In That Moment

In April, I had the privilege of visiting twelve amazing deaf children at an orphanage, a Deaf Child Hope partner, in Mirebalais, Haiti.  Each day our team tutored the children with lessons in a one-room school, played many learning games, enjoyed sidewalk chalk, learned about Jesus through a picture Bible, and laughed as we snapped a million photos of everyone in various poses.  The children loved seeing themselves in photos!

Fortunately, our knowledge of American Sign Language enabled us to easily communicate with these children.  They were thrilled to meet a team that could easily sign with them!  During our stay at the orphanage, a medical team and a construction team also visited.  I watched as the deaf children struggled to communicate with the visitors who did not know American Sign Language.  Despite the spoken language barrier (Creole and English), the hearing children in the area managed to at least have limited conversations with the Americans.  Sadly, the deaf children couldn’t.

It was in that moment that I realized the isolation of deaf children without language.  Without a means of communication, deaf children can feel excluded from their friends and family.  Without language, how can they learn and understand the love of Jesus?

By the grace of God, I am preparing for another trip to the same orphanage.  Thanks to amazing sponsors, I’m returning with others from Deaf Child Hope, and bringing a Bible flannel graph so I can visually explain stories from the Bible.  I want to be certain the children understand the love of Jesus.  I’m eager to show new signs to the hearing staff, hearing children at the orphanage, and any other visitors so they can communicate with the deaf children.  With God’s help, I want to expand the opportunities the deaf children have to communicate with others.  I’d love to see deaf and hearing talking to each other about the amazing love of Christ.

Please join us in prayer as our team prepares to spread the Good News through American Sign Language to the deaf children in Haiti.