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Deaf Ministries Update

Bringing the Gospel to the Deaf

July-August 2010

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Greetings this time from Norway. We are here until early next year and are flat out with deputation meetings, board meetings, family meetings, friends meetings and the constant pile of e-mails, Skype communications, ooVoo and MSN. We have been graciously loaned a small apartment by a friend of Lill’s so I sit here working at the kitchen table while looking out the window at the houses on the opposite hill. We are so blessed. There is so much that I want to put in this newsletter that I am going to have to abbreviate drastically if I am to get it all in. My route to Norway took me to Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Egypt and Syria. That, together with reports from Kenya and Colombia could fill 5 newsletters, so I will do my best.

Colombia

Dewayne reports that the work in Colombia is progressing rapidly. It is hoped that from Colombia, other DMI ministries will develop in South America. Plans are afoot to survey and possibly commence a new ministry in Chile by 2011.
Dewayne recently lead a work party from the US who left their comfort zone to paint and clean, teach, play with deaf kids and share their lives with all they met. Next year two more teams will go to Colombia for a deaf camp and another work camp. If any would like to be part of this team, please let us know.

Philippines

In our last newsletter we presented the urgent need to purchase the house in Davao. Go to www.deafmin.org/newsletters if you have forgotten or have never read it. We are so encouraged to report that the $90,000 needed to purchase the property was provided before most of you even received the newsletter! What a fantastic answer to the prayers of so many, particularly our Davao people. Thank you so much. Two very large gifts from Norway and Australia, plus some “seed” gifts, met this need.

Doug & Val Clutton

Doug and Val Clutton, from Canada, have joined the work in Bacolod. They are now living near to Albert & Kim Mercado and as well as helping in the work in general, will be concentrating on income generating projects to help sustain the work locally. Once again, go to our web page to meet Doug and Val.

Cagayan de Oro

Cagayan de Oro is in the northern part of Mindanao. It is here where we purchased the rubber plantation. The church has grown to over 40; the dormitory is catering for 12 kids in a facility that leaks, is over crowded and looks like a bomb hit it but still they come. We celebrated the 2nd anniversary of the work while I was there and for the second time this year, I had the joy of baptising more believers in the swollen river.

The son of Joshua and Jocelyn Asuela, and his wife, head the work and as they say, the apple does not fall far from the tree. In typical Asuela fervour, JR reaches out to the deaf, defends their rights and provides for their needs physically and spiritually. BUT we are in desperate need for more support. The rubber trees will provide this down the track but we need support for the work now.

One idea is to start a pig business. We have land that over looks a river from a great height where we hope to build the piggery. It has the best view of any piggery in the world!
For this we need $7000 to set up and once producing will carry much of the burden. Any one willing to help with this? We have a lot of kids who need sponsoring too.

Syria

Things are getting a bit sensitive in Syria at the moment so your prayer is valued once again. The work continues to grow in spite of it all. Nedal and Fadi who head up the work, have another talent. They are artists. Nedal has produced the most beautiful cards, which we have been selling here in Norway. We can’t keep up with the demand. With the struggles that we are going through to maintain the ministries, some of these income-generating projects are a great help.

China

Those of you in the deaf world will know what a CODA is. It means Children of Deaf Adults. One of the leaders of our work in China is a CODA, so she has a great concern for kids in her position. They have found that CODA’s are given to grandparents to raise so as to learn how to speak. That’s OK but, the grandparents don’t want the children to learn sign language for fear of them becoming deaf! This means that the kids can’t talk to their parents and vice versa, therefore they grow up with very negative attitudes towards the deaf and their parents. We see this group of kids as a tremendous source for the ministry down the road, as interpreters and helpers. In July, we hosted the first CODA camp. Kids and parents with hearing children rented a guest house by the lake and spent 3 days together. They were taught sign language, games, art and best of all, were told the stories of Jesus.

Various churches celebrated 7th anniversaries recently.

Many friends came to celebrate with the representatives from Tengchong, Beijing, Kunming and Dali. Non-believers were also invited to join in.

Kenya

Another first was our first Maasai wedding. Charles, our evangelist to the Maasai deaf, married Yiamointompo. I am glad that the deaf use a sign for their names ! For most of our other deaf who attended the wedding it was also a first in the Maasai tradition so all reports coming to me indicate that it was something special. I just love the hat cakes. Not sure whether or not these will show up well in print. If this was a colour edition, you would notice that in both of these photos, PINK is predominant.

The recent camp held at our Kenyan school and lead by Ps Josephat Mulongo, included 19 baptisms and was dedicated to the glory of God.

Thailand

Here are all our leaders, teachers and students from Chiangmai.

Pongsak (on right) interprets as Joey shares in the Thai deaf church.

Egypt

We were blessed with an Australian gift, which has provided for the completion of the Farm of Hope boundary wall. You may remember that squatters had previously taken over the land, causing this project to come to a halt for quite some months. Now the land will be protected and used for which it was intended - growing & harvesting dates and olives.

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Your prayerful and financial support of the ministry is so much appreciated. Thank you and God Bless.

Neville and Lill

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