INKLINGS

GESUNDHEIT

Our nine year old grandson has been wanting to be baptized into our church, but his parents don't go to church and never did get around to it. Once a child turns eight, he has to have the missionary lessons, so we arranged for that and have been doing that these past few weeks.
The two missionaries who have been coming are both from other countries, one from Mexico and one from Germany. We have been very impressed by both.
They both speak with accents, but know English very well.
Tonight the German missionary was teaching our grandson the Ten Commandments. He would have our grandson read one, then discuss it, then have his companion read one, then discuss it, back and forth.
It was our grandson's turn to read number nine, about coveting. He read that thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, nor his wife, and then he looked up with a chagrined look and said, "That's a bad word, I can't say that." The German missionary said, "It's not a swear word when it is in the scriptures. It is all right to say that, because it means donkey."
The nine year old still didn't say it, looking uncomfortable. The missionary laughed and said, "You know what, just substitute the word donkey there. Go ahead...say donkey."
Our grandson began reading the commandment again, and he substituted the word donkey.
And all of us but the German missionary and our grandson started laughing. They looked up and said, "Why is that so funny?" and we replied together, "Because he said it with a German accent."

posted by Inklings @ 8:11 PM