From Christian Aid Mission (www.christianaid.org) -- For Immediate Release
Contact: Amie Cotton APR, +1 (434) 327-1240+1 (434) 327-1240, Amie@christianaid.org
LEBANON (ANS - July 22, 2015)
-- Deaf children in Middle Eastern cultures tend to be neglected or
even abandoned because of their impairment. Like other physically or
mentally challenged children in the region, they are typically left
behind in family life, education and economic opportunities.
Christian ministers in the
region say the Islamic worldview leads parents to view such children as
bringing shame to the family, and deaf sons and daughters may simply be
kept hidden from the public. When a Christian organization based in
Lebanon began reaching out to the deaf five years ago, it discovered
what amounted to an unreached people group longing for belonging.
“We've
seen deaf people coming to Christ,” the director of the Beirut-based
ministry said. “We wanted to start that ministry because deaf people in
the Middle East in general, not only in Lebanon, can't be part of the
society as they are really not well regarded by people.”
Before his ministry began
reaching out to the deaf, an association of mission agencies and
churches seeking to establish churches among the world's people groups
had identified the deaf in Lebanon as an “unreached, unengaged” people
group. The association, Finishing The Task (FTT), uses the term
“unengaged” for people groups to which no one is even trying to proclaim
Christ.
FTT estimates there are 21,000
deaf people in Lebanon, but because of the stigma attached to deafness
in the country, steep under-reporting is suspected. The actual figure
could be in the hundreds of thousands. Introducing sign-language into
the ministry's existing outreaches to the primarily Muslim people in
Lebanon has resulted in nearly 90 deaf people putting their faith in
Christ, the ministry director said. Two groups of 40 to 45 people each
meet for prayer.
“Some of them have the courage to go to church,” he said. “Some of
them meet in different places because they are from Muslim families.”
Having seen both the need and
the potential harvest, the ministry is planning to extend to deaf
children its already highly successful children's outreach. With
assistance from Christian Aid Mission, the ministry hopes to serve 200
to 300 deaf children.
Initially, the ministry plans
to offer deaf children activities like those of a Vacation Bible School,
and as they grow in their knowledge of Christ they would be invited to
attend a weekly “Kids' Club” for discipleship. The outreach would also
offer two theater performances for the deaf children and their families
at a venue the ministry has secured. As the deaf children all come from
impoverished families where anxiety, loneliness, depression and
hopelessness are daily companions, the first production emphasizes how
evil is the result of sin, not the work of God, who seeks a genuine and
healthy relationship with people. The second play raises awareness about
hygiene, of critical importance to impoverished children.
At the performances, the
ministry plans to invite the kids to the club meetings, which would take
place twice a week at two or more sites. Consisting of games, Bible
lessons, worship songs and general rowdiness, such gatherings have been
so successful among the hearing that some children have a hard time
leaving. The Muslim parents report that their children are more loving
and respectful, and they say they're glad that their children are
learning about God, the director said. About 90 percent of the children
who come to the gatherings for the hearing put their trust in Christ, he
said.
“Through such clubs for the
deaf we plan to follow up and disciple the children,” he said. “They
will be able to learn how to develop a relationship with God and grow in
their faith.”
The activities for the deaf do take some tailoring, the director said.
“It is different when you work
with the deaf because you must work alongside someone who can translate
your words into sign language, and the games are a bit different because
they rely completely on sight alone,” he said.
The deaf would also join training sessions the ministry organizes for the hearing through the use of interpreters, he added.
“This has an added benefit of socializing the children with hearing
children, and thus breaking down stereotypes and stigma,” he said.
Last year the ministry was
involved with a child protection program that exposed the need for
education to protect children from various forms of abuse. The ministry
plans to hold five conferences to educate deaf children, their parents
and schoolteachers about sexual abuse, kidnapping, child protection
resources and children's rights.
Besides plans to provide the
deaf a gospel film on DVD about the life of Jesus, the ministry also
hopes to duplicate for the deaf its highly successful leadership
training conferences. Those who have come to Christ would be trained and
equipped to reach deaf young people in Lebanon with the message of
Christ's salvation.
The ministry, which has 14
staff members and 70 volunteers, would train 80 people at each session
to volunteer in the weekly kids' clubs for the deaf. The parents of deaf
children who put their faith in Christ would then be trained to lead
churches, just as they are in the ministry's program for the hearing.
“We've been shocked by the
number of people coming to Christ these days,” the director said. “We've
been seeing miracles happening these days among the Muslim people. So
many are turning to Christ.”
To help indigenous missionaries meet needs, you may contribute online at http://www.christianaid.org/Gifts/Basket.aspx,
or call 434-977-5650. If you prefer to mail your gift, please mail to
Christian Aid Mission, P.O. Box 9037, Charlottesville, VA 22906. Please
use Gift Code: 412COL. Thank you! Provide Kid's ministry to unreached
Deaf in Lebanon.
Photo caption: Children served by the indigenous ministry in Beirut come from homes of poverty and despair.About Christian Aid Mission:
Christian Aid Mission is an
evangelical missionary organization based in Charlottesville, Virginia,
that assists indigenous missionary ministries overseas through prayer,
advocacy and financial support. Since 1953, Christian Aid Mission has
identified, evaluated and assisted more than 1,500 ministries in more
than 130 countries that are reaching the unreached for Christ in areas
of the world where there is no witness for Christ, where Christians
suffer from poverty or persecution, or where foreign missionaries are
not allowed. Today, we assist more than 500 ministries overseas with
tens of thousands of indigenous or native missionaries in the field.
These ministries are currently working among more than 1,000 people
groups in 100+ countries around the world. For more information, please
visit www.christianaid.org.
** You may reproduce this or any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net)
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