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I think when I read prayer letters from missionaries in the past, I always kind of skipped over the part about praying for their language abilities. Not that I didn't think it was important...I just figured that other things like special events or salvations or particular people were MORE important. And of course, those things are absolutely important! But my perspective has drastically changed over the last year. I now understand how all those other important things hinge on language and the ability to communicate well!
In the last couple of weeks, I've had two meetings with my team. One was just the ladies, and one was all of us together, but BOTH times, language learning, frustrations, defeats and (a few!) victories were a big part of what we talked about and prayed about. It is a HUGE part of our lives here. It is a normal conversation topic, an every day stress, and very consistently a tool that Satan can use to discourage us. He knows that language is soooo important to ministry! And so he loves to discourage us and make us feel like we can't do ANYTHING right since we can't even learn a silly little language. He likes to put the lie in our heads that we should be as good as "so and so" and since we aren't, we must be worthless and we'll never get it. He uses language to make us question if we're really supposed to be here. He know that language can keep us from being as effective as we'd like. (Have you ever spoken through a translator??) I'm really convinced that language learning is a spiritual battle. It isn't just my own crazy mind! :) "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12).
In case you couldn't tell (!!), language has been a personal source of discouragement for me lately. In the last month, I've hit a wall where I feel like I'm not getting it, not making progress, and can't even put simple sentences together. All this came as I hit the "one year" mark, and realized that I'm NOT where I anticipated being language wise. My pride is a little bit wounded (which is good for me once in a while!) and I feel kind of STUCK...unable to move on. Everyone keeps telling me, "Just speak more, it'll come!"...but I don't really know HOW to speak. This is the problem. Some it has to do with the way I've been taught. Some of it has to do with me not putting in the time I should because of my busy schedule, and some of it...I really do believe is a spiritual attack from Satan, meant to discourage me. At any rate, I keep plugging away, taking lessons, meeting with a conversation partner, and TRYING to talk with my friends who are patient enough to listen and decode what I'm trying to say! :) And I pray. ALOT. Because I know I can't do this on my own.
So here's the challenge: Next time you read a prayer letter and see "language" listed there, PRAY HARD about this for your missionary. Add it to your prayer list. Ask God to give them the ability they need to learn, but also to protect them from Satan's lies and discouragement. I know it is more exciting to pray about other things and see immediate results...but language is the lynch pin that helps hold all the rest together.
And (obviously) I'd appreciate your prayers as I head into a really busy time of year and STILL try to make progress in language. Sigh...some days...I tell you...some days... :)
