Welcome Fall

Hello Friends,

This weekend felt so much like fall. Our neighbors had a bonfire party. The smells of burning wood and toasting marshmallows wafted and whiffed out of the night and into our windows. This is a typical fall scenario. Be sure to take advantage of these wonderful days and the festivals they spawn. Enjoy corn mazes, pumpkin patches, hay rides and bonfires.

Important to note: we have our Fall Break Thursday, October 11. No classes that day.

so much: a lot
wafted: carried by the air
whiffed: smoke or a scent carried by air
scenario: setting or a story
spawn: cause to grow or happen

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100.
John briefly talks about how several men became Jesus' disciples in John 1:35-51. Jesus says his classic, "come and see" and "follow me." Brothers invite brothers and friends to meet and follow. Interestingly enough, John decides to tell the story of Nathanael meeting Jesus. This is the only mention of Nathanael in the whole Bible, yet this meeting is important enough for John to note.

We also read how Jesus changes water into wine as His first miracle in John 2:1-11. He does this at a wedding in Cana. That Jesus chooses to save the party and the reputation of the groom and make the wedding a success is a wonderful gift. We discovered that Jesus' mother encouraged Him to begin His official work. There is a beautiful parallel between this story and the analogy of Jesus as the bridegroom and the church as the bride. The bridegroom of the church transforms water reserved for purifying into wine for celebrating!

October 2: Join us as we discuss the story where Jesus "clears" the temple: John 2:12-25.

briefly: using a few words
interestingly enough: strangely, curiously
note: mention
parallel: follow along side
purifying: cleaning

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, room 100.
We made it to Tuttle Orchards! The weather cooperated long enough for us to have the opportunity to pick delicious apples. We visited the store and checked out the café area. They have some really delicious options with high quality, Indiana locally sourced ingredients.

locally sourced: obtained from the near area

October 2: Let's cook with apples! Join us as we try some recipes. Bring two apples and to make fritters and baked apples and apple cake. If you have cup cake tins, please bring those, also.

Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00, room 100.

John taught us the very many dishes and serving pieces that make up the typical American dinner table. We practiced passing plates and asking classmates to serve each other. It was good practice of practical American eating skills. Etiquette is an important aspect of friendly conversation. The Gentlemans' Gazette Table Etiquette Guide to Informal Dining gives a great summary. Note that this guide has European (two handed) rather than American (one handed) guidelines for handling flatware...either custom is appropriate in the United States. If you want to know more about place settings and templates for them visit the Template.net for some quick diagrams and explanations.

October 3: Our group continues to grow. Join us and learn new vocabulary and American customs.

passing plates:
etiquette: social rules and guides
appropriate: suitable, proper
diagrams: drawings

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30, upstairs classrooms.
We are continuing to develop an elegant solution for parents with small children to continue their English practice and learn about American customs as well as have an interesting and meaningful experience for our children.

We have developed a program to begin October 18: Spend 40 minutes with your children and learn skills (in English) that help to cement children's success and development while practicing your English language skills. Then, rotate your children into the nursery while you attend your class.This option helps to take the pressure off of the nursery and gives your children a break and structure from free play.

WOW! Look at all the rain! If we don't pick, we can shop...

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring...

This old children's rhyme describes this morning. Next Tuesday's forecast is just as iffy.


Tuttle Orchards has a very nice farm store that is stocked with plenty of great apple (and other) products. We may not want to wander the orchard, but we can still experience a farm store and delicious apple cider.


Head from the church at 10:00 or meet us around 10:30 in the farm store.

Good luck!
Caroyn

Let's begin a new season

Hello, Friends.

Did you know that Saturday is the first day of Autumn? Fall festivals are always a lot of fun. This weekend Main Street in Carmel is the place to be for the International Festival. There are a number of Oktoberfests sponsored by cities on Friday. I hope to see you at these events.

We had another very successful week, but not without some hiccups and glitches. I got home tonight and went to upload the latest pictures from our classes only to have my iPad try to activate. It could not activate, so I'm afraid I will need to take a trip to the Apple store. Even if they can get it to work, I would guess that all my pictures are lost. Bring your lipstick next week. I will be taking pictures again.

