A-pi-ko after mushrooms

Uganda was a beautiful country with beautiful people but communication was a bit of a problem. In a country roughly the size of North Carolina they spoke 42 languages! I picked up a little Lugandan and a bit of Swahili but that was it. In contrast Russia spanned 12 time zones (that is half the world for you geography buffs) and they spoke one language. Our home is roughly 1500 sq. ft. where we now speak 4 languages. English, Georgian, Russian and Anna Marian.

Lets see if you can figure out some of our favorites. Oatpea cookies - not too tough Oatmeal cookies; Clyda - a dear sweet lady in our church that most know as Claudia; Cindanella - pretty close to its English equivalent Cinderella; Kepuch - one our favorites and Anna Maria's too because she eats ketchup on every thing; Lispit - chap stick or lipstick; Mushrooms - no, not what you think, the -mallow after marsh is too tough so she adds -rooms cause its easier; but our all time favorite, because it was her first, and still most often used is A-pi-ko - not a clue? Us either for probably a year. Then one day I was standing at the fridge, door open, Anna Maria standing with me, looking up saying, "a-pi-ko, to my elation I grabbed a jar and ran to Nino telling her I had discovered the mystery that had plagued our household for, what had seemed like centuries. Now when anna Maria finishes her cookies, her ice cream or mushrooms she always wants to finish with a-pi-ko and while we would not select it after sweets we now know that she loves to crunch on a - pickle.

Language is a process as is our walk with Christ, I often remind my congregation that justification is instantaneous, while sanctification is a process. Sometimes a long and slow process. I wonder how often God just scratches his head and wonders if I'll ever get it right. I am just glad to know that my salvation is secure and that God does not, never has, nor ever will give up on me, even when my choices seem befuddling.