Blessings and Learning

Sweet Sabbath - Sunday, October 30

"All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name.  For you are great and do marvelous deeds;  you alone are God." 

Psalm 86:9, 10

-Aaron's impromptu opportunity to teach a short workshop last week

-baby pineapples growing from the tops we planted two years ago

-another portion of the Translation Principles workshop starting today in Losiolen

-kids learning and laughing

Monday, October 31

My desk today:  I don't have a desk, but I do have a beautiful woven tray that I use when I'm in my "office" to study Lavukaleve.  My kids know that I'm unavailable when I'm working on my tray.  Maybe it will help me stay accountable if I take a picture of my desk from time to time.  Today on my desk, I have a cup of coffee and my list of verbs that I'm trying to add to my vocabulary.  I find verbs to be the hardest part of learning Lavukaleve.  Verbs take prefix subject markers, prefix object markers, gender agreement (feminine, masculine, neuter), number agreement (singular, dual, plural), and suffix tense, aspect, & mode.  Verbs make my head spin!  I'm trying to add these verb roots to my speaking vocabulary:

-keuri-     carry (with repeated trips)
-tutuari-   carry (bearing the weight with your shoulder/body)
-kokosori-  carry (on your head)
-kukui-     carry (on your back)
-hatari-    cut, divide (food, material, hair, hand)
-koroi-     cut (branch, uvikola)
-kea-       cut, chop (firewood)
-vu-        dig (umalau)
-fulu-      dig, pluck (uvikola, chinese cabbage, hair)