What It's Like to Learn a New Language as a Missionary
By a SEND missionary in Eurasia
When I first entered this new culture, I began language school. On weekends near my apartment, a street is closed and transformed into a wet market, where vendors sell fresh foods, produce, and other goods. I usually buy my food there because it's fresh and surprisingly more affordable. Because I hadn't learned much in my first month of language study, I didn't utter a word at the market. I would just point to a vegetable or fruit I wanted, give the vendor a bunch of the local currency, wait for my change, and off I went. I was pretty sure the vendors thought I was mute, wondering why I did not speak!
Eventually, I resorted to the old, reliable Google Translate. Back to the wet market, I went. One weekend, I typed, "I want to buy." When the lady read what I typed, she laughed so hard that the other vendors were curious to know what was happening. I didn't know why what I said was funny until several days later; my language teacher explained that this phrase is never used, especially in a market setting, because common sense says that you are there precisely for that reason.
Read on for three ways to pray for new missionaries.
In my third month, I ventured out to talk to a lady I had befriended. She was the shopkeeper of a flower shop that I always passed by on my way to school. Though uncomfortable, I forced myself to speak her language because she didn't speak English. She would laugh at my broken grammar, and we would have a lot of fun laughing at ourselves as we tried to communicate. Fast forward ten months, and my friend is now delighted that I can finally understand her stories, and we have common ground: language.
Though learning a new language has taken time and patience, God has continued providing opportunities for me to build relationships, even while studying in school. While I struggled (and still struggle) to learn the two local languages in the country where I serve, the Holy Spirit and the support and prayers of my family and ministry partners have helped me to continue toward my goal of becoming proficient. Entering a new culture brings new obstacles and challenges. But language is a strong bridge that provides passage over these cultural obstacles, which is otherwise difficult to do when the goal is to make Christ known.
Learning the local language is a critical step toward effectively sharing the good news of Christ with unreached communities worldwide. But the process isn't always easy. New missionaries dive into language study for the first 1-2 years of their ministry on the field. Today, would you join us in praying for our missionaries?
Three Simple Ways You Can Pray:
Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
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