Happy 6 Month Anniversary!

Where in the world has the time gone? (Stephanie and Andrea were correct, Time is flying)

After many Spanish classes, when I landed in Bolivia 6 months ago, I was unable to hold a meaningful conversation in Spanish. Speaking Spanish has been one of my biggest battles over the last 6 months.

I have learned that we all have different gifts and different abilities, but mine, I couldn't use because I could not speak Spanish. I could not speak to my orphans or to my students or to people on the street in the way that I wanted to. I wanted to love them and appreciate them in the way that I could in English. Gosh, how frustrating.

Recently, I have been able to spend a lot more time with Spanish speaking friends and I have seen such a drastic change in my ability to communicate. On Sunday Ezmay and I went out into the country (El Campo) to a village that is about an hour a way to visit a friend's church. What an incredible experience. We spent all morning and afternoon with our friends John, Johnny, and Ledi. It was not until we were on our way home that we realized that we spoke in Spanish all afternoon without skipping a beat. It was not always correct or even very pretty, but it was love and it was in Spanish. We were not holding two conversations or needing a translator. We were communicating. Something I had wanted since May 12th, the day I arrived.

However, let me end on a funny note. I have not perfected this language at all. I have so many stories of me thinking a word is one thing or meaning something else and being is understood. At dinner the other night I asked the waiter to pack up my food 'to go'. This is not always available, but it was here and I had some tasty food I wanted for lunch. Well long story short, my food went into the trash. Ha. When I asked him, in Spanish, what happened, he reply "No entiendo" (I did not understand) Oh what and evening.

Happy 6 months.