[00:00:02] Speaker A: Welcome to the Root Cellar podcast.
We believe that God is at work restoring broken lives, families and neighborhoods around the corner in Lewiston and Portland, Maine, across New England and the world.
On this podcast, we'll discuss what God is doing on our team at the Root Cellar through our partners in Maine, uh, and invite guests from away to share how God is at work among them.
I'm your host, Joel Furrow. Uh, thanks for joining us.
Batman thrives in Jesus Christ Cause he loves them both. We're all castaways in need of rope Hanging on by the last threads of our hope in a house of mirrors. Welcome to episode five of the Revolution Root Cellar podcast. This has been really fun. I've, uh, really enjoyed just getting a chance to hang out with my staff actually, and have these conversations. So thank you so much for joining us, for making time in your busy day, your week. If, uh, you're on the road, on your way to the grocery store, taking a run or a walk or washing dishes. Thank you for taking this time to spend with us and learn how God is at work in the Root Cellar in Portland, in Lewiston. It's a blessing that you're joining us. Thank you so much. If you haven't already, hit the subscribe button and please give us a rating. Whatever app you're using to listen or watch this, give us an. Give us a rating. It really actually goes a long ways. I say give us a truthful rating. I'll take a five star rating if you can, if you're willing to give it. But, uh, any involvement at all would be great. So thank you for that. Subscribe. Give a rating right now if you haven't done that yet.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Myra Ashley Woodard, our volunteer coordinator in Portland. She's been with us for the last year and a half or so in various capacities versus a volunteer. Then came on as an AmeriCorps member and now as part of our team, part of our staff.
She mostly, uh, coordinates our English language learning volunteers, which is a huge responsibility and it allows us to serve hundreds and hundreds of, of immigrants in the Portland area and then even more in our Lewiston location.
Students like Jaffany, who you're going to get a chance to meet today and hear some of his story. Jaffany comes from the Republic of Congo, not to be confused with the Democratic Republic of Congo. We talk about that a little bit. He gives us a little insight on what it's like to immigrate to the United States, learn, uh, a new language when you know, virtually nothing and ultimately find a place to contribute both back in the root cellar and in his job here, here in Portland. It's a real blessing to sit down and talk with both of them and I really enjoyed it. I hope you will too. You're not going to want to miss this one. Thank you both so much for being part of this, for showing up today. It's awesome. I'm really excited for our viewers and listeners to get to know both of you and hear your stories a little bit and hear what God's been doing at the Root Cellar through, through our English program. So I guess just, you know, Myra Ashley, you're one of our employees, you're our volunteer coordinator. Could you talk a little bit about, you know, kind of how that happened, how in the world you come to be here?
[00:03:16] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. So, um, my husband and I are actually from Atlanta, Georgia and far away from way away.
Uh, so we're also New Mainers so to speak. Um, but we actually got connected with um, a church. It was a church plant at the time in Portland, Maine, um, called Centerpoint Church. Our site director Jude also goes there and just really fell in love with the ministry model, the need in Portland. Um, just the fact that Portland is, I think it's number two right now of the most post Christian cities in the United States is Portland, Maine. And so we just really felt like the Lord was calling us to come and be a part of just his ministry and his work here in the city. And we didn't really know what that looked like at all other than we're going to move to Maine and we're going to go to this church. And um, worked some part time, different jobs with my degree, that's music education. But I had some free time, was looking for ways to get involved and serve. And so I actually ended up starting out at the Root Cellar as a uh, teacher's assistant for a um, pretty new English language program back in 2022 and just absolutely fell in love with it and the students and the people and just the min. The heart of the Root Cellar. Just to see people's needs and love them where they're at. And it's really the, the model of Jesus, right, is to see physical needs and meet them in order to build that relationship and meet a spiritual need as well. And so I really fell in love with that and was able through AmeriCorps, um, and different opportunities to serve here for a summer in Portland. And then for a year I did helped with the English program here in Portland and at our site in Lewiston and then have just been really blessed to be brought on to full time staff to just continue growing this ministry and getting to know these students.
