Slowing Down

Hello again from Guatemala. I was happy to read Audrey´s post (see Small Words below) about communication difficulties and the need to use small words. Believe it or not, the four of us who came to Guatemala with little to no Spanish skills have had our fair share of communication difficulties. And while it is awkward to use very simple words and even more awkward to use only one verb tense, I have been amazed at what I can say and what I can understand if I have the patience to try.

Monday through Friday we are enrolled in a language school here in Xela. Most of my time is spent learning verb conjugations and memorizing vocabulary words. But sometimes I have been able to just sit down and talk with my tutor, Luis. Now, I have a patient and curious teacher who asked me to tell him about Methodism. Over the course of two afternoons, I explained to him the history and structure of The United Methodist Church--to the best of my knowledge and ability anyway. I´ve also explained to Luis the crazy concept of camping out for Duke basketball tickets. And conversely, Luis has told me about the Guatemalan civil war and the complex structure of the fan base of Los Super Chivos (Xela´s professional soccer team--2007 national champions, by the way).

Using only the most basic concepts and phrases, we have learned a whole lot about some seriously complex issues. But like I said above, it has taken loads of patience (mostly on Luis´ part). His willingness to use only small words and to sit patiently while I flip through my Spanish-English dictionary to find the word bishop or conference or tent has allowed us to communicate information that is important in our lives. The understanding is partial, at best, but I´m pretty certain that is better than no understanding at all.
Being spoken to only in Spanish has changed the way I listen to others. I can´t think ahead or prepare a response before the other person is finished speaking. I can only concentrate on every word, hoping for some understanding. Now, I wonder what will happen when I return to the U.S. and can once again speak in my native tongue to other English speakers. I wonder what I will be able to explain or what I will be able to understand if I slow down and use simple concepts, if I use small words, and if I listen patiently while others try to explain to me something that is important to them.

Seann Duffin
M. Div. ´08
Quetzaltenango, Guatemala