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, Room 100.
What a wonderful session we had on Tuesday discussing John 1:19-34! John the Baptist (Jesus’s cousin) was creating quite a “hubbub” preaching in the desert on the far side of the Jordan River. People came all the way from Jerusalem and other cities to hear John explain their urgent need for repentance. He told them that the Messiah was coming! When the church leaders asked him if he was Elijah or another prophet, John said “no”! When they asked him if he was the Messiah, he emphatically denied that idea. He constantly turned their focus off of himself and toward the coming Messiah. He testified that this Messiah would be the Lamb of God, who would take away the sins of the world. And then one day Jesus was there at the gathering. He asked John to baptize him, not because of any sinful condition in him, but to fulfill the traditions of the Jewish faith and to show that he was a righteous man. God the Father spoke aloud as Jesus was baptized, declaring him to be God’s beloved Son. The Spirit also descended on Jesus in a visible form like a dove. John the Baptist saw confirmation of the messages he had been given from God about his mission to prepare the people for Jesus’s arrival!

We talked about the differences between the traditional baptism John performed with water to show repentance and the baptism Jesus’s disciples performed later (and even today) that give believers the gifts of forgiveness of sins and faith fueled by the Holy Spirit.

September 25: Please join us. Read John 1:35-51about how people were called by Jesus. We will talk about this. We will also read about Jesus' first miracle!

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-12:00, Room 100.
We met in the parking lot to celebrate that wonderful sports party tradition of tail gaiting. Thanks to everyone who had tables to bring! 

September 25: Let's go to the apple orchard! Join us to depart church by 10:00 sharp if you are carpooling and caravanning. Otherwise, meet us at the farm:

Tuttle Orchards
5717 N 300 W, Greenfield, IN 46140

Tuttle provides you with the bags, and you can pick your own apples. Bring your appetite! They have a great restaurant on site.

Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:40-6:00, Room 100
We practiced greeting each other. John shared that he went to the Biltmore Mansion and saw a Chihuly exhibit. You can take an informative tour via this video. We talked about volunteering and philanthropy. There are many ways to help others. We heard about collecting bottle caps to get donations. People collect pop tabs and donate them to different organizations like the Ronald McDonald House (a hotel that is available for little or no cost for families to stay in while they have critically ill  children in the hospital) to help off set costs. 

September 26: Join us as we continue our conversation. We are expanding our vocabulary phrase by phrase. 

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30, upstairs classrooms.
We are so happy to have so many mothers and children this year! We tested the nursery today with so many children. The nursery can only accommodate 15 children at one time. This means that some children may be turned away when the space is full. As children are picked up, space once again becomes available. We have a room up by our classrooms for you to spend time with your children or for them to play under the watchful eye of some of our volunteers. Children are always welcome in our classrooms, also. Sometimes they just need to sit on Mom's lap and study English, too!

Meet up and Beer Club: Oktoberfest at Cornerstone Lutheran Church
Friday, September 28 4:00-10:00

Join us as we celebrate Oktoberfest at the church. Old and new friends and all the family are welcome.

hiccups: when small inconveniences happen

glitches: when something doesn't go as planned

upload: move from a computer to the internet or another place

activate: I don't know what this means! My iPad won't work and I just keep getting this message! I looked on line, and there is no help there either. 

hubbub: a loud, confused noise; uproar
Messiah: the promised and expected deliverer of the Jewish people
repentance: deep sorrow for a past wrong-doing
tradition: the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation
righteous: morally correct or justifiable
confirmation: something that supplies evidence or corroboration of a statement or belief
orchard: fruit tree farm
sharp: on time
via: by way of
tested: challenge
accommodate: hold
watchful eye: supervision
orchard: fruit tree farm
pop tabs: the little metal tab on the top of a beer or soda can
critically ill: very sick

Catching errors...

Hello, Friends.

Did you catch my errors? Thank you to those of you that did and let me know. I tried to rush things (or delay them) and put October instead of September on the update. I also had an earlier date for the the Oktoberfest. My apologies for any confusion.

