At it again...Nitajaribu kujifunza Kiswahili pamoja familia yangu

One of my lifelong goals has been to be fluent in another language. Easy to write on a bucket list, much harder to accomplish in real life.

Our first year here, actually within our first few weeks here, Marc and I took about 10 hours of Swahili lessons with another couple who had recently moved. We learned the important greetings, learned numbers and some key verbs and sentence structure. It was hard to do during such a big transition and with the small kids, but it felt good to make some quick progress. School then began and Marc lost any free time to dedicate to lanague. Finally in December 2013, I partnered with a few other ladies and began a language and culture program called GPA, or Growth Participator Approach. For eleven months, I spent 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, studying KiSwahili with a few other ladies. After a few months in a group of 6, we paired off into twos. My main partner, Angie, also has a young daughter just a few months older than Geneva, so the two of us were constantly interrupted with requests for juice, TV shows, naps, bathroom breaks, arguments, etc. I'm pretty sure the other two groups (whose kids were all in school) progressed MUCH quicker than we did. It was discouraging at times, as many days we felt like we were taking one step forward and two steps back instead of the other way around.

My partner Angie with our friend and language helper, Lucy a few years ago. 

After about 11 months of language study, our language helper got very busy with a full time job and was unable to continue with us. We took a break for the holiday season and then actually never got started again!

This past year, HOPAC's Kiswahili teacher offered classes for the teachers during the school day. I wiggled my way into that as I am at school three days a week helping with assemblies. It was good, and early on I got moved from the intermediate class to the advanced class, but it was a more traditional style of language learning and I honestly did not practice or retrain most of what we covered this past year.

BUT THIS SUMMER....

The whole family is getting in on lessons! Our kids and three children from another family are going to work together with a language helper to begin learning vocab. The GPA approach,at least phase 1 where the kids will start, includes a lot of physical response and games - I actually really enjoyed it and think our kids will have a lot of fun with it as well! They will begin next week with 2 hours a day for 3 days a week. Marc and I are then going to work with the helper for about 5 hours per week as well.

I'll be sure to post some updates about our progress and maybe some pictures as well!

If you have any interest in the language approach we are using, check it out HERE

LUCY, SWAHILI & SALVATION

Lucy, my Swahili instructor, shared the gospel story for two hours on Christmas day and two people responded to the call of God and gave their lives to Jesus Christ!

Let me tell you this incredible story.

Lucy is a Tanzanian woman who meets with me and two other ladies three mornings a week for three hours. I feel so blessed to work with her as I learn language and culture here in TZ. She is incredibly encouraging, patient and joyful. You cannot help but smile when you are with her.

The three of us wanted to get her a little something for Christmas. She had mentioned her desire to go home for Christmas (to Moshi, a town hours and hours away by bus), but that the cost was too much for both her and her husband to go. So, of course, we decided just giving her some money to make that trip possible was a great idea.

We all chipped in and wrote her thank you notes in a Christmas card, and on our last day of lessons a week or so before Christmas, presented her with the small gift. She was literally jumping up and down with joy! I think we were all a bit teary as we saw her genuine gratitude for what seems a not all that significant of a gift.

This morning we met again after our Christmas break and immediately asked about her trip.

Lucy's father had invited a Muslim family to join them for Christmas, as well as other family members, and desperately wanted Lucy to come and tell the Christmas story as he was apprehensive  and felt ill-equipped to share.

As the family gathered, a woman and her three children were walking by the house and asked boldly if they could come in and have something to eat - they were hungry. Lucy and her family graciously brought them in and fed them. They told the woman that she was welcome to go after eating but was also welcome to stay. She stayed and was able to hear Lucy share the truth about Jesus life, death and resurrection.

God gave this woman the gift of faith, and she believed the words Lucy shared from the Bible! It seems she was not only physically hungry, but spiritually hungry as well.

Lucy's uncle also responded to the message of Jesus Christ and became a believer! She shared that she had been telling him about Jesus for years and years and he always rejected her words and didn't want to hear more. Christmas day, however, the Lord softened his heart.  Four days later he died unexpectedly.

A few others that were present have taken Lucy's number and are curious about Christianity and who Jesus is. She eagerly told them to call or message her with questions and she also wrote out things for her Father, so he might be ready to answer questions as well.

Here we thought we were merely learning about Lucy's world and language, but much bigger work was taking place through the power of the Holy Spirit. It's amazing and humbling to think that a small gift enabled Lucy to go home and share the gospel where LIVES WERE CHANGED FOR ETERNITY! Small things can make a huge difference.

It's also inspiring to see Lucy's obedience and boldness. I wonder if I would welcome in a mom and three kids on Christmas day to my family gathering - I might make a few plates of food or give them some money, but invite them to join us for the day?  Or would I invite a Muslim family  to share in our traditions, food, and fellowship with the hope of sharing about Jesus with them? Holidays typically hold special meaning and involve certain traditions in our families. It's hard when people or situations mess with those plans - and to welcome those 'messy' people and situations into our lives, on CHRISTMAS, is not an easy task. I admire Lucy and her family.

Friends, Lucy is teaching me so much more than just Kiswahili. She embodies compassion, obedience, boldness, passion, and joy. I hope her huge heart and her longing for others to know Jesus rub off on me as much as the correct vocabulary and grammar.

So let's take a moment to say a pray of thanks for Lucy, lift up this mom who accepted Christ on Christmas day, pray for those who have had seeds planted in their hearts and ask God to tune our ears to hear what little things (or big things) we can do that could make a HUGE difference in the Kingdom of God!