As the church door swings to a close, a room full of quiet suddenly erupts with echoes of laughter and delighted squeals. Not yet three steps through the door, students are met with eager requests from children to play tag and pick them up.
These are the kinds of experiences that Westminster students will discover at Engage St. Louis.
Engage St. Louis – also called ESTL, but known to the WCA community as ESL – became a reality for the St. Louis community in early 2010, when the well-known organization Refuge of Nations joined forces with other like-minded programs. Together, they provide immigrant families with opportunities for education, discipleship, and counseling.
“The purpose of our ministry is to walk alongside immigrant and refugee families, providing them with personal support through long-term relationships as they navigate life in a new culture and country. This takes a multitude of different forms, including home visits, special events, and the provision of counseling and food,” said Tim Baldwin, ESTL staff member.
Yet, ESTL does not only provide for families’ physical needs.
“In addition to helping individuals settle in and providing for basic needs, ESTL is able to minister to families through the gospel,” said Joan Dudley, upper school Spanish teacher.
Dudley helps to organize WCA’s time at ESTL on Wednesday nights once per month. During this time, Westminster students watch the children of Hispanic families while parents have the opportunity to participate in a Bible study.
Holly Sumner, junior, never misses the chance to attend the program.
“I’ve missed only one ESTL night in the last three years. I don’t quite remember why, but it must have been a pretty compelling reason because I really love to do it,” said Sumner.
These Wednesday nights are not just a blessing to parents, who are able to take some time to study the Word of God, but they are also a blessing for the children.
“From the happy squeals I hear while we act like monsters and chase the kids around, it’s clear that they enjoy playing with high school students and getting individual attention,” said Sumner.
In addition to the program’s participants, there is one more group who is touched by the program: the students.
“After a few times, I realized that the wee ones were blessing me in so many ways. I love having the fellowship and spending the time with the kids even if some don’t speak English. It’s possible to be their friend even if their lives and ethnicities are completely different from your own,” said Nina Thampy, junior.
Though students may assume that they must speak Spanish in order to attend ESTL, this is not the case.
“I would encourage anyone who enjoys hanging out with kids to get involved with ESTL. This year, we’ve been privileged to have members of the French club come along with us, and we even sang some songs in French last month. Most of the kids speak some English anyway, so communication is no problem,” said Sumner.
But for those who do speak Spanish, ESTL offers a very unique opportunity.
“If you’re tired of all those tedious workbook pages and irregular verbs, here’s your official invitation to come see Spanish in a new, more meaningful light,” said Sumner.
Overall, what Westminster sees of ESTL once per month is just a small fraction of the entire program. Yet, it is still a huge blessing to families in the St. Louis community. If students are looking to bless others and be blessed, to both reach out to the community and be touched by the community, ESTL offers the perfect opportunity.
