Love in Any Language

Thank-you to everyone who prayed for me while I was in Guatemala. Or, should I say, “Gracias!”

Before I left on this mission trip, the language barrier concerned me the most. I want to understand and be understood, which is typically accomplished with words. The inability to communicate in a foreign tongue worried me.

My concerns were unfounded for two reasons. First, we had a great translator Josue’ (Joshua), who traveled with us everywhere we went and translated everything we wanted to know. And, he laughed a lot. We were blessed by his love for the Lord, love for the people, and love for language. He worked above and beyond the call of duty to help us understand. “Gracias Josue’!”

Second, some understanding transcends culture and language. The biggest blessing I received in Guatemala was to love and be loved – even without words. The mothers and fathers we met, the children we met, the brothers and sisters in Christ we met all conveyed love to us through their warm welcome, their generous hospitality, and their beautiful smiles. Each day I appreciated more their love for us. “Muchas gracias!!!”

As I reflect on my trip I hope that I shared love back even when I could not express it with words. And, I hope that I learned more about sharing love across barriers because we face barriers even in our own community that sometime feel like we are speaking different languages. When that is the case, I hope we can discover how to love with a love that transcends words.

The Lord be with you,
Pastor Kent

P.S. “God demonstrated His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)