Women learn how to sew crossover bags during a course in Kenya Hope’s “Widows’ Might” program.
(Photo courtesy of Kenya Hope)

Through its “Widows’ Might” program, Kenya Hope equips widows with job skills to support their families. Most importantly, widows learn about the God who sees and loves them.

“We teach literacy because 98 percent of these widows do not know how to read and write. We start teaching them the Bible chronologically,” Executive Director Joy Mueller says.

Emily’s story

Countless widows worldwide are like Emily* – forced to marry at a young age, then left to fend for themselves and their children. “She was married at about the age of 20, right when [the pandemic began] in January [2020],” Mueller says.

“In June, her husband had a severe asthmatic attack and died. She gave birth to their son in December of 2020.”

Last year, Emily’s in-laws told her to relocate. “In Kenyan culture, his family gets to dictate everything that she does. They said she needed to move to live near her mother-in-law, who needed help,” Mueller says.

“It took us an hour-and-a-half [navigating] down this little trail to get to her ‘house;’ it was [made of] sticks, and rain was coming through,” Mueller continues.

“I was just about in tears when I saw how desperate her housing situation was.”

Through sponsorship, you can help a widow like Emily gain the skills she needs to support herself. Help change a widow’s life through Kenya Hope.

Ask the Lord to help young widows “who desire to remain pure, as the Bible asked them to do, but have all these cultural mandates and pressures” to remarry and have children, Mueller requests.

“Pray for us as an organization that we would know how to address these situations in a loving, biblical, and cultural way. Pray that we can impact maybe rescuing some of these women out of such tragic situations.”

*Pseudonym

In the header image, a widow receives goats through Kenya Hope’s “Widows’ Might” program so she can begin a small herd to support her family. Header and story images courtesy of Kenya Hope.

(Graphic courtesy of DOOR International)

Each day of the week has a specific theme, and today’s theme is “Sign Languages for All Deaf Learners.” Acquiring sign language from birth “is critical to the cognitive and social development of deaf children,” reads a description on the IWD website.

“We get this very strange phenomenon that only happens in the Deaf community where kids grow up in a family where they have no language access,” DOOR International’s Rob Myers explains.

“Unfortunately, a vast majority – somewhere between 60 and 80 percent – of hearing parents of deaf kids never learn to sign with their deaf children.”

Without language, “you don’t have access to information. Christian ministries would emphasize that also means access to the Gospel,” Myers says.

“How can our children get access to the Gospel without language and without information?”

As a Deaf-led ministry, DOOR equips Deaf believers to reach Deaf communities for Christ. More about that here.

“We view International Week of the Deaf as a way to highlight and help people understand that Deaf ministry is much more than just accommodating special needs. It’s empowering and equipping Deaf leaders with access to the Gospel,” Myers says.

“We train local teams to translate Scripture in their various sign languages, and we train Deaf leaders in evangelism, discipleship, and church planting.”

(Photo courtesy of DOOR International via Facebook)

3 ways to change the “norm”

Less than two percent of the global Deaf community has any Gospel access. Myers describes three ways to help change that today.

SHARE

“Awareness is, for us, one of the first key issues,” Myers says. Use buttons at the bottom of this page to share this article on social media. You can also share these “fast five” facts on Facebook.

“Anybody [reading this article] may not themselves have direct interaction with Deaf people, but you may know others who do. By spreading the word, you begin to give Gospel access to those people who are two or three [connections] from you.”

PRAY

You can use the prompts listed alongside this article to guide your intercession or download a monthly prayer calendar from DOOR.

“The overall theme for International Week of the Deaf is ‘Celebrating Thriving Deaf Communities.’ How can Deaf communities thrive if they don’t have access to Scripture and if their leaders aren’t really able to lead?” Myers asks.

“Many strongholds in these Deaf communities have existed for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Bringing down these spiritual strongholds requires prayer.”

GIVE

There are at least 350 known sign languages in use worldwide. “The need for Bible translation and the need for training local leaders is incredibly great. Out of the largest 20 sign languages…only about half have any active translation work going on,” Myers says.

