Anya arrived 3 months ago today, with me arriving 3 days later. So, I had prepared Anya with some reflection questions to discuss at dinner tonight.
During these last 3 months:
- What were at least 3 of the highlights or best memories?
- How have you grown as a person?
- Because we had often coped with the difficult times of transition by telling each other, “It helps us be dependent upon Jesus.” So, how did you experience Jesus’ provision?
We both shared our perspectives and also what we saw in each other. There were highlights of trips to Stockholm (mine with Anya, Anya’s with her friend Sarah); playing ping pong; dinner conversations and laughter with Jim and Christina when we were guests there the first month; spirit week at school for Anya; heart-to-hear conversations for me with new friends at Johannelund; etc.
Anya has wonderfully developed with her own management of time and responsibilities. She wasn’t a slouch before, but there is more to manage here, with a schedule that changes from week to week, and a mom who was gone to three conferences for 2 to 4 days at a time. Anya even made the decision to have me cancel Netflix, because it was a distraction from her studies. Wow!
It is great to see her thriving, and that a huge consolation for me with all the frustration of language learning. I have finished all the lessons on Duolingo!
While I’m grateful for all that I did learn with Duolingo, I am bewildered that I am still so poor at speaking the language after finishing this course. However, I did have my first tri-lingual dream! I dreamed that I met a woman from Kenya, so I started speaking Swahili with her. After about 3 words of Swahili, I unconsciously slipped into Swedish for about 3 words! But then the dream continued in English. Usually, it is the other way around, where I want to speak Swedish and Swahili words want to come out. This is encouraging. I dream of someday dreaming in Swedish–really!
Indeed, God has been and will continue to be faithful!
Today was really rainy. It means bundling in layers and rain gear for my backpacks and me. I bring an extra backpack full of books to my office every day.
Tomorrow is the first day of EG 101 Introduktion till Gamla testamentet (Introduction to the Old Testament). My colleague is lead for the first day, but then next week, I’m in charge for about 6 weeks when he is in the USA for a conference and visiting his son. (Pam, he’ll be at the SBL. Would you like me to send anything if you’re going?) Several students told me today that they are excited for the course! I am encouraged.
With blessings,
Beth
I used to tell my Maasae School girls (and Moringe students) that you don’t know a language until you start to dream in it. One by one, they’d come to me and tell me, almost sheepishly, that they’d dreamt in English. So, my hardy congratulations on this, an unrecognized but very real great moment. MK
Absolutely! I am a little excited about it. It was only three words, but it is a beginning! I also love asking multi-lingual people what language they dream in. It is often a great conversation! (And I love your comments too!)