Allow me
to put myself in YOUR place today. You, my faithful supporters, have
been praying and giving so that I can do what God has called me to do. But, if I were you, I would have a few
questions about how the money you are sending is being used and if it is truly
worth your investment. Please allow me
answer some questions that I might have if I walked a mile in your shoes.
Didn't
She Live in Mexico Already? Why Doesn't She Speak Spanish Yet?
The
usual process with the Assemblies of God is to send their missionaries to
language school right from the start, unless that Missionary Associate is only
going for one year and will be working primarily in an English-speaking
environment. When I originally went to
Mexico, it was for one year and I worked primarily in an American school for
missionary kids where English was spoken.
While I did study Spanish, it
was always only on the side and by
nature of my ministry, I spent much more time practicing my English than my
Spanish. I loved ministering at the school
in Oaxaca and had some outside opportunities to work with Mexican nationals too,
but my Spanish learning was not what it could have been had I been completely
immersed in the culture.
Since
She Already Knows Some Spanish, Why Does She Need Language School for a WHOLE
Year?
That is
a valid question. Let me explain. Each Spanish verb has fourteen
tenses. Each of those fourteen tenses has five different
conjugations. That’s seventy possibilities for ONE verb. There are
hundreds of Spanish verbs and that’s JUST the verbs. When you add in
grammar, phonetics and learning how to speak coherently...one year of language
school probably isn’t long enough, but it will have to do.
Is She Just Going to
Return to Mexico and Work with English-speakers Again and Forget Her Spanish?
The
short answer is, “No.” When Daniel and I
return, we will not be living in the same area and our ministry will be focused
on ministering to nationals, specifically the indigenous people who live in
Chiapas. And although we do not yet know
for certain what doors God will open for ministry, we expect that we will be
working with national pastors, churches and future Christian leaders.
How Can I Best Pray for
Her?
Please pray that God will
give me understanding, perseverance and patience as I study and memorize and
practice and read and listen, etc. It
can be frustrating at times to struggle so much to learn and still feel like I do
not understand as much as I would like.
Yet even in those moments, I know that I understand more than I used to
and I know that little by little all of this will come together. I have highly qualified and gifted teachers
who are doing a phenomenal job. This
language will come, but I certainly do appreciate your prayers.
More
Questions?
If you have other
questions you would like to ask, please feel free. You deserve to have your questions answered
and I am happy to oblige. I want you to be
able to trust me and to feel confident in supporting me. You are investing a great deal and you have a
right to know what is being done with your resources. With God’s
help, I will “Do [my] best to present [myself] to God as one approved, a worker
who has no need to be ashamed.”
2
Timothy 2:15
