Spanglish

                This is what happens when you speak English and then are learning to speak Spanish.  Phrases come out in English that have a Spanish sentence structure (Ex. Look at that dog black with the collar red.) , and words are said that are not correct in either language!  This tends to happen quite a bit, and sometimes we even mix in some Spanish in our conversations with one another.  We have been in language school for a month now and are learning a ton, thanks to much study and God’s grace.

                Trevor was able to preach last Sunday at our church since our pastor had to be away.  He used an interpreter and did great!  (It’s a bit hard to preach when you have to stop after every sentence for it to be translated!)  We are enjoying our church; the people there are very friendly, and the kids all enjoy their classes. 

We are slowly but surely understanding more and being able to carry on more conversations.  The boys are also starting to pick up some Spanish.    Lane was watching one of the Toy Story movies the other night, and there’s a part where Buzz Lightyear gets switched to Spanish mode.  Lane exclaimed, “Whoa!  This is in Spanish!”  He’s so funny.  The boys  also watch cartoons in Spanish.  As they’re exposed to it, they just soak up new words.  If only it were that easy for adults!      

Trevor watched the boys today so I could go to a Tico cooking class.  I had a great time and was amazed that I could understand a good deal even though the class was taught in Spanish.  I learned how to make several things including Arroz con Pollo and Tres Leches.  I’m really excited to try making them on my own! 

Thank you so much for your prayers and support.  Remember baby Cana this week – we’re taking her to downtown San Jose on Tuesday to get her next round of baby vaccinations.  Also, please continue to pray that we will learn the language well so that we can effectively build relationships with the people of Ecuador.  

Shopping, Earthquakes, and Spanish Language School...Surviving Costa Rica

Hola from Costa Rica!  Well, we’ve have gotten settled in our new home in San Francisco de Dos Rios, Costa Rica and are beginning to get acquainted with our neighborhood.  There is no one-stop shopping here, so we are figuring out where to go to buy different things (groceries, diapers, cleaners, etc.)  Since we don’t have a car, we walk to all of the stores.  We get quite a workout sometimes!  The boys are enjoying the park across the street from our house.  They love to run around, play ball, and slide there. 

It’s been a big adjustment to move to another country, but we are very excited to be here.  This is our second week of Spanish classes, and we have already learned so much!  Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like we’re making much progress.  Then, we’ll have a conversation with someone in Spanish and realize that we wouldn’t have been able to communicate in Spanish at all a month ago!    We are also hoping to get connected (through the language school) with some ministry opportunities.  It will give us practice in Spanish, and we’ll be able to serve while we are here. 

The second day of classes, we experienced our first earthquake.  It measured 7.6 with the epicenter being just off the coast of Costa Rica.  It was quite a shock, but praise God, everyone was safe and no damage was done.  I ran to check on our kids as soon as the initial tremors stopped, and they were perfectly fine.  Their teachers were very well-trained in how to quickly and calmly evacuate the kids to a safe place outside.  Hopefully, we won’t experience another one anytime soon. 

We want to thank you again for your continued support and prayers.  You are making it possible for us to learn Spanish well, so that we can effectively share the gospel with the people of southern Ecuador.  Please pray that we will stay well so that we can attend school regularly; we have passed the flu around our house, but I think we are well for now!  May God bless you as you help us “make disciples of all nations.” 

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. “  Matthew 28:19-20

-Nafisa