Say What?

Ndamujuzya muzina lya Jesu Kristo (I greet you in the name of Jesus),

Language is an interesting thing. It not only communicates ideas, but also the culture of a person; the way of thinking. To communicate an idea or thought in one language may be presented in a completely different way in another. One simple example of this in the tonga language is: the whistle is crying. To say "the whistle is blowing" in tonga just doesn't make sense to the people. The sentence may be grammatically correct, but is still not understood. To learn the heart language of a people is to understand them, their values, and view on the world.

This month I completed first term (4 weeks) of tonga language school. We learned much about the culture as well as the typical vocabulary and grammar. The Kizito Pastoral Centre, where the course was held, is about 15km out in the bush. There were many people around who were willing to help us practice our tonga and correct us, once they finished laughing at our mistakes. The second term (also 4 weeks) begins mid-May and will complete the course. At the completion of the course I will have the building blocks I need to continue learning tonga.

Language learning is a humbling experience. It's like being a child again; using short sentences and the same words over and over again. It means making lots of mistakes; often leading to misunderstandings, being willing to be laughed at and corrected, and putting forth a lot of effort and work (they say there is no tonga without tears). However, it is essential for anyone, spending any time in a different culture, to connect and meet the people where they are. One is never truly accepted until they speak the language of the people.

I am thankful for the opportunity to go to language school and am looking forward to the second term. Please pray for me as I continue to learn the language and understand the people I am here to serve.

Pray for the Zimba Mission Hospital. There are many building projects coming up to help increase the quality of care for the patients. Also for the medical personnelle that face many challenges and see many patients each day.

Also pray for the many teams coming to work on these projects, care for the patients, and do outreach in the communities.

Thank you and God bless!