So…. English is highly spoken in Ghana……
Oh COOL RIGHT!?…. Yeah… no… more like Terrifying 
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Only being in Ghana for 5 days now, I can honestly say that I feel comfort.
Comfort that I have not had since leaving.
Comfort in knowing that I will be able to ask any stranger where they’re going in such a hurry; opening the platform for understanding in their response when she tells me…a wedding and inviting me along (yes this was an actual thing). Or even the comfort in being more than 50% confident that when I ask for directions to the nearest bathroom I will be able to find it.
As silly as it might sound, I want to not know English. Struggling to understand and communicate in Côte d’Ivoire left me with incredible relationships. Depth was created through the gifts of effort, time, and intentionality. Words can be messy and sometimes I think it can add an extra layer of fluff or protection.
I left friends, never having the opportunity to speak more than a few words with. As odd as it might sound, I enjoyed not being able to hide behind words this past month. Did it make interactions uncomfortable, oh yes 100%! But it also created understanding and emotional connections that words cannot describe.
Without language you have to force yourself to feel uncomfortable and look a little goofy to invest in a complete stranger. Otherwise depth, emotional connections, and relationships will not evolve.
Knowing the power that is possible without words… I need to challenge myself to not sit in the comfort of language but make English uncomfortable. I Have no idea what that is going to look like…
But it is my Hope to feel uncomfortable with my native language.
Romans 8:24-25
