TESTIMONIALS
FROM PEOPLE LIKE YOU
Dear Sr. Riegg -
Where to start?! First of all, praise the Lord and thank you so, so much for another amazing year of Spanish!!! Your class is something I look forward to every single week, and I can't believe how far I've come in just 3 years! I was thinking about this a few days ago, and I realized that, in a way, it's really your last job to teach me Spanish. Your first job (which I think is something you do naturally) is discipling your students and helping them grow in their faith and in other aspects of life such as school. I love how you prioritize Jesus, prayer, Bible, and community in every class, and you do an excellent job of pointing everything back to Jesus!
I truly think I've grown more in the last 3 years than in any other time in my life. I love how even at 8:30 on a Wednesday morning when I'm not quite awake yet we make time for the Lord throughout our language learning. I know you remind all your students and parents that the goal of learning Spanish is to glorify the Lord, and I think if I had started learning Spanish with any other focus (like soley for the ability to speak a second language), I wouldn't have fallen so deeply in love with the language!
It is such a beautiful thing to be able to communicate with the Spanish speakers in my church - they have told me (even during my first year in your class when I couldn't speak very well and my confidence was definitely not as big) that having someone speak in their heart language was so refreshing and they felt that I really cared about them individually! It didn't matter the words I spoke or how badly I messed up; they were simply blessed by my efforts! That reminds me of something Jesus would do - we often mess up but He is blessed by our efforts for Him no matter how small. I know that Jesus is smiling upon you, your family, and your classes.
Also, how can I not mention the Mexico mission trips?! The 2 I've been on to RSM have literally been life-changing!!! So thank you for providing me with those opportunities! I know how much work you have to put into those kinds of trips, but I'm so glad that you've taken on this challenge year after year. It's really amazing how much personal growth I can see after being in a foreign country for a week (or two, if you combine both trips)! I've never met so many whole hearted Jesus-lovers and I've made many amazing friendships that I know will last a lifetime.
Okay, sorry this is soooooo long, but I seriously can not say enough good things about what you are doing through LWS!!! My life has been totally changed - like actually my life course. I've always had a heart for missions, but after going to Mexico with LWS twice, I know that I'd love to do more, and something like a Discipleship Training School through YWAM when I get just a bit older. Thank you for instilling that love for missions and a heart for the people the God has made in me through learning Spanish!! I've been blessed so incredibly much by everything you've taught me these last 3 years, and I cannot wait to start again in Spanish 4 next year!!!
Dios le bendiga,
Libby :)
I believe that God gives us our interests and passions to use in a way that brings Him glory, which is why I've committed to serving at a Christian camp in Bolivia for two years. I'm so excited to be able to immerse myself in Spanish and to share the gospel through that process! I already have a strong foundation in the language, largely because of Sr. Riegg's class and his emphasis on conversational skills. To God be the glory!
-Rachel, former student
I wanted to let you know that what you are teaching in class is really making a difference in my life, and I know more Spanish than I think I do. I practiced the Spanish 1 Bible verses today, and I only had to look at the first few words and then it would come back to me, and I could say the verse for memory. The other day, I was also practicing what I would say to share the gospel with someone in Spanish. I realized that though I didn't have all the exact words, I could use Bible verses and other words to get around the words I didn't know and I could still share the love of Jesus. In conclusion, I'm not trying to boast or be proud. I'm just sincerely thanking you for the time you take to share the gift of language with your students. I know that that gift will stay with me for the rest of my life no matter how much Spanish I remember or use during my lifetime. Thank you for being such a blessing in my life! I also wanted to say that it's encouraging to see another Christian who is truly trying to follow Jesus with everything they have in this wild world. Thanks again for everything you do! - Libby (Spanish 2 student)
My daughter has enjoyed Living Waters Spanish, as Sr. Riegg has made learning a foreign language approachable and fun! The online weekly classes were engaging, as well as challenging with it's immersion approach. As a parent, I appreciated how the assignments were designed to keep my child actively listening to and speaking Spanish on a daily basis throughout the course of the year. The highlight of this class has been seeing my child gain confidence in speaking to other native Spanish speakers. Sr. Riegg has also done a wonderful job bringing Christ into his class as the motivation for his students to be able speak Spanish for God's glory.
