our death. When Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and his other followers on Easter, it confirmed their faith in the living Christ. It transformed them from frightened, cowardly people who were hiding from the authorities into bold witnesses who were willing to risk their own lives to spread the message of God’s love for all people.

In the final verse of chapter 20 John clearly states that what is written in this Gospel is written “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

Join us April 23 at 9:00 a.m. as we continue our discussion of the Resurrection of Jesus!
Happy Easter to all of you! ~ Jan Heimann

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:30-12:00, room 100.
We had a really fun time dying Easter eggs and learning how to make tea eggs. I hope you had a chance to enjoy this traditional activity with your family in your homes. If your family is anything like my family, the kids all want to color at least a dozen eggs each! When I was growing up, our friends would come over for the egg dying party! Then comes the question: what do you do with all of those hard boiled eggs? In the Midwest we use them to make egg salad and deviled eggs. Add them to potato salad, slaw or green salads. Pickle them in beet juice. Lately, I learned to grate them into pasta dishes and add them to soups! And, don't forget Scotch eggs where you wrap them in pork sausage, roll them in crumbs and bake them in the oven or deep fry them in oil.

April 23: Let's replant our "salad bowls". Bring your bowl back (with dirt). If this is your first time planting a salad bowl, bring a bowl for planting our seeds (you can pick one up at Goodwill). I have the seeds and will bring soil.

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30 (or 12:00...)
I had a great time visiting most of the classes. In Kris' Class we talked about hospitality and then we had an impromptu visit by Pastor Luther (the senior spiritual leader at CLC). He talked to us about the goal to be hospitable to one another. Hospitality includes welcoming actions and speech and making people feel at home. It is the goal of CLC to welcome all people because all people are welcomed and loved by God.

I heard that there were discussions in another class about inhospitality. Unfortunately, some people can be inhospitable. Basically, there are three words that can describe these behaviors: rude, mean and bullying (there is also harassment, but that is a more serious behavior that requires legal intervention and hopefully you do not have to experience this).

• rude: inadvertently saying or doing something that hurts someone else; not following cultural norms can also be rude and not knowing what the people around you expect can make you appear rude or vice versa
• mean: purposely saying or doing something to hurt someone once (or twice) and the mean person may be acting this way because they themselves are feeling angry, hurt or frustrated
• bullying: aggressive speech or actions that are specific and targeted with no apparent reason for the action or remorse and when told to stop they continue and includes threats (like I won't be your friend, I will hurt you or someone else if you don't do what I want).

We do not want to be seen as rude or mean or be a bully nor do we want our children to act this way. It's important to know how to classify rude, mean and bullying behavior from the standpoint of any culture. Read more: Rude Vs. Mean Behavior Vs. Bullying. 

Just as important, when we encounter people who act unpleasantly, how do we respond? Sophie Lizard in Life Hacks gives Ten Smart Ways to Deal with Rude People. You might have heard these things before (from your mom), but it is always a good refresher. One point Sophie makes is that everyone is mean or rude as some point. 

Parents with Children: Thursdays during our classes

The children learned about Easter and took home four books to read! They enjoyed Jello Jiggler Eggs and played games and made crafts. 

April 25: Join us as we return to nursery rhymes. Remember to read aloud with you children every day. Reading with your children is a fabulous way to relax, give you common history. Make reading aloud a game. Take turns if your children can already read. As little as 20 minutes of reading aloud every can exponentially improve your children's reading, listening, and speaking skills and improve social abilities. Pick a book you and they both enjoy. One great series for kids that helps you improve your vocabulary at the same time is the Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickett. Netflix has a great version that brings the stories to life. Don't forget that you can load books onto your phone or tablet and take a whole library with you no matter where you go. Your public library card give you access 24/7 everywhere!

wardrobe: collection of clothing
resurrection: the act of rising from the dead
pivotal: a time or point that is important for the development or success of something
futile: incapable of producing any result; ineffective; useless
confirm: to establish the truth, accuracy, validity or genuineness of; corroborate; verify
transform: to change in condition, nature or character
fun time: enjoyable event or occasion
replant: plant again
dirt=soil: earth; material that plants grow in
pick one up: buy from a store
impromptu: unplanned
feel at home: feel comfortable
inhospitable: not welcoming or friendly
vice versa: the other way around; the order changed or reversed
respond: act or speak as a result of some other action
refresher: activity that updates skills or knowledge
fabulous: wonderful
relax: to seek rest or recreation
as little as: at least; minimum
series: books or programs in a collection that follow one another
access: freedom or ability to use something
24/7: twenty four hours a day and seven days a week: any time night or day
exponentially: greatly