Growing up in a fairly white city in the mid-western US, I lived a pretty comfortable life as it came to communication and culture. It wasn’t something I ever even thought of. I had interactions with international students or people from other countries what seems like on a regular basis but I didn’t fully appreciate or understand what it was like for them.
As I prepare towards going overseas for missions, I’m reminded what a challenge being in a different culture is going to be.
Tonight, I went to a theology class led by a guy whose door I knocked on a couple of months ago. One thing different about any of the classes I’ve ever done before? This class was in Spanish.
Class may be a bit too formal of a name. It was really more like a Bible study that was led by this man who has a passion for hermeneutics and correct Biblical interpretation. As he spoke, one of the guys who was in attendance interpreted as he could. I felt for maybe the first time what this unknowing feeling was like.
There have been other things that have made me feel similar feelings. The first day I worked at a restaurant in Missouri I thought I would never learn all the intricate rules and set up for the food. Eventually though, I picked it up and was able to do it easily. This though is going to take much more work than a couple of weeks to become a pro. Learning another language is no joke and I know I’ll have to put work in if I’m going to really accomplish it.
At the beginning of the night, I was excited to learn and grow in what was being taught. Trying to pick up what I could and relying on my new friend to interpret other parts. But by the end of the night I felt exhausted. I was equally trying to hear what was being said and also then understanding these deeper topics that he was talking about. I already know I am going to be a slow learner as I start to learn Spanish but I do hope and pray that I can pick it up more quickly as I am exposed to it more.