Kaley's Chronicles

I've finished the first 6 months of classes in Dallas. It's amazing how quickly it's flown by. Here are some things I've been up to: I've completed most of the classes required to start linguistics in languages needing a Bible Translation: Phonetics, Grammar, Phonology, Cultural Anthropology, Sociolinguistics, Second Language and Culture Acquisition, and Intro to Language Development. Whew! It's been by God's grace that I've made it through these courses. I've been attending a French-speaking African church for the last couple of months, learning about the culture, trying to improve my French skills, and learning to sing in several languages (French, Swahili, Lingala, Tchiluba, and English). There are several miles of beautiful trails around campus-a hike or a jog have made for a nice break from studying. In Second Language and Culture Acquisition, a group of us were learning Swahili to practice our language-learning skills. ...

I wrote in my November newsletter that it was critical for me to be at 50% of my Wycliffe ministry budget by January in order to start linguistics training. A couple weeks later, God provided! He did it beyond what I needed and far sooner than I anticipated. "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21, ESV). I'll be packing my bags and heading to Dallas to attend classes at the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics. I have orientation January 3-4 and classes start on January 5. I'll be in Dallas until mid-September. I'm so thankful for those of you who have already partnered in my Wycliffe ministry through prayer, finances, and encouragement.  In Christ, Kaley

A common question I get when I share that I'm preparing to be a missionary in Africa is, "When do you leave?". If you received my  September newsletter , this timeline might look familiar to you (if you don't receive my newsletters, you can sign up here ). These are the various steps I need to take in order to start serving with my assignment in Francophone Africa .  The next step is linguistics training which will help me gather and organize linguistic data when I get to the field. I'm looking to begin in January at the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics in Dallas, TX. I need 50% of my Wycliffe budget in order to be approved to go (which is less than I anticipated). The training would take me about 9 months; that brings me to mid-September. After that, once I have 100% of my Wycliffe budget and am able to get together any visas and other preparations I might need, Lord willing, I can leave for the field. The next available training doesn...