I was a little worried coming to South Asia when I heard that most of the children did not speak English, and if they did speak English, it was only a small amount. I wasn’t sure how teaching and interacting with them would go and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to connect with them.
Today I was standing outside taking some action photography shots of them playing various games with some of the translators and team leaders. Gideon, one of translators, called my name and told me that some of the girls wanted to know if I spoke any Chinese. I said that I did but it was a very small amount and I was super rusty. I told them to try me and see if I could figure out what they were saying. The first phrase that the girls said was : “I love you.” That they would choose that phrase out of hundreds of possible phrases was so sweet! We continued to pass around phrases in both Chinese and English and I was able to ask them about similar phrases in Burmese. They called a few more children over and amongst laughter and giggles about my mis-pronunciation we were all able to learn new words! It was such a great moment and just a tangible reminder to me that I didn’t need to worry about language barriers, because in those moments we were able to connect on a level that went beyond speaking the same language.
As I get to know these beautiful kids more and more, it is such a great reminder to me that we have a bond strong in Christ and His love, which binds us all together. It is something so amazing and incredible to watch!
Shirlei, It is nice to see that your Chinese lessons are coming in handy. God prepares us for things that we have no way of knowing will happen. Look back and see God’s hand in everything you do. This story blesses me more than you will ever know.