[00:05:10] Speaker A: Yeah, we had to really I guess like restart an English program in Portland. There has been an English program for a long time as we've been serving so many immigrants for so many years, but never to the scale that it has been in the last several years. And we had uh, to. We saw a huge growth really quickly and we needed to staff that somehow and know we were blessed with a uh, willing volunteer uh, to, to take that on with Myra Ashley and, and along the way and you kind of started working for, for pennies on the dollar with AmeriCorps, which is, you joined a, a long list of root cellar employees that started off making virtually nothing.
[00:05:46] Speaker C: Yep.
[00:05:47] Speaker A: To, to serve here and uh, and then joined our team last year officially as a volunteer coordinator. Which means primarily you're, you're, you're coordinating a big volunteer effort in the English program.
[00:06:01] Speaker B: They pretty much run the show. I'm just the man behind the curtain, so to speak, making sure people know where they're going. The English doesn't happen without our volunteers.
[00:06:11] Speaker A: Absolutely, absolutely. It's completely. I will talk more about that. Joffani, uh, we're just so grateful that you're here. You were one of those students in the, in the first kind of wave of the English program here in Portland.
And we're just so thankful that you're here. Johannie.
[00:06:27] Speaker C: Hello. Uh, I'm Johannie. I'm from Congo. Uh, valid one because there are two Congos, GRC and lc. I'm from lc, Republic of Congo. That means from Brazil.
So I've been living in the US since um, September 2023.
And then uh, I joined Russell in uh, 2024 I think March 2024.
[00:07:03] Speaker A: Javany M. How much English did you speak when you first came to the United States?
[00:07:12] Speaker C: So, uh, I can say not really good.
[00:07:17] Speaker A: Not very good.
[00:07:18] Speaker C: Yeah. I can't understand but speaking was like a little bit difficult for me. But now it's going great.
[00:07:25] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you are from Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo. The rc, most people we know about the drc, but we don't know about your home country very much. Uh, could you describe what life is like, what it was like for you and when you live there and then maybe what life's like now. Could you describe your, your homeland?
[00:07:48] Speaker C: Yeah, sure. I think everybody doesn't uh, know about it because it's so small than grc.
[00:07:55] Speaker B: Mhm.
[00:07:56] Speaker C: It's so small than GRC and for me it's a beautiful country. Even if now I can say is it's unsafe to live there because of the power in Africa. You know, the president, all of the president are uh, I can say like dictator over there. So you can't, you can't talk anything against them.
So that's why I got some problem with one of them. So I wasn't safe there. Uh, I was rush to leave my country.
[00:08:34] Speaker A: Yeah, we have. In this country it's very common to speak out against the president, regardless of who the president is. It's something that we do very, very quickly. No matter if you're Republican or Democrat or whatever, speaking out against the president is very common in the United States. And what you're describing is in your country currently, and speaking out against the president makes it you a target, makes you. Could you describe what life is like under. I mean it sounds, sounds more like a dictatorship than a presidency.
[00:09:00] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:09:01] Speaker A: Uh, uh, what could you describe what life was like for you? I mean, it's a beautiful country.
[00:09:08] Speaker C: Good.
Congo is a beautiful. Yeah, Congo is a beautiful country. So small.
They are wonderful things over.
I think it's good for the, for people who are always agree with the power, but for people who are against the power is so bad, it's getting bad day by day. And when I talk to people who are over there, they told me it's getting bad and bad, bad and bad.
Yeah.
[00:09:42] Speaker A: We're very glad that you made it to the United States and grateful. Grateful for that.
