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Much scholarship has looked at the uses, functions, and originsof proverbs. This study describes the form of proverbs in Nuosu, a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in southwest China. A preliminary analysisdemonstrates that the carefully crafted form of Nuosu proverbs reflectsintricate artistry and multiple aesthetic features of the Nuosu language,making their proverbs memorable and transmissible across generations.One unusual feature of Nuosu proverbs to surface in the study is frequentnegative polarity. Findings from this study provide a deeper understandingof the Nuosu language, as well as a window into linguistic aestheticfeatures shared with languages in the region and beyond. The researchadds to our understanding of the breadth of strategies that languages employin order to animate discourse.

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This qualitative study gives an emic account of the experiences of adult L2 learners studying Chinese characters. Using semi-structured interviews and written journals of Americans who have spent time in China, the study uncovers core experiences and common patterns, giving voice to the holistic experience of learners, including affective aspects. The results of the study show that the very complexity of Chinese characters simultaneously attracts and deters learners. Learners experience an ever-growing realization of deeper complexity and greater volume. The struggling that ensues compels learners to actively find strategies to enable them to remain afloat in the learning process: (1) breaking down the complexity, (2) managing the incoming volume, (3) finding satisfaction in using the learning, (4) leading their own learning, (5) making use of resources, and 6) maintaining their learning. Findings from this study suggest practical applications for both L2 learners and teachers of Chinese characters.

Although missionary evacuations have occurred since the beginning of missions, little research has explored modern missionary evacuations. In this qualitative study, the author analyzes the experiences of four missionaries who made unplanned departures from their Asian host country in 2018. Although each study participant had different demographic characteristics and their story was unique, common elements of the evacuation experience were shared: growing uneasiness, mounting stress, the decision to evacuate, a sudden exit, and waves of transition. The most traumatic aspect throughout the experience was the severe disruption of their relationships. Factors contributing to the breakdown of social networks included surveillance and scrutiny, searches and interrogations, contact tracing, the compromising of digital communication channels, and the final exit. The traumatic effects of the breakdown of social networks highlight the critical importance of relationships in the life and work of missionaries, particularly during crises. Understanding how evacuations are experienced enables the wider Church—which is preparing, sending out, and receiving missionaries back—to better care for its missionaries and contribute to their restoration and healing from trauma.