For me, was darkness, was totally dark.

I didn't know how to act.

Language was just a great barrier because communication is essential.

So for me, it was totally darkness and I was scared.

Scared to go out with it, scared to talk and make a mistake.

So we'll go ahead and get started with tea time.

All right.

So from but love, you know.

You travel in a foreign country, you can have $1,000,000 in your pocket.

You don't have the language.

You're disadvantaged.

I remember starting out and I had lived in Dubuque for a while, and I was looking for places.

I had a car.

I had a phone in English was my first language and I couldn't find the places.

If the resources are there, but they're hard to find.

Then there's a correction that needs to happen.

We open our doors about 20 years ago.

22 when the Pope in the nineties talked about how there was just an influx of refugees from all over the world that, you know, needed to start over again, needed to rebuild their lives.

I made an appeal to people that we needed to welcome them.

You know, and develop places that could do that and find out what do they need most and how can we meet those needs.

The Lantern Center came out of the decision of the sisters at the presentation saying we wanted to take another step, as in especially with a sensitivity to women and children.

Nothing against men, but oftentimes they're the poorest and hungry people in the cities and on the planet.

And that's.

Understanding English.

And the plan that evolved was one on one tutoring, which was really an important piece because friendship, development and the friendships that developed between that tutor and that English language learner was life giving.

We were lucky.

My husband has a job opportunity, so we came here.

Yeah, he's bilingual.

I wasn't, to be honest.

I was very, very scared just to go out.

And I was scared.

People ask me something like Dr. Subhumans or when you go to the grocery and you act in this way.

What did you gain from coming here?

Confidence.

I came to learn a language and I gained a life.

I learned the language.

I am able to walk.

I am able to help the community.

Now I can express myself.

But also I can be the voice for the ones who are newcomers.

Sometimes we.

We feel alone.

And you come into this feeling to this place.

And you feel so good.

Make me feel like this is my whole, you know.

They call me with my citizenship for my English.

I'm trying to work in my G.E.D., and it is free.

That's amazing.

You know this Amazing.

They do not pay anything.

Everything is free.

We have significant support still from the sisters of the presentation.

And we also have a lot of individual donors.

As time goes on, you see people who were originally students with us often eventually come back and want to give back to the Lantern Center as well.

Whether that's through financial support or often as volunteers too.

And that's really satisfying as well.

This is our annual picnic from for the presentation Center Volunteer Group.

So we're honoring the tutors and we've invited all of our teachers and learners and it's just a fun time to eat greed and meat.

We cannot thank you enough.

Your tutors for all that you do.

Let's give everybody a round.

When the students come in, I also interview them and find out what their education goals.

I do an assessment with them to find out their language level.

Are they wanting to gain English so that they can get a better job?

Or are they ready to apply for citizenship to a tutor to help them?

First of all, Linton said.

It made me an independent and help me.

They realized, what is the purpose of life?

Help me driving banking.

What is the lifestyle and Jewish culture?

Next Wednesday.

Learning a language is kind of like a lifetime process, and I think that they know that we're here for them and different steps of their journey.

They may be completely perfected.

Their English in our eyes, but they want to move on to the next level.

You know, for a lot of people, life is hard and a little bit of kindness and a little bit of help can make a world of difference for us.

This is a place where three things happen.

You're welcomed.

You can learn the language and you have somebody there who's a cultural broker.

This is how the system works.

This is what you need to know.

This is where you go for these resources.

And are you going to be always going to be connected?

Because this interchange my life, I came for English and they changed my life.

Not having a vehicle.

You don't have a car that's hard