Um, yeah. I mean, before we. I want to hear more about your story and your experience at the root cellar in a minute. Uh, Mayra asked you, could you describe a little bit what it was like kind uh, of in those, the beginning stages of kind of getting into English language learning. You don't have a background in teaching English and uh, you were a teacher, but you, you kind of jumped in to this English programming. What was that like for you and what kind of inspired you to do that?
[00:10:13] Speaker B: Yeah, I think originally it was just a need. Um, I came and was like, I'll do anything. I'll input volunteer logs, put me in the office, I'll answer phones. And it just became a need to have a teacher's assistant in one of the beginner classes. And in reality that is still true today because at that beginner level, just imagine if you are going to go learn French and then the teacher only spoke in French as uh, she's trying to teach you French, Um, how much are you really going to feel like you understand? And that's really what our students are walking into even today in English classes is they speak very little English and the teacher is trying to teach them English by using English. And so where an assistant is really helpful is, uh, that you can do some more, like role play, acting out, feeding off of each other, just in using different instructions. Hey, Myra Ashley, can you go open the door for me? And watching somebody physically go do it and understand is this like. There's a lot more understanding and education terms, we would call it scaffolding that you get to create because there's multiple people demonstrating and engaging with students. The beautiful thing is that we're maintain, we're maintaining dignity because it's adult. It's not like I'm an adult to a child trying to teach a child something or how to do something or, you know, basic life skills. I mean, they know this stuff. They just know a different word for most of this stuff.
So getting to this point where we're actually working together, um, to figure things out, instead of it being all on me as a teacher to like, I'm gonna make you figure it out and I'm gonna, I have to figure out how to help you.
It becomes this give and take. Um, that was fun to learn, but it was a lot of experimentation and a lot of gracious, like, uh, responses and feedback from the students.
Um, even if it's like, no teacher, I don't know, or, um, even seeing the light bulb go off, you're like, oh, okay, that worked. They got it. Like, the faces light up, the, the eyes light up, and it's okay. They understood me there. How do I go do that again? And so the, the beauty of just like experimenting together with learning together, because really at the root cellar, that's always been what it's about. And what I push with my teachers now is just, look, if it comes to building relationship or going towards the academic learning objective of this English vocabulary, like the English is going to come build the relationship. They need a friend.
[00:13:03] Speaker A: Do you. Smiling and shaking your head a lot. I mean, what, uh, what's it like walking into a space, a place where, you know, you're sure no one speaks your language? You know, what is that experience like for you?
[00:13:17] Speaker C: No one speak your language.
It's very difficult to understand, to communicate.
So I think if Tupov, if Tup can't communicate, it's so bad they can't work in the same way. They can't mhm.
Yeah, I think, um, communication is the most important thing.
[00:13:48] Speaker A: Communication is the best thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's funny, something that I see sometimes with new volunteers is that they will speak English louder.
They will speak, they will start talking louder as if that will help.
I've had the experience of living in the Middle east and kind of walking into a restaurant and realizing, I don't know, you know, no one speaks English here. It's on me to figure this out. And it is so hard. It's so challenging.
Um, uh, you know, I remember I had to figure out how to pay the water bill and the electricity bill.
Uh, you know, and in this, I was living in the country of Jordan, you know, so these, these things that, you know, just come are very common, normal in these normal experiences. But language makes it that much harder. What's been something for you? That's the uh, that's been especially, you know, this was, this was challenging, this was hard. This was, you had to figure this out. Was there anything that comes to mind?
[00:14:49] Speaker C: I think is the beginning was like listening when I came to the US because American people speak too fast. Too fast. Sorry.
[00:14:58] Speaker B: It's true.
[00:14:59] Speaker C: Was listening. No, I, I can't say. I can't understand. I can. Yeah. The problem for me now is, uh, speaking. But I think step by step, I'm doing better. Step by step.
The Root cellar engages neighbors and volunteers.
[00:15:16] Speaker B: To cultivate social, economic and spiritual wholeness as part of God's kingdom.
