Monday: Language Class, Interaction and Mystery Oh my!

Monday was our first day of  language classes. We each (Kayla, Parker and myself) have our own teachers, and my teacher's name is Abraham. Abraham is a very patient and caring teacher, his familiarity with English and his struggles with English may assist in his ability to be a patient and empathetic teacher. being here in Arequipa learning a new language and being in rooms with people that are speaking in a language I don't understand does not annoy me at all. I actually like when people talk around and to me in Spanish because I feel that is the best way to learn. The only thing that is a little frustrating is the inability of not being able to communicate back to them. I am people oriented and love meeting new people so you can imagine how I may feel when it is difficult for me to ask people questions about themselves. So I just sit there and smile as I stare into people's eyes as if I know what they are saying hoping that I can get a divine connection into their souls. LOL of the picture I just described makes me sound like I am being creepy. I am not. well...maybe I am.

The interns and Lucia after language class in the Cafe.

I did better than I thought and learned that I was able to translate things into English based on words similar to English and the context of the text I was reading.  I am very context oriented, I knew this before but I am really realizing that now. It is difficult to explain this is how I am when it ALL literally depends on the context. I will go more into detail about this in my next post about our cultural class we had Tuesday morning.

I do have an opportunity to do a therapy session with a woman and her daughter. Actually, the woman is Patti, the lady that works with the Micro financing loan initiative and that led the ladies devotional I described in a previous post. After language class with Abraham Patti came over and requested my services! I was so humbled and felt like crying for some reason. I am actually tearing up now as I type this part because...I don't know...I was sincerely humbled at such a request and I guess because the Lord is finding a way to use me in a way that I was not expecting.  The therapy session will be nontraditional because Abraham will serve as our translator. I expressed to Patti that I was concerned with their being so many people involved and she stated that we all can meet in a private location which told me that she was not concerned at all with being vulnerable with Abraham. I have yet to met her daughter. Well I will be prayed up and solicit the prayers of those reading this blog.

Later the interns and I had lunch at the McKenzie's house and it  was DELISH!!!! Any who, instead of eating in the living room with the interns and Mission mommy Megan, I attempted to converse with Manuela as we ate lunch in the kitchen. I attempted to communicate with her utilizing  the meager Spanish I have learned.  Manuela speaks nada English so the exchange between was filled with silence but I was able to share that I had older siblings on my fathers side and I was the only child of my mother and tell her where they live. She shared that she had two children and five grandchildren. It was a meaningful exchange even though much was not spoken but it was the fact that we both attempted to get to know one another despite the huge language barrier.

That evening we all assisted Lisette in making a Venezuelan dish called Arepas. Arepas consist of the following: cornmeal bread, that can be stuffed with scrambled eggs with diced tomatoes and onions, black beans infused with cilantro, and cheese, they were mucho mucho bueno. After eating and conversing with Greg that returned that morning we watched two episodes of the Cosby show (yes the Cosby show) and once the children went to bed we watched the BBC's version of Sherlock Holmes which I fell in love with. The character of Sherlock Holmes in this miniseries is...let's just say I am intrigued by the working of his brain and the vastness of his intellect. It is confirmed I NEED an intellectual man that can stimulate my intellect without endeavoring to impress me but by just being himself. For now Sherlock Holmes will be my imaginative boo while I am here in Peru (oooo I rhymed).