I’ve been eating meals with the students this weekend (which I don’t normally do, but since my aunt and uncle have been gone, I am), and it has been a good experience. I feel much more accepted and “part of the group”.
Yesterday, Efren, who speaks English (gracias a Dios), came to me with the request to go with him to Rigo about some songs Rigo wanted us to learn in English to sing when we ever had conferences here at the BI with English-speaking people (Efren has made mention of it last week, but it totally left my mind since then). So we knocked on Rigo’s door and entered his house after his niece came up behind and let us in (he couldn’t hear our knocking because he was listening to worship music really loud on his computer).
Okay, so it is completely amazing at how well he knows his way around the computer without his sight. He only uses the keyboard (is learning all the commands), and he remembers where EVERY THING is on the desktop and in the menus. I bet Brandon McRee couldn’t access his computer with his eyes closed like Rigo can!
Anyway, he opened his music library and opened up the Hillsong album (my parents are fans of them and I know a few of their songs), so I was relieved that those were the ones he wanted us to learn. He knew the songs in Spanish, but didn’t know the English titles (obviously, because he doesn’t speak English), so Efren and I clicked through songs and/or translated the Spanish titles to English to find the four that Rigo wanted us to learn. He asked me to get the lyrics and chords for Efren and I to learn, so I spent a few hours doing that on the computer (lyrics in both Spanish and English). I thought I took a really long time for just for songs (internet was slower than molasses and I also took an accidental nap), but Efren and Rigo were very satisfied with how fast I was able to produce the copies of lyrics and chord. Anyway, we didn’t practice yet since the worship band had to practice for our Sunday service, but we probably will this week.
During worship practice, Rigo’s wife, Beteli’s mom, asked me to teach Beteli English while they had worship practice. I think that was her way of asking me to babysit Beteli. So I took Beteli—had no idea how I was going to teach her, so we headed up to my apartment.
“And Abri?”
“No, Beteli, just you.”
“And Danielita?”
“No, Beteli, just you.”
She’s used to typically having another kid in their when I watch her.
“Are we going to color?”
“Yeah, we’re going to color and we’re going to learn!”
“Are we going to play?”
“No, we’re going to learn. Do you want to learn English?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, let’s go learn!”
There were clothes drying on the table (which isn’t out of the ordinary), so I decided to grab some crayons and go work with her in the dining hall off the chapel by where her parents were having worship practice. It was really hard to get her to focus on learning (Obviously! She’s a kid!), so I tried my best to keep it interesting and not cram her brain with words. I taught her the colors while we colored and I taught her the word “Look!” since I know she used the word “Mira!” a lot. It was so cute, because I’d point to a crayon or a color on the page and say, “Blue!” and she’d repeat, “Bloop!” It is also harder to teach her colors because she doesn’t even know them in Spanish or Huave yet, so I might have to teach her those first; or maybe not. Unlike adults, children don’t need to know the word in their language first in order to learn the word of a new language. There’s whole life starts with immersion—seeing something and learning the word for it. I just have to keep that in mind. I’m thinking about maybe just talking to her in English when I’m watching her; for her benefit, and because it’s what her mom wants. That way she’ll automatically train herself to learn English by adaptation and immersion—like I am.
For cena, we had arroz con leche. I felt dumb, because I’m so used to people serving the food for you, I kept forgetting that the students do it different on the weekends—twice in a row I tried to take one of the girls’ cups they had just poured for themselves and said, “Gracias!” They looked at me funny and then I realized what I was doing. What a goof!
Oh, and the Hebrew dance went fine this morning! A few girls didn't participate, so that was a bummer, but it still looked okay! Church was very depressing though—after we took communion, Brother Martín had us all join hands around the chapel and sing one last worship song. As I looked around the room, only I and one other girl was singing (out of 60 people) and everyone had a very sour look on their face… so much for uniting the congregation. But then the whole church ate comida together after church, and then the smiles decided to show up. Oy!
Oh my goodness, and creepy Karla is always coming up to me and kissing my cheek and looking very awkwardly at me; I’m so creeped out! She’s only 15, but she looks my age and is a bigger girl and she dresses kind of emo. Did I mention before how she showed me that she’s been cutting herself, and tried to explain it to me for 5 minutes (didn’t understand much of it since it was in Spanish AND she’s a mumbler), so I just prayed with her (in English) and told her she shouldn’t do it anymore. I tried loving her “like Jesus would”, but the more I love her, the creepier and more clingy she gets. I’m at a loss with this one.
I’m afraid to go to church sometimes (esp. on Thursdays when Aunt Lila and my friends aren’t there); today after church I jetted-out and sneaked into Aunt Lila and Uncle Kent’s house so she wouldn’t find me. And I didn’t go to the church baseball this afternoon because of her—“what if she’s going…”—I’m legitimately uncomfortable… more than I’ve ever been with any person on this Earth. :\
Alright, in closing. I have some really exciting news—to me—but I can’t share it yet.
No comments:
Post a Comment