THAILAND: Deaf Start a Church Where You Can’t Fake It

Source: International Mission Board, August 23, 2019

Sombat Apichai understood only 50 percent of the Thai Sign Language interpretation of the sermon at his church in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The sermon was translated into what is known as word signing, making the translation choppy. To complicate things further, Thai religious vocabulary is hard to understand, even for hearing Thais.

Sombat and other Deaf Christians were unable to truly connect or intimately worship God because they didn’t fully understand and were never discipled. They didn’t really have a way to contribute or volunteer at church. They felt disconnected and isolated from the hearing members of their church.

Sombat and Alisara said Deaf Christians often feign understanding in mixed congregations of hearing and Deaf Christians because there isn’t usually time to ask questions, and if there is an opportunity to ask, there aren’t many hearing church members who are able to communicate the real meaning in Thai Sign Language.

» Read full story to learn about a new Deaf-led church that creates an environment where Deaf people are not left behind but empowered and transformed by scripture. Something we all need! The details are pretty interesting.

» Also read about a young girl in India who was healed of her deafness but disowned by her family after following Jesus (Open Doors/Christian Post).

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