Papiamento 101

Last month (in July!) on a Sunday afternoon, we were in the Curacao chapel waiting for a flight to return home to Bonaire. We had spent 3 days participating as chaperons at the 1st ever ABC Islands Youth Conference. After the event ended, we attended Church at the Curacao Branch. 

 After church, We visited a bit with the Branch President of Aruba, President Gonzolas, who was also waiting for his flight (the other direction) going back to Aruba and President Angelica of Curacao, who was "entertaining" us while we waited.

Language came up and President Angelica mentioned how simple Papiamento is.  He got out his chalk and started teaching Sister Vander Veur and I!
It's a phonetic language, so everything is spelled like it sounds!  And...something about it's a language with limited words so the same words keep popping up in every sentence!

I'm attaching a photo of the blackboard he used to instruct us!

NOW that I'm finishing this 'draft' that I started in early August and has been unfinished in my email for over 4 months!!!!!!!   I'll explain that we decided several months ago to forget learning Spanish and Papiamento and work on the Dutch we were called to speak. We've met many Dutch people in the stores, offices and on our morning walks so it's not like we haven't been able to talk to anyone.  Many islanders speak all 4 languages.  But in our Branch we have some wonderful members that speak no Dutch or English and these are the ones we'd like to communicate more with.

As some recent emails mentioned, our Mission President, President Egbert, sent us here on Bonaire, a pair of Dutch-Speaking Elders about 2 months ago. Recently he received permission to start a Dutch/English 'group'.  The Papiamentu/Spanish Branch members still meet at 9:00 am and we start our Dutch block at 1:00pm. It's been going on for 4 weeks already.  The first Sunday there were only 8 of us.  Guess who gets to speak in Sacrament meeting that we try to do all in Dutch.....and bless the Sacrament in Dutch.

Two blocks, but we're all still the same Branch.  I'm still the Branch Secretary (like a Ward Clerk) and we've come to love all the members that we've now spent 10 months with, so I've decided to exercise my faith and put forth the required effort to really learn Papiamento....... because I want to communicate more with these sweet people.

Wrapping this email up now......going to hit the 'send'!  More things to do including some language study and....... it's Wednesday, so my Basketball activity with the Youth is tonight at 7pm.

I grateful for the Restored Gospel and the opportunity to serve as a full-time representative of Jesus Christ here on Bonaire with my wonderful wife.

The blessings and joy and peace that is the result of keeping the commandments and acknowledging the Restoration is available to all.  Please share it.

Elder Vander Veur