A Ministry of Love

  The first time I met Robin, I was fifteen years old. I was in La Ceiba on a medical mission trip with my parents that summer, and my mom was determined to find someone who worked with the Deaf in Honduras.  My mom succeeded. I was sitting at the food court in the mall when the lady with the big red hair came up and introduced herself. Something hit me in that instant. It’s like I just knew that the ministry this woman had begun was going to play a very important role in my life.

My mom began bringing groups of college students to work with Signs of Love the next summer and she hasn’t stopped. I have had the incredible privilege to tag along for most of those trips. When I look back on all those years and I take a look at the ministry now, I am filled with warmth and amazement. It has grown in incredible and God-breathed ways. And I’m not talking about growth in size (although it has grown in that way too). It’s about the growth of each individual Deaf that has been touched by this ministry. Two faces pop out in my head as I sit here writing this: Amanda and Enrique.

            When I first met Amanda, she didn’t say much. She was quiet and timid. Ten years later, Amanda has grown into one of the most expressive and strongest people I know. And it’s because of this ministry. It’s because someone didn’t give up on her. She is now working for Signs of Love full time, and impacting many lives.  She is taking all that love and encouragement that someone has given her, and she is now pouring it into other Deaf children. It’s beautiful.

Enrique was 9 years old when I first met him. Like Amanda, he was shy and passive. Now, ten years later, Enrique is much more confident and animated. And when they play games at their monthly village program, he is the one telling everyone what to do. He glows. And again, it’s because someone believed in him.

That’s what I am learning this ministry is all about. Yes, we teach language to the rural Deaf. But what this whole thing is really about is believing in those who no one else believes in. The Deaf here are craving for someone to be Jesus to them: to love them, to hug them, to tell them and show them they are special, and to never give up on them.  That is what has been going on here in these past 12 years of ministry. The Deaf are being loved, empowered, cherished, educated, touched, defended, protected and taught the love of Christ.  It is incredible to see the kingdom impact that these 12 years have made on so many lives. And I can’t wait to see how God uses the organization in the next twelve years.

 “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier. “     - Mother Teresa