PATIENCE WITH FOREIGNERS

Doesn't it irritate you when you meet older people who moved to Canada five years ago and still only say "hello" and "goodbye" in English. If they have come to our country, why don't they at least make the effort to communicate in the language of their adopted home (French if any francophones are reading this blog). Why don't they spend their time with English speaking people and watch TV in English?
Well I will tell you why they don't. It is really hard work to learn another language! And I suspect it gets more difficult with each decade of aging. So don't be critical of those older immigrants, sympathize with them! Admire all those ESL students!
You can guess that our last few weeks of language study have made us even much more sympathetic than we've always been. Not to five year olds: those little rascals learn a new language much faster than their parents or grandparents. Jan and I sympathize with adults learning a new language - especially older adults; and especially if they are learning one of the world's more difficult languages.
When in seminary (middle of the previous century) I used flash cards to memorize Greek words for my two years of Greek study. Well, 40 years later, I have had to go back to flash cards. This time I am using business size cards on which I have printed Vietnamese (Toi sống Vietnam bon tháng trươc)on one side and the English translation (I have lived in Vietnam for four months) on the other side. After going over each card somewhere between 100 and 1000 times, the word or sentence begins to stick.
Jan and I, especially because of our limited linguistic abilities, have always admired International workers who in preparing for service have learned not one but two new languages. And then some of those devoted people have been re-deployed and learned a third new language. They do this so that they can serve others and share God's Good News.
I am delighted to be asked to preach five sermons in two days; or to prepare and present twelve lectures in five days. But learning a new language? Pity those older new ESL immigrants. And pity those second career International workers. :)
Have a great weekend. And no, I can't say that in Vietnamese (yet).