Our Thriving MK

A lot has happened in the 2+ years we have been in Costa Rica. While continuing to think and reflect on some of the most impactful moments and aspects of our time here, Genevieve came to mind.

When we arrived in January of 2014, Genevieve was just a couple weeks shy of her 3rd birthday and still an only child. Before coming to Costa Rica, Polly was a stay-at-home mom and Genevieve had never gone to day care and had barely ever been to school (she spent some time in a kindergarten class on occasion at the school where Polly taught gym and computer class, but never for a full day).

Don't get me wrong, she had already had an opportunity to meet so many people and have great experiences during our itineration (going to different churches each week to raise funds) and did not have separation anxiety when going to kids classes at those random churches during that time.

It was only our 2nd day here in Costa Rica when that all began to change. Genevieve spent her first day at school. She was still so little even though I know at the time I couldn't help but think about how big she was.

And that really was only the beginning. She would go to school Monday-Friday with a Spanish-speaking teacher. Soon she was speaking Spanish like it was no big deal. And in just a little over a month, she was a big sister. Her life was constantly changing. And while she went through culture shock in her own way, in short time she had embraced and even thrived in this new world.

I'll never forget when we were in Panama on a visa trip and she went with me to see if the hotel still had a blanket we had left during a previous trip there. On the way it occurred to me that I had never learned the word for blanket. So I turned to Genevieve and asked her. Without hesitation she responded, "Cobijita." What a humbling moment! (And she still teaches me new words sometimes.)

There have been cool personal, cultural experiences for her along the way, like meeting the president of Costa Rica on 2 separate occasions and even ending up in the national newspaper with him once.

But mostly I've been impressed by her ministry involvement. We always say that MKs are not missionary's kids but missionary kids. They are missionaries who just happen to be kids. In April 2015 at 4 years old was asked to share the story of David and Goliath in Spanish in front of a church full of people. She excitedly accepted the offer and did a great job.

She loves when teams come to work with us from the States, always making friends. And she loves hanging out with the chicas from Chicas de Promesa as well as other kids we work with. And let's not forget about how much she helped me with the OneHope book deliveries last year.

This week is exam week at the school where we do ministry 2 days a week. But since Genevieve goes to kindergarten at the school (all Spanish-speaking) when she goes with me, I decided to still let her go to class this week. At first I didn't know if it was a good plan since I am not doing ministry here this week and don't want to create more work for the teachers. But then it dawned on me that even though I'm doing work on my computer rather than normal ministry at the school these 2 days, she can still do ministry by showing the love of Jesus to her friends at school. These are her days of ministry. I guess I just forget sometimes that God wants to use her too. So while I type this, she's hanging out in school with her friends and I'm praying that God empowers her by the Holy Spirit to be a brightly shining light.

Not Perfection, but Progression

Between moving, some missions opportunities and nearly a week of training in Panama, my schedule has been pretty hectic since finishing my time at language school in August. But as Polly ramps up for her 2nd and final trimester of language school, my schedule momentarily ramps down for enough time to write a blog.

Language learning is obviously a critical element of the work we will be doing in Costa Rica. Without the language we cannot communicate. And most of what we do is communication. So I'm sure some people are wondering how my 8 month investment in intensive language learning went. Can I speak Spanish? Admit it, you know you were wondering that. So let me unpack the answer for you a little bit here by comparing where I came from to where I am today.

When we arrived in Costa Rica...

• None of the 3 of us Browns (it's easy to forget there were only 3 of us when we got here) had any ability to speak Spanish.
• We lived off of our Spanish-speaking friends to interpret for us.
• I knew very few words and didn't pronounce them well.
• I sat in church services picking up a few words here and there that were similar to French and thus at times understanding the title or big overarching theme but really understanding none of the substance of the service. My friend and youth pastor at my church would give me the quick 1 minute recap after service.
• I would get into a cab, say the destination to the best of my ability and hope for the best. I even had to call a Spanish-speaking friend once to tell the taxi driver where to take me.
• I would hope that store clerks wouldn't ask me a question.
• I tried to use as much English as I could with the teachers at language school.

