Learn a New Language

      I tried to learn French. Well, I suffered through a semester of it anyways. And it was awful. So when I got my mission call to Armenia I was a little scared, but I had faith.

      Learning Armenian wasn’t easy though, even with God’s help. The different looking alphabet was tricky, but once I got that down it was like learning any other language I suppose. I was stuck in the Missionary Training Center for three months. A person can only learn so much of a language from books and teachers though. It was when I got into the country that I learned it.

      Mind you, I was an anxious MESS the first few months. Every morning I woke up with dread and fear. It was frustrating to not understand or not be able to say what I wanted, especially when there were other missionaries around me who seemed fluent. In fact, they all seemed to know it better than I did. Sometimes I wanted to give up and go home.

      I’m not sure when I crossed the line and felt comfortable with it but it happened. By the power of God I was speaking that language, and understanding those people. There wasn’t some big “tah-dah!” day when I suddenly knew it, it was a progression.

But I DO remember one day in April 2008, towards the end of my time there, sitting with Siranush and listening to her tell me a story about her aunt who was murdered. It was an intense and horrific story and I listened with anticipation. It was then I realized how RANDOM my life was.  There I was, sitting with this Armenian girl unknown by anyone “important” in the world. She was telling me a story as a friend and I sat there listening, not translating in my head or wondering what certain words meant. Because of that language our two drastically different worlds had been melded together. I thought then that learning that language was worth it, even if just for that moment, and definitely worth it to have Siranush as my friend.

I didn’t know then that I would also marry an elder from my mission and use that blasted language at least a little bit everyday of my life. I love having a secret language with him and I love that we both understand the place and the people that give those words meaning.