Children's Home Visit

We were able to visit the children's home again while the Pensacola Christian College team was here. Each child and worker in the children's home was seen by a nurse. The group distributed vitamins and taught classes on proper teeth brushing and hand washing. Rodney & I helped translate during this visit. We heard many complaints of stomach aches and sore throats. Most of the kids with stomach aches ate too much aji, or pepper sauce. The sore throats were due to allergies and the weather change.

We did see an 11 year old girl who was complaining of leg pain. She had a very prominent shuffle as she walked. After examining her back, we were able to see a very strong curve of her spine. She had scoliosis. At this age, it is too late to prevent the scoliosis. All that could be done for her is surgery to correct the curve. Since she is a ward of the state, that will not be an option. The group gave her ibuprofin for the pain. It is really sad to think that she will have to just learn to live with the pain and play as best she can. She attends our church when the children's home allows us to pick them up on Sunday mornings.

Clinica Medica Gratis...Pensacola Christian College Medical Team 2010

Missionary Jeremy Hall had a team of Pensacola Christian College nursing and mission students visit for 2 weeks this month. We were able to help host a five day FREE medical clinic. The group brought vitamins, antibiotics, anti-parasite medicine, toothbrushes and many other medicines to give out to the people who came to the clinic. We registered over 1800 men, women, and children. Each person received a private consultation with a nurse or doctor, vitamins, and anti-parasite medicine. We set up a makeshift pharmacy in the Omega Baptist Church sanctuary, and if an antibiotic or other type of medication was needed, the pharmacy filled the prescription. Before the patient could receive their vitamins or medicines, they had to go to our "Gospel room". In the Gospel room, we had local Pastors, Seminary students, and lay people sharing the Gospel one on one with each patient. We saw over 600 people make decisions for Christ through the clinic. It was amazing to see God work throughout those two weeks. It is really hard to put into words the effect the clinic had in the community.

Rufo, the elderly gentleman that serves as a watch guard on our street (He watches after Katie & Josie just like they were his own grandchildren!), was able to visit the clinic after work one day. He has Parkinson's Disease. Although the group was not able to provide him with the medicines that he needs, he did receive the precious Gospel message, and he accepted Christ as his Savior. Since that day, he has come back to church two Sundays in a row and a Thursday night service. Praise the Lord!!

Subjunctive Spanish

Last week Rodney and I finished Book 3 in our Spanish class. We are now entering the book that has given the most people trouble. In the past we were learning present tense, past tense, future tense, and imperative tense. It took 3 books to teach us all of these tenses. Book 4 is not a tense...it is subjunctive mode...a totally different way of speaking. In book 4, we will learn subjunctive in all of the tenses. It is said that if you are able to speak in subjunctive mode correctly, you are considered to be fluent in Spanish.

What exactly is subjunctive Spanish?

If you want to tell your child to clean their room, there area a couple of different ways to say it in English. You could say "Clean your room" *imperative or command tense*
In Spanish that would be "Limpies tu cuarto."

If you want to say it less forcefully and like a request, in English you would say "I want you to clean your room." *simple indicative*
In Spanish this can be translated as "Yo quiero que tu limpias tu cuarto."
This statement can be said this way, but the fluent speaker would know that subjunctive is more correct.

The correct translation is "Yo quiero que tu limpies tu cuarto." *subjunctive*
Saying the statement this way will tell a Latino that you have studied their language and that speaking correctly is important to you. This in turn shows the Latino that he or she is important to you.

Did you see the difference? One letter... a changes to e. A small difference such as this makes a big difference in how we will be viewed by the Latin people.

Please be in prayer for us in this very important stage in our language learning.