Green Light

While future plans seem to have been put on hold, everyday life is going ahead full steam.  I mentioned in my last letter that winter had been very had physically for me.  Spring is not here and has brought with it a new burst of energy and health.

Each week I have eight hours of class at the school and another eight with my tutor.  My tutor is a retired YOU teacher who has spent the last seven years teaching foreigners.  This woman has really taken me under her wing and treats me like her granddaughter.  Often, after class she insists that I stay and have lunch with her and her husband.  Since she doesn’t speak any English this relationship has really done a lot for my language acquisition.

Recently I have started doing a language rout.  Every day I got from store to store and talk with 15 people.  I first memorize a small text about my life, family of country and then ask them related question.  Some days this can take almost two hours of my day.  It is a humbling way to learn a language.  Most days I feel like a three year old when I drag my feet out of the house to get started, but the people on my route are great.  Many of them are very traditional YOUs.  They wear their long skirts and headscarves.  Most of my friends to this point have been very modern young women who are studying at the University.  Talking to these folks every day is really giving me a picture of what real YOU life is like.  Making these friendships has really opened my eyes and given me a greater amount of peace about staying here in the capital for another year.

The rest of my time is spent having students into my home and pouring tea.  Some days I feel like my dorm has a revolving door, and that I spend a lot of time rinsing tea cups for the next person, but that is how ministry must be done out here.  Building close friendships one cup of tea at a time.