A Unique Family Tree and Cultural Connection:

I have a unique family tree, which has led to a multicultural faith journey. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, my parents both immigrated from Northern England. However, my grandfather, also from Northern England, left my grandmother, moved to Peru, and remarried. Although under very difficult circumstances, I grew up with a Peruvian step-grandmother.

Her involvement in my life caused me to take an interest in Spanish and Spanish-speaking cultures. After completing the mandatory French Canadian courses in grade 9, I shifted to learning Spanish throughout high school. At 16, I joined a short-term mission group, serving in the Dominican Republic, which sparked an interest in travelling to Spanish-speaking countries.

I ended up marrying an American (Nicole), who only ever took Spanish, and was raised in the American education system. In our 20s, we had an opportunity to do some short-term mission work in Peru. Later, I led a team of young adults to Peru in my 30s, with highlights including orphanage work in Lima and street evangelism in Cusco.

Raising Children in a Multicultural Environment

That’s the background, but now to our children. Soon after my oldest was born, we adopted a Compassion child from Peru, my son’s age, named Jefferson. We then had two more boys, and as a homeschooling family, we started our boys in Spanish instead of French. They’ve tried their best to learn the language bit by bit and explored Hispanic cultures.

Over their lives, letters from Jefferson would arrive, giving us a window into his world and sparking conversations about the socioeconomic differences between Canada and Peru. We also had an opportunity to travel to Mexico as a family, which deepened these discussions as our children witnessed true poverty for the first time.

The influence of Spanish in my family led my grandfather to move to Spain after my step-grandmother’s passing. My uncle and aunt also purchased a winter home in Spain. I took my oldest to visit Spain a few years ago, which helped him see the difference in language and culture between Spain and Central and South American countries.

Unexpected Encounters and Blessings

At the time, I didn’t know how God would use this interesting family background. Then one Sunday, an El Salvadorian couple showed up at our church doorstep in Whitehorse. Believe it or not, Whitehorse, like any other Canadian city, is attracting people from all over the world, including Central and South America.

Herber, the husband, could not speak much English. His wife, Elena, would interpret for him. That was until I started speaking to him in Spanish (though rough, I might add…it had been a while). He was thrilled, and the rest of the people in the foyer had to do a double-take as I had never told anyone about my background, and they had never heard me speak Spanish.

We invited them over to our house, and my boys practiced their Spanish with them. They loved every minute of it! They were thrilled to hear three young Canadian kids, in Whitehorse of all places, learning their language. It was a blessing for Caucasian Canadians to understand Latin American culture.

God’s Plan Unfolding in Unexpected Ways

That night, we found out he had a Bible College degree from El Salvador. He was a Children’s Pastor back home. At that moment, our children’s director had recently stepped away to focus on family, so our church hired Herber! He would serve as a part-time Children’s Director, with Elena by his side in the early days as he improved his English. A few months later, he would be licensed as our Children’s Pastor.

Pastor Herber has done amazing! He and I speak English now, but he likes to push my boys to practice their Spanish from time to time. As my boys have interacted with Herber and Elena and watched new families who speak Spanish enter our children’s area, my boys are receiving a multicultural faith experience.

One that started in a strange way long ago but was ordained by God. Perhaps one of my boys will take on missionary work one day. Perhaps he will travel back to Peru or end up in El Salvador?