International (MNN) — Humanitarian work isn’t typically DOOR International’s forte. Rather, their ministry is known for Deaf Bible translation work and Gospel outreach to Deaf communities around the world.
But when DOOR learned about Deaf individuals and their families in Africa who were starving, they had to respond.
DOOR’s Bob Terpstra says, “Families now have their Deaf relatives back in the home with them because of the pandemic. [They] did not have the financial support…to keep everybody fed and in good health.
(Photo courtesy of DOOR International)
“So on both of our campuses, we needed to have funds so that we could actually bring food and the Word of God to these people and just be the hands and feet of Jesus. We did a little mini-campaign within the States asking for $30 to feed a family for 30 days.”
They saw a strong response to the campaign, and the outpouring of funds and support was encouraging to the African Deaf communities DOOR works with.
This is just one of the ways DOOR has continued to uplift Deaf communities this year in the midst of COVID-19.
Although they had to pause many of their other initiatives, Terpstra says they are in a better position to advance God’s Word among the Deaf next year.
“During the pandemic, we needed to pause some of the teams that were out and about on the ground doing their believers fellowships with their Deaf communities,” Terpstra says. “Because they were sent home, those small fellowships, whatever size they were, could not meet together for a while. So we did spend some time on upgrading technology and delivering technology to people so they could start again.
“That’s put us in a position now that in early 2021, we are going to launch some new teams and they’re going to be actually better equipped and prepared to begin their evangelism efforts in their Deaf communities.”
(Photo courtesy DOOR International)
DOOR even plans on sending some of these new Deaf evangelism teams to new countries next year.
Ultimately, Terpstra says DOOR and their partners are thanking God for how He continues to move through their ministry. “We did a little shifting, but I believe that God blessed the pandemic in that way as well, that we could stop and pause and reassess and then use the time to give our new evangelist leaders more resources and more training.”
There are still millions of Deaf individuals around the world who don’t know Jesus.
You can help send the Gospel to the Deaf and make a year-end gift to DOOR International here.
Header photo courtesy of DOOR International.
