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Language Builds Trust

Posted on Friday, January 18, 2019

Hi Friends,

With all the talk about New Year's resolutions, something I want to do this year is learn a lot of different languages. I decided to do this because there are many languages represented at 19 Apartments, so I want to at least know basic phrases like "hello," "thank you," and "how are you" in as many languages as possible. I also want to do this because I’m a firm believer that language-learning is the biggest way to build trust with people. One way I've started pursing this goal is asking my refugee friends to teach me different sayings in their language when I'm visiting them in their homes.



As I've been starting this simple process of language-learning, something that constantly happens is my refugee friends end up smiling and laughing. They get so excited to share with me different words in their language, and they also get a kick out of me trying to pronounce what they’re saying. I probably look like such a little kid to them, but I honestly love it. Through this process, I’ve come to realize that I want to be someone who can make people laugh and also remind my refugee neighbors that they’re smart and have so much to offer to others. I think those two things are so important for my friends to have as they’re in the midst of navigating and adjusting to U.S. culture. My hope is language-learning creates an environment where people can express the full personalities God gave them and opens a door to share about the God who uniquely made them.

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