Of Language Learning

 “To learn another language is to possess a second soul”. A bilingual friend of mine once shared this quote with me. Ah, what a rosy, romantic picture such a sentiment paints. I believe that at some point in the future this quote will resonate with me and I, too, will pass it on to a friend. However, in my current situation I can identify a bit more with a few things I recently read in an article about language learning: “Anyone who wants to learn a language well must have a solid theology of suffering” and, a softer version: “To learn another language is to come face to face with your humanity”. In the past few weeks I have been constantly out of my comfort zone and have felt more humbled and helpless than I have in a very long time. What was I thinking when I asked God to teach me to rely more fully on Him?! J

Through this process, however, God has put some people in my life to encourage me. I have a new housemate living with my host family. She is from France and speaks a little English and a little Spanish. She doesn’t yet speak either well, but man, she goes for it, and gets her point across and never pauses to apologize for her mistakes. I love it and it challenges me to speak more and to try more, despite the numerous mistakes I know I am making. I had to chuckle the other day when I left for school. My Bolivian dad and my French roommate were at the kitchen table. I had a brief conversation with the dad in Spanish, a brief conversation with my housemate in English, and as I left the room and bid them both a good day my housemate responded in French. What a beautiful picture of languages and lives colliding. I am grateful for this unique season in my life and I’m reminded of times in India and Bosnia when I first recognized the love God had placed in my heart for other cultures and places.

 

Christ Statues can be found all throughout South America. Cochababamba has
the largest one in the World (even bigger than Rio's)!

Views of Cochabamba from inside The Cristo

Every Wednesday and Friday afternoon after language school, I get on a bus that drives me about 20 minutes outside of town and then I walk 10 more minutes down a dusty road to a place called, “Cometa”. Cometa is a delinquency center for teenagers who have committed crimes. It is home to 7 girls and 80 boys who remain in the center for 6 months to 4 years depending on the nature of their crime. Myself and 3 other women spend a couple of hours with the girls, teaching them to cook a meal or to create a craft. We are there simply to build relationship and to show love to these young women. Their living conditions are poor and their treatment neglectful. Security is incredibly lax. We could bring anything in or out and are only asked to leave our phones at the checkpoint. I don’t know yet what God has in store for this time at Cometa, but I know that I feel privileged to know these young women and to be able to pray for them.

This marks the way to Cometa

Outside the gate

Beautiful mural outside the road to Cometa

Heading to a movie with  my host family in Bus 3V!

Making "ceviche", a Peruvian dish, at the school with new friends

These are the types of lunches my Bolivian mom sends to school with me each day!

Game night with some friends. Peru, France and the US represented.

Blessings to you, friends! Thank you for staying updated.

Highs and Lows - Week One

I used to be part of a college group that would always begin with each member sharing the “high” (the best part) and the “low” (the worst part) of their week. I have compiled week one of language learning in Cochabamba into a conglomerate of highs and lows, for your reading pleasure. J

Highs

• The family I am living with is wonderful and the mom is an excellent cook. Most meals, we eat some type of meat (beef or chicken) with rice or potatoes and some type of veggie. The sauce and presentation always varies and I haven’t yet had something I didn’t like. Breakfast consists of a bread roll with butter and jam, a banana and instant coffee. Sad to say, I am actually beginning to like Nescafe (given it has enough milk and sugar). J
• The weather in Cochabamba! Though it is winter here, most days I can get away with wearing sandals and a light cardigan. They call Cocha, “La ciudad de la eternal primavera”, translated “The city of Eternal Spring”. Due in part to the tropical weather, in part to the smaller population (500,000 people) the city boasts a much more laid back feel than La Paz. Taxi drivers talk with you, people on the street say hello, palm trees and flowers line the streets and motorcycles and mopeds rule the roads.

