Mrs. vanden bosch - spanish immersion coordinator

"About six years ago a group of home school mothers and I, passionate about language and culture, joined forces to begin a Spanish immersion preschool for our youngest children.  How God would shape and grow our small desire to raise our children to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our increasingly interconnected world through the means of immersion in a second language and culture, I would never have been able to imagine...

Since Zeeland Christian adopted "El Puente," and began immersing children in the Spanish language and culture, I see God's pleasure at the unity and understanding between His children in spite of language and cultural differences. Our El Puente teachers show the love of Jesus in the classroom.  Their students then spread that love throughout the community as they use their language to connect with native Spanish speakers in profound ways.  They have even had the opportunity to be part of God's plan for the world.  Children visiting the States from Spanish speaking countries have learned side by side with our El puente students, finding a place of love and acceptance although they are far from home.  When a little boy from Honduras can learn to read and write in his native language here in Zeeland, Michigan, I have to believe that our heavenly Father is deeply pleased.  Perhaps then we are beginning to live out Jesus' desire...His desire to see "a church (community of believers) built not only upon truth, but one built out, like a bridge, into the world (Robert Lewis)."

- Stacey Vanden Bosch