Lost in Translation

Do you speak English? I ask, praying I will not have to use Google translate. 

The Receptionist answers “A little.”

“We have an appointment at 1330” 

She looks on a scribbled piece of paper and finds the patients name. 

The receptionist tells me to fill out this piece of paper written in Romanian. I take a picture of it on Google translate to transfer to English. Then from the English translation I type out in Ukrainian what the patient must answer line for line…as she attempts to write it in English.

As all of this is happening I’m thinking to myself, woah I’m glad I’m the one that got chosen for this but I also didn’t think about how difficult of a task it would be. From Romanian to English to Ukrainian back to English all for a dentist appointment.

Just an hour before I was sitting across from her talking about her story, my story, receiving dating advice and learning that she her self is baptized and a believer. Her joy astounds me. She lost her parents when she was young. She lost her first husband to cancer. Her second husband is in the Ukrainian Military fighting a war. She lost her home but remains joyful. The last advice she gave me was “Out of everything I have been through the Lord has taught me you have to remain patient. That’s what the Lord wants from you.”

With tears in my eyes, I nodded and said thank you. It was amazing to not only hear her story but glean from her.

Then 1630 rolls around and I’m on to my next appointment. We are thirty minutes late abs unsure if the Eye Doctor will be able to see us. We wait in the waiting room and then get called to the exam room. 

If you have ever been to the eye doctor you are well aware there is a lot of questions that require answers with an alphabet that you are used to. Well in this case we had a Romanian speaking doctor, a Ukrainian patient, and an American there to assist. 

I’m sure from an outsiders perspective you can imagine the chaos. From my perspective, I saw the patience for myself as I quickly type one thing so the patient can hear what is being asked. I see the kindness of the doctor who waited, provided a free eye exam and empathized with that sweet woman. For the patient I saw the braveness that took place. She did her best to say letters in English, she cried of being overwhelmed but she never stopped trying. After receiving her contacts and contact solution we went outside. I hugged her, told her she was so brave and we cried together.

Language is difficult. Acclimating to a new culture is difficult. War is difficult. 

Debriefing this experience, EmJay, myself and Sarah were talking about the Tower of Babel and what it would have been like before. Also I wonder if afterwards they looked at each other, like oh man we messed up. I can only imagine. 

Prayer Requests: 

Rest

Spiritual Warfare

Refugees moving to other countries and also the ones staying in Romania.