Source: International Mission Board, January 22, 2026
Tokyo was a whirlwind of colors, sounds and—most importantly—signs. For two weeks in November, the Deaflympics met in the capital city of Japan, where the International Mission Board had more than 50 workers and volunteers sharing the gospel during the worldwide event for Deaf athletes.
IMB teams engaged more than 1,500 people at different venues, which led to 492 gospel conversations. Missionaries reported 13 people made professions of faith in Christ, and 245 people showed interest but were not ready to follow Jesus.
The full story states that many of those who attended “had never seen the gospel in their native sign language” and includes a few short videos.
The Deaf are often left behind by ministries serving their ethnic or geographic communities, but focused efforts make a difference. Read Four Ways Bible Study Looks Different in Deaf Communities (DOOR International via Mission Network News).
No doubt IMB teams are already on the ground in Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics outreach; pray for them and others seeking to share Jesus with people from many nations at the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.