My thoughts on our lives of one year ago will probably be filled with exaggerations and hyperboles, but there has been significant change in our lives and hearts, and the beauty of writing is that I can embellish it however I see fit.
One year ago . . . I had to drag myself out of bed every morning and mentally give myself a pep talk to ‘get er done,’ aka, ‘learn the language’. There was plenty of things I enjoyed about life and work as I was in the midst of language study, but for whatever reason I dreaded doing it every day. It just wasn’t my cup of joe, (no cup of joe is my cup of joe). Some days I would spend in the office poring over texts and data trying to wrap my stupid brain around simple concepts. Other days I would go out into the world, see who I could find in the villages, or who was in their gardens. Sometimes I’d prepare a little story to tell in Pal, (an old hunting story or something), and then I’d pass through four villages during my outing and tell the story in each village, improving my language ability with each telling. Those were some good times, but for whatever reason, as the next day would dawn, I would dread going back out again to further my education.
Fast forward to now . . . I’m not exactly springing out of bed in the mornings, (I’ll never be a morning ‘springer’), but I’m not dragging my feet as I get ready for the day. A year ago I worked cause I had to work, now I work because I want to work. Whether it’s checking in on the literacy school, preparing Bible lessons, or working on translation I’m enjoying getting to work each day. A couple weeks ago I started rough drafting the book of Mark. I started on a Friday and though the weekend was quick to follow I found myself not wanting to stop and break ‘normal’ work for the weekend. I’ve developed a good group of ‘helpers’ that come to my office regularly, some to work on Bible lessons with, some with which to work on translation, and those days I look forward to as well.
There are still times I have to look a Pal friend in the eye and say, “I have no idea what you just said.” But, I can converse normally with my Pal friends now. And I have Pal friends now, (really, I do). This place has become home. We’re looking forward to furlough, but not longing for it anymore. Part of me is wondering how I’m going to leave this place for a year. This is my work, this is my life. Our lives are being poured out here, and it’s worth it!