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Our Sisters all are committed to serving God’s people, but it is commonplace for our lives to be equally enriched by our ministry work. Such is the case for Sister Barbara Brown, who teaches ESL (English as a second language) classes with ProJeCt of Easton, Pa.
In its mission to uplift low-income, at-risk residents of Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley through education and community support, ProJeCt offers adult ESL classes for non-native speakers and other programs to help immigrants prepare for U.S. citizenship.
As her students navigate the challenges of learning the language and adjusting to American culture, Sister Barbara, too, finds herself learning so much about the human spirit. “Their immigration stories are inspiring! I am humbled by the challenges they face each day as they adjust to life in the United States.”
Sister’s current class is “truly an international community of learners,” she says, with students from Lebanon, Morocco, Azerbaijan, Russia, Vietnam, China, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Ukraine.
Each year, the staff and students of ProJeCt of Easton share in a Thanksgiving Feast on the last day before the holiday break — held this year on November 21. The school provides three turkeys to be prepared by three students, and everyone else brings a contribution of food from their culture to share and sample. The group plays games together, and the little ones from the Early Childhood Education class sing songs.
Sister Barbara recognizes that, whether meeting in the classroom or gathering for special celebrations, there is so much to learn — for them and for her. “I teach them English,” she says. “They teach me about facing life with courage and hope.”
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