Caribbean Chronicles: Working With Teams

Luis & I had the opportunity to translate for a couple of short-term mission teams that came down this summer. Luis worked with a group from Anaheim, CA, while Mia & I were in the states in July. The week after I got back, we had a group in from Utica, NY. They started their time here with a 3-day camp for youth in the barrio. This was the first ever youth camp, and it was a blast. Exhausting, of course, yet fun!

In my opinion, Luis & I make a great translation team! (that is my opinion, of course) <smile> It’s always easier to translate into your own language, so when there is a Spanish-speaker on the mic, I translate to English, and when there is an English-speaker on the mic, Luis translates to Spanish.

I’d also like to interject here that Luis is an AMAZING translator. I’ve worked with many translators in my years here in the DR, and he is definitely at the top of the list. I’m not saying this because he is my husband…it is simply the truth. It takes something special to be a translator because it’s not just translating word for word what the speaker is saying. It is understanding the nuances of what the speaker is saying, feeling what the speaker is saying and being able to communicate all of that to your listeners. In essence, the translator becomes the speaker. And I’m gonna tell you…my hubby is awesome at this!!

The camp included activities such as basketball, soccer, and dance. The youth also participated in photography, computer, and cooking workshops. The church will be offering some “life skills” classes in these areas, and the camp gave the youth a chance to “taste” the different areas and see which ones they may be interested in learning more about. Each evening ended with a message from Josh (the youth pastor in NY) and a challenge to the youth to make a personal commitment to live for Christ.

Translating for Bau