God Speaks Their Language
Kylie and Matthew Wicker didn't grow up waiting for a single dramatic calling. They grew up as missionary kids, watching their parents live out faith on the ground in West Africa, and somewhere in that childhood, missions simply became part of who they were. What they didn't expect was that their particular gifts, an ear for language, a love for grammar and sound and structure, would become the way they'd serve.
"Language is key to identity," they say. "We want people to know that their identity and culture have dignity and worth so much so that God speaks their language."
Their paths to CanIL looked nothing alike. Kylie first heard about the school through a partnership with Moody Bible Institute's Spokane campus, where summer linguistics courses could transfer toward her degree. The location, the financial aid, and the encouragement of mentors like Dr. David Beine and Anita Lebold made it feel like the right fit. Matthew found his way in through Wycliffe Canada's Race to 2025, drawn by the chance to get world-class training close to home, and shaped by conversations with people who'd walked the path before him.
They came to CanIL for different reasons, but they left with the same conviction: this was where their training would take shape.
"We felt well-equipped for this work through our time at CanIL."
Faculty like Dr. Steve Nicolle and Dr. Sean Allison helped sharpen that preparation. Kylie completed her MA in Applied Linguistics in 2018, Matthew followed with his MA in Linguistics and Translation in 2019, and by the time they finished, they weren't just trained; they were ready.
Today, the Wickers serve with SIL Cameroon in Yaoundé. Matthew works alongside the Sso language community on linguistic analysis. Kylie supports the Iton translation team and helps train national translators and linguists from other francophone countries through programs like i-DELTA. It's work that multiplies itself, not just translating Scripture into one language, but equipping others to carry that work forward into languages CanIL alumni may never personally touch.
For Kylie, the return to West Africa carries a weight that's hard to put into words. She grew up in Togo and Benin, and her family once spent a few months in Cameroon when she was only three months old.
"Thirty-one years later to the day, I arrived back with my own family, a full-circle moment."
For Kylie and Matthew, this work has never just been an academic discipline. It's something closer to restoration. It strengthens communities. It restores dignity. And it opens a door so that, in the language people actually think and dream and pray in, God's Word can finally be heard.
