They don’t speak English and we don’t speak French/Acquaba, but we both speak in hand gestures and body language.
We dress in their dresses and wraps. We dance to their songs and with their dance moves. We are slowly learning their language. We eat their food (they were gracious to get us forks and spoons so we don’t have to eat with our hands). We use the “squatty potty” like them. They braided my hair like theirs. We are paraded through the village as an invitation to a church service.
We are teaching them English as much as we can. We are sharing our songs and dance moves. We are teaching the children new games. They share their African drums and we share the guitar and cahone.
It didn’t take long to realize that love is joining in. Joseph learned this when he was sold by his brothers to Egyptian slave traders—he dressed like the Egyptians, spoke like them, and cared for them. He adopted their culture as his own, and he gained favor everywhere he went.
So that’s what this week looked like—joining into their culture. They have expressed multiple times how much they enjoy our presence—and I can’t express how filled I am by these precious children of God! I don’t think I’ve smiled or laughed this much in years—especially when my wrap (skirt) fell off during a dance!
And it all happened despite a language barrier. It all happened because love doesn’t have a border. Love transects every language, every culture, every nation and every continent. You don’t need words to spread love—you just need a willing heart to join in.
