Christmas is here! Many of us will celebrate with friends and families. We will gather in churches or in our homes around a Bible to learn, once again, the Christmas story. Many of us have read it hundreds of times. Why? We don’t want to forget the greatest gift ever given — Jesus!
What would your Christmas look like this year if you could not read the story of Jesus coming into the world? Imagine if you could not tell your children or grandchildren the story.
As Deaf Missions travels to different countries around the world, we see this very thing happening. Deaf people do not have access to God’s Word in their native, heart languages. In addition to this, Deaf people in Israel, Colombia, Thailand, Spain, Philippines and Moldova experience much oppression and isolation.
One of these people is Alexandr Nichefor, a Deaf Moldovan, who has often felt frustrated and discouraged in seeking God’s purpose for his life. He longs to reach Deaf people in the Eastern Europe country of Moldova, but they have a tremendous obstacle…they do NOT have God’s Word in their first language, Moldovan Sign Language.
Deaf Missions understands what it feels like to NOT have God’s Word in a first language. We truly believe Deaf people in ALL countries, including Alexandr and his family and friends, will best understand God’s eternal salvation message through His Word translated into sign language. Furthermore, during this special season of the year, with God’s Word in sign language, they will comprehend the TRUE meaning of Christmas…that Jesus is the reason for this season of celebration!
God is on the move…just as God birthed His Son, Jesus, into the world, He is now birthing new sign language projects. One of these projects is the one being launched now in Moldova. Alexandr, his wife, and other Deaf Moldovans will receive training, support and encouragement from experienced Deaf Missions translators.
In addition to Moldova, we have plans to work with Deaf natives to launch new projects in the Philippines, Israel and other countries in 2018 and beyond.
God also completed His work through His Son dying on the cross to forgive us of our sins. In the upcoming year and the next, He will work through us to finish translation of the Old Testament into American Sign Language, thereby giving Deaf people in America their first-ever complete Bible in a sign language! Many will SEE the message of Jesus for the first time… and that is a very Merry Christmas indeed!
As you celebrate Christmas and look forward to the new year ahead, please invest in the souls and lives of Deaf people around the world. A gift of $65 will support translation of one verse into Moldovan Sign Language or a gift of $400 will fund one month’s salary for one person on the Moldovan Sign Language translation team. You can donate now.
Your gift will bring to life this verse in Luke 2:11 (NIV), “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”