What a Dream!

RARELY do I remember what I dream, but I STILL remember a short dream I had the other night!

Hubby and I were at a large deaf event, like Deaf Expo, although I am not sure what it was. We were walking around and chatting with deaf people when I noticed a newly converted DEAF FRIEND of mine enthusiastically going up to deaf people and signing: "Are you saved?"

If they signed back "Yes", she smiled and gave them a hug. If they signed: "NO, and get out of here.", she quietly left them to go to the next. BUT IF THEY SIGNED: "I don't know what SAVED means" or " I hope so"....she would gently take them by the hand and lead them to us.

Holding the person's hand (my dream only showed woman to woman), she came up to me and said: Would you please explain to her what SAVED means.

This happened over and over. All the time we were there, I noticed this deaf friend, going around as if THAT was the whole reason she came to this Deaf event.

I had come to meet Deaf people.
She had come to lead them to Christ.


Oh that Christ might make me more of a soul winner. Oh, that Christ, would stir up the Deaf people to reach other Deaf people for Jesus. Oh, that my dream will become more of a reality!

A Love Gift from HIS Heart

The first question that most people ask when they learn I am a Deaf Interpreter is: “When and why did you learn sign language?” Most of you know my story, but let me remind you of God’s great mercy.

I am the middle child of two very strong Christian parents. My older brother was overflowing with musical talent that got him lots of attention. My younger sister was just cute-cute…and then there was plain me. I was a Christian, but still had no reason to get up in the morning. There was nothing special or meaningful about my life…not a good place for a Junior High girl. I started to dabble in things that could have led me down a very destructive path. God looked down at this unhappy girl, who was very vulnerable, and gave her a Love Gift from His Heart!

When I was In 8th Grade, we had 8 deaf students come to our School. They sat in class with us, and had no interpreter. Some could lip read, but others struggled. As you know, teachers talk while writing on the board. No deaf person can lip read someone’s back. Something deep inside me stirred when I saw their eyes, their expressions, and knew they were missing information. I started writing down what the teacher was saying ‘to the board’. I also made sure they knew their homework assignments. That gesture of kindness started a friendship between us. I went to their homes and they came to mine. I WANTED to be able to talk to them, REALLY talk to them. AMAZINGLY, I learned sign quickly from them…outside of class of course. I loved them, and they loved me.

Years later, I realized the placement of those deaf students was a LOVE GIFT from God to ME!

That is the ONLY year we went to school together! I really believe God saved my life when HE brought those lovely deaf students to my school that year. He looked down at this vulnerable youth and caused me to fall in love with a beautiful group of people, and equipped me to talk to them!

Later, as I grew more in love with Jesus, HE helped me to understand that Deaf people need Jesus too. Who was going to tell them? I needed to do more than just bring them to Church. God had equipped my hands, and my heart, to share the GOOD NEWS with my deaf friends. There is no greater gift I can offer them, than to offer them JESUS!

Thank YOU Lord!

He's Able!

I wish I had a picture of our congregation as I teach the sign language segment on Sunday mornings. I am teaching them the chorus called, "He's Able".

It is such a JOY for me to watch out over the congregation and see all the HEARING people lifting their hands in praise to God and learning to put in expression too! I know the Deaf people LOVE this segment as well. It must warm their heart to see so many people making a real effort to learn their language in such a meaningful way.

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These are the words of the chorus:

He's Able, He's Able
I KNOW He's Able
I Know my Lord is Able to Carry me Through
He's Able, He's Able.
I KNOW He's Able.
I Know my Lord is Able to Carry me Through.

He healed the broken hearted
And set the captives free
He made the lame to walk again
And caused the blind to see.

He's Able. He's Able.
I KNOW, He's Able.
I know My Lord is Able to Carry me Through.
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Most of the song is easy to sign, until you come to the verse, and then the syntax needs to be changed quite a bit. Today's lesson was "Set the Captives free". In sign language you must set the problem first so it can be resolved - so I taught them "captive" and explained the whys of the formation and emphasized the expression....then I taught them "SAVE" with explanation and expression emphasis.

Once hearing people understand the concept of visualization, they are able to grasp the understanding of why I am signing "two words" to a whole group of English words.

It is fun to teach, but MORE fun to watch them sign such great praise to our LORD JESUS!

I am so thankful that we have this segment in our morning Worship service. It is fun to ALL! It involves all ages and is a builder of communication between two cultures, two language groups of beautiful people who chose to worship together.

May God use this Sign Language Segment and multiply its efforts even more than I can imagine as only HE can do.