[00:15:23] Speaker C: We are able to do this work thanks to generous individuals like you, to volunteer, make a gift, or learn more.
[00:15:32] Speaker B: Join us
[email protected].
[00:15:37] Speaker A: How many languages do you speak? Japanese?
[00:15:38] Speaker C: Um, French? No, I'm still learning English.
Kikongo. Four.
[00:15:48] Speaker B: Four.
[00:15:48] Speaker A: Four languages. Okay, that's four. That's three more than I speak. Uh, which is, which is amazing. And uh, you are adding English in such a incredible way. It's impressive. It's hard work. Yeah, it's, it's incredibly challenging. So take, take us back a little bit. You come, you came to the United States, you came to Maine. How did you get connected with the root cellar?
[00:16:10] Speaker C: So when I came to, to Maine, I think it's normal. So I'm living in the English speaker countries. I have to learn. I was looking somewhere to learn English and someone told me about Edit education and when I got there, they were so busy, no places.
And then they gave me some address and I came here and um, now I can say I'm good here.
My family, they are so amusing people here.
So welcome. Um, so good.
And I remember my, my first. My interview was with M. Myra Shley.
She was so, so good with me and um.
M. Yeah.
And she, she told me that my love was like intermediate level. So. And uh, till now I'm still. I'm still learning as an intermediate level English with Teacher George, with Tippy. They are so, so great. Good teacher. They like what they do.
And then a couple months later she suggests me to. To become like assistant teacher. So it was very. A good challenge for me.
[00:17:39] Speaker A: Yeah. Myra M. Actually talk a little bit about that. Like that's something that I think is unique to our program and that we invite current students to kind of take on the role of a assistant teacher and maybe one of the lower levels. Can you talk a little bit about what that, what that looks like?
[00:17:55] Speaker B: Yeah. So our, our highest level of um, of English classes is intermediate, um, which has quite a large range. Um, somebody like Jaffanie here who's very conversational and uh, capable.
I would say Jaffani is maybe the. In the higher level range of our intermediate level. Um, and then, you know, kind of varies down a little bit. But at that level they're speaking and they're learning, you know, the. All the different verb conjugations, which most actual native English speakers probably don't know. All of them, we just use them without thinking about it. So they're doing all of this like.
[00:18:34] Speaker A: Um, ac down what some verb conjugation is for those of us who are. Who have not listened to grammar since, uh, the fourth grade or something.
[00:18:43] Speaker B: It's true. I don't actually even. I'm not confident to even say all the names but you know, like present tense. I am past tense. I was. Then you get into the. I have been. I like what they're. They're. Jeophany, help me. I don't even know. Like, this is your test for teacher.
[00:19:02] Speaker A: See, if Teacher George, you're kind of proving your point. You use these words just normally. And um, these are the kind of the finer points of actually having a conversation in the English language, which makes. It makes it hard.
So what kind of. What kind of role those assistant. How do those assistant teachers help in those.
[00:19:23] Speaker B: What it, uh, what it does is it actually serves those intermediate students and those beginner classes because what you do is obviously we hear all the time you learn by teaching. And so to get in a space where you're actually helping someone else understand boosts your own confidence in using the language, using the skills, different things like that. So actually serves the higher level student that it's actually assisting. Um, but then what it does for our beginners is there's somebody in there who has been in their shoes at some point in time who probably speaks a language that somebody else in the room is going to speak. For instance, Joffnie speaks French.
I would say the majority of our English students have a little bit of French. And so what it does is it takes some pressure off of the teacher to like, do all the role model and the demonstration and all of that. And when something's really hard to communicate, the teacher can just say, hey, gioffany. Can you explain that really quick in French? Even if it's like just a classroom instruction that's super simple. So it takes a little bit of pressure off of the beginner students and the teacher in the classroom to have somebody in there who's just a couple steps ahead that can, you know, help alleviate some of the language barrier, can be where they've been, and then can also serve, uh, as inspiration of, uh, look, I've been here. You can do it too. It just takes work and time and patience. But to see someone ahead of you and realize this is possible, it feels impossible right now, but it is possible, is a really powerful thing. And so I would say that's kind of how it serves. And it also just creates the community aspect of the root cellar that we really desire for our students to experience.
