Deaf netWork

Finally finished the MHI Summer Camp 2010. Our Malaysian friends came to join us for the 3 days in Salvation Army PraiseHaven, Bukit Timah Campus. There were a tota of 8 of them. 6 from Penang Wesley Methodist Church and 2 from Ipoh Canning Garden Baptist Church.
The final day sharing and closing on Sunday after Sunday Fellowship, I stood up to share the joy I have to see the dream coming into fruition.
2008, after the Outreach Trip to Laguna Deaf School, Philippines, Patrick and the whole team brought back the excitement to share what we have with the rest. The opportunity arose when Penang reseponded after they saw the Sign Language Dictionary.
I remember Joan from Penang came one Sunday to talk to us. As our conversation progress, we discussed the possibility of having a team from Singapore to go up to Penang to see if we can help them run a camp.
The discussion turned into reality and we went up together to run the first Deaf Bible Camp in Penang at the end of 2008. There we met Annie, the Ipoh HI leader. And when we returned, we talked about the possiblity also of going to Ipoh to help them them run a camp in Ipoh.
2009 was a busy year as we went to the Asia Deaf Christian Missions Conference in Kunming and after we returned, we got a new team and we proceeded to Ipoh.
Finally 2010 June, we managed to hold a camp in Singapore with both our Penang and Ipoh friends.

I encouraged all Deaf leaders, hearing volunteers from Penang, Ipoh and Singapore to continue this trend to less others in Malaysia and elsewhere around Southeast Asia. As there are the United Nations, ASEAN, NATO, G20, etc. We can also form our network in Southeast Asia.  In 2011, is the Asia Pacific Deaf Christian Conference to be held in Luzon, Philippines. We hope to be able to see everybody there with more of our HI friends and volunteers sharing our vision and dream to touch lives of the Deaf Community in our own countries and beyond.

We need to continue to share the vision with our friends in our countries of what we have learnt and shared. Not just share, we need to help them catch the vision and mobilise them to do something about our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I did not have an opportunity of more time cos I wanted to share with the hearing volunteers that like the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt into the Promised Land, our duty is to listen to God. To accept that we have the responsibility to move and go. Initiatially, there is alot of reluctance as Pharoah is not too happy with the idea of the new change. Moses had a tough time. Until finally the Israelites were released, but without regret and Pharoah had to chase them into the Red Sea.

Still God was faithful. I wanted next to share with the Deaf leaders present. In the story of the Exodus, Moses was not involved in the fighting subsequently. In one of the important events, Joshua was leading the Israelites to fight their enemies and Moses was watching on top of the mountain praying and with his hands raised. Victory had to be done by the Isralites. That means, in the end, the Deaf have to reach the Deaf.  The best way for Deaf ministry is for Deaf to share the Gospel with the Deaf.

Therefore for the Deaf leaders, we can set up a network of Deaf leaders between the major cities. They must continue the ministry in their hometown. Train and encourage other Deaf people to hear the Gospel and share with others. Mobilise them and share the vision to continue more Deaf in the other cities, towns and villagers to be involved.

For the Hearing volunteers, we have a different problem. We have to fight for the vision on homeground. We have to continue to create awareness in our churches. Take up leadership roles in the ministry, in the Church committees and ensure that there is enough budget to support the Deaf. As much as we want the Deaf to be financially independent without having to borrow or ask for money, it is a known fact that most Deaf in the community will be financially and socially less well off.  We should not allow the weakness in not being able to support them financially be a hinderance to the vision. We should also look after their welfare and social support eg spouse, children, etc.

Globalisation is going to be the catch word for the next 10 years. This concept needs to be on the lips of all the Deaf ministries who share this vision. We need to learn and support one another. Break new roads.

For the hearing volunteers we also have to avoid one last pitfall. Many ministries in the church encourage "new blood". This means that when we feel that we have done enough for the ministiry, we can just sit back and watch the new leadership and support them from the distance.
I beg to differ.
I feel that Deaf ministry is a unique ministry. This is because as long as we encourage Deaf leaders to give their whole life to the ministry, we need to be also "walk the talk".  There is "no retirement" in the Deaf ministry; to borrow a phrase from our Singapore government.  We need to continue to have the passion and give up the idea of "changing ministry" as most hearing volunteers in many of the churches are doing.
We have to continue until the day that we can no longer be useful for the ministry. Until that day come, we need to depend on God for strength.


Our theme for the Camp. Hope.....Faith and the greatest is Love.
So...."Are you cross enough?" =)