Lesson 43 – Encouraging and Supporting Others
Unit 4: Construyendo Relaciones | Unit Overview | Course Home
Review Flash
(5 minutes — say the Spanish before looking)
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| how long have you been here? | ¿cuánto tiempo lleva aquí? |
| where were you born? | ¿dónde nació? |
| what brings you joy? | ¿qué le alegra? |
| really? | ¿de verdad? |
| tell me more | cuéntame más |
Lesson Goals
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Offer genuine encouragement in Spanish
- Express solidarity in someone’s difficulty
- Quote Scripture as encouragement
- Speak life into a person’s situation
New Vocabulary: Encouragement
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ánimo | AH-nee-moh | courage / cheer up! |
| sigue adelante | SEE-geh ah-deh-LAHN-teh | keep going forward |
| no te rindas | noh teh REEN-dahs | don’t give up |
| Dios te cuida | DYOHS teh KWEE-dah | God watches over you |
| Dios te ve | DYOHS teh VEH | God sees you |
| Dios tiene un plan | God has a plan | |
| esto va a pasar | this will pass | |
| eres más fuerte de lo que crees | you are stronger than you think | |
| lo estás haciendo muy bien | you are doing very well | |
| estoy orgulloso/a de ti | I am proud of you | |
| eres una bendición | you are a blessing | |
| Dios no te ha abandonado | God has not abandoned you | |
| Él es fiel | EL ehs fyehl | He is faithful |
| no estás solo/a | you are not alone | |
| te apoyo | teh ah-POH-yoh | I support you / I’m behind you |
| cuenta conmigo | count on me | |
| estamos juntos en esto | we are in this together | |
| que Dios te dé fuerzas | may God give you strength | |
| el Señor es tu pastor | the Lord is your shepherd | |
| todo obra para bien | everything works for good |
Grammar Focus: Subjunctive in Blessings (Preview)
Many encouragement phrases use the subjunctive — a mood you’ll study fully in Unit 5. For now, memorize these as fixed expressions:
- Que Dios te bendiga. — May God bless you.
- Que Dios te dé fuerzas. — May God give you strength.
- Que el Señor te guíe. — May the Lord guide you.
- Que todo te salga bien. — May everything go well for you.
The que at the beginning signals a wish or prayer. These are beautiful, natural expressions that Spanish speakers use constantly.
Scripture Encouragements
| Spanish | Reference |
|---|---|
| ”Todo lo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece.” | Filipenses 4:13 |
| ”El Señor peleará por vosotros.” | Éxodo 14:14 |
| ”Esfuérzate y sé valiente.” | Josué 1:9 |
| ”No temas, porque yo estoy contigo.” | Isaías 41:10 |
| ”Antes, en todas estas cosas somos más que vencedores.” | Romanos 8:37 |
| ”El que comenzó en vosotros la buena obra, la perfeccionará.” | Filipenses 1:6 |
| ”Las misericordias de Jehová nunca decaen.” | Lamentaciones 3:22 |
Story: Las Palabras que Quedan (The Words That Remain)
El equipo misionero está en su último día. Carmen llega a despedirse de Sara.
Carmen: — Sara, vine a despedirme. Y a agradecerle.
Sara: — ¿A mí? ¿Por qué?
Carmen: — La primera vez que vino a verme, yo estaba a punto de rendirme. En todo — en la fe, en la vida. Y usted llegó y me dijo que no estaba sola. Me tomó las manos y oró conmigo. Eso lo llevo aquí. (se toca el corazón)
Sara: — Carmen, yo solo vine a visitarte. Fue Dios quien te sostuvo.
Carmen: — Sí, pero Él usó sus manos. Y sus palabras. Usted me dijo: “Dios te ve y tienes valor.” Lo repetí cada día de este mes cuando las cosas se pusieron difíciles.
Sara: — (con lágrimas) Eso me llena el corazón, Carmen. Sigue adelante. No te rindas. Dios tiene un plan para ti y para tu papá.
Carmen: — ¿Volverá?
Sara: — Lo voy a intentar. Y aunque no pueda, el Señor siempre estará con usted. Él nunca se va.
(The mission team is in their last day. Carmen comes to say goodbye to Sara… “The first time you came to see me, I was about to give up. On everything — my faith, my life. And you came and told me I wasn’t alone.” “Carmen, I just came to visit you. It was God who sustained you.” “Yes, but He used your hands. And your words. You told me: ‘God sees you and you have worth.’ I repeated it every day this month when things got hard.” “That fills my heart, Carmen. Keep going forward. Don’t give up. God has a plan for you and for your father.”)
Comprehension Check:
- ¿Por qué vino Carmen a despedirse? (Why did Carmen come to say goodbye?)
- ¿Qué palabras de Sara repitió Carmen durante el mes? (What words of Sara did Carmen repeat during the month?)
- ¿Qué le dice Sara a Carmen al final? (What does Sara tell Carmen at the end?)
¡Practícalo! (Speaking Practice)
Offer encouragement for each of these situations (30–45 seconds each):
- A single mother working two jobs to support her children
- A man who was laid off and is looking for work
- A teenager who feels rejected at school
- A pastor who is burned out and questioning his calling
- A new believer struggling with old habits
For each, use at least two encouragement phrases, one Scripture reference, and end with a blessing (Que Dios te…).
Cultural Note
Words are remembered: In a culture with strong oral tradition, words spoken over a person carry enormous weight. People in Latin America remember specific sentences said to them years ago — especially in moments of vulnerability. Your Spanish doesn’t have to be perfect. The words “Dios te ve” (God sees you) or “No estás sola” (You’re not alone) spoken over a person in Spanish, even with an American accent, can be carried for a lifetime. Speak them. Mean them.
Oración
“Así que, los que somos fuertes debemos soportar las flaquezas de los débiles, y no agradarnos a nosotros mismos.” (We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.) — Romanos 15:1
Encourage with your Spanish — even imperfect Spanish — because others need it more than you need to be perfect.
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