Checkpoint

Making friends through language blunders

Posted on: 9th December 2022

CMS missionaries David and Jenny Juniper are serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Here David describes a recent encounter where his beginner’s Swahili helped lighten the mood.  A few months ago, we were waiting with our Congolese friend at the taxi rank for a taxi to come from his home village, so that he […]

David and Jenny JuniperDemocratic Republic of CongoLanguage & Culture

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Communicating ‘righteousness’

Posted on: 5th December 2022

CMS missionary Peter Blowes, serving with Terry in Argentina, takes us deep into an important challenge: to speak rightly about ‘righteousness’, in Spanish. How does he navigate the problem?  Speaking naturally in a second language is not easy. For me, a ‘plodding’ Spanish speaker, my friends tell me it took six years—plus a community course […]

ArgentinaLanguage & CulturePeter & Terry Blowes

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Why missionaries should learn languages

Posted on: 4th November 2022

Louise Simon is on the teaching staff at St Andrew’s Hall, and is a language consultant for CMS. She and her family served with CMS in South-East Asia, and Louise has also lived and worked in East Asia.  Why should cross-cultural workers learn language? Wouldn’t it be quicker and easier to use English—especially since so […]

Language & Culturelanguage learningLouise Simon

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When God turns the tables

Posted on: 1st July 2022

Chris and Kristy Galea are in their first term serving as CMS missionaries. Their current focus is learning language and culture, and developing friendships with mission partners and people in their community. Chris shares how learning Maltese reminds him of teaching his own children.

BibleChris & Kristy GaleaEuropehumility in missionLanguage & Culturelanguage learningMalta

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Singing God’s story

Posted on: 16th June 2022

CMS worker J is serving in the Middle East. Here she describes how the telling of Bible stories can open pathways to faith for women and their families. My teammate and I are sitting on mattresses that line the edge of the living room—four refugee women and us. There are five children jostling around me, […]

Bible storytellingGospel in musicLanguage & CultureMiddle East

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Engaging deeply

Posted on: 15th June 2022

In this highly literate context, telling the story (rather than simply reading it) is helping people engage with the gospel. Those who memorise the narrative dwell deeply on the story as they see the patterns and the way it fits together.

Bible storytellingChurch plantingColin & Catherine PuffettFranceLanguage & Culture

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Learning through weakness

Posted on: 14th June 2022

Being in a new town with a new job has made me feel like a beginner again, and I’ve been daily aware of my complete dependence on God. 

humility in missionLanguage & CulturePraySt Andrews Hall

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Re-enacting Ruth

Posted on: 13th June 2022

Ruth opens a unique door into Israelite family life in the time of Israel’s Judges. It makes it easy to think about the cultural life of the ancient Israelites and the life of our students—the things that seem similar and the things that seem different.  

Bible storytellingIan & Jenny WoodLanguage & CultureNungalinya College

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Stories in the sand

Posted on: 9th June 2022

The most common way we use storytelling is as the initial way of engaging people with the Bible. Before we bring out written passages, we first story-tell and discuss the passage in Bislama, the national creole.

Bible storytellingJoel & Tiff AtwoodLanguage & CultureVanuatu

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Faithful in translation

Posted on: 8th June 2022

Listening to stories has been a core element of our language-learning and it continues to be an important means of loving the Timorese people.

Bible storytellingChris & Grace AdamsLanguage & CultureTimor-Leste

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