Lesson 45 – Making Plans and Setting Appointments
Unit 4: Construyendo Relaciones | Unit Overview | Course Home
Review Flash
(5 minutes — say the Spanish before looking)
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| I’m going to return | voy a regresar |
| we will serve | serviremos |
| God will provide | Dios proveerá |
| I will keep praying for you | seguiré orando por ustedes |
| I will never forget you | nunca los olvidaré |
Lesson Goals
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Propose a meeting time and place
- Confirm, change, or cancel an appointment
- Coordinate logistics with your team and local partners
- Handle common scheduling complications
New Vocabulary: Scheduling
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| reunirse | rreh-oo-NEER-seh | to meet up |
| la reunión | lah rreh-oo-NYON | the meeting |
| la cita | lah SEE-tah | the appointment |
| quedar | keh-DAR | to arrange to meet |
| ¿podemos reunirnos? | can we meet? | |
| ¿cuándo le queda bien? | when works for you? | |
| ¿le viene bien el lunes? | does Monday work for you? | |
| confirmar | kohn-feer-MAR | to confirm |
| cancelar | kahn-seh-LAR | to cancel |
| posponer | pohs-poh-NEHR | to postpone |
| cambiar la hora | to change the time | |
| a más tardar | at the latest | |
| puntual | poon-TWAL | on time / punctual |
| avísenme | ah-VEE-seh-nmeh | let me know (formal pl.) |
| me avisas | meh ah-VEE-sahs | let me know (informal) |
| quedamos a las… | we’ll meet at… | |
| nos vemos en… | nohs VEH-mohs ehn | we’ll meet at… (place) |
| te recuerdo que… | I remind you that… | |
| ya confirmé | yah kohn-feer-MEH | I already confirmed |
| no puedo asistir | I can’t attend | |
| ¿puede alguien más ir? | can someone else go? |
Grammar Focus: Can, Should, Need — Modal Verbs
These modal verbs are critical for planning:
| Infinitive | English | Yo | Usted/él/ella |
|---|---|---|---|
| poder | can / to be able to | puedo | puede |
| deber | should / ought to | debo | debe |
| necesitar | to need | necesito | necesita |
| querer | to want / would like | quiero | quiere |
| tener que | to have to | tengo que | tiene que |
Examples:
- ¿Puede reunirse el martes? — Can you meet on Tuesday?
- Debemos confirmar el lugar antes del viernes. — We should confirm the place before Friday.
- Necesito hablar con el pastor primero. — I need to talk to the pastor first.
- ¿Quieren venir a las dos? — Would you like to come at two?
Story: Coordinando la Visita Médica (Coordinating the Medical Visit)
Sara coordina con la pastora Elena y el doctor Williams para organizar una clínica de salud.
Sara: — Pastora Elena, ¿podemos reunirnos hoy para coordinar la clínica del sábado?
Pastora Elena: — Claro. ¿Le viene bien a las tres de la tarde aquí en la iglesia?
Sara: — Perfecto. ¿El doctor Williams puede venir también?
Pastora Elena: — Le voy a avisar ahora mismo. (pausa) Dice que sí, que llega a las tres y cuarto.
Sara: — Bien. Necesito saber cuántas personas esperamos, qué materiales tiene la clínica, y si necesitamos traer algo extra.
Pastora Elena: — Yo ya confirmé con veinte familias. Pero calculo que pueden llegar más, porque corrió la voz.
Sara: — ¿Podemos conseguir más sillas? A más tardar el viernes.
Pastora Elena: — Sí, le voy a pedir a Don Felipe. Él siempre ayuda con eso. ¿Debo avisarle a usted cuando lo confirme?
Sara: — Por favor. Me avisa por mensaje. Y recordatorio: la clínica empieza a las nueve en punto el sábado.
(Sara coordinates with Pastor Elena and Dr. Williams to organize a health clinic… “I already confirmed with 20 families. But I calculate more may come, because word got out.” “Can we get more chairs? By Friday at the latest.” “Yes, I’ll ask Don Felipe. He always helps with that. Should I let you know when it’s confirmed?” “Please. Send me a message. And reminder: the clinic starts at 9 sharp on Saturday.”)
Comprehension Check:
- ¿A qué hora se reúnen Sara y la pastora? (What time do Sara and the pastor meet?)
- ¿Cuántas familias confirmaron asistencia? (How many families confirmed attendance?)
- ¿A qué hora empieza la clínica el sábado? (What time does the clinic start on Saturday?)
¡Practícalo! (Speaking Practice)
Practice coordinating these ministry events:
Event 1: A home visit to a family on Thursday afternoon
- Propose a time
- Confirm the address
- Ask if they want anyone else to come
Event 2: A team planning meeting
- Suggest Monday morning at the church
- List 3 agenda items in Spanish
- Ask everyone to confirm by Sunday
Event 3: A children’s program
- Announce the date, time, and location
- Ask how many children to expect
- Assign roles to two team members
Cultural Note
Flexibility over rigidity: Even in well-planned missions, events shift. Start times change, venues move, numbers fluctuate. In Latin American contexts, a flexible, grace-filled attitude toward scheduling surprises will serve you far better than frustration. When a meeting moves from 3pm to 4:30pm, this is normal — often because the person before you needed more time and they gave it generously. Your turn will come. Cultivate paciencia. It is both a virtue and a cultural adaptation.
Oración
“El corazón del hombre traza su camino; mas Jehová endereza sus pasos.” (In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.) — Proverbios 16:9
Plan well. Hold plans loosely. El Señor endereza los pasos. (The Lord establishes the steps.)
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