Three sign languages in Asia received their first published Scripture at the end of 2023! DOOR International is rejoicing with those Deaf communities. Thirty-two Bible passages are now available in each of the three languages, known as *Centersign, *Mountsign, and *Vangasign. This release provides access to the Bible for more than a million Deaf people. The Word of God in one’s heart language has transformative power.
A Deaf Translator's Testimony
One of the Deaf translators on the Centersign team shared: “During the dedication of the initial set of 32 stories in Centersign, I felt that God had granted me the immense privilege of working as a translator. This journey was filled with emotions and challenges. When the dedication came, it was a moment of pure joy in Christ. I could clearly see the expressions of gratitude on Deaf faces as they watched the stories in our heart language.”
“After uploading the passages to YouTube, I experienced a mix of fear and excitement because I was unsure of how the community would respond. But the joy and gratitude I felt were overwhelming after receiving numerous calls and words of appreciation. It warmed my heart to know that others were touched by the translated Word of God in our heart language.”
“Above all, I want to thank God and give Him all the glory because it is His Word that I had the privilege of translating. I consider myself a vessel used by God, and I desire to remain fruitful and truthful to Him for the rest of my life. Also, I pray that my family would experience God’s transformative power in their own lives.”
If you’re wondering why sign language Bible translation is important, consider this:
Before they encountered the Bible in sign language, a Deaf church in Kenya believed it was a sin to eat apples.
A Deaf community in Tamale, Ghana, felt like the local mosque didn’t care about them because they never took the time to explain anything in sign language. When a Bible translation team came to the area, many local Deaf felt seen and cared for.
Broken familial relationships in Eurasia were restored through the transformative power of the Word in their sign language.
More than one million people now have access to some published Scripture in their sign languages. We look forward to sharing more stories of God’s transformative power as they come from those communities.
*—pseudonyms used for security
