Over Coming Language Barriers
Chantal Kovassi Ahou showed up for worship services for her first CVC visit on May 17 2010. She was brought by a friend of her daughter’s, Pauline. Pauline lives very close to CVC but attends another church. Chantal decided she wanted to attend church at Creek Valley and came back again and again. She would walk to the church to be familiar with the route to and from the home she was a guest in. To our excitement she began to show up for bible study and prayer time also. Chantal has not missed a worship service since her first visit in May.
Chantal is from the Ivory Coast and speaks French. Some CVC members know enough French to have some casual conversation and soon dicovered that Chantal’s only son, Jean Claude had recently died of heart complications at the age of 42. Jean Claude lived in Paris, France and leaves behind children and a wife. In Chantal’s time of mourning her two daughters sent her to America to stay with Pauline, a good family friend. The little we know has encouraged us to come along side of Chantal and seek what God would have CVC do while we have this priviledge of Chantal’s company.
We have also discovered that Chantal speaks several tribal languages, none of which CVC members know. It was also discovered that dispite the attempts by well meaning servants at the church to supply Chantal with a French Bible and a weekly bulletin and sermon notes in French, Chantal doesn’t know how to read or write. None of this deterred Chantal. She keeps coming. I noticed that each time Jesus Christ’s name is mentioned, Chantal will light up in acknowledgement. Even though Chantal is depply mourning the death of her son Jean Claude, there is a joy about her when she hears Christ’s name.
Terri Blackburn, no stranger to being around people who speak other languages, and Janet Walker, staff, worship leader and general CVC backbone of faithful service, got together at the church with Chantal on Monday July 5th to begin working through the language & education barriers. Chantal shared that she wants to be able to read God’s word and to listen to the sermons on Sunday. It seems like a daunting task. I went out for a break from the office tasks and decided to check on these three trailblazers. I found them in prayer. It was an introduction again to how we can go boldly to the throne of grace and claim what we already have. Help is there in our time of need. When you look at things in an attitude of prayer and thanksgiving God has a way of making all things possible. Chantal began to sing in her tribal language and it was one of the sweetest sounds I’ve ever heard.
Makes you wonder who will be getting the education! Chantal or everyone who will be touched by this guest from Africa.
(Hebrews 4.16)