Gracias Sr. Riegg! ~ Kristine J. (Spanish 1 parent)
¡Hola Sr. Riegg!
I hope you and your family are well. I’ve somewhat settled into life here at Whitworth, taking Spanish this fall, and just wanted to say how much I appreciate your dedication to teaching and everything you’ve poured into me. Even though it’s a 300-level class it’s been a breeze so far thanks to five years in your classes, your method of teaching through active conversation, and your emphasis on immersion.
You always made learning a new language seem nonthreatening and fun, which is part of why I’ve declared Spanish as a minor :). I hope LWS is still going strong and that you continue to give more students a love for Spanish and serving Jesus.
Thanks for everything! Isaac
Dear Brad and Marcy, Thank you so much for doing such a great job with Living Waters Spanish. As a mom, I so appreciate all that you have taught my sons over the years. What a blessing! They are always speaking Spanish around the house and have the ability to understand and converse with the native speakers they run into. This program teaches students to be able to communicate effectively and quickly. We are at the end of an era for the Blazer family. Isaiah is going to be transitioning to other areas of focus next year. He will take the CLEP exam within the next several months, and I have no doubt that he will do VERY well (as James did). I will continue to recommend you to all homeschooling families looking for a high quality, effective language learning program.
May the Lord continue to bless you richly and abundantly as you pursue Him! Mary (Mom)
Estimado Sr. Riegg, Este año en español ha sido muy inspirador para mí. Si alguien más me hubiera enseñado, probablemente hubiera sido muy aburrido. Pero fui bendecido con un salón divertido y lleno de risas. Así que no importa lo mal que me fue el día, el aula me trajo alegría. Y con todo eso, gracias por ser un profesor tan amable y
cariñoso. Isabella
Hi Brad and Marcy, I just wanted to share some good news with you: Isaac took the AP Spanish exam in May, and I’m happy to say he got a 5 [highest possible score, and good for college credit] on it. Thank you so much for all you’ve poured into him these past years. Blessings, Dee (Mom)
Hello there!...Last semester in my College Writing I class, our final was to write a paper in 30 minutes about our favorite/most impressionable teacher in high school, I wrote about you. I described how you taught us that knowledge is invaluable and a way to know God, glorify God, spread Jesus, and love people. And while mastering Spanish always remained the goal, you also taught us that that's not the most important thing and that our identity/worth is not found in our grades, failures, or accomplishments. You cared deeply for each student in your class and you took the time to get to know, serve, and love each person. You set the example of stewardship and using our talents for Jesus by taking us to Mexico each year.
You are part of the reason I want to be a teacher, because I want to teach my students the same thing: that knowledge is important, necessary, and a way of obeying God, but the fact that we are loved and known by God is always the most important thing. Thank you for being a role model, and inspiration, a reason, a representation of Christ, a joy, and a blessing.
I love and miss your family dearly, maybe I can stop by sometime next year on my way home from school. Thank you really does not sum up how much gratitude I feel for you and your teaching, please just be calmed and encouraged and reminded that you make a big difference. God bless, praying for you, Moriah (past student)
The online Living Waters Spanish class has been a great help to me! This program gave me the opportunity to learn Spanish through the use of God’s word, songs of praise, and Bible stories, and provided other people also learning Spanish to interact with and share encouragement in each lesson. I am now on my way to Mexico for the 3rd time to serve with Mexican Medical Ministries and am looking forward to using what I’ve learned.
I am thankful for the Riegg family for their commitment to teaching this language all for the furtherance of the gospel!
