“Zacchaeus was the most delicious.”

This is the final phrase I confidently scrawled in Kirundi on my most recent test. Zacchaeus, as you might know if you have read the Gospels, was a very short man who climbed a tree to see Jesus as he walked through town. Jesus invited himself over to Zacchaeus’s house later that same day.

The phrase “Zacchaeus was the most delicious” certainly lends an ominous layer to this story of Jesus coming for dinner, but thankfully, I got this test question wrong. (The correct answer was Zakayo yari mugufi bose–Zacchaeus was the shortest.)

Since starting to learn this African language, I have said all sorts of interesting things to the bemused expressions of the people around me. I’m not sure if I’m exasperating or a source of great entertainment. Thankfully, Burundians tend to have a good sense of humor and plenty of patience for my attempts. But sometimes I do wonder if learning a new language in my thirties was a stupid idea, and I feel discouraged.

Yesterday, I sent my eight-year-old outside to gather twenty items, bring them to a Kirundi speaker, and ask their names. He made his list and wrote a little dictionary. On the back, where the back-cover blurb would go, he wrote in big letters: “You can learn Kirundi! Anyone can learn a new language if they study hard!”

This little bit of indirect encouragement was enough to make me grab my stack of flashcards. I thought of it as I taught a class later in the day, and tried a few convoluted Kirundi sentences instead of relying heavily on my interpreter (AKA my 15-your-old niece). I was pleasantly surprised to find that they could actually understand me. Maybe I am making progress!

I don’t know what improvements you’re trying to make in your life, but don’t give up! Even the tiniest step is motion forward.