Mistakes

 

Learning language and culture has a way of keeping one humble.  If you struggle with pride, I highly recommend giving it a try.  The smartest person can quickly be reduced to a vocabulary on level with a toddler.   We knew we'd make some mistakes and thought we'd share so you could get a chuckle too.   Tommy started having a conversation in the elevator with a neighbor and they asked where he worked.  He shared that he works for the 'kersay'.  Seeing a puzzled look on his face he attempted to say it again more clearly.  Finally our neighbor asked if he could please just tell him in English and chuckled as Tommy told him he works for the church.  It was then that Tommy realized 'kersay' is an upholstered chair; 'keneesay' is church. I was having a conversation with a group of women from Horizons and thought I heard one of them say to the other 'Happy Birthday'.  While there is an Arabic phrase, many people just use English and sing the Happy Birthday song as we do.  So I turned to her and wished her a happy birthday too.  Turns out it wasn't her birthday at all causing mass confusion for the entire table and I'm sure my face was the shade of a tomato.  I still have no idea what was actually said.   I was working with our teacher on learning various prepositions and conjunctions.  She primarily used nouns and verbs that we'd previously learned so that the focus was just on the word usage.  I recognized the words: pray, from, bone, chicken, meat.  I couldn't figure out how the words fit together to make sense though and she asked about my confusion.  It took a little while before she regained her composure from laughing.  Turns out 'fsully' is separate; 'nsully' is pray.  Seperating the meat from the bone made a lot more sense to me than praying for it! When we're with our language teachers I end up feeling pretty good about progress.  Then I talk to someone else who doesn't know which words I already know and have studied and I'm reminded that we've barely scratched the surface.

We're not the only ones making errors with our language skills.  Aparrently Fonda and Christine want to be 'Fried Forever'.  There are only two letters missing but the meaning is changed completely.  We want to make sure we can communicate clearly to prevent people from being fried forever. Our words matter.  The depth at which we are able to communicate matters.  Our ability to understand the words being spoken to us matters.

But Moses said to the LORD, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue."    Then the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?  Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak." Exodus 4:10-12 ESV

Even though God promised to be with Moses, he still did not trust his ability to speak with the people.  Pray that even though we are currently slow of speech and of tongue, we may trust that God will be the one to teach us that we might share about Him and bring Him glory.