do you understand me?

I can't stop thinking about what happened less than 2 hours ago.

I had a 30 minute+ conversation in a langauge other than English. I walked into a new shop near our house and talked to the manager. We went past the normal how long have you lived here-do you like the food questions. And I was able to do it in my second (or third or fourth depending on how you look at it) langugae. I'm still in disbelief.

The manager works in a dish store. He has all sorts of plates, bowls, serving pieces, and other random home decorations. I talked about flower pots, cake stands, pets, cooking mexican food, jewlery boxes, and much more. And he understood me......that is mind blowing!

Where we live, we study the main language, but there is a common dialect that is used by locals that is very hard to understand, and different from what we learn in the classroom. I was so thankful that the manager spoke the host language!! Not only did I understand him, but he understood me!! ME?!?!? I'm still in shock.

Daniel and I spend hours everyday studying language-both in and out of class. Everyday we struggle through language...not struggle in a bad way, but struggle in a this-is-not-my-first-language kind of way. Learning language can be hard. It can be discouraging. Especially when you feel improvement in the classroom but step outside and someone doesn't understand a single word you say.

I share this not to pat myself on the back. I share this because I'm so thankful. So incredibly thankful for Father's grace in allowing this opportunity and His mercy he showed me tonight.

When I walked home from the man's store tonight, I had the biggest smile plastered on my face. I couldn't have frowned if I wanted to. The joy that filled me was too much to keep inside. It had to come out.

love

laura