Taco in Any Language
Dear EBC family,
My first cross-cultural experience was nearly 30 years ago, but I still remember how nervous I was to meet the host pastor of the little church in Mexicali we had come to serve. There he was, short in stature, but with a huge heart beaming out from his smiling face. He reached out to shake my hand along with a gush of welcoming words. Mind you, I didn’t actually recognize any of the words he spoke, but his overall meaning was clear. He was happy we were there.
The language barrier was the primary obstacle in our week of ministry. Only a couple of our team members spoke Spanish, and only a couple of their young people spoke English. Nevertheless, it was amazing how much we were able to work together on the various projects we tackled. When an interpreter wasn’t available (which was often), we used homemade sign language to communicate. When understanding was slow in coming, others would join in to help communicate or interpret, sort of like group charades, often with hilarious results.
But there was one language we both spoke fluently: eating! We shared many delicious meals together, thrilled to enjoy some of their unique flavors and cooking methods. But the sharing of meals did far more than delight our palate and fill our bellies. Our shared meals bonded us in deep ways that still amaze me today. I don’t know exactly why it does that, but it is no surprise that in many cultures of the world, sharing a meal is a primary signal of unity between two parties.
I am writing this to people of Evergreen Bible Church, the English speakers specifically, to urge you to come share a worship service and a meal with our Spanish Ministry this weekend. The English services will all be in English like usual. But our Spanish Ministry is inviting us to join them for a bilingual service Sunday at 1:30pm. We will worship in both Spanish and English, and then immediately after we will enjoy a taco feast together.
I do not speak Spanish, but I am fluent in tacos. More importantly, I am excited to enjoy the hospitality of our dear brothers and sisters in the Spanish Ministry. Hope to see you there!
Pastor Toby
Categories: Evergreen Connection