Well, write a letter, and expect a response, right? We finished the summer ESL program (round 4!) last week with a graduation party. Imagine my surprise when I was handed a note by one of the provincial students as the party was drawing to a close. It's so great it deserved to be shared.
Dear Cat!
I am ----- from ------. I would like to thankful for your Program. When finished, you always Party. Because of you, I can speak English but at the future I am well. I thank you can't add detail or explant.
Now, for just a minute, stop in your grammatical and spelling critique (I know, this is tough) and remember that this is someone who has had only a few years of semi-regular English instruction, with little opportunity to practice, other than a couple of months out of the year. And he passed this note to a native speaker and writer who is around the same age and works in the main office of his organization, and is friends with his boss. I have no doubt that were I to be asked to write a similar letter in Khmer, I would fail miserably. Honestly, I'm having trouble just forming the letters correctly. This little note is an example of serious courage and serious thankfulness.
It's also one of the reasons I love working in Cambodia.
3 comments:
this is a great post Kate. I know that you are being worked through mightily! Cherish that note...if you are anything like me sometimes I need a little reminder that what I does matter and it's these little gifts that our father gives us through the most unexpected channels that are priceless reminders that we are his hands. I love reading your blog. Hope you are doing well.
~hannah
spelling correction
**what I do does matter**
Clearly, you taught him the important stuff, like the word Party.
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