A-E-I-O-U and sometimes Y

This week and next I am at Language Acquisition School in Palmer Lake, Colorado. Missions Training International (MTI) runs a two week school to help prepare missionaries heading all over the world to learn other languages.

It has been fun to get to know people with similar passion and heart for a lost world. There are families and other single adults, all getting ready to leave the comfortable and step out into new adventures. Part of the comfortableness that we are leaving is the tones and sounds that we are familiar with in the English language. There is a sound box of 44 sounds in English. For the past 3 days, and for the next 9, my mouth and tongue have been twisted into new contortions to make noises that I didn't think were possible. They challenge us to be conscious of what our mouth and tongue are doing when we make any sound - both familiar and new.

Honestly, I wondered what in the world we were going to do for two weeks. But, the time has been refreshing, challenging and going bye very, very quickly. The split us up into groups and help us learn a language that we will not be using per se, but to teach us methodology and give us tools for learning. Yesterday morning and today, I will be working on learning French. We've also comprehended a little of a tribal language from South Vietnam from the couple who began this training years ago.

I am encouraged in the necessity of learning Russian. Realizing that I am very blessed to have Marina help me with Russian while I am in the states and looking forward to soon being immersed in the culture and language in Ukraine. Thank you for your prayers as I continue through this training. Please pray that all of us remain healthy. Some of the children have started passing 'bugs' around.

(The pictures are the views from the front and back of our facility here in Palmer Lake)