Tangled Tongues - Part 3

This week, we have a great story from Rita Vernoy.  She and her husband are missionaries in Paraguay. She blogs at RitaLoca.BlogSpot.com.

They went to language school in Mexico for a year before going to Venezuela as missionaries.  They had to leave Venezuela due to political turmoil and are now serving the Lord in Paraguay.

Shortly after they had arrived in Venezuela, they went to visit a family who had visited the church.  The young couple invited them in for coffee.  As Rita sat listening, the woman was explaining about a documentary they had seen on television.  Rita thought the documentary was about chickens.  The other lady seemed very impressed with the subject.  Rita had some first-hand knowledge about chickens.  She decided to join the conversation.  She said quite proudly, “I have killed chickens myself.”  The other lady’s eyes got very large as she asked, “You???”  Rita went on to say that it was an easy but messy job and that her Dad used to kill dozens at one time.  The other lady looked at her husband with a look of disbelief and said, “Really???” 

By this time, Rita’s husband was almost rolling on the floor as he tried to contain his laughter.  Rita was getting a little perturbed.  She was from West Virginia, and raising chickens was not so difficult!!  Rita replied, “Of course!  It’s not hard!” With a disapproving look the other lady asked, “And how do you kill them?” Rita said, “Why, by grabbing them firmly around the neck and swinging them by the neck until it breaks!  It is quite easy to do if you know the method!”  Rita’s husband could no longer contain his laughter and burst out laughing.  The lady’s husband exclaimed, “You killed them by breaking their necks with your bare hands?!?”  Rita angrily said, “Yes!”  Through laughter the lady asked, “You can kill “WHALES” with your bare hands?!”  Rita said, “Whales? What are you talking about?”

Rita’s husband finally took pity on her and told her that the documentary was on “Whale Killing,” not chickens!  With a very red face, she realized the mistake that she had made.  She thought that the lady said “gallina,” but she had said “ballena.”  Since that time, that man has become a pastor.  Anytime that Rita is around, she is introduced as “The whale killer!”

Thank you for sharing that story with us, Rita!

If you have a language blooper or a funny story that you would like to share with us, please e-mail them to me at lo@consfords.com. Please include the name of each family member, your field of service, and a picture of your family if possible.

Until next week, keep your sunny side up!