Help equip Deaf believers through DOOR International.

Header image is a graphic courtesy of the World Federation of the Deaf.

Today, women are voiceless in many of the Middle East’s Muslim-dominated countries. “Life for women in the Middle East is so different than it is for us here in the West,” says JoAnn Doyle, co-founder of Uncharted Ministries.

“Often, they are not permitted to speak; or if they do speak, they have to be so careful that they don’t bring shame on anyone in their family or their community,” she continues, explaining the prevailing honor-shame culture.

“They are cloaked with this ‘veil’; they’re forced to hide their feelings so that they don’t bring harm on themselves.”

Doyle leads Not Forgotten, a division of Uncharted Ministries. They partner with believers in the Middle East who help women know God and follow Jesus. In a new book she co-authored with her husband, JoAnn describes how women find a new voice and value through Christ.

Once God sets a Muslim woman free, she becomes an unstoppable force for God. Women Who Risk takes readers into the intimacy of Muslim homes in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, and other hot spots to see the drama of Christ at work.
(Photo, caption courtesy Thomas Nelson)

“In the Middle East, I’ve seen so many women that learned quickly they don’t have value. Then they meet Jesus and, for the first time in their life, feel love and acceptance,” she says.

“They’re like a dry sponge soaking up water, wanting to embrace what God has created for them. He created us to have value.”

On International Women’s Day, gift your favorite women with inspiration. Click here to order Women Who Risk: Secret Agents for Jesus in the Muslim World for a friend or loved one.

“Right now, we are choosing to honor women, which is a beautiful thing. But when we look at Scripture, God has honored women from creation. He created men and women equal in His image,” Doyle observes.

“If we want to know how women are honored, jump into the Word of God.”

Header image depicts women in Iran. (Photo courtesy of Majid Korang beheshti/Unsplash)

(Graphic courtesy of World Federation of the Deaf)

Each of the seven days has a specific focus, and IWD aims to raise Deaf awareness and advocacy among the wider hearing community. Read past IWD stories here.

There are approximately 70 million Deaf people worldwide who use more than 350 unique sign languages. Until this summer, no sign language had a complete Bible. Today, U.S. Deaf believers rejoice as the first to have all of God’s Word within reach. Watch the ASLV Bible here.

“There has been a tremendous and exciting reaction from the U.S. Deaf Christian community,” Deaf Missions President Chad Entinger says via email. Earlier this month, the first-ever ASLV Bible “went live” on Deaf Missions’ app after 38 years of labor.

“Doing sign language Bible translation with video drafts takes longer than text or printed drafts,” Entinger explains.

“Our patience was tested at times as this journey was a long marathon, not a sprint.”

“The amount of technical skill needed is so much more than what we need for written translation, so it is a bigger task. It often takes longer,” Wycliffe USA’s Andy Keener says.

In 2016, Wycliffe USA joined American Bible Society, Deaf Bible Society, Deaf Harbor, DOOR International, Pioneer Bible Translators, and Seed Company in a new collaborative effort to help Deaf Missions cross the finish line.

“Four years ago, [Deaf Missions] said, ‘we’re about 16 years from completion.’ Several organizations got together and said, ‘if we had the resources, could we do it in four?’” Keener recalls.

Entinger adds, “thanks to God’s provision through the generosity of Deaf Missions donors and funding partners, we were able to overcome funding challenges and onboard more translators to accelerate completion of the Bible, thereby finishing in 2020 instead of our original projection of 2033!”

Find your place in the story

Now that you know, what will you do? You could move on with no further action, or you could celebrate Deaf ministry in four ways on IWD using the suggestions below.

(Photo courtesy of Deaf Missions)

First and foremost, pray. “Spend time in prayer for the sign language Bible translation projects currently happening, and for future projects. [Pray] for sign language Bibles to impact Deaf Christians more than ever before,” Entinger requests.

Second, consider investing in the work of Deaf ministries like Deaf Bible Society, Deaf Missions, or DOOR International. “These are organizations ministering with and to Deaf people worldwide. Get to know them; come alongside one of these organizations, and help them carry out the ministry that they’re engaged in,” Keener suggests.

