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Hello, Friends.
Spring weather is unpredictable. This weekend we had cold, wind, rain, and then warm and humid. There is a saying, "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes." That is spring in the Midwest.
Easter weekend has come and gone. Easter marks the official beginning of spring. If you are here in the States, I hope you enjoyed a few "egg hunts". Families, schools, churches, communities, just about everyone hosts a hunt. There are hunts for adults and children. Each may have different kinds of prizes, but you can be sure that there are chocolate eggs and bunnies.
This holiday is in conjunction with or following Spring Break. It is hard to get back into the swing of things with summer vacation coming soon.
Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival in Carmel: May 4, 1-4:00 PM, Free
Find out more about this beautiful and serene garden in the center of Carmel in this Indy's Child article.
The Japan Society of Indiana is a great place to learn more about the bridges between Japan and Indiana.
International Friends Meeting Notes
Join us! Click here to register.
International Bible Study: Monday, 8-9:00 PM, Zoom
Getting back together after a short one week break meant that we had so much to learn and share. Halfway through our meeting we got to Exodus 4. We discovered that Moses, when called to be a leader, he questions God...God is patient and provides him with skills and a sidekick to speak for him. We find that for every one of Moses' objections, God has an encouraging answer. God prepares Moses and repeatedly. And then God has enough and calls Moses out.
God hardened Pharoah's heart: Genesis 4: 21-26
21 The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’”
24 At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him. 25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. 26 So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)
AI describes "hardening of the heart" as follows:
The concept of a hardened heart is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, serving as a solemn warning against the dangers of spiritual insensitivity and rebellion against God. A hardened heart is characterized by an obstinate refusal to heed God's voice, leading to disobedience and spiritual peril.
That God became angry to Moses and then "was about to kill him" was something difficult to understand since God had a mission for Moses to fulfil. When we look closer, we remembered that circumcision was part of the covenant between Abram and all of his offspring and God. Moses was not fulfilling his duty to God or to his family by neglecting this act (and some scholars say that he, himself was uncircumcised). How Moses could follow through with his mission when he was not taking care to follow commands that sealed the agreement between the Israelites and God. His wife took matters into her own hands and closed the rift between Moses and God.
April 21: Exodus 5 is our next read.
American English and Culture
American English and Culture: Thursday, 9-11:00 AM, Zoom
We shared our interests and what we noticed over the break. There was a lot of great discussion and conversation.
April 24: Check Handouts to read the outlines for select countries from Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands. If this is your country, is the information provided accurate? If your country or countries are not represented, what do we need to communicate?
Linked In Learning: Practical Tools for Respectful and Civil Communication.
April 24: Linked In Learning: Navigating Tense Situations with Civility.
May 1:
May 8: Last Class. Pizza Party! Join us for a delicious meeting in person and debrief of the year.
American English and Culture: Thursday, 7-8:30 PM, CLC, Carmel, room 102
April 24: Check Handouts to read the outlines for select countries from Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands. If this is your country, is the information provided accurate? If your country or countries are not represented, what do we need to communicate?
We will watch the next Civil Language Lessons on Practical Tools for Respectful and Civil Communication.
May 1: Linked In Learning: Navigating Tense Situations with Civility.
May 8: PIZZA PARTY!
American English for Kids: Thursday, 6:00-6:30 PM EST, private Zoom
We had a great conversation. We briefly explored a good number of topics.
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