Seeing is Believing?

Hello Friends,

We had an exciting week at International Friends and at the Best Practices in the Heartland Conference. We learned about how to use AI and that it isn't perfect: so, look out! I see some AI work in our future. We networked and found new niches to serve. 

Thank you to everyone for reaching out to the Midwest church community with what we do so we can help other people. Thank you for manning our table and chatting with guests. Thank you for Zooming along so that others could see how we go about our lessons.

American Culture

Hunting and fishing are popular sports in the United States. We have laws as well as cultural practices for hunting and catching “wild” animals, birds, and fish that depend on time of year and place. Domestic animals are off the table.

We have hunting and fishing seasons and people need to hold licenses and purchase tags in order to participate in these sports. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources or DNR is the place to go see what animals are in season as well as regulations. Violations include fishing or hunting without a license, bag limits, etc. There are animals that are non-game, meaning they cannot be hunted or bagged. Hunting and killing "game" that is not legal or does not belong to you is poaching.

The Aurora Borealis

We had a spectacular light show from the Aurora Borealis Thursday night. While the Northern Lights were vague to the naked eye. The filters on cell phone cameras were able to offer a great view to share stunning shots. 

   

Classes and Meetings

Our classes are open: click to register!

Meetings are U.S. Eastern time.

International Bible Study: Monday, 8-9:00 PM, Zoom.

We started with Psalm 121 (finally, because we have been carrying this one over for a while!). It is the Song of Ascents. A good way to start and end a day of challenges and set your sights in the right direction.

Genesis 20-21 continued to throw us a curve ball. We hope to see Abraham and his family progress and change, but they remain the same. We continued to do the same: we weigh our years of life and experiences against his over 100 years on earth walking with God as his best friend and guide. We are disappointed in him...this time we heard more of his story and his explanations. Can that change our perspective? Genesis 21 tells of the negotiations between Abraham and Abimelek. God intervenes to make the imperfect work for both sides. There are good lessons here.

October 14: We are setting our sights on reading and talking about Genesis 22-24 and Psalm 2 (a good one to get perspective during political seasons).

American English and Culture: Thursday, 9-11:00 AM, Zoom

Thank you for Zooming for the conference on Thursday. While it was not always optimal, we were able to hear each other well and still have a good meeting. Critical listening continues to be a skill to develop. Interestingly enough, many times listening means inferring and not actually hearing. Context helps so much as does reading. Technically, these silent sounds are called reductions, but we can call them confusing at times.

October 17: Continue to create (and share) word pages. Pick a word or phrase from this Update and make a word page. I am still looking for stories that tell "where you are from". Pick a tradition that you love or that makes your celebration complete. Watch this video from the Productivity Guy

American English and Culture: Thursday, 7-8:00 PM, Cornerstone Lutheran Church, Room 102

October 17: We are meeting in person! Join us. The doors are open and get ready for some three-dimensional learning.

American English for Kids: 5:30-6:00 PM DST, Zoom

Tennis rules this week. While we were on break I took a stroll to a waterfall in a quarry in Ohio. Limestone is so interesting. Limestone is sedimentary rock, and often contains fossils. Much of the Midwest was covered with sea water. Look closely at these slabs. There are sea fossils. What can you find?

   

October 18: Come and talk about the past two weeks. We got a lot of living done!

Words and Phrases

bag limits: the legal, allowable number, size and sex of animals, fish, or fowl a hunter or angler can kill in a set time (day or season)

change our perspective: look at something from a new view in totality and from another mindset

Hobby Lobby: a popular craft store

I see some...in our (your) future: a prediction of something that is going to happen (because it will be engineered to go that way)

naked eye: seeing things without assistance like, glasses, binoculars, loupes, telescopes, filters

network: meet with other people, make connections

niche: a particular field or classification

off the table: not part of the discussion or consideration

rules: takes priority over other things

setting our sights on: a stated goal

shots: photos

stunning: impressively attractive

tag: physical document attached to the animal after the kill detailing hunter identity information, date, time, etc.

three-dimensional

throw us a curve ball: surprise the is unexpected and unpleasant to deal with

violations: breaking morale or legal codes

October at International Friends

Hello Friends,

October is a busy month for Americans and Hoosiers. Homecoming dances and games are scheduled this month. High School and college students celebrate as well as alumni. The current slang for homecoming is hoco (hoe coe).

Spooky Halloween decorations are sprouting up in yards. Spectacular spooky decorations are sprouting up all over. Creative and quirky displays with ghosts and skeletons are funny as well as haunting.