Third, help raise Deaf awareness by sharing this article using the buttons below. “The Church is [relatively] new to this whole world of sign language Bible translation,” Keener observes.

“Raising that awareness helps make sure we’re connecting well with Deaf people, and they’re not left out, especially in the message of the Gospel.”

Fourth, learn more about Deaf culture in case you cross paths with a Deaf individual. “Learn a few signs; be prepared to greet someone and let them know that you care. There is a cross-cultural aspect to engaging with Deaf people,” Keener says.

“Take your cell phone, go to wherever you get your apps and look for the Deaf Bible app. Find the American Sign Language version of the Bible. Have it on your phone when you meet a Deaf person [and share it with them]. Many Deaf people don’t even know that the Scriptures are available in sign language.”

Header image courtesy of Deaf Missions via Facebook.

More about International Women’s Day here.

(Photo courtesy of Women of Hope)

Despite progress in key areas, one-third of all women and girls worldwide suffer gender-based violence.  Peggy Banks heads up Trans World Radio’s Women of Hope program, which helps women find their place in God’s story.

“We are encouraging them to see themselves from God’s perspective, to see that they have a purpose and a plan,” Banks says.

“We have teams on the ground in 125 different countries that connect with these listeners, do Bible studies. We do events… we have prayer groups. There are many ways that we touch and connect the lives of women, ultimately having them come to know Jesus.”

More than a radio program

The Lord led Banks from working in local churches to the helm of Women of Hope’s ministry in 2016. “My passion is biblical counseling, so God opened up this door to really bring hope and Jesus to women around the world and across generations,” Banks says.

As described here, Women of Hope educates, encourages, and equips women to pray, listen, learn, grow, and give through media, small group interaction, and leadership development.

This year, Banks and her team want to help even more women find freedom and meaning in Christ.

(Photo courtesy of Women of Hope)

“We hope to enhance our content, enhance presence on social media, maybe translate more languages so that women in other countries – especially closed countries – can hear a message of hope about a God who loves them,” she explains.

Give to support Women of Hope’s work.

As an example, Banks describes the story of a young Farsi listener who wrote to Women of Hope staff. This young woman grew up in a Muslim home and “didn’t attend school because [her parents] didn’t believe that girls needed to attend school. So, she never had the opportunity to learn how to read and write,” Banks says.

This listener, and others like her, learn who God is through Women of Hope’s 30-minute radio broadcasts. The program also provides practical life lessons like “how to live with depression, how to live your identity, how to love your husband if you’re married, how to feed your children if you’re a mom, how to grow a garden.

“She says, ‘through your programs I’ve understood more about God’s love for me’.”

Listen to Women of Hope broadcasts.

Next steps

(Screenshot)

If you live in the San Diego area, you can meet Peggy in-person tomorrow.  As described on Instagram, the program begins at 5 pm. “We have an audio program called ‘Hidden Treasures’ that’s created specifically for women and men who are rescued from human trafficking,” Banks says.

Learn more about the ‘Hidden Treasures’ program.

“Right now, we have it translated into 12 different languages and we have more languages that are needed, [including] Mandarin, Chinese, Vietnamese. When you donate…that helps us translate those programs into languages in countries where anti-trafficking organizations are working.”

No matter where you live, please surround this ministry in prayer.  Use the prompts listed alongside this article as a starting point.  To pray year-round, consider joining the Women of Hope email list here.

Header image courtesy of Women of Hope.

Rob Myers of DOOR International – a Christian Deaf ministry – says it’s an important step towards the recognition of sign languages as actual languages, not just collections of gestures.

“The desire is to see Deaf people fully included…and the best way to see that inclusion happen is through access in sign language,” notes Myers.

“Only 37 countries recognize sign language as a legitimate language.”

Inaugurating the International Day of Sign Languages

September 23 was recognized by the United Nations as the International Day of Sign Languages at the end of 2017. Colin Allen, president of World Federation of the Deaf – the advocacy organization behind IWD – stated the following:

“This resolution recognizes the importance of sign language and services in sign language being available to deaf people as early in life as possible. It also emphasizes the principle of ‘nothing about us without us’ in terms of working with Deaf Communities.”

