Yesterday Dewayne Liebrandt and I attended the deaf church service here in Bogotá. There were 30 deaf believers present and four hearing family members as well. The deaf work here in Colombia has made spectacular progress in the very short time since we established the church. The deaf preacher has made great strides in his preaching and in his use of the technology available to him as an aid in the dissemination of the Gospel. From his first halting efforts as preaching, he has progressed well and now his sermons are well organized and presented with great effectiveness.
By recording the sermons and making copies on CD’s, we can offer these Biblical teachings all over Colombia. CD recordings of his sermons are now being watched in many other cities of Colombia and this is sparking great interest in the establishment of deaf churches in those areas as well. We are getting far more requests for visits and teaching that the capabilities we have to travel there and teach. The tiny sanctuary of the deaf church was absolutely packed and there were a good number of people who had to stand. There were not nearly enough chairs for all of the people present. As soon as there are funds available we will need to knock down a wall and enlarge the sanctuary and purchase more chairs.
After the service was over, the deaf all went up to the fellowship hall for a time of sharing and camaraderie. Once all of the hearing believers had left, the deaf brought out a cake they purchased with their own offerings and held a little party to thank Dewayne and myself for giving them the opportunity to hear the Gospel in their own language. But Dewayne and I both tried to explain that was God who had provided both the Good News and the means to deliver it. We also explained that it had been your generosity that had enabled us to do the work that now has so much meaning for them. Their hunger for the Gospel was obvious and their delight in hearing the Good News in a meaningful way for the very first time had lit up their faces with joy.
Both Dewayne and I have been thrilled with the success of the deaf ministry here. Join us in praising God for all He has done to open the door of the Gospel to the deaf community here in Colombia!