Our final visit was probably our most successful and rewarding visit so far; it was rather bittersweet to have made such progress and then have to say goodbye for the last time. When we came in for the first time, our family spoke very, very small amounts of English, not nearly enough that is needed to have a decent conversation. By our final visit, we had taught them enough to ask them things about themselves and their home country, Malaysia. It was clear that they were very willing to share this information, and I'm very glad we've given them the ability to begin to disclose everything they wish to disclose. For instance, we asked what the weather was like in Malaysia; hot or cold, sunny or rainy. They told us that it is very hot all year round, and rains quite a bit. We also asked what kinds of food they ate over there, and they were able to tell us that they had all sorts of vegetables and fruits, as well as fish, chicken, and rice. When asked what food they liked from here in America, they said all of it was good. I asked if they had any favorites like pizza or soda, and they said that they enjoyed pizza. The husband, Twan Son, got up and got some soda native to his part of the world for us, which was very touching.
I am thrilled that we were able to help our family learn English; it helped so much with how much they were able to disclose about themselves, as well as reducing any uncertainties that they had, such as asking if two shades of purple could both be considered purple. We know from what we've seen that they are adjusting to America well, and they were able to tell us during this visit that they feel the same. They think that America is a good place to live, though they do miss their home country. They have friends over here as well; some are from Malaysia and some are new friends who speak the same language. They still have a long road ahead of them as far as adjustment goes, but I know that they will be okay.
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