Study Abroad in Jordan Summer of 2014: How I started learning Arabic

May of 2012, is a month I will never forget. Growing up in a family with four sisters and two incredible parents meant that the Evans household was always full of people, friends, and relatives. When I moved to Fort Collins to attend CSU, my parents only had my younger sister Juliet left in the house, which meant there were a lot of empty rooms and a silence my parents weren't used to. To solve the sudden change, my parents decided to rent the rooms out to Saudi Arabian college students who were studying English at the local community college in Littleton, CO. My parents figured it would help with finances, bring the house to life again, and since they are followers of Jesus Christ, it was a ministry opportunity.

So in May of 2012, Abdalilah and Yazeed moved into to our home. At once I was thrilled to get to know my new roommates. Since I was the only boy with four sisters growing up, I was excited have in a sense "brothers" akh. I started introducing my akh to all my friends, and meeting many of their Saudi Arabian schoolmates. After a couple weeks, I began to learn basic conversational Arabic. After, a summer of cliff jumping, hiking, going to rugby games, and hanging out on the back patio getting to know two great jayeed guys, I returned to Fort Collins for school.

I had not enrolled in any Arabic classes, but decided to pick up a CD set that taught one how to speak basic Arabic while only taking about 20 minutes a day. I learned a lot of Arabic from “The Pimsleur Arabic CD program.” As a result, I was able to practice speaking with random Arab people I met around Fort Collins. In February of 2013, I joined the CSU cycling team, and met a guy named Mubarak, who was from Kuwait. I started practicing cycling with Mubarak, which helped practice the language. Soon enough I met many of his Kuwaiti friends. My desire to learn their language became very strong.

Many of the foreign students at CSU do not have a lot of close friends that speak English. They go to class, but it is hard for them to get out and grow relationships with Americans when they have a whole community of their own countrymen/women who speak their language and know their culture. When Americans speak to them in their language they immediately respect what we have to say, and trust us more than any other American they have met.

I will be taking First Year Arabic I and II this school year (2013/2014), at Colorado State University, and will be studying Abroad in Jordan next summer. I am fundraising for my plane ticket, visas, shots, tuition, books, host family expenses, ect. through Colorado State Student Fundraising. Many of you viewing this blog may have supported me by purchasing a Celestino's Promotional Booklet.

Thanks for your support. I look forward to sharing with you about my experience abroad, and plans that develop for my trip through the school year.