Now, 8 months later...

• The 3 of us Browns (Jonah still doesn't speak anything) all speak Spanish to some degree. Genevieve is fluent for a 3 year old according to every tico who knows her, I can carry a conversation pretty well and Polly (who is a trimester behind me due to Jonah's birth) has taken huge strides in her ability to communicate lately.
• We are the Spanish-speaking friends who interpret for the new language school students.
• I know a LOT more words and pronounce them better...at least well enough that I'm generally understood without having to repeat myself.
• I sit in church services and miss a few words here and there but understand almost all of it, now having the ability to take notes. I interpreted the service for a new student a couple weeks ago and gave the quick recap after service.
• I use complete sentences to tell the taxi driver where I'm going, can give further explanation if they don't know the destination and at times even just direct them along the way.
• I ask store clerks questions.
• I look forward to using my Spanish with teachers and locals.

So, am I fluent?

No. I'm far from perfect and have a long way to go. But I can hold conversations with people, ask and answer complex questions and even do an interview for a local online newspaper. Say what? That's right. My first ever Spanish quote has been documented in this article. Of course, I didn't have the opportunity Genevieve had to meet and hold a Spanish conversation with the president, but then again, she's more fluent than I am. Don't believe me? Check this story out:

We left Jonah's blanket at the hotel in Panama back in March. They still had it so I went to the desk to pick it up last week. On the way, I realized that I couldn't remember the word for blanket. Thankfully Genevieve was with me. "Hey Genevieve, how do you say 'blanket' in Spanish?" Genevieve, without hesitation, replies, "Cobija." Naturally, she was right.

So, while I'm not there yet and clearly still make mistakes, I am progressing. As is Polly. That's all we can ask for. Of course, Genevieve is already there. It's almost unfair...almost.

No Hablo Español...

Without question, the most challenging aspect of moving to San José, Costa Rica has been the language. We came with essentially zero Spanish knowledge. Even though I've felt pretty good about my progression since we've arrived, there are moments when I wonder if I will ever really grasp the language. I had one of those moments on Friday night.

No comprendo.

I have connected very well with my church Dimensión Cristiana and with the people there. In fact, most of my tico friends are from that church. And I love having the opportunity to attend the Friday night small group for jóvenes called Huellas (25+). When my friend Ben and I arrived on Friday night, everyone was in a circle and they had just begun going around and having everyone share something God did in their lives during the past week.

As people were sharing, I couldn't help but feel inadequate because I could only understand bits and pieces of what was being said. This is generally the case for me in group settings or when someone's preaching (if I can't ask for clarification). I understand the overall topic and gist of what's being said, but miss much of the substance. It made me feel less capable to share. A part of me didn't want to have a turn. But another part of me did want to.

No sé la idioma.

When I was given the opportunity, I began with the following qualifier:

Esto es muy difícil para mi, porque no hablo español. (This is very difficult for me, because I don't speak Spanish.)

I then went on to share for around 5 minutes or so...all in Spanish. I even said, "No sé la idioma." ("I don't know the language.") twice during my time of sharing. Sharing, which as I mentioned was all in Spanish. Sharing, which was being understood by all the Spanish-speakers in the room. Sharing, which dealt with how God gave me three opportunities to share my faith (to a small extent) with Spanish-speakers in Spanish during the past week.

(For the record, I was incorrect as "idioma" is masculine and I should have said "el idioma" but I am far from perfect.)

Encouraged.

I was so encouraged by my friends, especially after the small group had concluded. A number of people encouraged me by telling me that my Spanish is good. My friend Adrián was the one who pointed out the comical irony of my multiple references to not speaking the language...in the language...along with the entirety of my sharing. In hindsight I have come a long way. Yes, I know that I still have a long way to go (probably a lifetime) but I have also come so far. And to deny that would be to deny God's favor in allowing me to come a long way.

That encouragement was continued today when my taxi driver commented on my Spanish. I didn't fish for any of these compliments. But I really did need them. I needed to know that I am making progress.

The message within the message.

