It's Getting There Bit by Bit : )

Today was a great day.  There was a pastor's meeting in Guemes.  I both love and hate these events.  I love seeing friends and reconnecting, spending time with them.  But I tend to be timid when it comes to meeting new people.  There are always more people that I don't know, than those that I do know, at an event like today. 

But today was better than I expected.  When I first meet people, almost always, I have a hard time understanding them.  It takes me time to "dial in" to their voice and understand more and more of what they are saying.  This can be unnerving since a typical conversation requires 2-way communication, and 2-way communication works best when you understand what the other person is saying and can ask questions or make comments that relate to what they are saying.  When you don't know what they are saying...this is hard.  ha! 

I still experienced a great deal of this pattern today, but I realized that I was understanding much more than normal!  Let me tell you - THAT ROCKS!  : ) 

I still had to focus like crazy - not easy when you are ADD - any little thing you see or hear can make your mind jump on to a rabbit trail and before you become aware of it and refocus, usually you have missed a lot of conversation and have to try to "catch up" as best as you can from the context, peoples' reactions, etc.  ADD is such a double-edged sword - lots of thinking, ideas, energy, etc - hard to stay on target.  lol.

I was very happy to talk with several pastors I have been meeting, and to meet several new pastors.  It is my 2nd time to be with this group of fine people and I noticed that I seemed to be much more accepted by many of them.  I expect that this will grow over time with more contact & time together, both in meetings as well as in ministry settings. 

There were still so many things that I did not fully follow, although I think I had the main idea (just lingering doubt that MAYBE I didn't follow it as well as I think I do : ), and a few things that I did not follow at all.  That is life in a new language and culture, BUT, it was a marked improvement over what it has been!  Yeah! 

Every day it gets a little bit easier to understand people.  There has been a ton of work to get it to this point, and it continues every day, but it is getting better.  : )

I am psyched about that! 
Good night and God bless you all -

Paz y Poder en el Espíritu de Dios