Hearing the melody
Posted on: 12th December 2022
Norm and Janelle Gorrie are CMS missionaries in Marsabit, Kenya, where Janelle’s focus is on enabling people to read the Bible in the local Boran language. Here, she describes the deep joy of believers hearing God’s word resonating with the familiar notes of their mother tongue. I see people’s eyes light up with understanding when […]
Deep roots for a growing church
Posted on: 7th December 2022
CMS missionaries Adrian and Anita Lovell have been serving with MOCLAM, a theological training program for Spanish-speaking Christians, for over a decade. Anita explains the vision for MOCLAM and its significance in offering training in biblical theology in Spanish. Over the past four decades, MOCLAM has provided high quality theological training by distance learning to […]
The end of the beginning
Posted on: 2nd December 2022
CMS missionary Rowan, serving in South East Asia, reflects on how the challenges of language learning have helped him grow in his relationship with God. I was doing some language school homework in a local food court, and I noticed out of the corner of my eye that one of the workers, Anton* , seemed […]
Reaching out with clarity
Posted on: 30th November 2022
Ben works with the CMS Mentac program, training people with a specific interest in outreach to Muslims. Here he gives a small insight into the value of learning Arabic in talking about the gospel with Muslim people. “Tell us a story!” My family and I had been in the Middle East for two years and […]
Language learning: a labour of love
Posted on: 28th November 2022
Chris and Kristy Galea are CMS missionaries serving in Malta, where they are working hard to learn the challenging Maltese language (even though most foreigners simply rely on English). Kristy explains why it’s well worth the effort. I’d never thought much about my own language, or language in general. I was a monolingual Aussie and […]
Because God speaks, we speak
Posted on: 21st November 2022
CMS missionaries work hard to learn language and culture, and they never really stop. Why does this long-term, enduring and persevering commitment mean so much? Regional Mission Director (and former CMS missionary in Mexico) Peter Sholl explores this question by pointing us to the nature of God himself. “By the word of the Lord the […]
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 […]
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.
Cultivating the culture: Checkpoint Autumn 2021
Posted on: 22nd February 2021
CMS missionaries Wim and Maaike Prins have been serving in Cambodia since 2004, where Wim is involved in translation work for the Fount of Wisdom Publishing House. Here Wim reflects on the importance of long-term ministry in building trust in relationships. Some years ago, in Siem Reap, Maaike and I met a missionary couple who, […]
I don’t understand—What it means to learn another language
Posted on: 4th September 2019
CMS missionary Colin Puffett, serving with Catherine in France, reflects on three ‘I’s of language learning: irritation, identity and importance. Irritation The prevailing opinion and experience of language learning is frustration (but ‘irritation’ starts with I, so I went with that). It is much harder to track and feel any progress, than it is to […]
