El Salvador (MNN) — Most Deaf people in El Salvador do not associate with a religion. More about that here. Communication barriers are largely to blame.
“It’s very common for Deaf people to have communication issues, even in their own household, because most Deaf people have hearing parents. So, even if there’s a Christian family, a young Deaf person within that household may struggle to understand the Gospel,” Wycliffe USA’s Andy Keener explains.
With help from Wycliffe USA and the support of a local church, Deaf believers are translating God’s Word into Salvadoran Sign Language.
“To date, the team has translated 38 Bible passages; we usually frame these as Bible stories,” Keener says. Support the project through Wycliffe USA here.
“In 2021, they’re hoping to complete portions in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, 1 Timothy, and 1 Peter.”
In El Salvador and beyond, sign language Scripture helps Deaf people know God and follow Jesus.
“I’ve had some (Deaf) individuals tell me, ‘When I go to church and I’m [watching] an interpreter, the Scripture feels awkward. I don’t fully understand it and fully grasp it. But when the translation is done and I view the Scriptures, all of a sudden it’s like it was spoken just to me,’” Keener shares.
“‘It’s so much easier to engage when language is no longer a barrier between me and Scripture.’”
Header image courtesy of Wycliffe USA.
