LIRIA & JAIRO

Today was a bit of a free day. A run in the morning. Breakfast and some reading and catching up on the blog (including a video I assembled of worship at 'Luz y Vida' which I added to the blog entry for June 10… or you can click here to watch it). A little before noon, Pr. Jairo asked if I wanted to run an errand with him. His printer was broke so we walked to a nearby store aptly named "Fix Computer" (see photo here). While window-shopping at a few tech stores (checking out laptops, tablets and cameras) we conversed about the different tendencies in Colombia and the U.S. The tendency in Colombia being to fix broken blenders, printers, computers, etc. as opposed to the tendency in the U.S. to throw away and buy new.

After Pr. Jairo and I had a nice simple lunch with his daughter Liria at a local café, Pr. Jairo headed out for his usual Tuesday extravaganza of Bible studies. After reading for a bit more in the afternoon, Liria went with me to print off some photos near by and we also searched for a plastic travel soap dish, which I'd lost before I even departed the U.S.

Just when I think that I'm making progress with my Spanish, I'm humbled when I spend time with people who don't 'rescue' me (which Pr. Jairo is fortunately all to good at) by explaining in English what's being said. Still, Liria found a great deal on a soap dish for me (about 55 cents from someone selling them on the street corner!).

Because Pr. Jairo and Consuelo both worked late tonight, around dinner time I checked in with Liria and Jairo and found them making pancakes (an 'experimento' they called it) while listening to 'Guns & Roses Greatest Hits.' I joined them and we were three kids experimenting in making pancakes for dinner without the parents home.

When you find yourself unable to speak the language that everyone else does, you find yourself frustrated a fair amount of the time. However, just as the valleys of frustration are deep, so too the mountain peeks of understanding (when you are graced with their presence) are just as mighty.

And occasionally, you find you don't need words. We rounded out the night by playing some Jenga - one of those brilliant games that require no words. In fact, it's better if you can't understand each other's words. Because then you value the expression-filled faces, the squeals of delight and the thrill of tragic failures all that much more.

I'll admit. There are times where I find myself trying to take stock of what I've accomplished on this sabbatical. Although I have read more books in the last two weeks than I probably have in the last two years, it's good to remind myself that "community" was one of the foci of my grant proposal and that community is not something you accomplish, but something you build as you make pancakes and watch a tower of blocks fall over squeals of delight.