Languages I Love

I really enjoy languages. The more I learn, the more I love them.

It started with French. I choose French over Spanish in Middle School because I liked the way it sounded. It was my love for languages that kept me in French courses for nine years, despite ten-page writing assignments and the really, really long French novels that pretty much defined university level study. I've never been a big fan of homework, but I persevered--not to say "I have a BA in French" (because, really, what can I do with it?), but because I enjoyed discovering how novels in French communicate differently than novels in English; how individual words, when translated, take on whole new meanings; and that I am able to express myself in a totally different way in a foreign language.

My extended study of French and love for travel and heart for missions all came together at the end of my four years of college when I applied to serve as an overseas intern with Campus Crusade for Christ. I specifically applied to live and work in France and I was placed on a team headed to Aix-en-Provence in Southern France. One week before I was to leave, I got a phone call that informed me that we didn't have enough people for the team to France--but, they really needed more people in Rome, and would I please consider going to Italy instead. Yes, I know--Rome, Italy! For many people it would be a no brainer--they would much rather spend a year in Italy than in France. But, I was ready for France! I knew the language, I loved the culture, and that's where my heart had been pulled for years. I didn't speak Italian, I really didn't have a great interest to go to Italy, and, well, it was a big change!

In the end, I went to Italy. I initially spoke Italian (by speak I mean reading signs and things out of a language book) with a French accent. After a few weeks I enrolled in language classes (which is my favorite way to learn a new language--I do well with the structure). Once I learned how to pronounce Italian, the doors were opened and I soaked up my new language like a sponge. My many years of studying French really paid off as I dove into another Romance language. (I don't know much about Latin, but I do know that it's the root language for both French and Italian. For that reason, I am thankful for Latin; for making my language acquisition that much easier.) So, after two years living in Rome, I was able to have whole conversations in Italian! I had opportunities to talk about life and faith and the Bible with Italian students. I could share about my relationship with Jesus and communicate the Gospel in a beautiful language, so differently from my mother tongue. I loved it.

Then, I came to Cambodia. As I was preparing to come, language learning was not even on my list of things to do. My dad, in his preparation to visit, had purchased a book and listening CD to learn Cambodian. I took a look at it one evening, read part of the book, and listened to some lessons on CD. Yikes. It didn't sound or look like anything that I heard before! It was interesting, but I nothing to go off of. I closed the book and didn't think about Cambodian until I actually got off the plane.

When I first arrived in Phnom Penh, I picked up a few basic phrases from my roommate/host/coordinator-whose-job-I-was-taking-over. These few words kept from feeling like a complete tourist as I became oriented to this new place. Hello, thank you (which I don't think say correctly for at least a month), my name is...--the very basics. Once I started my actual language classes, the mystery that is the Cambodian language began to slowly make more sense. I can direct a moto or tuk tuk driver anywhere that I want to go. I can buy things at the market. I can barter at the market (very important). I can introduce myself and ask questions to get to know someone. Sometimes people even comment on how clear I speak Cambodian! Wow! Usually, though, people laugh when they hear their language stumbling out of the mouth of this barang (foreigner). But, I know they aren't really laughing at me--or are they? Either way, I love learning this crazy new language!

Unfortunately, my time for studying Cambodian is coming to an end. October will be my last month of classes. I begin my trip on December 1st, so I figured it would be okay to not take classes all the way until the end. So, last week I had to write on the calendar for the school that I was no longer continuing the classes. I asked my teacher, Sina, if I should write in English or Khmer (Cambodian). Dumb question--I can't actually write Khmer, I only know it in English letters written phonetically so I can pronounce it. But, she said 'Yes!', and began to write a phrase on the whiteboard in Khmer script. And then I copied it on my paper. Here is the result!

Language class that day felt a little bit like art class. I just tried to copy what she wrote--and it turned out pretty well! If I were going to be in Cambodia longer, I would probably want to learn how to read and write Khmer properly. Just learning the little bit that I have over the past six months has been a great experience. The classes alone have been a lot of fun. (Having a great teacher makes all the difference!) Even crazy, not-like-anything-else languages are a joy to learn. I can now add "basic knowledge of Cambodian language" to my language resume!

Now...I wonder which language will be next!

WR Cambodia: Leadership Development

Over the past year, a group of key leaders within World Relief Cambodia have been learning practical concepts to help them become better leaders and project managers. They've covered topics, such as critical decision making and strategic planning, with the help of Jay Clark from the Kerusso Foundation. For their final project, teams presented new project proposals to a panel of "judges" (Tim Amstutz, Country Director; Joke Van Opstal, Hope Program Director; and Jay Clark). I got to sit in the back of the room as the teams shared their plans using PowerPoint presentations. It was fun to see staff members, whom I've gotten to know over the past several months, practicing their English skills as they demonstrated the new leadership skills they've developed over the past year.

One of the goals of World Relief is that international programs would become completely self-sustaining--which includes having a completely national staff team. WR Cambodia is well on its way to this goal--right now there are only five expatriates in the office and over 100 Cambodian staff and volunteers throughout the country. Projects like Leadership Development provide staff with skills that they pass down to other staff, which eventually will strengthen the whole of the organization.

Party for Prostitutes

Community Protection of Children (CPC) is a small arm of WR Cambodia that works to prevent human trafficking through education and community cooperation. The staff of CPC develop educational material about the dangers of human trafficking and the importance of sharing this knowledge. Children, parents, pastors, and village leaders need to be prepared and know how to ask the right questions when people come to the village offering jobs away from the community.

The Party for Prostitutes was held in partnership with Destiny Rescue in Kampong Cham province (northeast of Phnom Penh). Local prostitutes were invited to a very nice, catered lunch where they had the opportunity to hear about God's love for them. They received Bibles in the Cambodian language and silk sunflowers with a tag that read "Jesus is Hope." They played games, danced, and several girls won gift baskets from a raffle drawing. Staff members from Destiny Rescue made connections with the girls and encouraged them to contact Destiny Rescue if they wanted to learn how they could leave the life of prostitution.

My heart broke for these young women (who were mostly late-teens to early-20s). They were beautiful. They were kind. They were thankful. And, yet, there was no light in their eyes. Some of the girls brought their young children with them. The children will probably grow up within brothel walls. Will they ever know anything else?

When a woman loses her virginity out of wedlock, she is no longer considered worthy of marriage. She is then a disgrace to her family and loses all connection with them. The lunch provided at the party was similar to the meal that would be served at a wedding reception--each table was laden with a whole fish, seafood soup, lok lak (a beef dish), vegetables, fruit, and, of course, rice. This was definitely a special meal for these girls. They may never have their own wedding feast to share with friends and family. My prayer is that they may, one day, share in the marriage feast of Lamb!

"'Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright, and pure'--
...'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'"
--Revelation 19:6-9 ESV