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Stories & Blog
Tell It Again
WEST ASIA — Like usual, Crossworld worker Jennifer started the English placement test with a few simple questions. She asked Aysel about her hobbies, her family background and her plans for the future to get an idea of which verb tenses she knew and the extent of her vocabulary. Then she directed the conversation to her favorite exercise: “Tell me the most amazing story you’ve ever heard.”
Aysel thought for a moment and Jennifer leaned back in her chair to listen.
“A young husband and wife traveled very far. The woman, she is big,” she said, motioning a pregnant belly with her hand. “They have nowhere to stay, so they sleep by animals…” (she paused to remember the words in English) “…donkeys, sheep, camels.”
Even in Aysel’s limited English, Jennifer quickly recognized the story.
“The woman has her baby, a boy. Angels come from heaven and sing,” she pointed upward. “And a star! Then men with sheep and men with presents come to see Him. He is important, this baby Jesus.”
As the only native-English speaker at the school, Jennifer had given many language placement tests and asked this question many times. But she had never heard a student tell this story.
“Aysel, that’s one of my favorite stories! Where did you hear it?” Jennifer asked.
“My cousin heard it from you, in English class. She told all our family and now we tell others. It’s the story of a baby who would grow up to save the world! He’s the Son of God, the one who does the saving!”
Jennifer couldn’t believe it. She had told the story of Jesus’ birth in many of her classes and prayed for exactly this — that the story would be retold time and again around family dinner tables. And God answered!
Italicized names were changed to protect identity.
Aysel thought for a moment and Jennifer leaned back in her chair to listen.
“A young husband and wife traveled very far. The woman, she is big,” she said, motioning a pregnant belly with her hand. “They have nowhere to stay, so they sleep by animals…” (she paused to remember the words in English) “…donkeys, sheep, camels.”
Even in Aysel’s limited English, Jennifer quickly recognized the story.
“The woman has her baby, a boy. Angels come from heaven and sing,” she pointed upward. “And a star! Then men with sheep and men with presents come to see Him. He is important, this baby Jesus.”
As the only native-English speaker at the school, Jennifer had given many language placement tests and asked this question many times. But she had never heard a student tell this story.
“Aysel, that’s one of my favorite stories! Where did you hear it?” Jennifer asked.
“My cousin heard it from you, in English class. She told all our family and now we tell others. It’s the story of a baby who would grow up to save the world! He’s the Son of God, the one who does the saving!”
Jennifer couldn’t believe it. She had told the story of Jesus’ birth in many of her classes and prayed for exactly this — that the story would be retold time and again around family dinner tables. And God answered!
Italicized names were changed to protect identity.
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