This is a Pineapple.

This past weekend I attended a training for the Mission trip to Croatia. We will be using a TEFL Program called HIS English. This weekend we received and learned how to use the curriculum. I also met some of the other people who will be going to Croatia. Some of us will be working together at the same locations and some will not.

Wileen Brumley

The Director of the program in Croatia is Wileen Brumley. She has been
doing this since the late 90's. She actually lived in Croatia for a few years. She lead the training this weekend.  We went through many of the steps and practice many techniques on how to teach English to someone using this method.

One of the things that is stressed is that repetition is very important. We are to get the students to say the sentences and words 40 to 60 times. That will help to insure they are learning.  It is amazing how old principles that are used and work. Sometimes, I wonder why the education system today does not see how repetition really does work.

Don teaching "To je ananasa."

Diana teaching "To je jabuka."

One of the things that Wileen did was to teach us a bit of Croatian, to show us how it would feel to learn like those students would be learning. She then had us to teach the same lesson. "To je ananasa." is Croatian for "This is a Pineapple."  I had to teach "To je meso." which states, "This is meat." Wileen was being funny I think, because she knows I do not eat meat, at least not steak which is what was in the picture. We also learned "To je jabuka." This is an apple.

 I met Diana, who will be teaching Level 1 English in Sisak and Petrinja. Wileen will be teaching Level 3 there and I have the pleasure of teaching Level 2. After we have been in those two places for 2 weeks, We will go to Karlovac to teach at another site. Wileen will again teach Level 3, Diana will teach level 1, and Lois will be teaching level 2, I will be teaching the Reading Lesson.

On Friday night after the lessons, we met around a fire and had a bible study. Each of us shared a favorite verse and why it is our favorite. I really don't have a favorite verse, so I shared the verses I have been sharing in my other blog, Romans 12:9-21.

    The weekend was very productive. I enjoyed meeting the people who will be in Croatia with me. I ask you to pray for me and the whole group as we embark on this adventure. I also want to thank Camp Pearl for allowing us to have our meeting in their facilities.

Map of Croatia