After mass today, New Year's Day, saw a glimpse of Fr. Renato talking to a parishioner as my son, Ruel, and I were about to drive off. I waved and he waved back and then ran down the steps of the church to greet us, "Teacher! Happy New Year!" (I had actually asked him before just to call me by my first name.) We conversed for a while, and I felt so proud he could now carry on a conversation in English. A brilliant young Brazilian priest who speaks Portuguese, French, Italian, and Spanish but could barely speak English when I was asked to tutor him a few months ago, it's amazing how much he has improved. It only goes to show how determination can speed up language learning. No one is probably happier than I. As I always tell my students, "learning mostly depends on you, not on the teacher." So, credit goes to Fr. Renato, not to the teacher, as some had said.
Safe trip, Father, on your way to visit your ailing mother in Brazil. Will see you when you get back.
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