Learning

Hey strangers! It's been awhile since I've written. Time is flying by here! I've been here over a month and it feels like a week, but a year at the same time. Crazy to think I'm going to be here for 5 more. I have been really busy with work lately/ been sick/ been too lazy to get off the ship so I haven't really done much in the past week or so. Today I was sitting at our pool and looked off the side of the ship down to the port and saw my favorite local security guard sitting at the gate. Something (or Someone) told me to go down there and talk to him. I had to take the trash out anyways so it was like hitting two birds with one stone. We greeted each other as usual and with the little french I knew, we struck up a simple conversation. I then sat down next to him and the other security guard and attempted more conversation. These guys speak minimal english, but we were able to communicate that I wanted to learn french and they wanted to learn english so lets help each other out! They conveniently had a little french book with simple words and pronunciations so we went through that three times and they helped me pronounce all those fancy french words correctly and I taught them the word in english. Me and Balla (that's definitely not how you spell his name, but that's how it sounds) then just started speaking and I would write down what he said in a way so I could read it later and pronounce it correctly. I learned terms such as a lot, they resemble, it' s good, it's not good, the days of the week, where is your phone?, my phone is on the charger, and my phone is on the ship. My 5 minute trip to the dumpster turned into an hour and a half of learning french and teaching english! I went back on the ship with more joy than I've had in awhile. I have been slacking in being adventurous lately so it was just a simple reminder what and who this beautiful nation holds right outside our doors (or gangway if we're being technical) Oh how I love these people! They are so friendly, welcoming, happy, and eager to form a friendship. As if that french lesson wasn't enough, I was taking more trash out tonight and my other favorite security guard with amazing english nicknamed M.G was working began chatting. We sat on the ground and discussed the difference in "school french" and "street french". We had once discussed about how he was a Christian so I felt comfortable asking him phrases in french that I could use to sort of minister to people such as "how are you feeling?" "how is your family?" "can I pray for you?"or "what can I pray about for you?". Well after 40 minutes of french with M.G and one red ant bite on my butt (they are all over the port, I will go get ice after this haha), I think I could manage a meaningful conversation with our patients onboard or at one of our Mercy Ministries. I have french lessons with Balla on Mardi (Tuesday) at 5 pm and with M.G every night of the week! I am PUMPED!!!! Oh and one of our Gerkhas (security guards) from Nepal told me he would also help me learn some simple Nepalese so this girl is about to come back trilingual! (okay that's a stretch)

My birthday is tomorrow and me and my cabin mate Jeanna are going shopping in town and spending the whole day there! What better way to celebrate?! I'll probably go out with some friends for some soda or something and then have my french lesson with M.G. Only thing missing? My freakin amazing friends and family from back home :( but oh well! Nothing I can do about it. 

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone" Colossians 4:6 

God is good