Hola.

Hola.

Como estas?

Bien. Y tu?

Bien. Como te llamas?

(Name) y tu?

Me llamo Kyle.

Awkward staring at each other for a few moments.

Then a smile and Hasta Luego!

In Jinotepe, Nicaragua this is a typical conversation for me on a daily biases with the people living amongst the barrios. 

I have taken three years of Spanish and can remember only bits and pieces. I am not the greatest charades player and I haven’t had an encounter with the Holy Spirit yet allowing me to speak fluent Spanish. If you haven’t caught my drift yet what I am trying to say is communication between me and the people at the barrios is very limited.

How do I communicate?

Glad you asked!

I don’t at least not verbally.

Instead I communicate by doing what God has sent me here to do; simply love.

Confused?

Well, let’s dive a little deeper shall we?

Over the past week my team and I have been walking through barrios (neighborhoods) playing with kids, praying over families and building our relationships as we go. Now when I say neighborhood take that lightly because they are not your average American suburbs. They consists of homes made up of cement walls and floors with tin roofs or homes made of scrap metal that look like boxes with a hard mud floor. Not the most glamorous living conditions.

The people in the barrios can come from a variety of backgrounds. I have met a woman who runs a bakery out of her home and a man who is currently building a home and is planning on opening a hotel in the city soon. Occupations and financial situations may change from house to house, but the face that asks who you are and why you are here stay consistent.

I have tried hand signals, nonsense conversations and other various techniques, but nothing has explained my purpose more clearly then simply showing love.

Smiles and laughter don’t need other words to communicate their meaning.

We are told in scripture love one another as we would want to be loved and through that others may notice something different about us. This is a simple command but I have found it to be extremely true. By showing people love they know why I am there and who I represent. Now, for the remainder of my time here I will continue to brush off my Espanol and hold conversations. However while I wait for my Spanish to come around I will follow the command I was first given; simply love.