Thursdays

The past several Thursdays (and for nearly 4 months last Spring) I have been volunteering with an amazing organization that helps immigrant and refugee women get what is pretty much the equivalent to the American GED certificate.  The test requires a passing grade in German, Biology, English and Math. The organization is called TIO and is mostly funded by the government. 

These women come from mostly worn torn countries - Afghanistan, Kosovo, Syria, Turkey, Macedonia - and are really trying to better their lives.  Over the course of the past few months I have gotten to know them and a bit of their stories.  All of them speak German already. They have been in Berlin (or somewhere in Germany) from between one year and their entire lives.  Most women are between the ages of 18 and 40.  Most of them have children and all of them want so badly to be able to speak English enough to pass the test.  After they pass the test they will go on to do internships and then find full or part time work. 

My part is to pull them out of class one at a time up to three at a time and practice conversational skill which they will need for their test.  They are so receptive and so eager to learn and so very kind.  This Thursday we worked one and one with their presentation.  One part of the English test will be for them to give a 3 minute presentation about themselves talking about the basics of their life and further about their hobbies.  Nearly every one of them enjoys mostly spending time with their families. Nearly all of them long to be with their extended families back in their homeland but all of them are grateful to be living in a country with so many more possibilities given to them as women.

After volunteering I picked up Benjamin and we rode our bikes to get his haircut.  He was getting pretty moppy.  The haircut place happens to be right across the street from his favorite doner place. Win! Win!

In construction news - our house is still a PIT!!  Someday... someday...

This is our back door which has been completely unusable for nearly THREE weeks!! We ripped off the very small and quirky back deck and are rebuilding stairs out these two double doors and then a large patio area onto the grass.  

 Enormous HOLE outside that door.  We have it fully locked but still. The hole is probably 10+feet deep. What a mess!

And our lovely Front Yard!!