Wednesday is my long day of immersion, with classes plus the girls’ shelter. But it was a good day, on the balance.
Joshua and I continued to solve the puzzle of the present subjunctive tense with Profesora Viviana. We celebrated Eucharist at Maryknoll with Father Juan, which was for me a joyful gathering. It’s nice just to have an “ordinary” Mass outside of the more solemn feasts of the Christian calendar, and this was the last such Mass before the triduum and the Great Fifty Days of Easter. So, no pressure, and lots of grace. It moved me quietly to celebrate with the entire mission center staff: language teachers, mission formation staff, and the laborers and custodians. Everyone was equal. Everyone a child of God. Everyone sharing their joys and sorrows. Everybody on the journey of life together.
Then, after lunch, doing whatever I could at Nuestra Casa, though it is small. Digging deep to produce two copper coins, slightly rusted. We tried the same drawing exercise we did last week, this time with the girls listening to the folk music of Bolivia. I liked this music very much, and I hope my own drawing reflected that. One of the girls drew a few pictures of the wind: an interesting abstraction from the music. Another girl got the concept and presented some pretty shapes and colors that she said reflected the peace and tranquility of the lively music. Another interesting juxtaposition: peace and tranquility can be lively. Before the afternoon was over I tried (feebly) to help a girl with her homework; I also covered her paper folder with more durable wrapping to protect her assignments from getting dirty or wet. The women who work and volunteer here were preparing pan dulce, a common treat eaten during the high holy days of Easter, especially Good Friday. They shared with me some bread fresh from the oven and glazed with honey and sprinkled with sugar or coconut shavings. How good it was!
The Maryknoll Mission Center is closed on Good Friday, so Thursday is my last day of classes until Monday. A lighter burden? Not so fast. Here comes the twist. Joshua and Charles, the seminarians, are going on retreat for one week, beginning tomorrow. So for the first time, I will be in class all by myself. This is not uncommon at Maryknoll because every student is at a different level of proficiency. But up to now I have been fortunate to share the classroom with Joshua. His humor brings out the humor in me. My concentration brings out the concentration in him. We play well off each other, and both of us off the teacher. Now we will forego that dynamic until late next week. And I will forego the rest I get when Joshua and I take turns reading or speaking. Thus it will be four hours of uninterrupted listening and speaking one-to-one with the teachers. ¡Dios mío! My mind is going to collapse from this deep immersion! Or maybe not. It will exhaust me, but maybe it will make my speech stronger and more fluid. Whatever the case, beginning tomorrow, this workout is about to get more intense! God, open my lips, open my ears. I’ve been praying this for years with regard to Spanish, but I really ask for your help now! And please keep giving me better rest; now, four nights in a row. Let us keep the streak going!
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