Language Lessons

Nidi nakweseki kudiza idimi dawalunda. Chakala mwani!

do you remember all those years of french lessons? Or maybe you didn't have any- I did... I was one of those crazy ones who took french all the way through high school in the hopes of maybe being able to actually learn another language

I remember learning colours and numbers- those were easy

Nouns and names - a little more difficult

Verbs and tenses- HORRENDOUS!

I can tell you three tenses in english- past, present and future. I may use the other ones, but I couldn't identify them- and now you want  me  to identify the tense and congugate the verb to answer in the correct tense and with the right pronoun and the right suffix for the verb based on the pronoun???
I loved my high school french classes, we had lots of fun and had to really cool teachers, but I didn't learn anything... nothing!

And now I'm starting out (or rather picking up again) another language adventure

I am trying to learn the language of the Lunda people. It is difficult.

If I knew how to say 'it is fun' I would also add that in.... but maybe it's better that I don't cuz this time next year I'll probably be tearing my hair out trying to understand this langauge and learn to communicate in it!

but just for interest's sake, I'll share a (quick!) rundown of how this sentence is formed

nidi naku - is basically the phrase 'I am' but this is often shortened to just 'naku'

the verb 'eseka' is the word 'try' ... can you find it in there? The Lunda language 'squishes' words together so that a verb can have multiple prefixes and suffixes and somewhere, not necessarily in the middle, is the root of the verb. In this case the root is 'esek' ... I'm still not sure exactly why the 'a' is dropped and 'i' is added...??? but it happens ;)

'u' before any vowel become 'w' so naku eseki squishes to become nakweski ... Have I lost you yet? It gets easier

'kudiza' is the verb 'to learn'

'idimi' is the noun 'tongue' or in this case 'language'

'dawalunda' very simply means 'of the Lunda'

'Cha' means 'it' ... but only in this case ... depending on the class of the noun...  oh wait, I haven't told you yet that there are 10 classes of nouns and not only is it important to know what class each noun falls into, there are concords (I still don't know what that means exactly) that are prefixed to the nouns that follow and these can change based on whether the noun is singular or plural and whether its a regular prefix, a subjective concord or an objective concord... sigh... now I have to know what mood I'm speaking in too... :S

'kala' means 'difficult' or 'hard to do'

and 'mwani'... that's just a nice word that you add to the end of everything... it's kinda please, thankyou, I'm sorry, hello, good bye and 'I want to be polite' all wrapped up into one.... I think this is my favourite Lunda word ;)

anyway, if you'll excuse me.. I think I'd better get back to my lessons now.. sentence order is the next thing on my list and then maybe I'll get into tenses


The heavens declare the glory of God and the earth shows His handiwork... There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Psalm 19:1,3

Remember...

Remember Me...

Do this in remembrance of Me...

Remember the days of old...

There's something deep inside us that seems to quiver at the thought of being forgotten, something inate across every culture, every country, every period in history, every relationship.

This past Sunday I had the privilege of attending the Breaking of Bread meeting at Highbury Gospel Hall in London, Ontario. It was so refreshing to be able to go to a umm... 'mature' meeting. To be surrounded by those 'old' men and women. You know those ones- the stooped shoulders, the greying hair, the wrinkles... It was different this time though. Something about this 'remembrance meeting' had taken on a new quality, a poignant, and meaningful quality. It seemed as though behind the words, I could sense a deep emotion...

The opening hymn "Amidst us our Beloved stands". Can you see that man rising to offer this hymn for the worshippers to sing, suit and tie, dimming eyes and greying hair, but his heart, oh his heart, so in tune with his Saviour, his Lord, 'our Beloved' he calls Him.

And then another "Remember Thee and all Thy pains/ And all Thy love to me" All Thy love to me...
His love to me...

Its funny, I never thought of this before. But thinking and planning for leaving has given me a new perspective on so many things that are just common place to me, things I've taken for granted as always being there. Yes, Jesus was and is God and the reasons for this meeting where we share bread and wine are manifold and deep. But He also was a man, a human. And I wonder if maybe there was some humanness in this request as well. He was gathered around the table with 11 of His closest friends, His words to them 'with desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer'. I wonder if maybe He wasn't so different in His heart than we are when we say 'keep in touch', 'email me', 'call me'. Can you see Him there at the table, pondering old memories, conversations, places visited, long chats, people, moments, thoughts, emotions, contemplating what would happen in the next few hours, with foreknowledge viewing human history from the cross till the final end, His people, the ones He died for, struggling, wanting to please Him, but failing, some terribly, the lies that would crop up, the questions and confusion and so He provides a way, a simple way, a memorial meeting with others who love Him also and He asks simply 'remember me'

I've shared with a few people in these last few days about my plans, and each time now that I say 'keep in touch' I can't help but see 'my Beloved' standing behind them asking 'remember Me'. I can't help but feel His heart beat, his strong desire 'remember Me'. There are so many reasons to remember him, but to remember Him because He is my friend and He loves me, well, it sorta takes some of the tradition out of this sacred meeting and brings it to a level that is special and unique. A trysting place of sorts instead of a religious gathering. A place I long to be rather than a place I have to be.

This experience of moving to a completely different country and leaving behind everything and everyone that I know and love, even if it is just for a year, is so daunting; memories of places, of long chats, of smiles and hugs, of burnt pots and burnt popcorn, of escapades and experiences like a kaleidoscope overflow my thoughts, but I'm finding this experience so rich and fraught with deeper meanings. 'My Beloved' has taught me so many things and changed my perspective, deepened it maybe, I wouldn't trade this experience for the world, this opportunity to learn of Him especially, and each time I ask a friend to write, to keep in touch I can't help but turn my heart to Him and whisper 'I will remember Thee'

Remember Thee and all Thy pains
And all Thy love to me
Yea while a breath a pulse remains
Would I remember Thee