¡Felices Pascuas!
Friday, April 10, 2009
When I was on my mission, I spent the first 10 months of it in the same, awesome area. After that one area, my call was changed to Spanish Speaking and I headed out on my merry, non Spanish speaking way.
Every time I complain, with other returned missionaries, about how hard mission life was, my husband insists on the same snarky remark. "Oh yeah. It was soo hard... one state over."
I usually roll my eyes and say "Shut up! It totally was. I mean, I could only say My horse fell off a bridge for Pete's sake"!
(You're dying to know how to say that now, aren't you? Mi caballo se cayó de un puente. Happy?)
And it's true. My Spanish speaking abilities at that time consisted of "where's the bathroom" and "my horse fell off a bridge". Quite useful phrases when you are trying to talk to people about God.
More often than not, I would come out of meeting with someone and turn to my companion and say "We did just tell them that pre-marital sex was a no-no, right? Right?? Sheesh. I think I mixed up those dang verbs again."
It was hard and at the end of the day, I would go to bed with a throbbing headache-- and then dream in Spanish. And let me just tell you that-that? Yeah. It totally sucked. I couldn't understand a dang thing!
When I found David Sedaris I sort of fell in love. Well, as much as a straight girl could fall in love with a Gay man that doesn't even know she exists kind of a way.
He makes me laugh so hard that tears stream down my face! He is freaking funny! He is an essayist, and writes about his life experiences. They are hilarious. Some day I hope to write essays as well as his, and do what he does-- Go around and read them to large audiences of people, have them laugh in all the right places, give me standing ovations and pay me insane amounts of money!
This Essay, The French Lesson, is one of my favorites. This snippet is at the point in his essay, where he is trying-- in his limited French-- to explain to a Non Christian who Jesus is, and what Easter is all about. (there are other parts of the essay-- like his trying to explain to his French land lord about the leaky toilet... and how 'the toilet. she cry. all night long...' )
My Spanish, when I was a missionary, was so limited (still is) ... and yet there I was trying to explain to people all about Jesus and His saving grace ... and probably not doing a very good job. But, I was trying my hardest to do my very best.
So, yes Jefe, it really was that difficult.
And the best thing I have ever done.
Happy Easter.
Every time I complain, with other returned missionaries, about how hard mission life was, my husband insists on the same snarky remark. "Oh yeah. It was soo hard... one state over."
I usually roll my eyes and say "Shut up! It totally was. I mean, I could only say My horse fell off a bridge for Pete's sake"!
(You're dying to know how to say that now, aren't you? Mi caballo se cayó de un puente. Happy?)
And it's true. My Spanish speaking abilities at that time consisted of "where's the bathroom" and "my horse fell off a bridge". Quite useful phrases when you are trying to talk to people about God.
More often than not, I would come out of meeting with someone and turn to my companion and say "We did just tell them that pre-marital sex was a no-no, right? Right?? Sheesh. I think I mixed up those dang verbs again."
It was hard and at the end of the day, I would go to bed with a throbbing headache-- and then dream in Spanish. And let me just tell you that-that? Yeah. It totally sucked. I couldn't understand a dang thing!
(Please listen at your own risk. There are swears.)
When I found David Sedaris I sort of fell in love. Well, as much as a straight girl could fall in love with a Gay man that doesn't even know she exists kind of a way.
He makes me laugh so hard that tears stream down my face! He is freaking funny! He is an essayist, and writes about his life experiences. They are hilarious. Some day I hope to write essays as well as his, and do what he does-- Go around and read them to large audiences of people, have them laugh in all the right places, give me standing ovations and pay me insane amounts of money!
This Essay, The French Lesson, is one of my favorites. This snippet is at the point in his essay, where he is trying-- in his limited French-- to explain to a Non Christian who Jesus is, and what Easter is all about. (there are other parts of the essay-- like his trying to explain to his French land lord about the leaky toilet... and how 'the toilet. she cry. all night long...' )
My Spanish, when I was a missionary, was so limited (still is) ... and yet there I was trying to explain to people all about Jesus and His saving grace ... and probably not doing a very good job. But, I was trying my hardest to do my very best.
So, yes Jefe, it really was that difficult.
And the best thing I have ever done.
Happy Easter.
