Learning the Language

We recently received a family update from friends who live in Spain. Like us, they are Americans living abroad in a primarily non-English environment. Also like us, they have a child that is just starting school, and the language of instruction is not in English, the language of the home.

They wrote of the challenge their son is having at school because he doesn't understand the language, but added, "...hopefully in time, that will improve..." In most cases that I'm aware of, it does improve, and usually pretty quickly. We have the same hope for Grace and some of her friends who are going through this transition.

At this moment, Grace is sitting at the kitchen table looking at a book, pretending to read Hebrew. She's making Hebrew sounds and occassionally offers a complete sentence that she remembers us reading to her from one of the Hebrew books we have recently given her. Now, she's hollering into the other room in English: "Mama, come here, please!"

Our friends asked us to continue prayng for their son, "that he'd pick up the language quickly." And we offer the same prayer request to our friends: that Grace will pick up the language quickly.