Kerri and I are in language training every Friday. We are in the early stages of trying to learn Niyanja—a Bantu language that originated from Swahili. So far, we have learned how to pronounce vowels & consonants, personal pronouns and some different greetings. We’re also learning that language is a good window in which to peer through to learn things about culture. One example is how Zambian’s say I lost my money. Instead of saying: “I lost my money,” a Zambian would say: “My money found a way out of my pocket.” This may seem subtle, but it has huge implications when it comes to teaching and preaching the gospel. How do you teach repentance to someone who doesn’t acknowledge fault for his or her own sin? It just showed us that we have A LOT to learn, but for that, we are eager. If you think about it, say a quick prayer for us in this area. Pray that we would be diligent in our studies, but that God would also give us the ability to learn this language quickly and well.
No comments:
Post a Comment