Sons Speaking Spanish (by Chris)

Last weekend, I got the dad-duty of picking up Andrew from his friend Astor’s birthday party. Andrew had been there for three hours playing with all the other boys, most of whom he knew from school. There was one boy there, however, who didn’t know him previously. As I was waiting with the other parents to collect our children, a fellow dad started talking to me in English. (He must have assumed I spoke English by the color of my hair, eyes, and skin or else by the way I speak Spanish.) The boy who hadn’t met Andrew prior to the birthday party heard us talking English, inserted himself in our conversation, pointed to Andrew and asked, “¿Él puede hablar en inglés también?” (“Can he speak English too?”)

I was amazed that this boy who had been playing with Andrew for the past 3 hours assumed that he was Argentine, based on Andrew’s spoken Spanish. I don’t know why it continues to shock me that the boys have surpassed us in their language acquisition. It’s been this way for awhile. But the fact that another boy didn’t even realize Andrew was from a different country left me speechless. The Argentines can usually tell which province a fellow citizen is from based on their accent and intonation; the Cordobes’ are very proud of the way they speak. Good job Andrew!

[It’s also interesting, now, to listen to them talking in English. They each have a little sing-songy type of lift to the end of their sentences which is how we talk in Spanish here. I’ll be interested to see if anyone else notices that when we are back in the States and asks where they’re from and where they learned to speak English!]

Pastor Rubén Salcedo

At the risk of putting him on a pedestal, I would like to share with you a brief story about our Argentine pastor.  He is a medical doctor who has a full-time job directing a nutrition and health clinic that receives international patients.  He also teaches medicine at the National University of Córdoba.  In addition to this, he is a husband to Glady and a dad to 2 grown daughters.  He also pastors our church, Jesucristo Rey, with integrity, grace, and solid biblical teaching. 

 

The story I wanted to tell you happened last November.  Rubén is big on practicing what you preach and the Bible directs his life.  Last November, he got up to the pulpit and said, with tears in his eyes, that he couldn’t preach his sermon that day because he wanted to be an example to the church.  The reason he felt he couldn’t share his prepared words is because he had offended someone and needed to reconcile with this person before he felt able to speak the words of the Lord to the church.  At first I wasn’t sure I understood right.  He then sat down on a chair next to the podium and one of the assistant pastors came up and taught Rubén’s sermon. 

To be honest, I have no idea what the topic of the sermon was.  I will never forget, however, Rubén’s humility, honesty, and vulnerability as he sat there and listened to the associate pastor preach his sermon.  That was during the morning service.  That afternoon, he reconciled with whoever he needed to and preached the sermon himself at the evening service. 

Pastoring a church in Argentina is a very big deal. When people ask us what church we go to and we respond with “Jesucristo Rey,” they will typically roll their eyes and re-ask, “Who’s the pastor?” Churches are known by which human leads them instead of their particular name or denomination.  We have had some unfortunate experiences with pastors here who are busily building their own personal kingdoms instead of humbly bringing glory to our creator.  Rubén has taught, very loud and clear, that this is not his church.  It is Jesus’s and Rubén happens to be the pastor. 

We have learned so much from him and are incredibly thankful to have found such a God-fearing, Bible-preaching, Jesus-worshipping church body.

Rubén, obviously, doesn’t have time to read blogs and doesn’t understand much English either.  But if he did he would be irritated with me for singing his praises.  So, good thing this is just between us, right?

Closing the Door

At the end of May, La Familia Frohling will be making the move back to the USA.

When we came to Argentina, we didn't really know how long we'd be here and only bought one-way airline tickets.  We came with the intent to devote part of our lives here, but we also felt confident that we would return back to our passport country after a number of years.  God has used this experience to mold and shape us and hopefully make us more like Him. 

We have realized that we come from a culture where time is money, bigger is better, and numbers matter.  However, that is not always God’s way.  One of the lessons we’ve learned is that investing in one life – one life – is so important.  Time is not always equal to money.  Bigger is not always better.  And numbers, even for accountants like us, are not the main things that matter.

It is our job to obey.  God does the work.  And if, through us, He makes a difference in one life or 100, we want to choose to obey and it is a privilege to be used by Him.  We have worked hard to make it work here.  We have sought out projects and offered our time and yet have had more doors closed than opened.  We definitely didn’t see a bright, neon, God-powered light in the sky that said “Return to Santa Barbara”, but we have felt a sense of release and a freedom to return that we have not felt previously. 

As we ended 2011 and looked to 2012 we began to see the writing on the wall.  The projects had a natural ending in sight, we could hand off our parts to locals, and we simply could not imagine attempting to get other projects going.  Again.

In coming here, we responded to God’s invitation.  In returning, we do the same.  On May 31, when we get on the plane to make the 15 hour flight home, there will be tears.  We have made a life here and life-long friends.  There will also be tears of joy when the plane lands in our home country and we are welcomed back with open arms.

Thank you for being a part of this journey.  To be honest, I’m looking forward to tabling the blog for an unidentified amount of time once we’re back in the States.  But, until then, we’ll try to continue to post some of our Argentine experiences with truth and humor. 

Up to my Eyes in School Supplies

~

The past 2 weeks have been filled with getting school supplies for the boys.  I’m, unfortunately, not joking.  I don’t really know how to effectively communicate how different life is here sometimes. 

David, Andrew, and Johnny have each been given a long list of the supplies they will need for this academic year.  These lists always arrive home on different days.  Last year I learned that it’s best to wait until I have them all before making the trek to the librería. The lists do continue to arrive in their cuadernos de comunicados, but at least I was able to compile the main items.

Here is a partial example of some things we have needed to purchase:

• Cartuchera completa (A bag of pencils, pencil sharpener, scissors, glue, eraser, colored pencils, liquid paper)

• Un cuaderno de 24 hojas, con las hojas foliadas, rayado, forrado en naranja con alunares blancos, con rótulo con nombre (A 24 page notebook with numbered pages [I have to number them myself since they do not come this way], lined, hard back in orange with white polka dots [I have to cover it myself since, again, they don't come in this particular pattern], labeled with the child’s name)

• Ocho cuadernos de 48 hojas, rayados, perforados según las perforaciones de la carpeta tamaño monitor, forrados de color rojo, con rótulo con nombre.  Similar as the second request except with 48 pages, and red.  Again, this size of notebook doesn't come in red so we have to buy red paper to cover each of the EIGHT notebooks.

• Bolsita de higiene personal con una toallita, un jabón, pañuelitos descartables (A bag of personal hygiene with a washcloth, soap, and tissues)

The lists go on and on and I won’t bore you with the etc.  They are at a great school and so they have extra subjects like swimming, English, Music, Art, and PE.  Each of these subjects requires its own distinct covered, colored, numbered notebook.  Also, each book needs to be purchased at a specific book store. 

The librería (Nueva Kitty) close to our house has become a special place to me.  Seriously.  The owner’s name is Pato and we're friends now.  We hang out.  Over the staplers, glue, notebooks of all sizes, and colored paper.

Since we're intentionally homeschooling the boys in addition to their Spanish schooling, I literally feel like I'm up to my eyeballs with elementary school supplies and planning and children.  I'm thankful for the children part.  And truly, I'm very thankful that I'm able to make choices regarding their schooling. 

Like I said, I'm not always sure how to communicate the differences we experience on a daily basis.  Sometimes it's not a big deal.  Other times, I just get irritable.  Today I am leaning toward irritable....