From the mission field: Teaching English in the Czech Republic

Chelsea Irwin, LCMS missionary to the Eurasia region, teaches English to preschool students in the Czech Republic. (Chelsea Irwin)

The monthly “From the Mission Field” column includes brief updates from LCMS missionaries around the world.

Chelsea Irwin serves in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Eurasia region as missionary coordinator for volunteer opportunities. Based out of Český Těšín, Czech Republic, she works with LCMS missionaries and local church partners to place and send volunteers to serve in the Eurasia region.

Recently, Irwin added another type of service to her days as she began teaching English to local preschool students. In a recent newsletter, Irwin wrote:

“God has finally opened a door … I have been dreaming about … since I was in high school! When I expressed the desire to our church partner, she called the director of three Christian preschools in a nearby city. The director happily agreed and met with me to talk about curriculum and share about each school I would be visiting.

“I agreed to teach just two mornings each week at three different preschools. On the first day, as I entered the school, I had butterflies in my stomach. But there are some situations on the mission field that seem so familiar you may even forget you are not in your passport country. When I entered the preschool classroom, all my nerves faded as I saw so many familiar items and the structural setup of the room.

“Once I sat in front of the kids, I almost began to cry because I was so happy! It was a blast putting together my early childhood training and my English-as-a-Second-Language training into one lesson. I am continually amazed that somehow, with small children, the language barrier is no obstacle. The smile I started with stayed throughout the entire lesson as we learned each other’s names and played games to review colors.

“I prayed a joyful prayer of thanks as I walked to the bus station to travel to the second school. Since that first day, I am now welcomed each week by hugs from the kids and questions about what activities we will be doing during English class.”

Read more about Irwin’s missionary work at lcms.org/irwin.

Posted July 25, 2023