There are times when I am heartily ashamed of myself for my lack of proficiency in Brazilian Portuguese. I have lived in Brazil for nearly two years, and, though I am quite able to catch buses and buy groceries, I run out of things sensible things to say to adults within the first twenty minutes of conversation (that’s the time it takes for me to go through the basic introductory questions that they teach in Lesson 1–What’s your name? Where are you from? etc.).
In general, I have viewed the situation philosophically and with good humor, happy enough with the idea that, given enough time, the language will come organically, seeping into my brain like syrup into a pancake. However, since becoming engaged to a Brazilian, I have regretted my slovenly approach to language study with an increasing sense of frustration.
The truth is that I have been lazy, and now I am feeling the consequences. I have a wedding to plan–calls to make, appointments to schedule, prices to haggle over–yet I can not speak the necessary words. I feel impotent, and I now find my laizze-fair attitude about language acquisition highly reproachable.
When I was in my first year at North Park, I tore my ACL playing intramural football. For the month following the surgery, I couldn’t go to the cafeteria on my own. I had to get a friend to come with me in order to carry my tray while I tried to negotiate my way through the food line. I hated it. I hated being so completely dependent on other people to do something that I felt I should be able to do myself. At the time and in my reflections since, I was convinced that God used that time in my life to teach me something about the value of community…
Apparently, I didn’t quite learn the lesson well enough, and it is time for me to be fully dependent on others again. Fortunately, Antonio’s family is so kind. His mother and sisters are eager to be of assistance by making phone calls and scheduling appointments and his dad has even helped by translating for me. Such goodness is a blessing in a time that I understand is generally stressful but, for me, dauntingly frustration because of my language issues.
More soon.
By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land… Hebrews 11: 9a