Many students hope to acquire advanced knowledge of foreign culture by taking a foreign language. On Dec. 6, Ron Penner, a missionary in Madrid, Spain for 12 years, offered Spanish III students a chance to understand Spanish culture through his personal testimony.

Along with leaving a lasting impression on Spanish teacher Beatriz Foth, Penner’s speech also provided students with a solid Christian model of which to follow.

“His speech gave students a broader comprehension of Spanish culture and customs,” Foth said. “The influence he put on the lifestyle of the French and on what he’s witnessed as a missionary was fantastic.”

Penner, who spoke for roughly 50 minutes, discussed topics of French delicacy, aqueducts of the French city Segovia and the annual Running With the Bulls Festival.

“I thought the knowledge he possessed of France was very accurate,” Sarah McComb, ’04, said. “His visual aid was quite impressive and the food he shared with the class was very good.”

To emphasize his point, Penner brought with him a visual aid of an aqueduct and shared a Spanish fruit called a paella with the class. Several students expressed their appreciation of the food as well as Penner’s speech.

“I thought the talk was very influential,” Leah Brower, ’03, said. “It definitely gave me something to consider and altered my view of life. He is a very good role-model and I encourage students to follow in his footsteps.”

Spanish III will begin a new unit covering South America at the beginning of the second semester.