I absolutely love my life.
Last night, 6:00 pm - I found myself in the most picturesque picnic dinner with pasta, a dining table under an autumn tree, real dishes, and an awesomely eclectic and motley crew of neighborhood friends, in that rugged-yet-sophisticated style that "Mumford and Sons" fans could appreciate. The sun set, the air turned cool, and we shuffled next door to the comfort of a bonfire and s'mores and storytelling. We came together because of a birthday, but this night helped us transition from being strangers and neighbors to friends and family.
This morning, 10:00 am - I sat in the corner of my dining room, taking in all the laughter and love oozing from the 23 friends who drank coffee, ate bagels, sang hymns, and generally filled up every inch of space in my living room, dining room, and kitchen. Our little Hobbit Hole was maxed out and I was thrilled! These are friends who love Jesus and love our local community, and want to authentically live on purpose here. I get a rush from just being with people like this, who care about the things I care about and who want to work together to see God's kingdom grow. Like Bilbo Baggins, I anticipate a grand adventure ahead of us.
This afternoon, 3:00 pm - I was sipping a pumpkin chai at my favorite coffee shop with Hannah and two of our dear African girls. We were listening to John Denver and debating if a certain piece of art was a painting or photograph, and one of the girls just leaned back and smiled so big. With a sparkle in her eye she told me how she liked this place because it was so restful and relaxing. I agreed and can't wait to tell the owner, who is a Christian pastor who opened this little establishment to be a light and a blessing to the community. Well done, Sid!
This evening, 5:00 pm - I ate the most amazing Middle Eastern food EVER at my student's house, in her back sun room that looked out on a huge yard and well-tended garden. Her mother-in-law kept urging me to "Eat! Eat!" and her husband shared with me how his family left Iraq in the '70s and came to America. My student can speak the oldest language known to man, but she chooses to speak English so that we can be friends. As we thanked them and said good-bye, she packed a big bag full of leftovers for us to take home, and gifted us also with a bag of special tea. We're excited to share our international feast with more friends this week.
After 24 hours of beautiful, fulfilling community life, my "love tank" is so full, it's overflowing! I can't believe I get to live like this... being with people, investing in them and sharing with them and receiving from them in a way that is so meaningful and life-giving. Thank you, God, for such an exciting, incredible life!
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Wocabulary!
"No, not wh-... Vh-! Van, not wan... Vote, not wote... Vh-!" Armed with a mirror, a diagram of the human mouth, and God-sustained patience, I was reverting back from teaching new English words to new English sounds. I have a beginner student who comes to my house, and I started using a study book with her this week. She's beginning to grasp some basic grammar, but when she read the name "Victor" as "Wictor," my mind screamed, "No no, this cannot continue! Nip this in the bud!" And so our lesson on names and vocations was put on hold for a little linguistics lesson.
Of course, we had to start with vocabulary: lip and teeth, top and bottom... then bottom lip and top teeth put together- this is where charades are handy... breathe, and you get the fh- sound, hum or speak (use your voice), and you get the vh- sound. No, the top lip doesn't move! And yes, your lip will tickle when you do it! :)
I used to be a lot more lenient with pronunciation, because many ESL students say they want to understand English, and that is more of a receiving technique (listening, reading) than giving (speaking, writing). Besides, I could understand my students just fine; being around multiple languages and dialects, my brain has just learned to auto-correct and translate what I hear. But then I started noticing that no one else could understand them, and as the students gained more grammar and vocabulary, they got frustrated that they couldn't communicate well, even with all the words that were in their brains. This is largely due to the micro-issues like distinctions between wh- and vh-, t- and th-, l- and r-, the long ee and the short i.... micro-issues that depend on micro-tools like the tongue and teeth and lips and voice, and can have huge consequences on the receiver's end.
So I've learned that it is not enough for people to simply understand and take in information; it is crucial that they are understood as well. The international people I have met and come to love have stories and knowledge and wisdom that should be shared in English. And helping them get those micro-tools to cooperate and make those micro-sounds will have a macro-impact on their lives and the lives of everyone they meet.
Words are powerful things. Pronounce them clearly. Choose them carefully. Use them to make the world a better place.
Of course, we had to start with vocabulary: lip and teeth, top and bottom... then bottom lip and top teeth put together- this is where charades are handy... breathe, and you get the fh- sound, hum or speak (use your voice), and you get the vh- sound. No, the top lip doesn't move! And yes, your lip will tickle when you do it! :)
I used to be a lot more lenient with pronunciation, because many ESL students say they want to understand English, and that is more of a receiving technique (listening, reading) than giving (speaking, writing). Besides, I could understand my students just fine; being around multiple languages and dialects, my brain has just learned to auto-correct and translate what I hear. But then I started noticing that no one else could understand them, and as the students gained more grammar and vocabulary, they got frustrated that they couldn't communicate well, even with all the words that were in their brains. This is largely due to the micro-issues like distinctions between wh- and vh-, t- and th-, l- and r-, the long ee and the short i.... micro-issues that depend on micro-tools like the tongue and teeth and lips and voice, and can have huge consequences on the receiver's end.
So I've learned that it is not enough for people to simply understand and take in information; it is crucial that they are understood as well. The international people I have met and come to love have stories and knowledge and wisdom that should be shared in English. And helping them get those micro-tools to cooperate and make those micro-sounds will have a macro-impact on their lives and the lives of everyone they meet.