Here is the link to the corrected page: Week One: So Much Done!

Thank you for your feedback and patience.

Carolyn

Week 1: So much done!

Hello, Friends:

I am so glad to have our first full week of classes and meetings under my belt. What a great bunch of people are gathering together this year! There is so much to cover specifically to each of our meetings and classes. I hope you had as much fun as I have had.

under (my/your) belt: experience gained; or a meal enjoyed...which do you think this one pertains to

Meet up and Beer Club: Over the summer we enjoyed social time in the various parks. We also established the "Beer Club" (another reason to get together and enjoy the things we love with the people we enjoy). Join old and new Friends at CLC's Oktoberfest enjoy great German food and beer. The event opens at 4:00-10:00 on Friday, September 28. You can order tickets on line or at the event. There are fun activities for the whole family including a polka band for dancing. I plan to be there early...I hope to see you!

English Practice
What is the worst thing to study that is most necessary when learning a new language? Vocabulary!
Repetition and flash cards are always a great way to memorize words. What can make this tedious study relevant and memorable (especially for grown adults)?

Try Vocabulary.com to boost your wordcount. There are a whole slew of options.

worst thing: most serious or unpleasant thing
repetition: do over and over
boost: improve or increase
tedious: tiring because it goes on and on and on
wordcount: number of words you know
whole slew: a lot of

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, Room 100

The first chapter of the gospel of John is packed with so much insight into who Jesus is. In the first five verses, John connects Jesus to the deity of God, distinct from but equal to God the Father. Jesus became human, came into our world, and sacrificed his life for the sins of all people. Why did he do it? Because he loves us so much!

We read in John 1:6-18 that John the Baptist (a different John than the writer of this book of the Bible) was chosen by God to prepare the people for the arrival of Jesus. He never claimed to be the Messiah, but rather pointed people to Jesus as the one who was sent to be the Savior of the world. John’s work was to testify that Jesus was the Messiah.

September 18: John 1: 19-34 

These are some amazing ideas to discuss in a language that is not one's native language! We really enjoy the opportunity to talk about the Bible with our International Friends.
Next week we will continue our study as we talk about John 1: 19-34. Please join us!

insight: understanding of the true nature of a thing
deity: divine character or nature of God
distinct from: not identical; separate
sacrifice: the surrender of something prized for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim
testify: to bear witness; to give evidence

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, Room 100

We had a great discussion about "back to school". We shared what back-to-school is like at all levels: preschool, elementary school, high school and college. We recounted some memories from our own back-to-school time. We compared expectations for American schools (our school days are so much shorter than many other countries and we expect parents to be involved in learning and all aspects of schooling) and American colleges (American colleges are easier to get into, but be prepared to work hard). 

Homework: in two weeks we will go apple picking. Please do some research and discover what orchard for us to visit. Bring your ideas to our next meeting.

expectations: what people thing should happens
in two weeks: not next week but the week after; many people say "from two weeks"
our next meeting:

September 18: Let's Tailgate!

Tailgating is a popular preparation for fall sports. We love to pre-game in the parking lot after arriving at our favorite sporting event. 

Join us as we experience this warm up event for a sporting event.

Wear your fan gear and join this fun and festive foodie event in the back parking lot (or under the front "porch" if it is raining). Look for Carolyn's yellow Jeep for the location. Bring:

A snack or picnic dish to share

Lawn or sports chairs

BYOB (Bring Your Own Beverage/bottle/beer)

We will have a grill ready and available!

We will have a corn hole tournament!

tailgating: a party in the parking lot from the trunk or back of your car
warm up: get ready

Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00, beginning September 12, Room 100.

We met for casual conversation. We had a great conversation and learned so much about each other. We learned about each other's families. We identified articles of clothing and names of different types of shoes (dress, casual and tennis or running). We talked about returning and exchanging purchases. We used translators to share concepts and then practiced integrating our ideas into English conversation.

September 19: We will meet to continue getting to know each other. We will talk about the 50 most frequently used English words.  

articles of clothing: different pieces or
exchanging: to take an item back to get another of the same item in a different, size, color, etc.

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30, upstairs classrooms.

