When Faith Lights the Way<\/em> and Dichos: The Wit and Whimsy of Spanish Sayings <\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201cThe series of events that changed the course of my life,\u201d Bryan author Stephen H. Vincent writes, \u201cstarted with an e-mail exchange.\u201d Vincent had an idea for providing solar lighting to villages in the developing world. He pitched his plan to Samuel Dixon Jr. with the United Methodist Committee on Relief, and that led to further e-mail exchanges as Dixon told Vincent about a hospital in Liberia in desperate need of electricity.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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They met for lunch in the spring of 2008, and Vincent elaborated on his solar idea. \u201cWe would love to help with your project,\u201d Dixon replied, \u201cif you can help with the hospital in Ganta, Liberia.\u201d And that changed Vincent\u2019s life. He tells about his experience in Liberia\u2014and previous work in Haiti\u2014in his inspirational book, When Faith Lights the Way: The Quest to Restore Electricity to a War-Ravaged African Hospital<\/em> (Fedd Books, $18.99 paperback). <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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With several friends, he formed a nonprofit organization they called Power From the SON, \u201cwhich was a play on \u2018solar power\u2019 and the \u2018Son of God.\u2019\u201d A year later, they found themselves in Liberia, and most of the book is about their important work there. Vincent has returned to Liberia four times since and also has ventured into Honduras to provide electricity for a Methodist orphanage.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWe have no way of knowing how many lives we have touched,\u201d Vincent says of Power From the SON. \u201cWe do know that our lives have been changed.\u201d He compares his experiences to being in a boat on a river. While it may be safe inside the boat, Vincent writes that stepping out of the boat is how he came to understand his life\u2019s true purpose: \u201cto make an impact in my community and the world.”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI hope that in learning about my journey,\u201d he adds, \u201cyou might be encouraged to venture off course and step out of your safe, comfortable boat.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a1Dichos!<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/strong>Journalist and conservationist Joseph J. Keenan, author of Breaking Out of Beginner\u2019s Spanish<\/em>, has lived and traveled extensively in Latin America. He has compiled a new book, <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a1Dichos!<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span>:<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span> The Wit and Whimsy of Spanish Sayings<\/em> (University of Texas Press, $17.95 paperback), exploring nearly three hundred old and new expressions, proverbs, and folk wisdom. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cOne of the most challenging\u2014and entertaining \u2013 aspects of learning another language is the idioms,\u201d Keenan writes. Each dicho in the book includes its English translation and a brief explanation of its meaning. \u201cIf you are learning Spanish,\u201d says Keenan, \u201cthese expressions will help you understand it a bit more deeply. If you already are intimate with Spanish, these dichos may rekindle some long-ago memories.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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