One of the many plaza in Cochabamba

• The church I have been attending with my Bolivian family. We attend a Sunday school class before the main service. Today, the leader of the group gave me my own Bible study book and instructed me to write my name on it, IN PEN. It’s the small things that make you feel as you belong. During the main service, in addition to using a power point, the church also has a pamphlet with bullet points that allow you to follow along. This is SO great for my Spanish and allows me to better comprehend what I’m hearing. Many of the songs in the worship service are recognizable praise songs from the 90s that have been translated in Spanish. Must be the 90s youth group kid in me, but I sorta love the old school songs. J Think, “Lord, I lift your name on High” and “Celebrate, Jesus, Celebrate”.
• 3V. ‘Nuff said. “3V” is the number of the bus that will take me ANYWHERE. The World is my oyster when I get on 3V. Seriously though, this bus picks me up directly outside my front door and heads down the main avenue. It only cost 20 cents to ride. If you are picturing your typical US city bus, think again. A Grehyound ain’t got nothing on this bad boy. 3V is big, loud and old and boasts a variety of music-from Bolivian folklore to American old school rap. Typically it’s adorned in decorations or stuffed animals that appeal to the flavor of its driver. But be careful, 3V ain’t coming to no soft stop when you call out your destination. True to his appearance, he’s tough, and comes to an abrupt stop that will send you careening down the aisle if you’re not holding on to the nearest rail.
• Tea with Sandra. Occasionally, Sandra (the mom of my host family) and I will sit in the kitchen and drink tea after the family has finished their dinner. We talk about whatever and I catch about 50% of it, while she seems to think I catch about 100% of it. Sometimes this is a little problematic, like when I ask a question that she just answered.
• Google maps, Whatsapp and my iphone. Now, I know an iphone is a definite luxury, especially in certain parts of the World, but I am truly so grateful for my iphone. (THANK YOU Mom, for bringing it for me when you visited!) It allows me to stay in touch with friends and family all over the World (thank you whatsapp) and helps me navigate a new city (thank you google maps). I found many a coffee shop this past week with the assistance of good ol’ google. Technology truly can be a blessing.
• Nicknames. The dad of the family I am living with is named, “Juan Carlos”. His nickname is “Juan Qui”. Sounds like “Wonky”. I love hearing it yelled throughout the house.
• The universality of sports. A couple of days ago, Sandra and her girls were outside in their courtyard playing a causal game of volleyball. I joined them and instantly found a great way to bond with the family outside the barrier of language. Also I got to yell, “Eso!” and “Bien hecho!” a lot, which is always fun.
• Conexiones entre mundos. This means “Connections between worlds” and is the name of the language school I am attending. The school truly does provide a place for worlds to connect; it has a very peaceful, tranquil atmosphere that I felt the moment I walked in. It is located in a quaint, yellow house in a neighborhood of a main avenue. There is an inside common area and a kitchen, as well as an outside common area. There are several small offices, which function as classrooms. All the classes are conducted in a one on one setting. They are each 45 minutes long and are done entirely in Spanish. I have 4 classes a day, with breaks in between to do homework, rest or talk with other students and teachers. There are 12 teachers and currently around 15 students. The students are all different ages, from all different parts of the World, involved in all different types of ministries with one common purpose-to learn Spanish well so can better serve in the places God has called us.

Conexiones entre mundos

• Germans. I made two friends this week! On Thursday evening, I attended a Bible Study the school hosts and met two German girls, who invited me to dinner after the Bible study. After dinner we went to “Parque de la Familia” which presents a light fountain show each evening at 8:00. We made some memories getting soaked in one of the fountains. J

New friends at the fountains

• Thursday Night Bible Study. As I mentioned previously, the school hosts a weekly Bible study. It is currently lead by a retired Swiss couple who cashed in their pensions to serve in Bolivia. They are former pastors and are now learning Spanish to assist them in the 3-year commitment they have made to a people group in the jungle. I really enjoyed the teaching on Thursday and am excited to continue in this group. Did I mention it is in English? Yes, I’m allowing it to be my one English outlet. This week, after the study, we are going to learn how to make “ceviche”, a Peruvian dish of raw fish!
• Immersion. Though I have been in Bolivia for 3 years now, this experience is entirely different than any I have had. I have not spoken English with one single person today. I have observed and experienced so many cultural nuances just in the past 12 hours alone that I can’t even begin to process them all. It’s rich! It’s good.
• Discovering that Bolivia is home, too. I found out this week that Cochabamba has a Vainilla and a Factory (both local hot spots in La Paz)! When I realized that this was more exciting to me than the fact that they also have a Subway and a Burger King, I smiled. In many ways, this is home, too.
• Laundry. There is something so therapeutic about standing in the sunshine, hanging laundry on an outside line, enjoying the fresh aroma of soap in the air.
• Running in low(er) altitude. It’s still high here, around 8,000 feet, but compared to La Paz, it’s nothing. I enjoyed a GREAT run on Saturday, especially after a 6 week hiatus due a fractured (I think) toe.

