What Goes Around Comes Around

Once upon a time, I lived in a different city. I had been there for about 5 months, and shared a house with a girl who was 2 months new there. We were both focused on language study. I knew more than she did at the time, but neither of us were close to fluent.

There was to be a conference in our city, and various people associated with our organization flocked to attend. My room-mate and I decided to invite one of the couples for lunch, as a way of showing kindness to them & getting to better know some of our co-workers.

My room-mate made the arrangements. She chose a couple she'd never met, whose names sounded foreign -- maybe German, she thought.

As it turned out, they were a national couple from another city. They spoke the national language...and did not speak English!

We gathered up our courage and all the language we could muster, and welcomed them in. We ate together, smiling, laughing, and trying our best to communicate. We talked about the weather; I asked about their children; Sarah & I explained where we come from and how long we'd been in-country. And we smiled some more.

After lunch, I brokenly requested their help with a homework assignment -- I was supposed to conduct a simple interview with a national friend and take notes on her answers. They were delighted to oblige, and we spent the next half hour discussing the interview questions & answers.

Following that, they went on their way, while Sarah & I congratulated ourselves on how well the lunch visit had turned out in spite of our lack of a common language.

Fast-forward one year...

I moved to another city, in another province, where I began meeting various ones associated with our organization. And one of the families I (re-)met was the very same one we had hosted the year before!

They welcomed me with open arms, invited me over for lunch, and went out of their way to help me set up house & adjust to life here. Now I meet with the wife once a week for a study date...she helps me learn her language; I am teaching her some English.

Perhaps eventually we'll have two languages in common.  :)