You know, these higher level students actually have some ownership and the, the ability to give back. Because the English class is not just something that they are receiving, it's also something that they're able to give as well. And so the, that partnership, you know, that I think one of our values is interdependence. I think that's one of the best ways that we actually live that out is by saying, look, you've got this skill and you, we're serving you as we should, you know, under, you know, the, the model of Jesus. But also, you have this opportunity to also come and serve and help us help you. Basically, it's a really cool opportunity for everybody involved.
[00:22:01] Speaker A: We have built our English programs in both cities to kind of compliment the adult education classes in each city. And it's not to say anything negative about them at all. Just that we, uh, kind of recognize there's a need. I mean, Mahesha, could you describe maybe the scale a little bit? You know, most Japanese story is he came to us from, you know, uh, you know, adult Ed, did not have enough room for him to join and ended up coming to the root cellar from it was referred from the root. So that's, that's the story for most of our students.
But what's the scale? How many students are we serving?
[00:22:35] Speaker B: Yeah, so I think this semester, from January to end of May, that's how long our semester was. That's correct. Was. I think we registered almost 400 students. Our average number of students we served per week, which is probably a more accurate or indicative number, is 150. So English students across all levels, 150 students would walk through the doors of the root cellar in Portland on a week to week basis. Some of those people who have really good attendance, which are unfortunately in the lower percentage, could be twice a week. But at the least it's uh, 150 that we're serving. And really what we've learned and what Joel actually tried to tell me early on and I didn't listen, but I had to learn by experience is that rolling registration is, or as close to it as we can get is the best way to serve people. Because you're throwing out this really big net and maybe they stick. Or maybe you find a Jaffani that suddenly the root cellar is his family and he'll come whenever I call and need him to sub for a class. Cause he's, he's done that too. And so. But you're serving people because they're constantly coming and they're constantly needing something. And so doing our very best to keep the door open for as long as we can really does help and does complement adult education because adult education is constantly full. When we started, it was like 500 people on one wait list. And then there was an additional like waiting list to the wait list. There was another 500 fans. It was just like they're overwhelmed. It's too much. And I think they're down to like 130 people on a wait list right now.
[00:24:16] Speaker A: Yeah, there's still a wait list today that hasn't changed.
[00:24:19] Speaker B: Yeah, there's, there's still people waiting. And so to be able for someone who's maybe new to America, living in a shelter to come and be welcomed in and say we have a place for you is a really cool thing that we get to offer. Yeah, we want you to come here because there's a place for you and you have somewhere that you can belong. And our teachers are coming at you with Christian, coming at you, coming to you. They're coming to you with Christian, you know, values and backgrounds, um, that just desire to love you like Jesus. And so you're not just learning English like you're coming to be a part of a community and to find relationship.
[00:25:00] Speaker A: That's one of the things that's really important for us is to be a welcoming environment. And that rolling admission feature of our program, I think it's pretty unique.
[00:25:08] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:25:09] Speaker A: Because we're not an official adult ed organization. You know, we don't have to be accredited in the same way or anything like that. We don't have those restraints. We can be pretty nimble. And as, uh, someone walks through the door, you know, one of the most important things is to one, be a welcoming environment for them. But two, you know, just learning the language by speaking by practice is what they're wanting to do. You know, Joffney just, he said earlier, you know, just how, how much you wanted, you immediately said, I want to learn English, I need to learn English. You know, uh, and that's that desire, you know, I need to learn, I want to learn. And if we can provide an environment where they can just show up and immediately start learning. You know, we've seen, you know, Meyer, Ashley, you could talk a little bit about this, but we've seen these students, their willingness and desire to learn and do the hard work is.
