End of Mission Closure

 Our mission is over, and we didn’t get to tell about it, so here is an online you overview. We served for 2 years and 4 months--first as teachers of EnglishConnect classes, and later as the directors of the Community Resource Center. Beyond the staffing for 17 classes a week of English, we offered rotating US citizenship and computer classes. In addition to the communication, managing/training staff, ordering supplies, and teaching/subbing…I personally developed and taught (including notebooks, handouts, manipulatives, slideshows, practice tests, etc.) 2 different Citizenship classes (since the Citizenship test changed midyear in 2025). I also taught one of the computer classes (and my husband taught a couple). Lastly, I developed an English reading library in the building.

We managed all that had to accomplished with the staff, students, and Spanish-speaking missionaries--(who attended the classes to help translate and practice English in small group conversations as a service) since most of our students were Hispanic. The missionaries were also there because part of EnglishConnect is teaching principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that help us also in our learning. Those Principles of Learning also allowed us to share scripture stories from all standard works, and personal examples of that principle (always sharing our testimonies when we taught them. Those Principles of Learning were to be taught in their native language so they could understand what we taught. That was why we needed Spanish-speaking missionaries. But the relationships they developed with the students when we had conversation, often allowed for testimony bearing, clarifications of the scripture stories, and whenever we came, or at dinner hour, or when we left the Center, the missionaries were there in multiple rooms, giving discussions to our students. Just for the short time I taught, I had 4 of my students join the Church. Many more students joined the Church from other classes. We were an integral part of the Gathering of Israel.

The missionaries served with us every Tuesday and Thursday, during the dinner hour, so it also meant we fed about 14 missionaries every Tuesday and Thursday for dinner—and at least twice a month, we fed the entire staff of about 20-25 teachers/missionaries to allow time for the staff to celebrate birthdays, share ideas, and allow me to give inservice training. We turned over our service to our replacements about a month earlier than planned, due to my siblings telling me my mother was dying, (but we still were able to train them before we left.)

Since I was so rushed to see my mother, I didn’t feel I had closure the way it would have normally happened…but today I got it. I went to a random temple session and there were 6 of the missionaries we had worked with in the same session as us. One of them started his mission with us one day out of his language training in Mexico City…and now, he was leaving. The mission president was there to hug all the departing missionaries, and when we walked in the chapel, I immediately heard my name from several sisters. “Sister Wideman!” I turned and saw them showing ‘hearting’ me and mouthing, “I love you.” I was overjoyed to see them there.

Then, when we went in the session, all the temple workers who I had previously served with for at least 5 years (we changed shift days since we couldn’t serve on Tuesdays and Thursdays on our mission) were serving us. I was overcome with joy to see them all and have them greet me. The lady next to me asked, “Do you know everyone here?” I felt like I did.

When the session started, I was already weeping; I mean, what are the odds of this random ‘meeting’ in such a sacred place, being with such special people I had served with? I felt like it had been orchestrated just for me, because I miss serving with all those missionaries. I was able to say good-bye and hug them. It was the closure I wanted and needed.

PS: Another bonus: When I was set apart as a missionary I was promised 2 things. I was promised that my health would be such that I would be always able to serve (I was not sick a day in the entire time I served) and that the students would feel and know how much I loved them. I loved every on of them. One of them is our 'adopted nieta' who helped interpret and serve the entire time we were there.

PPS: We had many classes all over Houston come to see how we ran our Community Center. We had Salt Lake City come visit us twice. The writers of the course (BYU language studies) came and tested some of the classes that were at the beginning of the course, and will come to measure the growth at the end of the course (this month.) We are the only Community Center they are testing. That means that almost all our students do not belong to our Church and the classes are free because all the teachers are volunteers. We have even had some students come and volunteer for credit hours from their high school extra-curricular requirements.

• 3 sets of Spanish missionaries and 1 set of English missionaries serving in the Fallbrook Community Resource Center
• 2 sets of Spanish missionaries in the Kleinwood EnglishConnect classes
• 4 junior service missionaries in the Fallbrook Community Resource Center

Memories from the last 2+ years: 

• The day Elder LeCeminant got set apart to be a service missionary, on the day the stake was explaining self-reliance programs to the adult members. When he heard of EnglishConnect he came up to me (Sister Wideman) and said, "We get to choose what we want to do, and I want to do EnglishConnect. He has been teaching EnglishConnect 2 with another service missionary for 2 years. They have developed a one on one strategy in order to teach because several of his students didn't want to go to EnglishConnect 3, but were ready for the program, so on their own, they designed curriculum to reach the level each student was at. Lots of conversation, reading, writing and fun games, but I heard them bear their testimonies. Because they had one on one with the missionaries and helpers, the students were not afraid to ask questions about the Church that was brought out in the Principle of Learning. Many missionary discussions resulted from that, and the spirit was strong in their class. The teaching of those two service missionaries would rival that of any experienced teacher.
• The Haines' sister missionaries came up with the idea to start a Whatsapp group for their class. Because of that their students were contacted at least once a week outside of the in-person class time. The students were asked questions or given challenges to keep them reviewing what they had been taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those same missionaries knocked on 150 doors in January and gave The Community Resource Center cards to attend EnglishConnect classes. Those sister missionaries stood at the Center entrance and welcomed all the people they had invited to come.
• The Goehrings' gave their specific missionaries leftover oranges from snacks after each class. Those elders have yet to have any left when they get home on Tuesday or Thursday evenings. because they hand them out to the homeless people on the way home.
• It is usual, that as we leave the Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the missionaries are teaching discussions to the EnglishConnect students from their classes. I remember Reda being taught through facetime with the missionaries in another mission who spoke Arabic.
• When the missionaries would find out that some EnglishConnect teacher is injured or sick, they would come early and set up the classrooms for them without being asked.
• In the two+ years of being at the Center, I (Karen Wideman) had 4 of her students join the church. We would participate in the baptisms. Elder LeCheminant would sing at some. There were many more baptisms from other classes.
• I will never forget when we told all the missionaries to get to Fallbrook Community Resource Center early so we could set up and be trained by the BYU language department to test two of the classes from the Center. The head BYU person came in and all the missionaries stood shoulder to shoulder stretching across the gym. She said, "I need 13 Spanish speakers" to translate, and we just went down the row because they were all there. We finished in half the time as any other cities' classes they tested in Salt Lake City because of our missionaries. I remember looking at that line of missionaries and feeling so proud; feeling such joy, that I certainly felt how Heavenly Father must feel about those missionaries, who have said, "Here am I, use me."
• Elder LeCheminant's Class, Me having 20 mins to talk to the advanced student,..Answering "What did the scripture mean in the Principle of Learning?" and spending 15 mins sharing miracles that happened in my life and see her tears as she felt the spirit, then,having her also recognize and recall and feel the spirit as she reiterated the miracles of her life.
• The student asked about the principle of learning, and asked What is this Book of Mormon you keep talking about? Then they shut down the class as the missionaries taught the first discussion to the wntire class.
• Me getting the gift of understanding tongues when Axel was speaking in Spanish to an English 2 student in the foyer and saying we don't believe in the Bible, then we didn't read the Bible. Then he said we worshiped the Book of Mormon. All these I heard, and knew what he was saying and denied those clasms, which lead to questions as to what is the Book of Mormon, and he asked if we had one, and he took a Spanish Book of Mormon home that day.