¡Summit en Español!

I have known for a couple of months now that the Summit would soon be launching our newest campus... Summit en Español. I was already excited about this because it was going to be meeting at the same time as the Summit Evening Campus (which is moving to Saturdays as of August 15th). I believed it was a great idea. I looked forward to occasionally making my way down to the bay, where the Spanish campus would be meeting, to listen to and sing in Spanish. But I can honestly say, I wasn't as pumped as I am now.

This afternoon, as I was helping set up for the evening campus, I was listening to the worship team practice (it's one of the reasons I love helping set up!). Everything was per usual... Raudel was singing "Here I am to worship..." when all of a sudden I realized he was not singing in English! My heart did flips as I listened and looked at the screens and realized that 2 of the songs we were singing tonight were partly in English and partly in Spanish.

You see, I used to love Spanish. In college, I was convinced I'd be a missionary someday in a Spanish speaking country... I ended up in South Africa, where they most definitely do not speak Spanish. Strangely, and most assuredly by God's grace, while I was gone for 2 years, not using any Spanish, I did not lose much of what I had learned in school.

In my first 2 years of teaching, I was able to use a good amount of Spanish (for many of my students, Spanish is their primary language). I bought a house in a neighborhood where many people speak Spanish, and I helped out with the kids at the Summit's ESL classes. I loved learning more words/phrases in Spanish. I met a pastor at a Spanish church and visited his church - vowing to continue to improve my Spanish so that one day I'd be able to understand his sermons! :) Slowly though, I used less and less Spanish. I still have Spanish speaking children in my classes at school, but the last 2 years, they've come in with a good handle on English. I lost contact with my pastor friend. I stopped helping at the ESL classes to focus on the Oxford Manor Kids' Club, and I have yet to have a good conversation with my neighbors.

Tonight, as I sang the songs in both languages... as I worshipped my Savior in Spanish, my desire to learn this beautiful language was, without a doubt, rekindled. I pray that God will help me learn and then provide me with new opportunities to serve Him! I am so excited, or should I say, "Estoy muy emocionada!" (Raudel, was that right??) about this upcoming Saturday, when the Summit PM campus AND Summit en Español will be simultaneously launched. I know God is going to do big things, for from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever!! Amen!