[00:25:58] Speaker B: Mhm.
[00:25:58] Speaker A: Just one of the most encouraging things. It's uh, that I've seen.
[00:26:02] Speaker B: Yeah. And I would say they're inspirational on our end. Like, I talked to so many, every teacher that I've worked with and you know, you think that you're volunteering and you're going to give something to them and then you get to know them and you experience the work ethic, the desire to learn, often the experience of faith and the maturity of faith that a lot of these students bring in. And you realize that you're actually getting something from them and you're actually receiving more than you think when you thought that you were gonna give. But it's just really cool to see them come in, be willing to do the hard work, um, and desire to like, be an American. Like they've come to America and they want to be here and be a part of it. Um, and that's, you know, some students, they, there's not as much that motivation sometimes it's, you know, I just need to check this box cause someone's telling me that I need English. But the ones that I would say are the majority are the ones that are willing and ready. If you're, if you're going to give them something, they, they're going to take it and run with it. Um, it's inspirational. Yeah. On our end because we can't do that. Like it has to be self motivated. We are just, we just hop in and say, how can I help?
[00:27:22] Speaker A: Yeah, Johannie, what are you doing now? You've been in, in Maine for a few years. Been in English classes for a few years. You know, what are you doing with this knowledge today?
[00:27:33] Speaker C: Yeah, so I'm trying to help a lot of people, the new immigrants, like.
Cause like I said before, as I said before, also assistant teacher.
[00:27:49] Speaker B: Mhm.
[00:27:49] Speaker C: So there are some new immigrants. We come here, they are still like a little bit cheam.
Afraid to speak. So I generally encourage them to speak to, to try to, to explain themselves.
That that's the only way they can do better.
They can learn fast. And then with teacher Joss, I'm still. I also learn a lot because yeah.
Like Marshall say before, by teaching you are learning.
[00:28:30] Speaker B: Mhm.
[00:28:31] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:28:32] Speaker A: Yeah.
You're also working right now, right?
[00:28:36] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:28:37] Speaker A: You have a pretty important job at the airport, I understand.
[00:28:42] Speaker C: Yes, I work for Delta.
Delta airline.
[00:28:47] Speaker A: You work for Delta? Yeah. What's your job with Delta?
[00:28:52] Speaker C: I work as a ramp agent.
So Ramp agent means that.
[00:28:57] Speaker A: Ramp agent. Okay, well, and I don't know I should know this, but what does a ramp agent do?
[00:29:01] Speaker C: Oh my God. So I, uh, work on the ramp. That means that to load and offload bags from the beans, to bring the plane, like to Marshall, Something like that.
[00:29:14] Speaker A: So you're the flagger.
[00:29:16] Speaker C: Yeah. Go to martial.
[00:29:21] Speaker A: Yeah. So there's tens of thousands of tourists that fly into Maine to Portland, uh, to pwm. Uh, you know, they, if when they fly in, there's a good chance if you're on Delta, a Delta flight, they might see you down there with those batons bringing the plane in. Right?
[00:29:38] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:29:40] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:29:41] Speaker B: Excellent.
Every time I fly out, I'm like, jaffni, are you working? Are you gonna be there? Are you gonna see you?
[00:29:48] Speaker C: Maybe one day.
Maybe. I don't know.
[00:29:52] Speaker B: Maybe one day.
[00:29:53] Speaker A: I'll have a one day.
[00:29:54] Speaker C: Now I'm, um, I'm also lead there now. I'm a lead.
So.
[00:30:00] Speaker B: A lead?
[00:30:00] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:30:01] Speaker A: A lead. Wow.
[00:30:02] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:30:02] Speaker A: Congratulations. Moving up.
Johannie. What. What is your, what are your goals here in the United States? What are you hoping for in the future?
[00:30:13] Speaker C: So, um, I can't say for from now.