While I was sharing on Friday night, a thought hit me that I hadn't thought of previously. I needed the Holy Spirit's guidance just as much when sharing my faith in English as I do now in Spanish. It's just that since language is a weakness for me now, it's easier to recognize. I think I really needed to hear that.

Through God's strength, I will continue to grow in my ability to communicate in Spanish. It's hard to believe at times now because I know where I'm at. But looking at where He's already taken me in 5 months, I am reminded that He is able!

Turning Frustration into Motivation

Nearly one month into life in Costa Rica, I feel pretty well acclimated to my surroundings and feel pretty comfortable in my new home. To state it another way: I am getting by just fine.

Getting around

I can make my way around the city without many issues:

• I can walk to a number of stores, malls and the downtown area.
• If I don't feel like walking to certain locations, I feel comfortable riding the bus (though I've only taken a few and do not have the whole system down yet).
• When I don't feel like walking or working through the bus system, I enter taxis with complete confidence that I will get to where I am going.

Communicating

Whether in a taxi or at a store, I have learned some of the more important Spanish words and phrases I need to know to get by. I am not afraid to make mistakes or work my way through things so eventually things work out okay.

Put to the test

I was put to the test yesterday. I sprained my ankle a few weeks ago after falling pretty hard while running. It's been taking longer to heal than I had anticipated, so I finally went to the doctor to make sure there is no structural damage.

After some friends guided me to a doctor's office, I was on my own. Thankfully the doctor spoke enough English to get through the appointment without much hassle. She ended by telling me in Spanish that the next appointment will be completely in Spanish (with a smile).

After that, I got into a taxi and communicated well enough to get me across town to the place where I needed to get my X-ray. I managed to follow the Spanish directions well enough to have the X-rays taken and then had the consultation in English. (My ankle is okay, by the way).

Finally, I got into a taxi and made my way back home.

I did all of this without any real complication. Some may consider that a success. To a degree it is. But it also left me frustrated.

The frustration

As I said in the beginning, I can get by here without any real issues. But I don't want to "get by." Back home in the States I don't merely "get by." I'm educated and communicate without any complication whatsoever. Here, I do my best to simply "get by."

I would be lying if I said this didn't frustrate me. It frustrates me a lot. We all have things that frustrate us in life. The key is not in the frustration, however. The key is what we do with that frustration.

Poco a Poco

I have determined to allow this frustration to be a motivation for me to push myself hard to learn the language. I will not take my learning lightly. I will continue to force myself into situations that require me to progress in my Spanish. I'm taking my doctor's challenge seriously. Next time I go there I will have my consultation using mostly Spanish.

We have a saying at the language school: poco a poco (little by little). I will not wake up tomorrow fluent in Spanish. But little by little I will learn. And I will take my learning seriously. I will be fluent sooner than later. I will do more than simply "get by."

Laughing is Cross-Cultural

I have heard many funny stories over the years of things people have said and done when learning a new language and culture. Polly and I knew that we would be creating a number of our own while in Costa Rica, especially while at language school. I want to share these stories with you so you can laugh along with us.

How do you say three-hole punch?

Polly, Genevieve and I had to go shopping yesterday for some necessities. We asked "the girls" (the simple term for the three single girls that live in the apartment right next to ours at the language school) if they needed anything. They asked if we could keep an eye out for a three-hole punch. No problem, right?

Well, you would think I would have at least done the work of determining the spanish word for three-hole punch before I left the house, but I did not. Neither did I have access to the internet where I was. I hoped beyond all hope that I would just find it without having to ask a single question. You know as well as I did that there was no chance it would be that easy.

What was I to do? I didn't even know enough words to throw something together. Then, the lightbulb went on. I found a spanish-english dictionary on one of the shelves. I picked out two easy-to-pronounce words, one for hole and one for punch. I knew that it wouldn't be the right word but I hoped it would get my idea across.

I went up to the first employee I saw and began...

Perdon. Yo no hablo bien el español. (With full hand-motions going) Tiene un hoyo poncho para papel...uno, dos, tres.

The employee looked right at me and said,

Do you need one-hole, two-hole or three-hole punch?