Lows

• Breaking down in front of a perfect stranger for no apparent reason at all. Yeah, it happened, and it wasn’t pretty. It was day 3 of language school, I was in a class and I was feeling overwhelmed by many things. My teacher had a lot to say and was speaking quickly. She asked me to speak about a topic, practicing new vocab and grammar while doing so. I was tired from lack of sleep the night before, I didn’t completely understand what it was she wanted and suddenly I felt the tears welling. I mentally told myself to, “Get it together, Jill!” But Jill couldn’t get herself together and this became apparent with a loud snort followed by some snot and tears. Yeah, a snort. I don’t know how that happened-I think I was trying so hard to keep it in, it just came out in a crazy way. You can laugh. I am laughing too. A friend I told commented, “Sad now. Memories forever.” So true.
• Feeling alone. I’ve realized that I’ve never been overseas before without a team. This is an entirely new experience for me. I am pretty good at being alone-I can read, write, drink coffee along with the best of the introverts. But, I crave community. Especially having just left such a tight knit community. I know this is something that will come and that relationship takes time; I believe that God has great friendships for me here and will bring them in His timing. Tomorrow I’ve been invited to a 4^th of July Party at the home of a local missionary family. There will 23 adults and 24 kids in attendance. I am really grateful for a place and people to celebrate my home country with and am looking forward to making friends!
• Who let the dogs out? Jill did. Oops. The family I am living with has 3 dogs. Those of you who know me well know that I don’t exactly have a great affection for dogs, but these little perritos are actually pretty sweet. Last night, Sandra and one of the girls and I left the house to go to a birthday dinner at a pizzeria. There is a large gate that the house is enclosed behind; I was the last one out and therefore it was my job to close the gate. Well, the sneaky little dogs slipped out and TOOK OFF. I mean, they were GONE. I imagine them shouting in their heads, “Freedom!!!” or rather, “Libertad!!!” Sandra, Damiris and I took off running after them, shouting to each other in Spanish. There we were, running through a dirt field, Sandra in her 2 inch heels, Damiris, franticly asking passerbys if they had seen the dogs, and me, feeling helpless about 2 feet tall. Thank the Lord, we found them several minutes later outside the gate of the house. Oh my goodness, I was so worried we were going to lose them. Worst host daughter ever. J
•  Not understanding people. “Como?” “Perdon?” “Puede repetir por favor?” I have become well versed in these phrases. The slightest sound or distraction: a truck driving by or a kid laughing loudly, can totally throw off my comprehension as I strain intently to hear. But, it’s part of language learning and it’s okay. A smile or touch on the shoulder can transcend pretty far, too. J
•  Fear of failure. What if, after these 7 weeks, I complete language school and I still cannot speak Spanish well?

As I look through this list of highs and lows, I see that, though the depths of the lows may be greater, the number of highs far outweighs the number of lows. I am grateful for this, but I’m also grateful for the lows. We can’t have highs without lows. God is ALWAYS so present in the lows and He uses them to change and transform us in ways He couldn’t otherwise. The Lord gave me this verse this week, “…at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the ROCK into a POOL, the HARD ROCK into SPRINGS OF WATER.” Psalm 114:8 God turns hard things into things that bring life, refreshment and cleansing. Oh, the greatness of a God who does such.

What were your highs this week? What were your lows? How do you see God in the midst of them?                                                                         

Prayer Needs

•      Community
•       Friends (specifically 1 or 2 close friends)
•       Growth and confidence in Spanish comprehension and speech
•   To bond with my Bolivian family
•   To know how to be a blessing to my Bolivian family
•       A place to serve while I’m in Cochabamba