(Graphic courtesy World Federation of the Deaf)

The ‘nothing about us without us’ principle is also critical to DOOR’s work.

“No decisions should be made about the Deaf community without the input – and, really, the leadership – of the Deaf community,” explains Myers.

“Many times, people are making decisions for them without including them either in the information or in the decision-making process.”

Deaf people aren’t usually given the platform or ability to make decisions, he adds. In some instances, people who can hear “don’t think Deaf people are capable of making those decisions.”

The routine activity of visiting a doctor is another example of why recognizing sign languages is so important. Typically, a child’s parents will explain why they are going to the doctor and what will happen when they arrive. If the child is receiving immunizations, parents explain why the shots are important and they prepare the child for a brief amount of pain.

In most instances, Deaf children lose all of this context and information because their parents do not know sign language. On average, 90 percent of Deaf children are born to parents who can hear, and 85% of those parents choose not to learn sign language.

“The parent just puts them in the car and brings them to the doctor. The doctor does something to them that hurts, and they have no idea why any of this is happening,” says Myers.

Additionally, “if you’re a Deaf person in a country where sign language is not recognized as an actual language, you can’t get an interpreter if you go to the hospital.”

These small examples represent the disconnect and exclusion Deaf people experience worldwide. The International Day of Sign Languages is a step towards bridging that communication gap and acknowledging the Deaf as a people group with their own distinct language.

Translating Scripture into sign languages

The importance of sign language recognition also applies to the Great Commission.

(Photo courtesy DOOR International)

“There are an estimated 350 sign languages around the world…every single one of them represents a Deaf community where that is their primary or first language, their heart language,” says Myers.

“Only 26…of those 350 sign languages have any sort of authorized, published Scripture.”

As a Deaf-led international ministry, DOOR acknowledges the importance of sign language recognition and the “nothing about us without us” principle. Equipping and empowering Deaf to reach the Deaf for Christ is at the heart of everything they do.

“Deaf people are the most effective people to work in Deaf ministry. Therefore, our desire is to empower and equip Deaf to become leaders and providers of ministry,” says Myers.

Visit DOOR’s website to learn how you can help DOOR reach Deaf communities with Christ.

Header image courtesy World Federation of the Deaf.

“It’s our desire to get resources into (Deaf) people’s hands, and then help them to get it into the hands and hearts of others,” explains DOOR President and CEO, Rob Myers.

International Week of the Deaf 2017

Every year in September, the International Week of the Deaf calls attention to the rights of 70 million Deaf people worldwide. Advocacy efforts include celebrating Deaf identity, raising awareness of Deaf culture among the hearing population, and providing a united Deaf perspective on core topics.

(Graphic courtesy DOOR International)

“Full Inclusion with Sign Language,” the 2017 theme of IWD, underscores the importance of sign languages. As explained here, it emphasizes, “full inclusion of deaf people is possible when sign language is recognized and used widely within the society.”

“Beyond the direct disability aspects that people often think of, deafness leads to a person being involved in a new language,” explains Myers.

“If you don’t have language, you don’t have information.”

This is largely why many Deaf people worldwide have no access to the Gospel. Less than ten percent of the world’s 350+ sign languages have any published Bible translation work.

Even if Scripture has been translated into a sign language, it doesn’t necessarily mean those Deaf believers have a way to fellowship and grow in Christ. Church planting and biblical leadership development are even rarer than translation efforts.

DOOR International: Deaf reaching Deaf for Christ

(Graphic courtesy DOOR International)

Roughly 68 million Deaf people – a whopping 98 percent of the total population — do not know Christ. Reaching them is the heartbeat of DOOR International.

“We focus on sign language Bible translation,” says Myers. “We also focus on training up local Deaf leaders to reach their own people for Christ through evangelism and church planting, and we call that program 2-by-2.”

As explained here, most Deaf people need to see God’s Word in sign language instead of reading it on a page. Sign language Scripture introduced Jay to Christ.

