April 30, 2010

DOES GOD SPEAK MY LANGUAGE?

Joanna Berry, STCHM Vice President – Family Counseling and International Ministry 

Almost-seven-year-old George lives in Texas and is learning to speak Spanish. “Mommy, are there only two languages, Spanish and English?” he asked on his way home from school. “Oh, no,” she answered. “There are hundreds of languages, sometimes two or three languages in one country.” George paused thoughtfully, “Does God speak my language?” 

Around the world children pray in many languages. How beautiful the thought that God does speak their language. Sometimes, when contemplating a mission trip, we wonder if language will be a barrier. It never is. This month in the Dominican Republic, God spoke in the universal language of love through the mission team from First Baptist Church – Seminole in Oklahoma: 

• William never knew his father, and his mother feels he is a burden.     Griselda, his grandmother, is caring for him in a shack with a rusted zinc roof and a leaking septic system. Through his Samuel’s Fund sponsor’s donations, the gifts of several mission trip participants, and the helping hands of the Oklahoma team, Griselda has a new roof, floor, front door and window. And the septic system has been repaired. Can God use wheelbarrows, hammers and cement to communicate His love through volunteers who can’t speak Spanish?Griselda and William know God speaks their language and has heard their prayers.

• The Payano family is very poor.  Now, Samuel’s Fund sponsors are helping two of the children. Ludy Payano seldom smiles. To be honest, she never has had very much to smile about. This week the Oklahoma team spent the day in her village of San Felipe. Carefully, lovingly, she had a beautiful butterfly painted on her cheek.  And she smiled. Ludy heard and felt God’s love in her language, too.

• Many of you have heard about the Concepcion orphans. Father died, mother abandoned them, and then, after re-entering their lives, the mother suffered a brain aneurysm and passed away. This week, Guillermo, Miguel Angel and Jose Rafael Concepcion came to the IBQ church. How sharp they looked in their dress shirts! We took a picture.“Wait a minute, how do you want your sponsors to see you?” Another picture, with big smiles for their American sponsors. Guillermo attends tutoring classes now. This week the pastor’s wife, Patria, encouraged his progress. Then she gave him a walking lesson. He has always shuffled along with his head down. Heel, toe, heel, toe, head up, hands swinging confidently at your side, she demonstrated. We watched him from the window as he practiced walking across the church grounds.

• The Betesda Home in La Romana. Ten little boys – abused, abandoned on the streets, and now living under the care of Pastor Ramon and his wife.  Samuel’s Fund sponsorships have helped to buy groceries and provide new mattresses, laundry hampers and school uniforms. Medical and dental services have been provided through previous mission teams.  New hope, bright eyes and smiles, and loud chattering fills the air as the Oklahoma team loaded excited boys into the bus for a pizza outing. “How many pieces can we have?” the boys ask, being used to sharing limited food and resources. As much as you want. How can little bodies hold so much pizza, we wondered. And still there was more. More pizza left over to take home. God spoke about inexhaustible love and grace to these boys in their language through the love of a mission team and a pizza feast. And perhaps best of all, two more boys were chosen for sponsorship. Now every child in this home has a Samuel’s Fund sponsor! 

Can God speak my language?  Yes, absolutely yes!  And the best part is that God can use you and me to communicate, “Si, Cristo te ama,” even if we don’t know a word in their language!

 By week’s end:

   *  Over 275 patients were seen and thousands of vitamins were distributed

  *  1,100 attended evangelistic services

  *  520 children heard Bible stories, had their faces painted and were loved!

  *  Many reported decisions to follow Christ as the Oklahoma team shared God’s love in

      another language.

Sometimes the team was hot, sometimes exhausted, but with prayer, good food and lots of smiles, they experienced a blessed week of ministry. As each team member returned to their homes, they knew that the love they shared would be nurtured through faithful Christians in the DR who DO speak the Spanish language.

       ~  Joanna