How to learn a language

I'm convinced that when it comes to being a "missionary" (we're all missionaries as Christians) that language is crucial. Here in Nashville we are surrounded by people from all over the world. Nashville has the largest Kurdish population in the United States and there are more Nepali and Burmese people here than I've ever seen anywhere else. 

It's really hard to share the Gospel with these people if we can't speak their language. It has made me realize how important the language will be when we move to Guatemala in September.  

I know many of my readers aren't in the same shoes I'm in. You're probably not gearing up to move to another country anytime soon. But that's ok. I'm going to share some language tips with you anyway :) 

Learning another language, or just brushing up on the Spanish you were taught in high school, can be helpful even if you aren't planning on living in another country. 

Mitch and I are by no means language experts, but here are some tips that have helped us. 

1. Go to your local library and begin reading children's books in another language. 

2. Watch your favorite tv show's or movies in another language and/or with subtitles. 

3. Make a LiveMocha account. livemocha.com 

4. Set your phone, Facebook, or any other media site to the language you're wanting to learn. 

5. Listen to music in a different language. 

6. Practice reading out loud in the language you're trying to learn. This will help with pronunciation. 

7. Label your apartment/home with sticky notes. 

8. Download apps for your iphone or android.

9. Buy some workbooks and practice working through them. 

10. Memorize a lot of vocab! Here is a link to more specific ways to do so: vocabulary

11. Study, study, study! Language is repetition and if you don't use it, you'll lose it! 

I hope these tips can be useful to someone out there. Please pray for Mitch and I as we continue to study Spanish. Most people consider us to be fluent, however we have not yet reached our goal of what we consider fluency. We want to effectively be able to communicate the Gospel in Spanish! 

Antigua, Guatemala

Dios te bendiga (God bless you),

Amanda 

Our weekend

Somehow all big events happen on the same weekend this year. This weekend, for example, was Mitch's birthday as well as Whitesburg Baptist Church Disciple now (Huntsville, AL). It was a busy weekend, but so much fun!

I led a group of 10th grade girls. We talked about the importance of "hitting pause" in our everyday lives and spending intimate time with the Lord. 

Driving home from the Disciple Now with these 2 lovely ladies!

Sunday was Mitch's birthday. We got home from Alabama Sunday afternoon and I began cooking his favorite meal-lasagna. We had a fun time with friends celebrating Mitch's 24th bday! 

Monday afternoon Mitch and I decided to spend the day together to celebrate his birthday. We visited the Parthenon replica downtown in Nashville and had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. 

Birthday picture! :)

The Parthenon! We can now check this off our "Things to do in Nashville before we leave" list. 

I am seriously so thankful for my husband.  And thankful for weekends like this past one. We had such a refreshing and fun weekend. Looking forward to 3 more months in Nashville!!

 

"O God, quicken to life every power within me, that I may lay hold on eternal things. Open my eyes that I may see; give me acute spiritual perception; enable me to taste Thee and know that Thou art good. Make heaven more real to me than any earthly thing has ever been. Amen."

-A.W. Tozer (The Pursuit of God)

2013

I'm a few days behind (more like 2 weeks), but Happy New Year!

This is an exciting year for us. Many friends and family know that we will be moving overseas in September. If you haven't heard already, we are moving to….

Guatemala is such a beautiful country and we are very excited for this opportunity!

Well we are back in Nashville and back in the swing of things. We had a wonderful time visiting friends and family in Florida, but it is so nice to be back in our little home. 

I am excited for this new year and the next 4 months we have in Nashville. My goal is to truly maximize my time here because I know how fast 4 months will fly by. I even bought a 2013 planner to help me prioritize and stay organized :) 

Today in our training time we read these verses and I wanted to encourage you with them as well.

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.  2 Peter 1:3-7

I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions, but if any of you make them (or fight to keep up with them), don't forget verses such as these. Christ has called us to so much more than to be fit in 2013. I know that's a popular resolution and trust me, I'm pretty passionate about it too, but as a Christian I want be more focused on Christ and his commands. I encourage you to be as well. 

-Amanda