You Know You're A Language Student When...

We are well into our studies of the French language and sometimes the things I catch myself doing can only be summed up by the fact that I'm trying to learn something new. It's almost like when I was in band in High School and would catch myself counting my steps as I walked (for those of you who were ever in marching band...you know what I mean).

So, to understand where we are we've complied a list of funny things we catch ourselves doing on a daily basis.

You know you're a French language student when...

*You practice your numbers as a family every time you are in the car
*You wake up in the middle of the night to catch your spouse reciting French vocabulary words in his sleep
*You get extremely excited when you understand one word in a sentence or conversation, but then you get stuck on that word and don't catch anything else being said
*Your mind blanks on how to spell simple English words
*You practice conversations in French in your head
*You stare blankly at people when they speak at a normal pace
*The thought of ordering food at a restaurant is horrifying

And finally, you know you're a French language student when the only people you want to talk to are small children who can barely speak themselves.

Our journey thus far has been amazing. God has opened a number of doors for us and we can't wait to learn more and more each day. It's a humbling experience to be new learners in a foreign language. We are so thankful for this experience!

Qu'est que ça veut dire?

We have completed our first two weeks (one half week and one full) of language school and we are still working on pronunciation; a necessary step to form the foundation on which we will build.  As we repeat word after word and sculpt our mouths to make the new foreign sounds, my mind wanders.  Not in a way that distracts me from my task, but in the kind of way that the Lord can speak to you in the midst of the hustle and bustle of life.  Whether or not we slow down does not mean that we can't listen to and spend time with the Lord.  In the same way, I have been hearing a "whisper" in my mind as my lips and tongue curl and bend into position.  No, I'm not crazy...its not that kind of whisper.

The voice that I hear is telling me not to forget all that has taken place to bring me to where I am; all who have given to me or my family and thus helped to bring me (or us) to this place.  Of course my parents come to mind.  Where would I be if they hadn't modeled humility and obedience toward the Lord?  The voice also reminds me of my sister who, although "mistreated" me as all older sisters should, always encouraged me to be open minded and to be interested in other points of view.  Jill obviously should be mentioned as she has carried us/me so far.  This voice in my subconscious that continues to whisper during my phonetics drills also contains reminders of countless college professors and mentors, coworkers and friends along the way.  Among the long list, two people in particular come to mind; a husband and wife, youth pastors from my high school days.  They would not want to be mentioned, but they know who they are.

Even though my brain is under intense distress from trying to condition my tongue to respond correctly in this my third language, I flash back to other times when I have attempted making French sounds...or at least pretended to make French sounds.  The couple from my high school days, I'll call them J & R, used to speak to me in French accents.  I have no idea why this started, but to them my name was Gavo-ho-ho-hon.  My typing doesn't do it any justice, but you have to imagine Steve Martin in "The Pink Panther" in order for it to sound right in your mind.  J&R were some of the first people, outside of my family, to believe in me and to invest in my life.  When a scared eighth-grader needed help understanding what God was trying to say to him, they spoke wisdom and helped me to clarify a call to missions.  When they sensed me falling off the straight and narrow path, they spoke truth and guided me back on track with love.  In their words and deeds, they modeled God's own heart of redemption and holiness to a teenager who needed to know it.

J&R will always be important to me, but there are dozens more who have made different investments and contributions to my life on the journey. To all of you, I am grateful.  The Lord has brought our family down this path, but I'm certain that it has been my fellow believers who have been His hands and feet.  As for the title of this post, it translates literally, "what does it mean?" This is a question that I will be asking a lot over the next few months and years as I attempt to learn French. Qu'est que ça veut dire? - What does it mean? I hope that as I am learning new customs and languages, I do not forget what this all means.  I hope my heart continues to break for the lost and because of injustice in the world.  I hope that I understand the gravity of what the Lord has asked us to do.  I hope that I represent well those who have gone before me.  And most of all, I hope that our work will bring glory to God.

I hope that I can remember just how much this all really means!

That's Different: Vol 2

Street signs are something that we take for granted.  The ability to look at signs - either of warning, direction, advertisement, or seemingly random information - and understand what they mean is a sort of right of passage.  I still remember riding in the car with my parents and asking "What does that sign (billboard) say?" or "What does (random description of a sign or traffic light) mean?"  I remember how proud my sister was when she could read a sign to me or explain the foreign pictographs to me before I was able to read or understand for myself.  Today, I welcome and enjoy these same questions from my children.  That is, until now.  I am a baby again myself and am unable to interpret many of the signs that we see.  For some, we are able to use our powerful intellect do decipher the coded messages.  With others, we don't do so well.  On either occasion I find myself reciting these words, "That's Different."

Here are some of our favorites...and they aren't too hard to decode:

Something about children...yes, that's all I've got.

Hmmm...what are they growing here?

The first new word we learned...thank you red octagon!

Is this indicating a snow mobile lane,
warning us to look out for children,
or indicating that children may be riding snowmobiles?

Bonjour!

We've all survived our first day of school. And, although we are still unsure on the final word for Macy's school, they are letting her attend until we find out whether the Government will make us pay or not. We know God has a plan and are learning patience through it all.

We have been so lucky to meet other missionary families attending the Language school, Parole de Vie Bethel, all of whom are headed somewhere in Africa. There are a total of 11 students in our débutante (beginner) class which are part of 26 students in all attending the Language school this year. Between all the families we have almost 30 children. Yes, 30 missionary kids...all in elementary school, except one.


Gavin and I had our first French class today. While most of our class was spent making vowel sounds and learning to position our mouths just right, we also learned numbers, the alphabet and greetings. The hardest part is trying to not look at the words and pronounce them like you would in Spanish. Hopefully, at some point this semester our heads will stop spinning and we will begin to grasp this beautiful and intricate language.