Every week I volunteer to deliver food donations to a local charity. I had just finished unloading and went inside to fill out some necessary paperwork. As I was walking down the hallway, I watched a scene unfold in front of me. There was a family of immigrants speaking Spanish, and employees of the charity who were speaking English with a lot of hand motions and gestures. It was obvious that neither understood what the other was trying to say. As I came closer, I could sense the mild frustration of both parties.
My Spanish is very limited, and although I understand some, I feel quite self-conscious about trying to speak it beyond a few memorized sentences. As I walked up, I made up my mind to do what I could. I smiled and started with the simplest of greetings: “Hola!” That was all it took for one of the charity employees to sigh with relief and exclaim, “Oh, that’s wonderful! Do you speak Spanish?!” I explained that I knew some, and she asked me if I could help them to communicate.
The questions the charity employee asked were simple enough: “How many children do you have?” “Do you need school supplies?” “Where do you live?” The family had an 11-year-old daughter and had been in the U.S. for only two weeks. I helped to explain what they needed. I fumbled with what little Spanish I knew. I used the wrong verb tenses and made many mistakes, but the gratitude that shone in the mother’s eyes was something I will never forget. She said it was hard for them to not be able to communicate. She was desperately looking for a job. They had no clothes for the winter.
I was able to talk with her for a little while about God’s love and care. She thanked me profusely and there were tears sparkling in her eyes when I told her that I would pray for her and her family.
This small act, though initially awkward and stilted, brightened my day with the knowledge that I had been able to help someone. Because I had reached out in their language, it touched their hearts and was a way of offering them some needed comfort and encouragement.