There are times in our life when things are too intense for words. We are too angry, too happy, too broken, too excited to speak- words simply can’t capture the intensity or relay what we are experiencing to someone else.
Imagine that situation with a language barrier. If you can’t find the way to say it in your first language, how will you be able to express it in a second language? What if the person is someone you have only known for a couple days? A couple hours?
I don’t know.
I didn’t think it was possible.
If you know me at all, you probably know that I’m not the best at small talk. I’m pretty reserved and shy when I meet people for the first time, and it takes me a little while to be friendly. I am all or nothing when it comes to conversation. I want to talk about intense things, deep and meaningful things, or nothing at all. I connect with people through vulnerability in conversation.
It is pretty hard to talk about intense, deep, and meaningful things in Spanish, when my vocabulary ranges from Hola (Hello) to Manzana (Apple). As noted in previous blog post (Changing Oil), I was feeling a little discouraged and un-useable, because I do not know Spanish as well as the majority of my team. I would almost go far enough to say that I was feeling un-lovable by the people of El Salvador, because I couldn’t express to them in words my appreciation and adoration for them. And most importantly I couldn’t express the love of God to them.
Thank God that words are not the only way He communicates!
We spent this past weekend (4 days) traveling to the east side of El Salvador to visit two different churches.
Friday morning we were picked up in San Salvador by a couple of gents from La Iglesia Cristiana por la Gracia de Dios. The church is located in San Miguel (a 2 hour drive one way). Not even knowing us at all, they put us up in their homes, and fed us. Above and beyond necessary service- I slept in an air-conditioned room, on a mattress, and ate 3 full home-cooked meals each day. We jumped right into service Friday evening, do some outreach in a smaller village on the edge of San Miguel. Saturday we headed to a very remote town between San Miguel and La Union to hold a small service for the people there. We were just thrown into it, and a lot of the time (especially not knowing Spanish) I had no idea what was happening. But sitting there in the midst of confusion- way out of my comfort zone, God showed me His love. I could see it, I could feel it all around me. I was walking door to door with several young people in the church. Their excitement of me being there with them, their encouragement trying to get me to talk, and their willingness to help translate for me and the people of the community- what I beautiful picture of God’s love.
I can see it in the smiles and gestures, in a little girl tugging on my skirt saying “quiero bailar”, in the hugs, in the suprizingly difficult “goodbyes”… was one of the fullest most beautiful days of my life.
Pastor Obed Diaz of Ministerio Cristiano Cimiento Estable, Carmen, and Obed Jr, met up with all of us Saturday evening to take us to La Union. Where we continued to be extremely blessed and loved on by our new found sisters and brothers in Christ. Our dear, dear host, endearingly called Carmenita… I can’t explain it, but even though she doesn’t really know any English, she is really easy and comfortable for me to communicate with. I love her heart. And the Diazs’… such a sweet and genuine family, with hearts that are so clearly striving after Christ. I felt right at home chatting with them, from playing Nerts (Peanuts) and Spoons to visiting the elderly and ministering in the park.
I see God’s love in these people and their love for us and Christ. I see it in the women who prayed over us so passionately the night before we left, in the abundant provision of food and hospitality , and protection for us, in the smiles and laughter and excitement of the young children of the community and church.
I have written so much, and could write so much more. I feel so, so blessed and loved, it is almost unbelieveable. God threw me out of my comfort zone. I was forced to lean on, to trust, to need others… to communicate with ore than words…. And the results can not be expressed in words.
I know that if we loved and served half as well as these people have loved and served us, then the message got across. God used us all. He built bridges, and I hope that so many more relationships can be formed. I hope that we are able to send some World Race teams to these 2 beautiful churches for a month. It is so exciting to know that this is what God wants. He wants us all to be knit together in the heart- with a love in Christ that can not be described with words.
www.iglesiacristianaporlagraciadedios.com
Ministerio Cristiano cimiento estable (facebook page)
