Martians and Dry Soup

A friend of my recently said, "Language is beautiful!" I agree. Language is beautiful, but sometimes it is just plain funny - especially when you have learned another language besides your own! When I lived in the Philippines, I learned Cebuano.  Then God brought Hubby into my life, we got married, and moved to Peru. I'll admit was was nervous about learning another language.  I had fears of being confused and I had visions of my tongue being completely twisted into knots as I struggled to find the right word or the right conjugation of a word!

So here I am three years down the road of speaking another language. Are there times of confusion? Yep. Do I sometimes find myself with a twisted tongue in the middle of a conversation? Absolutely! It has been a challenge to keep Cebuano and Spanish straight in my head sometimes. There have been times when I say something, and the person I'm talking to suddenly gives me a blank stare. I scramble around in my mind to try to figure out what I just said that caused that look. Then I start laughing, because usually that look has been caused by the fact that I just used the wrong language! Oops! I often wonder how in the world Hudson Taylor kept all his languages straight!

Then there are the comical moments, where my English brain just doesn't quite get it. Or I (Hubby included) suddenly realize the English equivalent of a word! For example: here in Peru they have a dish called "Sopa Seca." My Translating-to-English mind tells me, "Dry Soup." DRY SOUP?!?! To an American, soup is soup. It has liquid. It is not dry. If it's dry, it's not soup. So I ask, "What is dry soup?" As it turns out, it isn't really a soup. It has noodles and other things, but not really a lot of broth.  Hubby (my personal chef) explains that it is like a braise. Hmmm. I smile.

Then there are the hilarious moments. For example: my children love eating "marcianos." Translated into English (literally)? Martians. By now you are asking, "What in the world are those poor MK's being given to eat? Popsicles. Really?

Marciano (Martian)

American Marciano (American Popsicle)

Peruvian Marciano (Peruvian Popsicle)

Marcianos?

So....what are my children eating anyway?  I'll let you decide.  Remember, it all depends on which language you are eating in!  

In the meantime, I'll praise the Lord for the sense of humor He gave me, and thank Him for the beautiful gift of language He has blessed me with - four times over!

A Glimpse of Heaven

In my last post, I mentioned listening to my friend's Japanese Radio Station.  Yes, I'm listening to it as I type these thoughts.  While listening to the station recently, I heard "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" sung in Japanese.  This morning I heard "How Great Thou Art."
It's a funny thing about knowing a foreign language.  After a while you begin to think in that language.  I still find myself thinking in Cebuano occasionally - usually when I 'm trying to "wax eloquent" in Spanish!
Anyways, as I was listening to "How Great Thou Art" in Japanese, I found myself singing the words in Spanish.  The same thought crossed my mind this morning as it did when I heard "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" being sung in Japanese.
Beloved, how often do we stop to think of how wonderful Heaven will really be?  "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."  Revelation 7:9-10
Can you imagine hearing something like "The Hallelujah Chorus" being sung in many different languages?  Wow!  To me, that is something exciting to think about!  I think of all the friends that God has given me who are missionaries.  I have friends who know Swahili, French, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, English, Cebuano, Portuguese, and Sign Language -  just to name a few!  What a beautiful sight and sound it will be in Heaven to hear all those languages!  Will the Deaf need to use Sign Language in Heaven?  I don't think so, but I think we'll use it anyway - it is truly a beautiful language!
I really have to laugh at myself!  I listen to a Japanese Radio Station, and find myself singing the songs in Spanish, English, or Sign Language.  Yet, what a beautiful glimpse of Heaven my Lord gives me!

Have you ever thought...?

"My Jungle"
Matt's loving name for all my plants!

Part 1 of "My Jungle"

Have you ever thought about how others see us?  I bought my two "jungle plants" up at the market yesterday!  I wish you could have been there - I'm sure it was quite a sight to behold:  A white woman speaking Spanish, trying to fit two rather large plant pots, two large "jungle plants," some avocados, a grenadilla (one of the many interesting fruits here), and some bananas into her shopping cart.  I fit it all in - although I had to carry the bananas in my hand.  I can't imagine what people were thinking as I passed by with my little red cart loaded with two huge plants!  It probably was as entertaining as the time I walked down the road in the Philippines with a live chicken tucked under my arm!  Oh, the crazy things we American missionaries do!

Part 2 of "My Jungle"

My Market Shopping Cart

Welcome to "My Jungle"

Last night in church, I got to pray with one of the ladies during prayer time.  God gave me a beautiful glimpse of what Heaven will be like someday with all the different languages of all the saved people singing praises and worshipping our wonderful Saviour.  It brought tears to my eyes as I listened to this dear sister in Christ pray.  Have you ever thought how beautiful it is to hear someone pray in their own language?   (I have to tell you though, I did miss part of her prayer because I was thinking about the beauty of praying in another language!)  I was telling Matt last night how blessed I have been to experience the beauty of hearing and seeing people pray in another language.  I have been blessed to hear (and understand) people praying in Cebuano, Sign Language, and now in Spanish!  One of my Deaf friends came by yesterday for a time of sharing and praying.  That was before church.  After church, as I was thinking about the beauty of prayer, the Lord brought a picture to my mind...a picture of my dear friend pouring her heart out to God in sign language!

Have you ever thought....who is going to have to do all the dishes after the Marriage Supper of the Lamb?  Now you know what I think about while I'm washing my dishes at 10 o'clock at night!  I'll admit, doing dishes has never been one of my favorite things - unless it is someone else's dishes - is anyone else like that???  I have Philippians 4:8-9 in English and Spanish posted on the wall above my sink - I don't know if thinking about who's going to do all the dishes at the Marriage Supper fits into any of the things mentioned in the list of things I'm supposed to be thinking about or not, but.....I couldn't help wondering, "Who IS going to have to wash all those dishes at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb?"