The Welcome Dinner
Kevin and I just returned from our Thanksgiving holiday in South America. The timing of the trip was a little off considering it cut my last days of my job short, but it was a trip we had been looking forward to for months. Our friends, Kerry and Fede were celebrating their wedding in Fede's home country of Argentina. I was to officiate the ceremony.
We were invited to a very festive "welcome party" when we first arrived at Fede's mom and step dad's house. It was an Argentina style BBQ that did not begin until 9:30 pm with the meal severed at 10! (It is important here to note that culturally, this country runs on a completely different time table than in the US- no one wakes early and no one goes to bed before midnight, even the children!). When we arrived, we were of course greeted warmly. Argentinians are friendly people. I was kissed on the cheek by everyone in the room as is their custom, but I didn't know how to say much more than "Hola! Como estas?" Most of what I learned in High School Spanish seemed to have left me . . .
As we made our way outside, there was a long table set for us on a beautiful patio filled with gorgeous vines of flowers and even a large lime tree growing alongside the table. Food was plentiful-- meats of all kinds kept coming to the table along with carrots, potato salad, lettuce, roasted red peppers and of course lots of bread. Children at the event roamed freely. Never did I see a child asked to sit down and eat. They came and went from the table as they pleased. In the end, there were around 45 of us at the meal.
We attended knowing that we would be among the few English only speakers at the event, having no idea what to expect. Several of our friends from the US had not arrived yet. We heard there would be a Dutch couple who recently re-located to Argentina but who spoke English. We were excited to meet them and found ourselves sitting near them at the table. We were glad to hear words we understood coming out of their mouths and begin hearing about their unique life journey.
But, as more and more guests kept joining the table, we realized that we would need to give up our space at the table to make more room for those who had not eaten. Our new Dutch friends made this move as well and for a while we talked to them outside.
But, as pollen began to heavily fall from the trees (it is late spring there which is normally allergy season for me in the US) and the smoke from the barbecue continued to rise, I couldn't stop sneezing. In an effort to feel better, I went inside and found myself sitting alone on the couch while the children played around me. I found a National Geographic in English from 1984 to keep me company. Yet, I could still see outside to the party. The laughter and talking continued. Everyone seemed to be in a great mood. I was sad that it seemed I couldn't join in (even if my allergies were better) because of the language barrier.
And, at that moment as I sat on the couch, feeling like a fly on the wall in a documentary of a family's life from another country I began to think a lot about what internationals feel like on a daily basis in the US.
I thought about how easy it is to proceed on with your daily life in a country where everyone speaks your language and not consider the those who are from a distant place. I thought about how lonely it must be to new to a country unable to communicate your thoughts or join in the festivities of a party because of language differences. I thought about all the members of my congregations I have known through the years that do not speak English as their first language. I wondered if they felt truly welcomed by me and my friends.
Being in a country with those who all speak a language that I struggle understand, has reminded me that even at the most joyous of occasions as this barbecue was for this family and the guests, there are always those who feel left out where ever you go.
Language barriers can be huger than we think sometimes. I felt every ounce of that barrier on the couch that night.
I will hope to think about this experience often as I consider the huge task of multicultural ministry in my American home. Being sensitive to internationals is something I hope I can be more sensitive to in the future . . .
More stories (happier ones) and pictures of our South American adventures to come!
We were invited to a very festive "welcome party" when we first arrived at Fede's mom and step dad's house. It was an Argentina style BBQ that did not begin until 9:30 pm with the meal severed at 10! (It is important here to note that culturally, this country runs on a completely different time table than in the US- no one wakes early and no one goes to bed before midnight, even the children!). When we arrived, we were of course greeted warmly. Argentinians are friendly people. I was kissed on the cheek by everyone in the room as is their custom, but I didn't know how to say much more than "Hola! Como estas?" Most of what I learned in High School Spanish seemed to have left me . . .
As we made our way outside, there was a long table set for us on a beautiful patio filled with gorgeous vines of flowers and even a large lime tree growing alongside the table. Food was plentiful-- meats of all kinds kept coming to the table along with carrots, potato salad, lettuce, roasted red peppers and of course lots of bread. Children at the event roamed freely. Never did I see a child asked to sit down and eat. They came and went from the table as they pleased. In the end, there were around 45 of us at the meal.
We attended knowing that we would be among the few English only speakers at the event, having no idea what to expect. Several of our friends from the US had not arrived yet. We heard there would be a Dutch couple who recently re-located to Argentina but who spoke English. We were excited to meet them and found ourselves sitting near them at the table. We were glad to hear words we understood coming out of their mouths and begin hearing about their unique life journey.
But, as more and more guests kept joining the table, we realized that we would need to give up our space at the table to make more room for those who had not eaten. Our new Dutch friends made this move as well and for a while we talked to them outside.
But, as pollen began to heavily fall from the trees (it is late spring there which is normally allergy season for me in the US) and the smoke from the barbecue continued to rise, I couldn't stop sneezing. In an effort to feel better, I went inside and found myself sitting alone on the couch while the children played around me. I found a National Geographic in English from 1984 to keep me company. Yet, I could still see outside to the party. The laughter and talking continued. Everyone seemed to be in a great mood. I was sad that it seemed I couldn't join in (even if my allergies were better) because of the language barrier.
And, at that moment as I sat on the couch, feeling like a fly on the wall in a documentary of a family's life from another country I began to think a lot about what internationals feel like on a daily basis in the US.
I thought about how easy it is to proceed on with your daily life in a country where everyone speaks your language and not consider the those who are from a distant place. I thought about how lonely it must be to new to a country unable to communicate your thoughts or join in the festivities of a party because of language differences. I thought about all the members of my congregations I have known through the years that do not speak English as their first language. I wondered if they felt truly welcomed by me and my friends.
Being in a country with those who all speak a language that I struggle understand, has reminded me that even at the most joyous of occasions as this barbecue was for this family and the guests, there are always those who feel left out where ever you go.
Language barriers can be huger than we think sometimes. I felt every ounce of that barrier on the couch that night.
I will hope to think about this experience often as I consider the huge task of multicultural ministry in my American home. Being sensitive to internationals is something I hope I can be more sensitive to in the future . . .
More stories (happier ones) and pictures of our South American adventures to come!
posted by Musings @ 9:04 AM
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