My goal is to learn English, to improve my English skills.
And then m. After that I want to go back to school.
M.
To university.
To the university, Maybe the college, like smcc.
[00:30:43] Speaker A: Um, so Myra, actually one of the things that we hear a Lot about the immigrant community in general is kind of this idea that they're either going to be taking our jobs or that they're not working or that they're just kind of like taking and taking and taking.
People say that, you know, what do you wish people. What heard really wish people knew about at least the students we work with.
[00:31:08] Speaker B: I think what I wish I, um, want people to know is the work ethic is there. Oftentimes I am pretty humbled to hear, I mean, the wait time they have to wait in order to even get a work permit. I mean if they could, you know, get to America and get a job, the next day, they would be working.
[00:31:31] Speaker A: Joffani, how long did it take for you to get a work permit, get work authorization?
[00:31:37] Speaker C: Six months.
[00:31:39] Speaker A: Six months?
[00:31:39] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. Six months after, uh, to apply your. Right.
In my case, my asylum seeker.
So.
[00:31:49] Speaker A: Yeah, as an asylum seeker.
[00:31:51] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:31:52] Speaker A: There's a six month waiting period effectively for work authorization.
[00:31:56] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:31:57] Speaker A: And so you're willing to work, you want to work, you have, you know, skills to give.
[00:32:02] Speaker B: Yeah. And even, you know, that we talk about the, you know, Portland has the massive, like homeless, like, you know, tent population, panhandling.
[00:32:12] Speaker A: Panhandling kind of.
[00:32:13] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, like panhandling on the streets.
[00:32:15] Speaker A: Right.
[00:32:16] Speaker B: And I've never once seen, um, an immigrant of, you know, from Central Africa. The people that we're serving ever though they would probably have pretty like reasonable excuse to. From American standards. But they want to come to America and they want to do it right and they want to work hard. And so, you know, it's not, it's actually not a, uh, it's not true that they're trying to take. They're actually desiring to come and contribute. And I think another important piece is that they have a lot to contribute. And even just from the point of if we talk about the faith community, I mean the. I'm, um, the majority, a large amount of English students that I have met and built strong relationships with are already strong believers and have experience with faith and Christ and the kingdom of God in a way that my sheltered American, you know, Southern Baptist experience just can't comprehend almost. Um, and it's awesome to see like the family of God coming together in that way. I mean there's these people love Jesus and are ready to reach people for him. And they're coming here to like, come alongside us as the church, um, both of us together as the big C church to like push forward the kingdom of God. And so it becomes this sense of they want to contribute. So I would say, one, they have a lot of work ethic. Two, they have a lot to contribute in terms of skill sets, experience, faith.
All that comes alongside that you're describing.
[00:34:08] Speaker A: Kind of like what God's been doing in bringing, huh, more believers, more followers of Jesus to Maine. You talked earlier about, you know, how your church was a church plant for.
[00:34:18] Speaker C: Uh-huh.
[00:34:18] Speaker A: This location, uh, where there's not a lot of people who are growing Christians, let alone church members or part of an organization. Many of our churches are getting smaller in this city, in the state.
And what we've seen in recent years is just kind of an explosion of churches showing up, becoming a part of the fabric of what God's doing in the state. Primarily because the immigrant community has just grown so drastically, uh, specifically through the African immigrants that are. That have joined this community. So, yeah, that's it. It's kind of. It's kind of an amazing story to see that develop.
It's a hot button topic, immigration. Something that is. Is become this, like, big political rallying point, kind of this pro or anti thing, uh, that's out there. I think it's.
It's interesting. We're kind of at the root cellar. We're more concerned about the people that are, like, just right in front of us. And what we see is that this, this. This. This beautiful community that's. That's coming together. Joffanie, you described the. The, uh, root cellar as your family here in. In Maine, which just is. You know, we're so blessed by that. Could you talk a little bit more about when you say that? I mean, are you thinking about one of your teachers? Are you thinking about. Know who are you thinking about when you say the root seller is your. Is your family?
