Even after graduating to a level of fluency, some students continue with the classes at Friendship International because of the home they’ve found within its community of students. The students and teachers are like a second family to each other. And it’s this ability to help others learn, as well as form relationships, that makes the program so important. “I just love that lightbulb effect when someone learns something new and understands,” Phillips said. “That is special to me.” I just love that lightbulb effect when someone learns something new and understands,” Phillips said. “That is special to me. INTERNATIONAL Friendship After an hour of working through different activities, the groups rejoin each other for a short break, refreshments, and a devotional reading. Rather than separate again, the group remains together for the rest of the class time to read the newspaper and talk about current events. Friendship International’s teachers, all of whom are volunteers, are constantly offering their assistance to the students throughout each class. Even with just two classes a week, it takes a lot of moving parts to make Friendship International as effective as it is. “As director, I take care of making sure we have a facility, teachers, nursery workers, textbooks, and snacks,” Phillips said. “I’m in charge of all that. We also request grant money to help us buy the textbooks.” Phillips said the program also helps students study for the citizenship test. And on occasion, Friendship International will take students to visit the different museums around town in an effort to give them a better understanding of the region’s history. Phillips said the class has visited both The National Quilt Museum and Whitehaven. With such a diverse community, Phillips said the class attracts a mix of students from cultures all over the world. Some current students are from countries like Myanmar, Albania, South Korea, Peru, Honduras, and Mexico, while they’ve also had past students from Lithuania, Nigeria, and Russia. As a project of the West Union Baptist Association, Friendship International started in 1993. In its years of operation, the program has seen a great number of students develop their English skills. For more information about Friendship International, visit the program’s Facebook page or connect with Phillips through email at [email protected]. 70 MAY 2023 | INTHEVUE.COM