It was great to get everyone together for our fall sessions. We had a short time in our classrooms with our teachers. This time is critical for getting to know each other and to know your teachers and classroom helpers. Do you feel like the English is over your head? Be patient. Part of learning a new language is getting used to the context where you are learning. Not all classes will get books next week. This is to give you time for you and your teacher and your classmates to get to know each other and get comfortable. This is one of the most important aspects of learning a new language: getting to know the people you will be communicating with all year. Please be patient with yourself and with your ability! 

September 20: Begin in our classrooms with your teachers. 

over your head: above your level or understanding
patient:
context: the circumstances that form the setting

Parents and Children: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30, upstairs classroom.

Your children are always welcome in our classrooms. Sometimes they aren't happy to study English for hours and hours. Sometimes they aren't happy to stay in the nursery. Sometimes the nursery is already full (they can only accommodate 15 or so children). To make the most of your time and your children's we are beginning a drop in parent and child opportunity. Your children can play with one another. Parents can practice English by reading to their children. Learn common American children's songs.

Kick Off!

Hello, Friends.

Welcome to the 2018-2019 year! We begin at 9:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is a change from the past. This is the same time as preschool. There will be a lot of traffic in the parking lot. Enter Door 6 only. The other entrances will be locked or are for the preschool children and their families.

I hope that you have great plans for the weekend. We have so much going on this weekend here in Indy. With all of the rain this weekend, events might be cancelled. Good news, though, the Mooncake Festival will be rescheduled (not cancelled). Flooding may be a factor this weekend. Twelve inches of moving water can sweep your car away. Simple safety when encountering water on the road: Do not drive through deep water on the road at the risk of swamping your engine. For more safe driving tips, check this Progressive Insurance resource.

There is a lot you can do to improve your English and grammar on your own. Fun apps (and webpages) to help you learn and study English or check your writing:

• Memrise
• Duolingo
• Grammarly

This year we are launching opportunities for you to practice your English skills with your children as a part of our class mix. There are other great opportunities to learn with your children. Butler University is offering a beginning piano class for children where the parents sit in. There are other opportunities at the university for older children to learn music in group classes also: Music Classes

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, Room 100

We will be reading and discussing the Gospel of John this year. 

We began reading John 1:1-2. There is some great English study in these two sentences: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Because Word is capitalized it is a proper noun or title. To find out what these sentences mean, look to the beginning of the Bible: Genesis 1:1-3. The beginning means creation. Word is the person of God in action: verse three explains that creation happened when God spoke. The first thing God spoke into existence was light. Light is the energy of the universe. John 1:3-5 summarizes creation and the role of the Word in creation and in our world. The action of God is through the Word. There seems to be circular conversation here...read on to discover more!

September 11: Join us as we talk about John 1:6-18. We will learn more about the structure and message of this book by watching The Bible Project video part one. Preview the video before class.

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, Room 100

We introduced ourselves and talked about things we want to do this year for fun. Check our International Friends Schedule to see what is coming up.

September 11: Join us as we talk about "back to school". Bring your back to school questions and stories.

Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00, beginning September 12, upstairs classroom.

Join us September 12 as we begin our conversations. This class is open to all levels. Come and listen and try your skills at English Conversation. Sometimes this means listening. Sometimes this means talking. We will work on all these things.

Parents and Children: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00, beginning September 12, upstairs classroom.

Join us as we start this new adventure. Bring your children and let's work on English skills together.

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30, beginning September 13.

Join us September 13 as we start our year of classes. Follow the signs to meet your teacher.

entrances: doors

rescheduled: planned for another time

may be a factor: an influence

swamping: overwhelm or flood with water

sweep: cause to float away in a direction 

on your own: by yourself; alone

launching: starting

circular conversation: a discussion that does not come to a conclusion

English Registration

English Class Registration and Screening 

Thursday, September 6, 2018

9:30-12:00

Upstairs classrooms

Cornerstone Lutheran Church

4850 East Main Street, Carmel 

Enter Door Six off of Gray Road

Come and pay fees, meet old and new Friends and classmates 

New students will be screened for the best class and level 

Register online here