After I mention to someone that I'll be heading to Manila, Philippines the most common question I get is... "You speak the language, right?"

WRONG.

Yes, both of my parents are Tagalog speakers. Unfortunately, I am not.

I grew up hearing Tagalog, but for the most part I saw it as my parent's "secret" language or the "you're in trouble" language. My parents usually used English when speaking to us kids, unless we were in trouble. The did speak Tagalog to each other, but I usually just tuned-out.

Now I can understand SOME things, and can say SOME things, but the truth is...I have to learn the language.

Learning Tagalog isn't required for the work that I'll be doing. In fact, English is often used in business and it is widely used and understood in Manila. But, I AM Filipino. Just looking at me people will expect me to understand and speak the language. I try to prepare myself now for how I will deal with the feelings I'll have when not being able to meet that expectation.

But, learning Tagalog is a life goal of mine. I want to be able to understand fully family conversations in Tagalog. And, I want to be able to contribute to those conversations! I want to learn.

I've tried to learn with/from my parents with very little success. I tried to do book exercises. Helpful, but still need more. So, for my 32nd birthday my parents got me the perfect birthday gift! Rosetta Stone.

This past week I had my first lesson. So far, so good. But then again, after 32 years of Tagalog exposure... I should be able to make it through at least the first few lessons with relative ease.

We'll see... hopefully that will be the case!

Maraming salamat po, Mommy at Daddy!

During my time working with Wycliffe in Orlando, one thing I looked forward to each August was the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. A group of us from the Communications Department would usually go together to a satellite site at Discovery Church. It was fun spending time with my Communications buddies outside of the office, learning together and running down to a local restaurant to grab lunch.

The Leadership Summit was often a time that God would use to confirm stirrings He'd been working in my heart. It was after the Leadership Summit of 2004 (?) that I finally worked on my preliminary application to serve with Wycliffe.

So, I was sad that there wasn't a church close to my home that was hosting as a satellite location. But, thankful that my friend Ruth has been blogging some during the Leadership Summit.
Ah, thanks Ruth ... through you I can experience the Summit this year!

Wycliffe's vision is to see God's Word accessible to all people in a language that speaks to their heart.

This is a vision that God has also given me. But, as I've worked alongside others towards this vision I have at times admittedly lost sight of "WHY?" It becomes too easy to get so focused on the tiny piece that I can do and I can forget the big picture.

I don't believe the heart of this vision is so that we can go down a checklist and say the languages have all been done. I don't believe the vision is just to package up the Bible in another language in a new bound book.

The heart of the vision, is the heart of God. It is to see lives changed. It is to see lives hear His Words speak to them. It is to know and experience forgiveness in a world of bitterness and hatred. It is to declare the true victory in moments of despair. It is to bring peace despite conflict. It is to offer Words of hope in the midst of pain and suffering.

This past year friends of mine who work in Orlando were able to travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo. While there, they met men and women whose lives are a testimony of God moving in and through lives and the power of His everlasting Word in the heart language... in the midst of great suffering.

The following is a video produced from that trip.
Sometimes we need reminders of "WHY?" ... reminders like this.



(NOTE: This video may not be suitable for all ages.)

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