[00:35:37] Speaker C: So what's, uh, I want to talk about when I'm talking about Twistler is your family. I'm talking about everything here.
You know, people, teachers, uh, everybody like your. Your family.
They not only teach you English, so they teach you everything here in the US and they also give you help.
I remember sometimes Mara actually gave me some bus tickets to share to the students.
[00:36:14] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:36:15] Speaker C: And when I was doing that, they were so happy because sometimes some, um, some student was working to.
To come. To come here to come to. To. To Woodster. That's why I say it's family.
[00:36:35] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:36:36] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:36:38] Speaker A: Well, Johannie, uh, we are just really thankful that you are part of this family, the rooteller. We're thankful for the role you've played here. You've been just a real. You've done a great job just talking about the root cellar to other students, other English students. You've just been this great ambassador for us.
You know, you joined us at our 40th anniversary celebration here in Portland and kind of shared more of your story there.
It's been a blessing to get to know you and I'm just really, really grateful for your contribution today to this conversation. Myra Ashley, there's, there's still a need. We have over 20 volunteers running this program currently serving week to week, about 150 students. But over the course of a semester we're looking over 400, over 400 or so. So this, this is a huge need. How can people get in contact with you? How can people, what are the roles they could be playing?
What does that look like to volunteer in its program?
[00:37:28] Speaker B: Mhm. Um, call the root seller, email me is I love my email. It's so fun. It's just Myra ashley@theroot seller.org Send me an email, say I want to help with English and we will get you plugged in because there's, we never run out of spots but I would say probably the roles. I mean we're always looking for people who are interested in being uh, uh, a lead English teacher. The more classes we offer, the more students we can serve and the smaller our classes can be. So you can you know, build relationship with students on a deeper level. And we really don't, I should add, we don't just throw you straight into teaching lead English class.
I've made that mistake a couple times. And what we do is if that's something you're interested in, then you'll assist with uh, experienced English teacher for um, a period of time and get a feel for it. See if that's something that is really a place you would be comfortable or interested in maybe stepping out of your comfort zone.
[00:38:26] Speaker A: Um, um, yeah, it's uh, you get, get a chance to hang out with incredible people like Jaff.
[00:38:31] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:38:32] Speaker A: No, Myra Ashley, uh, you know you're describing the support structure that we've kind of put in place. We've really invested in, put our resources in supporting a volunteer group. That's what, that's primarily what, how we're making this happen. It's how we've been able to scale it up. We couldn't possibly afford to put together that you know, 20 teachers full time.
But uh, but the volunteers have made us made this possible really day in and day out, they're absolutely incredible. So yeah, if you'd love to like more information about that if you'd like to support it. This is a great way. There's so much. This is every dollar gets stretched specifically in this program. I mean, hundreds of people are supported through really a relatively small program budget. And it's really, really incredible to, to see God at work. Through it. You can be part of welcoming the stranger, welcoming the immigrant among us, just as the native born, what Leviticus talks about. And that's really what this program looks like. So, Joffany, Myra, Ashley, thank you so much for joining us on, uh, this episode of the Root Cellar podcast. And, uh, I'd love to have you back soon. Uh, Japan will have you back later to get an update, so thanks so much.
[00:39:36] Speaker C: You're welcome.
[00:39:37] Speaker B: Thanks, Joel.
[00:39:38] Speaker C: See you.
[00:39:39] Speaker A: Thank you for listening to this episode of the Root Cellar podcast.
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[00:40:07] Speaker C: Uh.
[00:40:10] Speaker B: Farther along.
[00:40:15] Speaker C: Understand why.
[00:40:19] Speaker A: So cheer up my.
[00:40:21] Speaker B: Brothers.
[00:40:25] Speaker A: Live in the song uh uh.