Shelbe (Student)
You have been a great teacher! It has been so wonderful to be apart of your class and wish everyone could experience learning Spanish together in this way. Thank you for all your work and patience with us. You make Spanish fun and give us a foundation to keep on learning it. I have loved learning the Bible and Spanish together! Thank you again. Kristen
"The girls have learned so much from your husband [Brad], and when we pray for him and your family, they refer to him as "an amazing teacher." Don and I are very thankful for the influence he's had, and for his continual testimony of living every part of our lives for the Lord." - Robyn (Mom) Mr. and Mrs. Riegg, Thank you both for dedicating your time to our spanish class, and thank you for being such an awesome teacher, I have learned soo much in your class, and I had a lot of fun. I really appreciate the way you bring God and the Bible into everything we did in class, I really appreciate both of you, and it was so nice to finally meet you Mrs. Riegg, after seeing pictures of you all year, and emailing you...Thank you both so much, and I hope to see you next year!! Ellie (student)
"Mr. Riegg! I just wanted to thank you for all of the years you taught me Spanish! I am helping run a Clothes Closet in Gladstone, and a Hispanic family came in and I was able to speak with the mom and children in Spanish about everything from clothing sizes to how their day was going. It was such a blessing to be able to serve them in that way! It brought a smile to their faces to have me make an effort to converse with them even though it was far from perfect. Your Spanish classes are a ministry!" -Sarah "Hola Sr. Riegg, I was on youtube looking up crocheting patterns when I stumbled upon a Spanish crocheting video. I watched it and soon found out I could understand what the lady was saying. She was talking really fast but I was so excited that I could understand her. Thank you for teaching me." -Lily (Spanish 2 student - 11 years old) Sr. Riegg- Thank you so much for teaching me Spanish and being patient with me and the rest of the class as we learn. Right now I am in Mexico (yes, again. Haha!) with my youth group and we built a house in 4 days for a single mom and 3 girls. They are so poor. But during the trip I was able to use my Spanish and talk to the girls! There were times when my friends would come up to me and ask me how to say a word in Spanish or what does a word mean. Thank you for teaching me in a way where I am able to have conversations with people. Many of my friends already took Spanish and can only go up to "Hola." Thank you for teaching me the best way possible! This mission trip that I'm on right now is so much fun! And one way it is fun is that I can talk in Spanish! Thank you, God Bless! -Brooke (student) "Hola señor! Over my break something kind of ironic happened that I wanted to share with you. I don't know if you knew, but I went to Puerta Vallarta Mexico over Christmas break. While we were there, my mom and I were walking through the town market. In one of the shops, we heard the song Con Mis Labios playing ,which we have practiced in class! I was shocked. I then decided that I wanted to tell the owner of the store El Manojo De Esperanza. After I did the man kept nodding and then asked me "Do you think God loves you? Do you believe he died on the cross for you? Are you a sinner?" I agreed to all of his questions. He then patted me on the shoulder and said "God Bless You." This was an experience for me that was not only part of my homework...but a chance for me to say or teach some one else, in a foreign language. I appreciate the time you take to teach this class through Gods word, and hope it continues well the rest of the new year. By the way, I have a friend from Honduras who I thought would like to meet you and see how my class works. So could she say hi from my computer tomorrow? She speaks spanish too so maybe thats how you could talk!!! Thanks again!" -Sage |
Thank you so much for your wonderful class this year. I know Sitara learned more in this year than in the past three with [Most Popular Spanish Computer Program]. I would definitely recommend you to any home schooling family. -Debbie (Mom) "I think the on-line class has gone great. It certainly allowed us to begin Spanish this year instead of delaying it one more year. I would be happy for any of my other children to have that as an option as well." -Cary (Mom) |
Sr. Riegg,