Pumkin spice is the taste to enjoy from donuts to coffee to cocktails and desserts. Pumpkin spice is a combination of cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and ginger. This is the spice of pumpkin pies and does not contain pumpkin.

International Friends at the Glimpses: Best Practices Conference

October 9-11 International Friends American English and Culture meeting Friends are attending Glimpses: Best Practices in the Heartland. Friends can attend and be ambassadors 

• Hosting an informational table 
• Zooming our American English and Culture class for an on site to demonstration
• Presenting an informational breakout session

Friends can participate by signing up to host our informational table [Oct 9 4:30 pm, Oct 10 10:45 AM and/or 3:15 PM, Oct 11 9:45 AM and/or 11:55 AM]. Check your email.  Zoom the class as usual, attend the breakout session led by Carolyn to help others learn about International Friends and how we can help in other Midwestern communities. Register here.

Attend any of the breakout sessions as well as socialize with others at the conference.

American English and Culture

In the United States titles are used to show respect. 

• Mr. (Mister)=a man
• Mrs. (Missus)=a married woman
• Miss=an unmarried woman
• Ms (Miz)=a woman

These are commonly used with last names. Very young children may be encouraged to call teachers Miss (first name) instead of the more formal last name in daycare or preschool (a Southern practice).

When you don't know the gender or marital status of a professional (or maybe even the name) and are writing an email or speaking directly to, you can defer to the title. The title is almost always used with the surname with the exception of talking to clergy (Pastor, Reverend, Father, Sister, Mother):

• Principal
• Professor
• Doctor (either medical or academic, this is
• Congressman
• Mayor
• Director
• President (of a company or a country)

Adults do not address their teachers as "teacher" when speaking directly to them,. Instead use the requested . Children may (Teacher, can I go to the bathroom.). We do not use a title of "Teacher" with a surname, but use Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Ms. (MS stands for the state of Mississippi).

Sir or ma'am are other respectful ways to address people around you when you do not know their name. This is common in the South.  For example, "Excuse me, ma'am, you dropped your keys."

Classes and Meetings

International Bible Study: Monday, 8-9:00 PM, Zoom

We read two difficult chapters in Genesis. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah and how the cities are destroyed is a well-known story in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religions. This story is difficult because although we were warned about the evil of the people in the cities, we were discomfited by the demands for Lot to turn over his male guests to the mob and shocked that Lot offered his daughters in lieu of the men. (This is on the heels of Abraham showing gracious hospitality to these same guests negotiating for the protection of the cities.) Why would Lot offer his daughters? Did he not love them? Got Questions offers answers and regarding Genesis 19:1-11 offers:

We may sit in judgment of the culture of that day, but protecting one’s guests required great sacrifice. Was Lot right to offer his own daughters in place of the men the Sodomites wanted? No. We can see in the story that the Lord’s messengers protected Lot and his daughters in spite of Lot’s lack of character and worldly viewpoint. Lot meant to appease the men of Sodom so that the hospitality of his house would not be damaged, but he makes the wrong choice in offering his own daughters, and God’s messengers overruled him.

The family is led by the hand and escape the destruction of the cities. Then, Lot's daughters get Lot drunk and get pregnant by him. For us, this is a horrible outcome of their saving. We continue to see that even though people behave willfully and make decisions that are harmful, God still provides for them.

October 7:  Genesis 20-22. We will open with Psalm 121

American English and Culture: Thursday, 9-11:00 AM, Zoom

We explored what to expect at the Heartland conference. Friends talked about the value of talking to people we don't know in a welcoming community. 

We talked briefly about the Vice Presidential debate. The candidates were cordial and civilized. Read the transcript, watch a replay. 

October 10: Email a picture of your word brainstorm to be posted on the Notes and Handouts page. Do you have words on your list needing clarification?

American English for Kids: Friday, 5:30-6:00 PM, private Zoom

We talked about the Japanese "Middle Exams" which are given in the middle of the school year. These tests cover Social Studies, Math, Science, and English. In the United States, Middle School students take midterms and finals that are specific to the class and are developed by the teacher, rather than a standard, national exam. 

October 18: No class the 10th. When we get back be ready to talk about the results from Science and English exams. Be ready to talk about how the schools use the results of these exams.

Words and Phrases

clergy: formal leaders in an established religion

discomfited: made to feel uncomfortable or embarrassed

in lieu: instead, as a trade

last names: surname, family name

on the heels: immediately following

stands for: represents

turn...over: give something to be used for a different purpose