This 4th of July we tried to make the day special for Soly & Grace. We got all decked out in our red, white and blue and had some fun at a park. After that we ate hotdogs, chips and dip, and chocolate cake. You know, all the essentials. We listened to some patriotic music on Youtube and then ended the night with a literal bang by shooting of some fireworks! With every holiday we miss our friends and family back home, but we also get a chance to create new traditions for our family.
Ok, seriously guys, let’s try to be ready for the next shot!
Language learning is going really well for me (Hannah). It’s probably one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done. If you’ve never learned a second language to the point of communicating fluently in that language it’s easy to have grandiose ideas about what it would be like to learn one. Me, being the imaginative idealist that I am thought I would just naturally pick up the language during my every day activities. I mean, I just have to listen to some Spanish praise and worship songs right?
Yeah right. The truth is it is really hard work. The only way to really learn is to put in the time and effort and practice with real people a LOT! So far I have successfully been able to shop at the grocery store (this includes ordering ground beef and bacon at the meat counter), play the bargaining game at the market, spend a night in the hospital with Soly when he had a bad case of croup, and go to the dentist by myself among other things.
There are times when I want to rush through learning Spanish and begin our “real” ministry, but almost everyday I am faced with the need to communicate with Spanish speaking people. It is vitally important for our family’s survival here to become as fluent as possible. We have heard stories where the wife of a missionary wasn’t required to learn the language. Many times the outcome is a wife who feels trapped in her own home and a stressed out family. I am so looking forward to all of the ways that I will be able to use my Spanish to communicate, help and teach others!
My Spanish teacher, Yolanda, and Me at the Cerro de la Cruz. Yolanda is an incredibly smart amazing teacher! God knew who the right teacher for me would be!
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