"Buenos noches" means goodnight in Spanish but to me I hear "bring us nachos." Even though this is my second time coming to Honduras, I don't think I have learned any more Spanish this time around. Still, it is amazing how well communication can still happen.
Yesterday, the foreman and I had to communicate about how to make the doors. At one point there was an interpreter around but I really understood just from the use of gestures and use of a tape measure. Often, I am a man of "exact" words, often to a laughable observation of those closest to me. Those not so close to me I suspect may do the same, just not in my presence. {shrug}. At work, I am known for phrases like "prudent sweater" and "learning opportunities". Here, while confirming instructions with the foreman, I used words like parallel and perpendicular even though he had no idea what those English words meant. And contrary to popular belief, adding a "o" to the end of a word doesn't make it Spanish. I doubt parallelo and perpendicularo are real words. It is, however, amazing how well your forearms can demonstrate the two concepts.
Yesterday afternoon, we took the orphans next door at the mission house to their first ever movie theater experience. We saw Disney's Inside Out, had popcorn and soda. It was amazing to see the kids' faces. Yet, during the movie I had sad moments. There were scenes about happy family memories, something most of these kids didn't have, or if they did, it was with a family that they lost. I wondered what thoughts were going through their heads. These kids come from extreme poverty-type backgrounds, abusive... Both physical and sexual... Backgrounds, or AIDS stricken family situations. One child was so sick just a few weeks ago that she was thought to surely die. She even had been in a coma for a few days. Still, the kids expressed great Joy. Cindy, a child with a past that makes tears well up in my eyes just alluding to it here laid her head on my shoulder during half the movie. Kids long for parental love. Little Christopher sat on my lap on the bus ride back and he looked at pictures on my phone and we communicated names of people in the pictures. I don't know his past, but his eyes (although very cute) make me suspect gestational alcoholism or something similar, because they are farther apart from each other than what is typical. He seems quite smart though.
If you ever plan to go on mission and don't know the language, even not at all, don't let it stop you or cause hesitation. God shows up wherever a servant heart goes. It is amazing how well communication can happen in action. If you know a little bit of the language, even better. But it is not necessary.
I think today we will be going to some homes. I pray that God continues to break down that communication barrier. We will have interpreters with us, but God be with our eyes, our tears, our hearts, and our smiles so that we may communicate well with people today.
Maybe if we do well today, our mission leader will find a way to actually bring us nachos tonight. I am building a craving for them with every evening I spend here. :)
God Bless.
Aaron Mason
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