Has any Brother attended Lodge where English isn't the primary language? How did that go?
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I travel in foreign countries to earn my wages. I work in Iraq now. I have visited lodges in 5 different countries. When I lived in Paris, France, I visited a German-speaking lodge there. (I speak German). The experience was awesome. Some of the brothers there, had risked being sent to prison, during the German occupation.
I attended a Russian-speaking lodge in Moscow, Phoenix lodge #17. The ritual work was the French ritual, used by the National Grand Lodge of France (Identical to the ritual work in the German-speaking lodge I attended). I also speak Russian.
I attended three lodges in Saudi Arabia, the American/British oil workers have lodges there. The sponsoring Grand Lodge is the Grand Lodge of Germany, and the ritual work is the Minnesota ritual, utilized by the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
The one English-speaking lodge in Paris,France is Stability/Concorde Lodge #19/42 . Previously, the two lodges consolidated, and merged the number, that is why they are #19/42.
The sponsoring grand Lodge is the Grand Lodge of California, and they use the ritual developed by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.
When you travel abroad, I highly recommend visiting the lodges in the countries you visit.
See Charles Martin's Blog. Iraq, Afghanistan and Freemasonry about our attempts to establish a lodge here in Iraq.
also see WELCOME TO THE ESM ONLINE fall 2005 issue, page 32
There is a cool story in Freemasons for Dummies about some brothers attending lodge in the Phillipines. I couldn't do the story justice, so if you have the book look it up. If you don't have the book, get it.