Testimony

I was raised in a good Christian home. The Lord gave me the privilege of attending a wonderful church, Franklin Road Baptist of Murfreesboro, TN, under the leadership of Dr. Bob Kelley, Dr. Tom Wallace, and recently, Dr. Mike Norris. I made a profession at a very young age. But when I was a teenager, my mother began to doubt my salvation and said so. I began to realize that I couldn’t remember actually asking the Lord to save me. I only recalled telling my parents that I was saved. I struggled for a while, trying to decide if I really had been saved before or not. At the age of 15, I decided to make sure. So one Wednesday night, I asked the Lord to forgive my sins and come into my life. He did save me, and I have not doubted it since. As a teenager, my first exposure to deaf ministry was while watching a friend interpret. I graduated from homeschool in 1999, and from 2000-2001, I attended Ambassador Baptist College in Shelby, NC. I added two sign language classes to my workload, but later forgot many of the signs through lack of use. After finishing college with a one-year Bible Certificate, I returned home and became involved at Franklin Road in the bus ministry and other areas. I began seeking God’s will for the future, but had my own idea of what that might be. I knocked on many doors, only to find many of them closed to me.

Several years ago, the Lord provided an opportunity for my sister and me to assist missionaries Bob and Brenda Himes in the Philippines with their summer camp for the Deaf. It was there that God began changing my direction through two important things. First, I realized sign language was not just a beautiful thing to watch, but a means of communication for sharing the Gospel with a largely unreached and unconsidered people group. Secondly, I met Bro. Jon Barr, who was the camp preacher that year.

Bro. Barr introduced me to Silent Word Ministries (SWM) of which he is president. SWM reaches the Deaf world for Christ through a bi-monthly newspaper, deaf ministry literature, a free correspondence Deaf Bible Institute, and area-wide conferences in many states for helping local deaf ministries and evangelizing area deaf people.

Now I understand that God has been preparing me for and directing me into the Deaf ministry. I studied for two years at Nashville State Community College in the Interpreter Training Program (ITP). Now God has opened the door for me to partner with SWM by serving in the Home Office. I am currently there answering phones, shipping orders for materials and taking inventory, mailing missionary prayer letters and receipts for monthly support, working on websites and social media, assisting with book tables (at nearby meetings that we conduct), and serving in many other ways.

I am working to improve my signing skills through fellowship with Deaf people who volunteer at SWM and through interpreting at Piney Grove Baptist Church where I attend. On occasion, I join with Silent Word Ministries International (SWMI) teams on mission trips. In 2010, 2012, and 2016, I traveled with the team to the DeafNation World Expo in Las Vegas, where we handed out Gospel DVDs and tracts to thousands of Deaf and hearing people. Deaf people and signers from around the world attended the Expo. I am excited about what God will do through me in the future, and I am honored to serve Him full-time at Silent Word Ministries. ~