Words

A few years ago, I was in Atlanta and had the opportunity to tour the Martin Luther King Memorial and National Center for Civil Rights Museum.  They had recordings of speeches that Dr. King had given.   To hear the elegances of his words and the profound messages spoke; he was a brilliant orator and pastor.  The words would flow with the rhythm of a fine-tuned symphony, and you waited with great anticipation for the next sentence.  Few men or women have that ability to speak so elegantly and profound, but when you hear one, they do stand out.  I have been fortunate over the years to listen to some outstanding speakers, and now with YouTube, the opportunities to listen to those speakers are endless.

Most of us are not in the above category as being a great orator, in fact, most of us coward at the thought of public speaking.  The American language can be tricky; words spelled the same can mean something entirely different.

 Such as…….

Do you write with your left hand or right? 
Has everyone left the room?

Where does the dust on my desk come from?
Why do they need to dust the crops?

How about this one?

She is a very fast runner.
Cuban’s fast much more than Americans?

We would be better off if we came with an automatic translating switch on your mouth.  When you said something in question it would stop your brain automatically and ask, “Are you sure you want to say that?” It would give you time to think before the words came out of your mouth, so when they did, they had been translated and were exactly what you wanted to say.  Hmmm, some people would not change their words, but it would give you a second chance.   This should be a required option when you get married!

When I am in Cuba I have my personal translator with me always; I am sorry even after years of going to Cuba that I still do not speak Spanish. I trust her one hundred percent, and I am sure there are times she has corrected words I have spoken. I have been in meetings with government officials where one wrong word would change the entire conversation. I watch the intensity on my translator’s face, and I know how carefully she is listening and interrupting what is being discussed. I know not to use American slang.  She has told me slang does not translate so take that out of your vocabulary.  That’s good because it makes me think to use the correct verbiage. 

1 Kings 8: 56 Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises He gave through His servant Moses. 

Help; means assist, unless you can’t help doing something, when it means, “prevent.”

I kind of like the automatic translating switch on your mouth!

Dan Christopherson
Southwest District Mission Program, Inc.

Pray and Push for Guantanamo

Let me clarify from the start I am not talking about the U.S. Naval Base and prison in Guantanamo, Cuba. I can say, “I have looked towards the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and prison.” While in the Guantanamo District of Cuba we stopped at a lookout point with a spectacular view of the southern coastline of Cuba.  As we climbed the lookout tower halfway to the summit, we had to rent a pair of binoculars.  I must admit that in each direction the views were spectacular.  Yes, in front of me was Guantanamo Bay (the water) I was told to look to the left horizon to the point of land shooting out into the Bay, which I could see.   There was a faint “blur” of nothing even through the binoculars that was the base.  Not that I cared, but I did expect to see more than a blur.

How many times in life have you experienced similar results? I can remember looking so forward to seeing “The Alamo” in San Antonio, Texas.  I had seen movies, and I had this vision of the rolling countryside and the Santa Anna troops attacking this humble Texas Mission Fort.  The experience left a lasting impression which was not good. It was in the city and nothing like I pictured in my mind. 

Guantanamo where the grandeur of the mountain ranges in places cuddles the coastline and the blue-green turquoise waters of the Atlantic Ocean.  The enchanting city of Baracoa is still healing from two years of being struck by hurricanes and severe storms.  You can still see the decaying remains of towering Royal Palms lying on the mountainside.  The beautiful palm trees once overlooked the humble villages below.  

The resilience of the people and their love of Jesus Christ is something to behold.  You would think that after the torrid winds of two hurricanes their faith would be broken, but it only grows stronger.  The Methodist churches growth in this area has skyrocketed. They are short of space, short of Bibles, but they are not short of faith. 

I attended a Women’s Conference on the beach in Imias, Cuba.  Rest assured when Cuban’s meet there will be music, no not just music, “Loud Music!” I want you to picture this in Sarasota, Venice or anywhere with a beach in the United States.  First, loud music is echoing across the beach; and people standing listening to a lady preaching and praying.  After an hour and a half, six young people came up to the group.  My expectation was; would you please turn down that loud music but totally to the contrary.  They asked, “Who and what is so special about this Jesus Christ that we heard in the music?”  Pastor Arnaldo did not miss a beat telling the youth about the joys of knowing and being in a relationship with their savior.  

Our group still had some Bibles available in the bus that we had delivered to one of the local churches. As we started to hand out Bibles, the group grew to fifteen youth all wanting to learn more about this stranger that they were hearing his name for the first time.  One of them asked, “Who is this Jesus you are talking about?”  This experience at the beach far exceeded my expectations.  What will happen to these fifteen youth?  I do not know only God does. But that day fifteen youth came to the beach to play in the water, sun, and sand. I want to believe their day left a lasting impression as they get to know “this Jesus.”

Pray and push for Guantanamo.

Dan Christopherson
Southwest District Mission Program, Inc