"...I'm just so thrilled with your class and teaching style. [My daughter] really enjoys that you sing and tell jokes and [my son] literally speaks Spanish all day, reciting verses almost to the point that he aggravates himself because they are stuck in his head. Makes me laugh! Such a blessing to our family!" ...Tanya (online Mom) Hi Brad and Marcy, So, Evan received a 65 out of 80 (81%) on the Spanish CLEP test last week. We read a 63 gives him the 9 credits of Spanish 1 and 2 in College, so this is great (considering he didn’t prepare for it one bit)! Blessings!! Kim (mom of Spanish 3 student) Querido Sr. Riegg, ¡Te doy gracias por enseñarme! Me has dado un idioma nuevo, con el que puedo ver mejor la gloria de Dios. También he sido bendecido por los hispanohablantes, quienes son mis amigos ahora. Quiero decir que el trabajo de tu familia no es en vano. ¡Manténganse firmes! Oro que tengan fuerza en el gozo del Señor. "Que haya paz dentro de tus murallas." Salmos 122:7 En Cristo, Lizzy (Spanish 2 student) Quierdo Señor Riegg Gracias por enseñarme español. Aprendí mucho y estoy agradecida por la oportunidad. Eres un maestro asombroso con una pasión por Jesús. Es lamentable que tuve que parar, pero aprecio todo lo que me has ensañado. ¡Dios te bendiga! - Gabrielle (Spanish 2 student) Hi Sr. Riegg, Thank you for all you've done! Thanks completely to you, I absolutely love Spanish. I speak it all the time at home. :) I have no idea how God will use this, but I know it will be amazing. You've given me the tools and encouragement to succeed in this language and have sparked my interest in every language. And you've always been an example of someone who is sold out for Jesus and who doesn't hold anything back. Thank you so much. ~Shelby (Spanish 4 student) "...when I went to Fresno I could understand the Spanish. About 3 days later, during lunch at Gleanings for the Hungry, a Colombian missionary visited us! And he couldn't speak a word of English...So, he stood up there and talked for about 10 minutes, his translator following close behind him. I was shocked at how much I understood. Flabbergasted, actually. :) ...And I will admit I am not a whiz at speaking, but reading and listening are significantly easier, therefore I understood at least 75% of what he said. It was amazing! Spanish is a beautiful language. Ha ha, and the funny part about the whole thing was, I'm taking a Christian Spanish class, therefore all the Christianese he was using was words I was familiar with; verses taking a secular class and not learning any of the 'religious' terms... Anyways. Thought that was cool. I finally remembered to tell you. :) Thanks for being my teacher!" Aubrey <>< |
I must admit that I had seen your advertisements at Exodus bookstore and other places and thought to myself...."why do we have to learn Spanish for the glory of God? Why can't we just learn Spanish?" Boy, was I wrong! Your class, and the way Senor Riegg teaches it, has inspired me to be a better parent, a better host parent (to my exchange student), a better teacher, and a better person overall by refocusing my efforts on where they should have been to begin with. I am inspired by the dedication of your family to this ministry! My daughter Isabella has taken Spanish in an after school program at the local public school, and also been tutored privately, as we sought ways to teach her the foreign language of her choosing. In one or two weeks in your class, she has learned more than in one year in these other programs. We talk about your class all the time, and my husband has even attended just to see what all the raves are about. Our foreign exchange student, also an avid Christian, is waiting for a Monday off from school so she can meet you. If you've ever wondered if you are reaching anybody with this ministry, you are, and I don't just mean learning Spanish! Muchas gracias! We’re enjoying the clase. "I've learned so much more in one year than with other Spanish programs in two maybe even three years, and better yet I remember it! I love the way you teach, and like the friendly class,...even the friendly competition!! Even the homework is fun!!! Overall, it's an awesome class." "Thank you so much for all the work that you've done and teaching us this year. I really enjoyed the curriculum, and I've learned more from you in Spanish then with anybody else. Thank you!" -Daniel I don't remember if I've mentioned this to you, but I'm really looking into getting a Spanish degree in college... I really enjoy Spanish. So obviously you've been doing something right. :) We are so delighted with this class, you have no idea! :) It's our privilege that she can have this wonderful high quality class. |
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Hannah Fraser Living Waters Spanish PO Box 744 Canby, OR 97013 Questions? Call: 503-715-7227 |