Yep, he spoke english (not all that common here). I couldn't help but laugh. In case you ever need to know, it's called a "perforadora" in spanish.

Why would you like to return this?

Genevieve received two of the same gifts for her birthday. One of our friends gave us the receipt so we could return it. I had already successfully returned some stuff to one store here but forgot the word I used and it took 20-30 minutes. We went to the service desk and received the question we weren't prepared for, "Porque."

What do we tell them when we don't speak the language. In Polly's mind, she thought about the fact that Genevieve got two of them for her birthday. How could she say that though? She simply replied, "dos." The women looked at us like saying "two" by itself simply would not suffice.

I finally came up with the best I had, (pointing at Genevieve) Ella tiene la mismo (yes, I know that's not grammatically correct, but it's what came to mind). That apparently worked well enough because we were able to exchange it after all.

God Will Equip Us

Since Polly and revealed our plans to become Missionary Associates to Costa Rica, a number of people have asked me if we speak Spanish. To answer simply, "no." Or as they say in Spanish, "no." Yo no hablo bien español. (I do not speak Spanish well.) In fact, aside from a few simple words and phrases, neither Polly nor I speak Spanish at all. This is unfortunate considering the fact that we are becoming missionaries to Costa Rica, a Spanish-speaking country. I can't help but to think back to a saying I heard a lot growing up: "God doesn't call the equipped; He equips the called." 1 Corinthians 1:25-31 says, "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'" (ESV) We are going to have to rely on God to equip us with the ability to learn Spanish. And this will mean us working hard, studying faithfully and practicing often.

How we intend to learn

Once our budget is raised and we finally arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica, Polly and I will begin our studies at CINCEL (Latin American Missionary training center for the Assemblies of God World Missions) for our linguistic training. Those studies will take us up to one year. I've heard that it's not beyond the teachers to use a tongue depressor to force students to roll their "R"s. Considering my complete inability to roll an "R," I anticipate such treatment.

Just because we are going to receive linguistic training in Costa Rica does not mean that we have to sit around and wait, however. In fact, I think that we would be poor stewards of our waiting time if we didn't begin the process of learning Spanish prior to our departure. So, what tool will we use to learn now? Well, unless someone generously decides to gift us a copy of Rosetta Stone, I am pretty sure that it won't be that.

In this day and age of technology, there are a lot of apps and websites that offer free language studies. They might only offer basic training, but that's where we need to start anyway. One such resource that someone tipped me off to is BBC. And here I thought they were only a new agency.

Polly and I also have the benefit of having a number of Spanish-speaking friends. We intend on taking advantage of that resource by practicing Spanish with some of those individuals.

Genevieve has it much easier than either Polly or I do. It's still early on in her linguistic development. Truth be told, with her living in a Spanish-speaking country from ages 2-5, Polly and I will have to ensure that we continue to communicate with her in English. Though I believe that Genevieve will pick up the language without much difficulty once we arrive there, I still switch her toys to the Spanish setting from time to time. This helps me learn too.

(English: I am very excited to go with my family to Costa Rica as missionaries!)

Why we're confident we will learn

As I mentioned in the first paragraph and even alluded to in the title, I believe that God has called us to serve in Costa Rica. As such, I am confident that He will enable us to learn the language, even if that still means hard work for us.

Polly and I also each have the encouragement of knowing that we have the ability to learn and thus speak another language. Polly is bilingual and I'm probably as close as one can be without considering oneself to be bilingual. Polly is fluent in sign language (ASL). She grew up with two deaf parents and also minored in deaf ministries in college. I took five years of French in school (8th-12th grades). I used to communicate with friends using French but have not done so consistently for many years now. I can read and understand quite well, but I'm a bit slow when it comes to communication. It's one of those things where if I lived in a French-speaking country for a year, I'd be fine. Back to the point, however, we both know that we're capable of learning and speaking a new language (and equally as important, we both recognize that this is only because of God's favor and not our own doing).

A year of focused study on a language is a good deal of time. Already knowing the basics, we should do just fine.

Learning the language is just another one of the many exciting aspects of this journey for us. We trust that God will equip us, and we have been praying as such.

Mike