December 26, 2015 Chelsea Dawe

First Impressions

Hola, amigos!

This weekend before our team goes to Eagles Nest, we’ve been staying at the Robledos’ home. They are wonderful hosts and there’s been an amazing amount of smiles and laughter here. When we arrived at their home on Friday, they greeted each of us with a hug and kiss on the cheek. I felt more like I was being welcomed into the home of old friends instead of people I’ve never met. I know I speak for all of us when I say that we are so grateful for their hospitality!

We enjoyed a beautiful Sabbath here today. The brethren in Guatemala City were so welcoming to us, and the messages and special music were excellent. And I learned an interesting personal lesson today.
I knew when I applied for this project that it wasn’t required for me to be able to speak or understand Spanish. But I really wanted to learn as much Spanish as I could before coming. I knew that a lot of those I’d interact with here speak at least some English, but I wanted to be able to be able to talk to them in their first language as much as possible.

I knew only a little Spanish before, so for about two months before this trip, I started seriously studying Spanish. While I’m certainly not fluent, I can say I now know much more Spanish than I ever have before. Yet I found myself still feeling nervous about speaking the language. What if I pronounce something wrong? What if I use the wrong word and embarrass myself? Will everyone think I’m stupid?

The Robledos, as well as the other church brethren here, were so warm and friendly. So why was I feeling so nervous about speaking Spanish?

I realized my anxieties had nothing to do with others and everything to do with myself and my self-consciousness. Sure, nobody wants to appear foolish, but when this interferes with your ability to communicate and connect with others, that’s a problem. I didn’t study Spanish for two months to not use it at all here. Despite feeling self-conscious, I started joining conversations with the Guatemalan brethren. I was surprised at how much I realized I could understand, and at how much I’d remembered. And not once was I ridiculed. If anything, the people I met were excited to learn that I knew at least some Spanish.

I felt a bit vulnerable, but it was truly exciting and encouraging to be able to use what I’d learned in conversations. Often, we have to break out of our comfort zones to learn and grow. And if we want to connect with others, we must be willing to be shed our self-consciousness and take that first scary step!

Hasta luego!

Chelsea