Imagine Yourself Isolated

Grace McCoy is the Field Director at Deaf Child Hope and she is often traveling around the world to visit our partners. Grace is Deaf herself and until recently was a Teacher of the Deaf at a Deaf School in Michigan where she lives. Now she is a huge asset to the Deaf Child Hope team and has committed to raising her own support to be full time on our team. Enjoy hearing from Grace herself in the December blog.

Imagine yourself isolated in your house with no language and not accepted by your family members and community. You often work in the fields and do the chores around the house. That is all you do every day, and you wonder what the purpose of life is. This is the experience of a lot of Deaf people around the world. So I ask you this… how can we be the hands and feet of Jesus to minister to them?

I had the opportunity to go to Mexico to visit one of our partners for a week this fall. It was a good, yet challenging and emotional trip. Four languages were going on simultaneously, and I had no interpreter. It was a little frustrating, but I was reminded of what the Deaf children experience daily. However, I had the opportunity to go on home visits to meet Deaf children and young adults with their families. My heart aches but I was reminded that God called me to be the light of Jesus to them and provide hope. In one instance, there was a seven-year-old Deaf boy who did not have any language yet, spoken or signed. I was with a teacher from the Deaf school and we were able to teach basic signs  to him for fruits and vegetables in Mexican Sign Language. (It is completely different than American Sign Language.) Also, I had the opportunity to play ball with him. It seems so simple, but that is something Jesus would do – connect and build a relationship. This opens doors of acceptance and language.

 

 

 

I met a Deaf young lady who was almost the same age as me. She was shy and had not had language for most of her life. Therefore, she has a hard time recalling sign language. She stays at her house, watering the flowers, cooking for her mother and brother, planting and harvesting corn. I noticed that no one goes and visits her except the teacher. Visiting her shows that we care and she is loved. By the end of the visit, there was a smile on her face because she knows she has a friend in Jesus. That is hope and joy! Her brother is also Deaf and does not like to interact with others. I was able to make eye contact, smile, and wave. No response. The following day – I was able to give him a handshake. It might sound simple, but it shows he is loved and part of the community. A praise report – a student who just graduated three months ago accepted Jesus into his heart! As you can see in the picture above (the mural on the gates of the schools) this young man has great artistic skills. God has mighty plans for him!

These are only a couple of stories from my trip, there were so many. I was reminded that we need to open our eyes and ask God what He wants us to do today, even though it might not be what we planned. God is working and planting seeds through meeting people, spending time, and having a simple conversation that truly makes a difference. I want to encourage you to think and discuss with your family how you can make a difference and advance God’s Kingdom, especially in this upcoming holiday season. You could have a simple conversation with a stranger in the community, learn a different language to communicate with someone, invite someone to join your family dinner, invite others to church, pray for the broken and lost, or give a financial gift to be a blessing to others, to name a few.

May God bless you abundantly and may you experience God’s love, peace, and joy! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

–Grace McCoy, DCH Field Director