Newsletter - February 2024 - Tabitha Beam - SWM Home Office Missionary

Greetings Friends & Fellow-Laborers,

A question was recently presented to me: “Whom should we exclude from the Gospel?” Our immediate response would likely be “no one!” Yet how many people are overlooked everyday? Deaf people are still an unreached people group that live among us! You don’t have to go to a foreign field to share the Gospel with them! However, they do have a different language and culture. Listed here are some individuals reaching the deaf in their communities.

Fay – a 78-year-old lady recently contacted SWM on Facebook (FB). It is hard for her to push a full shopping cart at her local Food Lion. A deaf man who works there often helps her. She wants to learn more signs than “thank you,” so she asked for advice and ordered the “Learn Sign Language with Loxy the Fox” manual. She also ordered tracts to give the deaf man.

Manuel – a young Ecuadorian migrant whose wife is hard-of-hearing messaged us on FB. Manuel is learning ASL so he can teach his wife God’s Word. There is no deaf ministry at their church, so she uses an app that turns voice into English text. However she does not read English well. She can read lips just a little in Spanish. Manuel has a desire to help his wife. I was happy to give him contact information for a missionary (International Partnership Ministries) who knows both Spanish and ASL.

Hannah – a lady contacted us on FB. She lives in a small community in Montana. There are 3 deaf people living in the area, and one deaf man wants to attend her church. But others in the church are complaining that the deaf man is “pushy” and “needy.” They say he wants an interpreter all the time! Hannah contacted us for advice on how to respond. She feels that her church doesn’t understand Deaf culture and people. Hannah is not a skilled interpreter but does know some signs and is willing to use what she has to serve God and this deaf man. I scheduled a time for her to talk with Bro. Barr, who provided helpful information and advice.

Carol – a lady from New York recently contacted us. Carol learned some signs many years ago and is trying to teach herself more sign language. She had not seen a deaf person in a long time. This year, a Spanish deaf man visited her church, so she tried to sign with him and make him feel welcome. Carol wants to be ready “if another deaf person walks into the church.” She also wants to learn how to sign and explain the Gospel to a deaf person. On two different occasions, Carol and I have discussed about SWM materials that will help her improve her signs and know how to share the Gospel with a deaf person.

What about you? Whether you know signs or not, you can reach the unreached in your area. Let me encourage you to order some of Silent Word Ministries’ FREE Gospel tracts for the deaf! We have two business card-sized tracts with QR codes that will take deaf people to Gospel videos in ASL on our website. When you meet a deaf person, simply smile and hand them a card. God can use you, that card and the ASL videos to communicate the Gospel!

Some of my recent (several ongoing) projects:

Updating online store categories & images so people can more easily find helpful deaf ministry & Bible study materials
Revising and editing SWM books and booklets
Updating spring Fantastic Saturday (FS) fliers and advertising events on the website & social media
Overseeing projects such as:
- Mailing 2024 spring FS/ASL Institute fliers (700+)
- Printing & compiling 50 special discounted materials packets for upcoming meetings

Upcoming opportunities:

Feb 12-16 – Assist with SWM’s week-long Community Sign Language Class in the evenings
Mar 2 & 9 – Assist with Fantastic Saturdays in Trenton and Atlanta
Apr 6 – Attend the DeafNation Expo in Atlanta to share Gospel literature and raise awareness about SWM
Apr 19-20 – Talk with people who visit SWM book tables at the Creation Museum’s “Deaf Days” in Kentucky
May 6-9 – Host the Deaf Baptist Ladies Retreat (DBLR) board members at SWM to discuss and plan for this fall’s retreat