“For the first time, he really understood the essence of the Gospel because it was coming to him in his heart language,” shares Myers.

Prior to that, Jay was stuck in a world of vague monotony. Jay’s father was the pastor of a local church, so weekly Bible studies and Sunday services were the norm. However, it was a routine without meaning for Jay. No one around him – not even his own parents – knew sign language.

“He would sit and watch his father preach, watch people singing, but he had no idea what was going on…all that he could do while he was in church [was] sit and draw.”

Everything changed when a DOOR missionary invited Jay to a Deaf-led church.

“He saw the same type of service, but everything was in sign language. People were worshipping the Lord in sign language, they were sharing Bible stories in sign language; communication was giving people full access to all of the information.”

On the International Week of the Deaf, you can help unreached Deaf like Jay gain access to the Gospel. Click here to take action!

(Photo courtesy DOOR International)

But, for 70 million Deaf people, it’s so much more than that.

IWD is a symbol of hope for the global Deaf community. It’s the hope of increased Deaf awareness among their hearing counterparts. It’s the hope of finally being acknowledged as something more than “Other” or “Disabled.”

And, as DOOR International’s Rob Myers shares, it’s a step toward restoring dignity for people like Amit.

Amit’s story

When he was young, Amit was influenced by the faith of his parents and decided to attend church with them. It was a “hearing” church, and Amit’s parents interpreted the service for him so he could understand what was going on.

“As he was signing with his family, the pastor took note of that signing and ended up coming over after the service and talking to the family,” shares Myers.

“The pastor’s question to the parents, which the parents passed on to Amit, was, ‘Why are you using monkey language with your son?’”

It may seem like an odd question, but as Myers explains, “Many people may label sign language as ‘monkey language’ simply because they associate [it] with some of the communication aspects that are being taught to gorillas and chimpanzees.”

(Screenshot)

Koko the gorilla is a famous example. In 1972, Dr. Penny Patterson began teaching Koko American Sign Language (ASL); today, the gorilla knows over 1,000 signs.

Scientists have even termed Koko’s modifications of ASL as “Gorilla Sign Language (GSL)” and are studying the linguistic components of GSL. As explained here, scientists like Patterson give gorillas’ natural “gesturing” the same communication authority as sign language.

Deaf people are often put on the same level as monkeys because “gesturing” and sign language are thought to be the same thing. This leads to comments like the pastor’s about “monkey language.”

“Amit was really turned off to any involvement in the Christian church because of that comment,” says Myers.

Thankfully, Amit’s story has a happy ending. Read about it here.

How you can help on IWD

Unfortunately, many Deaf people have a story like Amit’s. The IWD seeks to replace ignorance with information by raising Deaf awareness.

As explained here, “The International Week of the Deaf is the only week in a year that sees highly concerted global advocacy to raise awareness about the Deaf community at the individual, community, and governmental level.”

Share this on social media to raise Deaf awareness!
(Graphic courtesy DOOR)

During IWD, DOOR International is asking for your help to raise Deaf awareness in the Body of Christ.

“For the most part, the Church is very unaware of the needs of the Deaf community [and] the fact that the Deaf community is an unreached people group,” says Myers.

“Out of the 70 million Deaf worldwide, less than two-percent of them have really embraced the Gospel.”

DOOR seeks to change that statistic by equipping Deaf leaders and evangelists with sign language Scripture and church planting training.

Today and during IWD, you can help DOOR raise Deaf awareness in 3 critical ways:

• Pray — On their website, DOOR shares daily prayer needs from Deaf Gospel workers around the world.
• Share — “Share this story on social media….forward this information to other people you think may be unaware,” requests Myers.
• Give — The first phase of four sign language Bible translations has almost been completed. With your help, DOOR’s translation teams can finish phase one and get evangelistic materials into Deaf groups that use these sign languages.

“When we begin to teach them sign language Scripture in their heart language, they begin to see, ‘Wow, God knows all languages, God loves all people, and I have direct access to Him,” shares Myers.

“’I don’t have to become hearing. I don’t have to use a spoken language. I can sign my prayers to the Lord, and I can have an intimate relationship with Him.’”