I am the 1st counselor in the Young Womens here in Mexico...
I have been in the YW for almost three years.
(Callings here-in my ward, not all of mexico-lasts anywhere from 1 year to 5+, not because they're slackers and don't switch it up, it's because the ward is so small that there really is hardly enough people to fill all the calling needs, that's why at one point I was helping in nursery and YW)
So, I LOVE YW!!! And I was happy to get the calling- at first I was just the secretary... but I always thought... meee?? The girl who can hardly speak ANY spanish?? Let alone understand any??? It's been extremely challenging and frustrating, to say the least. The language barrier is just overwhelmingly hard sometimes. It's like I've known these girls for like 3 years, but have not really spoken that much to them and we don't really know each other at all. Since i'm the counselor now... I teach. I've taught before but only twice. And each time I had Sam come in... I don't mean to sound boastful but teaching would be a peice of cake IN ENGLISH. I struggle with words throughout my whole lesson, preparing takes twice as much time because I have a page full of translation, I read more than I say anything, and I always have SO much I want to say, but can't. Yah, sure it's good practice... most definitely, but it's still really frustrating! Luckily, I have the sweetest miamaid, and she's so kind and nice and lovely and helps me so much, and probably doesn't even mind that I have issues communicating. My other miamaid never comes anymore... so I just try and invite her on facebook and stuff becauseeeee she is never around. Yesterday I had to teach everyone together because the president wasn't there. I wanted to cry when I came home because it just did not go according to plan. I couldn't find words, I struggled to get my point across, three of the girls were chatting off and on and one of them just never knows any answers and always says "es que, yo no se" Literally every single lesson no matter who is teaching, andddd I had a hard time understanding their answers to questions, there was a lot of faking going on on my end (fake understanding nod and smile) So ... I felt quite lost and I even finished early because I just didn't have the words to say much... Luckily Sam helped me with a video so it proved the point of what I was trying to get across the whole lesson. So hopefully I can find my teaching nich and figure it out! Ok im done venting.
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Roz - I remember being a missionary like that. I did a lot of smiling and nodding and luckily had a comp who could speak better than I. I remember one day it just clicked and I could understand what people were saying. I read the BOM in spanish and practiced my pronunciation every morning by myself and then when I tried to speak. It was easiest to speak to small children because it was not intimidating and I could talk slowly to them. Giving an entire lesson, however, would have been very difficult, except for just reading the words. Remember Taylor Coburn - "Go get 'em Tiger"
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