What Is Best For Others

I have been teaching English as a second language as a ministry to 30 immigrants three times a week. I have students from Brazil, Venezuela, South India, Mexico, South Korea, China, Austria, and Hungary. And what a joy it has been! From the first moment I met them all, I had an instant love for each one of them. It also gives me the greatest amount pleasure to to see them progress in learning our language.

My class is the first level, so it is the most difficult to teach. In the beginning, most of them understood very little or nothing at all. This is when my animated skills from years of doing children's ministry came in handy.

Because I have students from India, I was told to dress very conservatively, so as not to offend them. By conservative, I mean my tops must either be dresses or long shirts over pants, and turtle necks underneath.

Since I am not use to dressing like this with so many layers of clothes on, I get over heated when I teach. (I really don't know how I am going to survive when the warm weather comes.) Anyways, whether I survive or not, it is well worth it! because my desire is for each of them to respect me and my faith, so that one day they will receive the salvation message, and be saved. As God's children, we are called to try to do what is best for others, not ourselves, so that many people will be saved.

"Don't give offense to Jews or Gentiles

or the church of God.

I, too, try to please everyone

in everything I do.

I don't just do what is best for me;

I do what is best for others

so that many may be saved."

2 Corinthians 10:32-33 (NLT)