When_the_Nations_Come_to_Us.pdf

A Q & A With SALT Coordinator Carol Van Ess

Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the United States, with an estimated 50,000 living here (though informal estimates among Somalis range higher). Such a cross-cultural influx has lingual implications for everything from street signs to school classrooms to clinics to street police and stores. … And outreach.

Enter SALT and Bethlehem Urban Initiatives (BUI). Carol Van Ess is our BUI-SALT Coordinator who oversees two part-time employees plus about 40 volunteers. Here’s how she answered some questions about the SALT ministry …

What does the SALT acronym stand for?

What is SALT? What are its aims and methods? SALT stands for Somali Adult Literacy Training. SALT is an outreach to the Somali community to provide a practical need in the name of Jesus. Our goals are to 1) teach English and literacy, 2) build friendships, and 3) share the hope we have in Christ as we have opportunity. Seasonally, as part of our program, we have the students read through the Christmas and the Resurrection stories.

We have formal English instruction, time for tutoring, and self-guided computer time as well. SALT meets Monday through Thursday mornings, 9am–Noon.

Who participates?

We have three trained ESL teachers who teach the classes. The rest of our team is made up of volunteers who come from a variety of churches. We currently serve about 20 students, sometimes more.

Where does this instruction take place?

Our classes are on the 3rd floor of the education portion of Bethlehem’s Downtown Campus.

How much training is required to be a SALT volunteer? What does training look like?

We do not require that our volunteers have experience.

None?

None. We provide mostly on-the-job training after an initial orientation. Each volunteer is matched with a student during the tutor time and given instructions by the teacher. The teacher also coaches and guides the volunteers as they go along. Also, we have two days of volunteer training each year, one in the Fall and one in the Spring.

What is the time commitment for SALT volunteers?

We ask for a minimum commitment of at least three months, but we encourage a longer commitment. It takes time to build relationships so it’s best when a volunteer can make a long-term commitment. They can come for as little as one hour a week or as much as four mornings a week. It depends on their availability.

We also encourage our volunteers to spend time with a student outside of class in order to develop a deeper relationship. This takes even more time, but it’s necessary for sharing important things in a trusted relationship.

Can you give a flavor of the ministry?

There are always several stories behind the scenes and thousands of unseen things that God is doing. One example is a volunteer who has been reaching out to a student by spending more time with her in her home by sharing meals together resulting in a number of spiritual conversations. Recently they had a conversation about paradise and how to get there. The student believes she needs to be a really good person to reach paradise. The volunteer shared that when we put our trust in Jesus, who is one with God, we do not need to earn his favor and love.

Because this volunteer has made a long-term commitment to SALT and has taken time to get to know students outside of class, she is able to have this type of conversation, which we pray will produce fruit some day.

What is required in order to operate SALT?

To start, we need a coordinator and trained teachers (which we have in place). Then, we need enough volunteers to do the one-on-one tutoring. Our whole program is volunteer-dependent. The more consistent and dedicated volunteers we have, the more students we can have.

What are the most pressing needs in SALT?

We need more volunteers willing to be consistent and committed. Volunteers make it possible to attract more students. We have many absences on both sides, which makes it difficult to build consistency in the students’ learning and in building relationships with them.

Are there other services a volunteer could perform besides tutoring?

We also need more volunteers to help with driving students to and from class and to help in the computer lab.

Your title includes “BUI.” What is BUI?

Bethlehem Urban Initiatives is an outgrowth of Bethlehem Baptist Church for doing outreach in the city, a mobilizing organization with an urban focus.

As a BUI partner, are you required to raise financial support?

Yes. This is not a funded BUI staff position. Ministry like this happens when people give.

Do you have any prayer requests for the SALT ministry?

Yes, pray that …

1. We will not grow weary in doing good.
2. God will open the hearts of our students to the Savior.
3. Our program will grow in numbers and affect.

Carol Van Ess is serving with Bethlehem Urban Initiatives as the Somali Adult Literacy Training Coordinator.