Speaking Spanish

Speaking spanish is still very hard, as is listening, understanding and reading, and I do not even attempt to write yet. But I am improving. I have been able to pay the employees. I have asked Dilcia many things about ordering the food and been here to pay for those deliveries. I discussed some receipts on my house with Timoteo and understood most of what he said. I had Marc standing there as backup. And it is definitely baby talk spanish. Timoteo said I was doing good. He was just being nice. I can go to the grocery store without my spanish english dictionary. That is the only place I can go without my dictionary. I am understanding most of church these days. At least, I can get to the scripture references. That helps a tremendous amount in knowing what the sermon is about. I still provide a great deal of entertainment for the Hondurans when I say things like "Nicole is my eye" instead of Nicole is my daughter. They laugh with me, not at me. But, they are kind and patient with me and are trying to help me learn.

My vocabulary is growing daily. Some words, though, I will never have a chance to use. For instance, I don't think I will ever be able to use the words for sugar mill and oil cloth. I still have a very long way to go. I may not ever learn all the tenses, or all this masculine or femine stuff, but just the fact that I am slowly improving is enough encouragement to keep trying.

Terri