When I was in the 7th grade, one of my favorite shows to watch on TV was Sue Thomas F.B.Eye. Based on a true story, the main character is a deaf woman who shows everyone at the FBI that her inability to hear does not mean that she can't do her job just as well as anyone else. She was feisty, determined, and lovable. And so my love for the Deaf began. Shortly after that, I became friends with a girl at my church who's brother was deaf. She introduced me to the woman who interpreted for him on Sunday mornings, and not long after that, I began to go to class at my church to learn ASL. It was a lot of fun, and there wasn't a lot of structure, but it gave me a chance to pursue this desire that God had laid on my heart. Throughout high school, I continued to attend this class, and through my teacher there, I learned of CSUN, a university in the area that offered a degree in Deaf Studies. I spent one year there, before deciding that no matter how much I wanted to work with the Deaf, going through CSUN to do it was not the best option for me. I wanted to be well educated, not just receive job skills, so I transferred to Biola. I finished ASL 3 there, and was able to take ASL 4 one subsequent semester at a local community college, thus rendering me conversationally fluent. But that is where I stopped. Life got in the way, and school quickly drew to a close. I have not as of yet taken any further classes towards becoming an interpreter.
But interpreting has never really been my passion. In the fall of my third year at Biola, I took a linguistics class. It was there that I learned that I not only liked learning ASL, I liked languages in general. I was also made aware of a project through Wycliffe Bible Translators to translate the Bible for the Deaf. It seemed like the perfect fit. And so I have pursued that dream to the best of my ability since. But now God is breaking my heart anew.
A few months ago, I moved from Southern California to Texas. A lot has changed since I moved here, but my desire to work with the Deaf has not. I still love linguistics, and still strongly desire to move my life towards Bible translation, but not long ago, I was looking around on the internet for missions trips that might allow me to gain some experience before I go back to school. I stumbled across a website (I don't remember the name), and on this website it told me of the conditions that Deaf children live in in developing countries, particularly countries in Africa. It spoke of how if a child is born deaf, his/her parents will throw them out, or give them away. It spoke of how if a child becomes deaf, the same thing happens. And it spoke of how the orphanages won't take deaf children. They have no future, so they deemed unworthy of the money that the orphanage has to raise kids. Instead, if they are lucky, they will find their way to a Deaf orphanage. These orphanages are poor, run down, and most of the time cannot afford to support the children that they have. And it breaks my heart to hear this.
Deaf children are of no less worth than hearing children. They are no less intelligent, and no less capable of doing the same work. They simply communicate differently. This is not understood by many people, however, and so they are treated as outcasts. Every time I learn something new, the feeling inside of me is stronger that something more needs to be done. It doesn't seem like God has put me in a position to join the effort right now, but I know that somehow, this will be included in my life. Whether God is giving me a slightly new direction, or simply incorporating this into the old one I really don't know, but He has broken my heart for these people, and once that happens, there really isn't any going back.