Words are powerful things. Pronounce them clearly. Choose them carefully. Use them to make the world a better place.
Friday, September 21, 2012
The ministry of storytelling
During the past couple weeks, I've been spending a lot of my alone time with paper and pen, writing letters to my friends and family who support the work that I'm doing here. While it seems like the easier and more efficient thing to do is type up a general letter and change the names to make each one "personal," I just felt the need to really connect with each individual and share from my heart about the things I think they would care most about. After all, these are people who are investing a lot in me, and I want to invest in them too. So, a letter that could probably take ten minutes to jot down takes me on average 30-45 minutes. I smile as I think about each person and pray for them and imagine having a cup of tea with them. And I tell them stories... stories about the loveable characters in my life, stories about God's miraculous provision, stories about conversations and opportunities both solemn and hilarious.
I've also spent more time on Skype and on the phone with people, and guess how those times are spent? That's right, telling stories! Again, part of my organizer's brain is tempted to think that I've been wasting a lot of time. After all, if you ask me what I did all morning, I'd have to say I made a couple phone calls, talked on Skype, texted, and wrote two letters. ...Really? In four hours that's all I accomplished?! Yes. But no... not really. None of it is a waste - in fact, I'm beginning to realize it is a ministry in itself.
See, I have always loved stories. I love to read and be read to; I love good movies, good blogs, and good songs that are authentic and meaningful. My closest friends can tell you how much I love to get comfortable and randomly faux-demand, "Tell me a story!" and just wait for the poor soul to start, like a queen commanding a jester to perform... and I love it even more if the "poor soul" jumps right in without hesitation with the classic phrase, "Once upon a time..." I revel in hearing and telling stories, because through stories we learn more about people and life and God's bigger picture.
In studying English, writing, and literature, I've learned that it is much more valuable, much more rich, to give the reader/listener a story than to give him an adjective. For example, what if I just told you that Peter Pan was a little boy who never grew up? That's much easier and more convenient than reading the book... but in reading the book, you learn who he really was based on the things he said and did, the way he acted and interacted, and you cheer for him and fall in love with him and feel sorry for him and are charmed by him in a way you can't explain, unless you tell his stories.
Take this idea and apply it to the greatest character of all time, Jesus. I can tell you that he is love and peace and hope, and I can lay out the "Roman Road," or the "ABCs of salvation," and while these are solid and time-efficient, I'm not so sure that they are soul-sufficient. How much better is it to take the time to share the chapters of my life with you; to recall the times I've fallen and been lifted up again by his mercy; to testify to his faithfulness and provision in the hardest times; to tell and retell and retell again the miracles he's done - how he has healed me, body and soul, and put a song in my heart and joy on my face and breath in my lungs and strength in my voice and wisdom in my mind. I think as you hear these stories, you would really understand his love and peace and hope in a way that goes beyond those small English words.
Being a storyteller is part of my ministry, and I think it's part of yours too. Tell what Jesus has done for you and in you and through you. Share it with everyone - it's a beautiful story that is meant to be known and passed on, and the Father will receive the glory every time.
I've also spent more time on Skype and on the phone with people, and guess how those times are spent? That's right, telling stories! Again, part of my organizer's brain is tempted to think that I've been wasting a lot of time. After all, if you ask me what I did all morning, I'd have to say I made a couple phone calls, talked on Skype, texted, and wrote two letters. ...Really? In four hours that's all I accomplished?! Yes. But no... not really. None of it is a waste - in fact, I'm beginning to realize it is a ministry in itself.
See, I have always loved stories. I love to read and be read to; I love good movies, good blogs, and good songs that are authentic and meaningful. My closest friends can tell you how much I love to get comfortable and randomly faux-demand, "Tell me a story!" and just wait for the poor soul to start, like a queen commanding a jester to perform... and I love it even more if the "poor soul" jumps right in without hesitation with the classic phrase, "Once upon a time..." I revel in hearing and telling stories, because through stories we learn more about people and life and God's bigger picture.
In studying English, writing, and literature, I've learned that it is much more valuable, much more rich, to give the reader/listener a story than to give him an adjective. For example, what if I just told you that Peter Pan was a little boy who never grew up? That's much easier and more convenient than reading the book... but in reading the book, you learn who he really was based on the things he said and did, the way he acted and interacted, and you cheer for him and fall in love with him and feel sorry for him and are charmed by him in a way you can't explain, unless you tell his stories.
Take this idea and apply it to the greatest character of all time, Jesus. I can tell you that he is love and peace and hope, and I can lay out the "Roman Road," or the "ABCs of salvation," and while these are solid and time-efficient, I'm not so sure that they are soul-sufficient. How much better is it to take the time to share the chapters of my life with you; to recall the times I've fallen and been lifted up again by his mercy; to testify to his faithfulness and provision in the hardest times; to tell and retell and retell again the miracles he's done - how he has healed me, body and soul, and put a song in my heart and joy on my face and breath in my lungs and strength in my voice and wisdom in my mind. I think as you hear these stories, you would really understand his love and peace and hope in a way that goes beyond those small English words.
Being a storyteller is part of my ministry, and I think it's part of yours too. Tell what Jesus has done for you and in you and through you. Share it with everyone - it's a beautiful story that is meant to be known and passed on, and the Father will receive the glory every time.
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