Sprichst du Deutsch?

"Do you speak German?"  Good, neither do we.  A few weeks ago Felicia and I started our introduction to the Cultural and Language Acquisition theories and methods used by our organization Ethnos360 (formerly New Tribes Mission).  For more info visit ethnos360.org or send us an email).  Culture and Language Acquisition, or CLA, class has included time where we actually practice the methods on a language that we don't know.  Felicia and I were in the German class where we worked with a native German speaker to practice a method called Total Physical Response.  You'll see in the videos we have on our Facebook page how it works but basically we weren't speaking but are rather trying to comprehend what the speaker is asking us to do.  Our helper says in German what different objects and people are in the pictures and quizzes us and "tests" us on what we have comprehended and if we can physically respond and identify what she is saying.  It was an interesting time of class that we did 2 hours each day but we after just a few hours we could identify almost 100 things that she asked us to find from different age groups of people, to colors, numbers and even some prepositions.  All this to give us a taste on how we would go about learning a language if/when we are on the field one day.  It definitely gives us some confidence and encouragement moving forward.

On another note, we just finished our 2nd semester here at MTC in a week or so and are back on the East Coast for the summer.  I have a Sunday School class I am teaching for the summer on the Biblical Basis for Missions so please pray for a fruitful time where we, myself included, learn more about who the God is that we worship.  I'll be working part-time for our home church doing some maintenance, but a majority of our time will be spent building relationships, getting in people's homes, having meals, playing games, sharing in conversations as we look to raise some additional monthly support by the time we come back to school in August.  Please be praying for our time building relationships this summer including visiting the 3-4 churches that we hope to visit this summer that the Lord would raise up supporters, people to partner with us in what God is doing in the world, building His Church full of his sons and daughters, to be His for all eternity.  And as always continue to lift us up to learn to depend on Him more and more for all we need.  Thanks for your love and support!

                                                           Love,

                                                             Josh, Felicia and Jude