In the US we say, “Hi, how are you?” Here we say, “Kumusta Ka? Tumaba ka!”

We’re used to “Hold on a second.” or “Just a minute.” Here they say, “Please wait for a while.” … A while? How long is that? Anywhere from a minute to several minutes.

Salamat, Po. “Po” is added at the end of a greeting as a sign of respect to elders, people of authority, or to others helping.

One of the sayings here is “Ay, pasensia po. May nosebleed ako” which pretty much means – “You’re speaking a lot of English.” Those 10 days of travel had us saying “I’m getting a nosebleed” in reverse because we were definitely immersed in the national language during our conferences up north. It was such a good thing for us and pretty amazing how much more we understand compared to when we first landed!

We’d love to keep you updated on how the Lord is growing us as a family and how He is using us here in Southeast Asia. Please join our newsletter mailing list for the our full newsletter. Sending our love!

The Trouts