sl mag 2018 for web

FULFILLED DREAMS
Charlene Accetturo, Guest Educator Thailand
Going to Thailand I really didn’t know what to
expect. I went to partner with an organization
called Shear Love and the plan was to teach students
how to do hair. This has been my dream
since even before I became a hairstylist. The
eight years of dreaming finally became a reality
and all of it was better than I had ever dreamed.
For one month I spent my time working in Pattaya,
Thailand. A statistic that Shear Love shared
with me was according to the TIP Report, the
anti-trafficking police, and task force agencies in
Thailand, is that there are an estimated 150,000
women, men, and children being sold in Pattaya.
Dianna Bautista, the director and founder
of Shear Love, would say, “There could be 20
Shear Loves in Pattaya and it still wouldn’t be
enough…”
As the weeks went by, I was continuously surprised
by the students who were ready to learn
and also ready to love. I assumed that because
of where these students were coming from they
would be closed off towards me. I was happily
wrong. One student told me a bit of her story
about her husband and how he had passed
away. She was so patient with me as I tried to
understand her Thai-English. She didn’t give up
or feel frustrated when I asked her to repeat her
questions. She was so loving and graceful and
her smile and hug at the end of the conversation
filled my soul. She barely knew me, and she had
no reason to be vulnerable with me. Shear Love
has created an environment for the men and
women to learn how to receive and give genuine
love. These students are being healed as they
learn to trust and believe in God.
Even though I was there for just a month, my
heart is full with memories that will remain as
treasures in my heart. God has used this ministry
to impact so many lives. I have witnessed an
organization strive to give these students a life
of education and dignity through cosmetology. I
cannot say thank you enough.
NOT SO LOST IN TRANSLATION
Jenna Lewis, English Instructor Thailand
I might be biased, but English class is kind of
::cough:: the best. Aside from hearing the students
use practical idioms throughout the day
like ‘being hangry’ and ‘killing it,’ watching them
grasp concepts and use correct grammar during
conversation (“I go.. no wait.. I went”) is pretty
tops. They bring energy and jokes and put up
with my occasional soap box, like talking about
why dating jealous people is not okay during a
lesson on emotions.
One particularly sweet day, a student with a
bright, sometimes stubborn smile and a history
of needing assistance with even the simplest of
words and activities caught me off guard. A new
student had just joined the program and was
looking at me blankly after I explained a concept
in English, and our translator happened to be off
for the morning. Before I could respond, a Thai
translation came out of her with easy confidence
and little knowing sass. I almost dribbled my coffee
I was smiling so big.
We spend a lot of time navigating ‘lost in translation’
nuances in the classroom, and while most
make for entertaining stories and bring laughter
to the salon, the moments of complete clarity
are like a breath of fresh air, bringing us all a little
closer and encouraging each of us to keep fighting
to move forward.
Jenna was the English Instructor at Shear Love Thailand for
2 years. She created our entire English curriculum. Jenna is
now the vocational program director with one of our partner
organizations is South East Asia. She oversees Shear Love’s
training program along with the jewelry design, culinary arts,
and apparel manufacturing of our partnering foundation.
10 | Awaken
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