POSITION:
Head of the Linguistics, Language, and Culture training department
Member of the survey team
SERVING IN:
Global
Kate French started volunteering with DOOR in 2019 in their language survey department. Then in 2020, she started also helping with training. Now in 2022, she’s officially joining DOOR staff. Because she is a nerd in linguistics and a geek in everything else, her role in research and training is well matched. She’ll continue her work in language survey and consultant training, putting her M.A. in Linguistics from the University of North Dakota to good use.
One of the questions I get asked the most is, “Language survey, what is that?” This is a great question. Before we can start a Bible translation, before we can set up a discipleship team, before we can do DOOR’s part in reaching the deaf community, we have to know where the deaf community is. We don’t know where they are in the country. We don’t know if the whole country
uses the same sign language. We don’t know if country A uses the same sign language as country B. So, we survey. We ask, where are they, what language do they use? What language should our translation be in? Therefore, I go out (along with our team) and find the answers to all these questions. And we have the time of our lives!
Since I was young, God gave me the desire to help reach and heal the Deaf heart. I’m so glad he gives us the desires of his heart and then makes them come true. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
