Sarah - My Updates from Mali

Class of 2019
Tribal Language Aquisition in Mali
Track: Languages - Linguistics
Region: Africa - Sub-Saharan

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He who removes my shame

Posted on January 7, 2021

How would you enter into a culture that structures its words and deeds around shame and honor (S/H)?  Many of the traditions and situations may seem strange to a guilt and justice-based (G/J) society. Let me explain by asking a question. How would you and others in your circle (family, friends etc.) handle a stressful event? In a G/J community, they would regard the “rightness” or “wrongness” of the issue to resolve the stress. They would openly discuss the injustice and demand that their rights be heard and given. In a S/H context, the greatest injustice would be to shame the most respected... Read more

You live here?

Posted on October 6, 2020

You live here? I recently was back in the States for a family wedding.  Before I returned, some unexpected circumstances happened, in the West African country where I serve, that delayed my travel.  "More than COVID?!", you ask. This year has been marked with so many instances of God's faithfulness despite the chaos out of my control.  A chance to spend time with my WHOLE family has not happened in two years... as most of my family now actually live in West Africa. Thus, home has been evolving for me here in this new place.  I love how I can use my passions here - languages, cultural... Read more

Where do you get your local news?

Posted on July 2, 2020

This month has been a whirlwind of new activities for me in life and ministry here in West Africa. A friend I met in France has an English Language school in the town where I live. She invited me to teach two small classes during the months of June and July to help them finish their school semester. I had been praying for ways to connect with the community in a controlled but outside environment. God answered my prayer by bringing them to me. The last few lessons we talk about social topics such as journalism, human rights, child issues both in the States and in West Africa. One of the... Read more

Language acquisition is always relational

Posted on May 21, 2020

Many aspects of the GoCorps enticed me to apply but one stood out in particular - language learning as ministry. My placement and organization actively used language to reach both believers and non-believers in our area of work. The team uses a method called the Growing Participator Approach. I am a new to the GPA method of learning a language. Nevertheless, I am finding tremendous encouragement by using it to learn Bambara. This method was developed by a man named Greg Thompson particularly for Kingdom workers in the field. It starts with nurturing a relationship rather than hitting the... Read more

Submitting to unknowns as He holds me in His hands

Posted on April 6, 2020

Held in His Hands   Swahili: Anajua mateso yetu Anapenda kutusaidia!  Bambara: Yesu yɛrɛ y’an tɔɔrɔw bɛɛ dɔn, A bɛ sɔn ka an dɛmɛ bi.  English:  [Jesus] Only He knows of our sufferings He LOVES to help us    Worship follows me wherever God sends me for His cause! The first two lines above are a song I grew to love in DRC, East Africa while working there in 2018. My team would sing this quite often during team devotions. What truth that the Father is ever near to comfort us! As I begin to learn Bambara, I asked my language nurturer to teach me Bambara worship songs - particularly songs... Read more