USA (MNN) — The overall population of Uganda is Christian. Roughly 45 percent of the people are Protestant and another 39 percent are Catholic. But despite these encouraging numbers, there is one people group that continues to be largely unreached in Uganda and around the world — the Deaf.
That’s why this Giving Tuesday, November 27, Deaf Bible Society is raising funds to help spread the Gospel among the Ugandan Deaf community. The vision started when a team with Deaf Bible traveled to Uganda to visit the Deaf community there.
(Photo courtesy of Deaf Bible Society)
Kristin Dodd was on the trip with Deaf Bible, and she says, “For me, it was a really special experience. It was my first time visiting a Deaf community in another country. Previous to that, I had only been a part of the Deaf community here in the United States. So just to see the need for Bible translation there, it was really inspiring and really touched my heart.”
In Uganda, Dodd noted that Deaf and hearing individuals interact differently than they do in the United States.
“I think just because being Deaf is more common there than it is here, hearing people communicate with Deaf people a lot easier there. Here in the United States, you’ll see sometimes people will write or they’ll pull out their phones to communicate. But just how hearing people were more willing to kind of gesture and communicate with Deaf people there, it was really touching to me.”
Deaf Bible’s goal is to raise $2,800 and encourage Ugandan Deaf Christians in their own ministry.
(Photo courtesy of Deaf Bible Society)
“The reason that is the number and it’s so specific is because $28 will train and equip one Deaf person to share God’s Word with at least ten Deaf people in their community. So, in total, we are hoping to be able to equip and train 100 people in the Ugandan Deaf Community to share the Bible.”
The Ugandan Sign Language Bible does not have a complete translation of the Bible. In fact, there isn’t one sign language in the world that has a full Scripture translation yet. Because of this, the Deaf in Uganda don’t have access to certain messages of the Bible in their heart language and have unanswered spiritual questions.
Dodd says, “Just the fact that they only have this sort of portion of the entire view of the Bible and that they have so many questions left really motivated me to come back here and work to try and fundraise so we can finish that translation and help that community understand what the Bible is really saying.”
Giving Tuesday is a great opportunity to give to this project with Deaf Bible because, after thanking the Lord for the ways He has blessed our lives, we can turn around and be a blessing to others.
(Photo courtesy of Deaf Bible Society)
The Deaf in Uganda are in need of our encouragement and support. Deaf Bible intentionally partners with indigenous believers and empowers them to advance Gospel ministry themselves.
Click here to give to Deaf Bible for Giving Tuesday!
Also, Dodd says you can even be a fundraising advocate on Facebook. “We are encouraging people to set up their own fundraisers on Facebook and if they do that and they raise $200, then we’re going to send them a free Deaf advocate t-shirt!”
If you would like more information, you can email Dodd at [email protected].
Header photo courtesy of Deaf Bible Society.
