Behind the Scenes of an ASL Animated Film Project

July 31, 2026 / deafmgecko

Greetings! I hope you all are doing well. It’s been over 2 months since I posted a blog in May, and during this time, I have reflected on my journey and the experiences I’ve had. I have been working for Wycliffe Associates for a decade, which has truly been a transformative experience for me, both personally and spiritually. Throughout these years, I have encountered various challenges and triumphs that have enriched my understanding of translation work. However, things have been a little slow lately since they have limited funds to support the translation projects for WA. Nonetheless, I remain committed and optimistic. I still work closely with my project leaders to follow up and help them continue their translation work, ensuring that the vital messages reach those who need them. I firmly believe in the mission of Wycliffe Associates, and I am determined to help sustain its impact.

I have asked God that I want to do more to help deaf people to know about God. He just gave me an opportunity to do more this year. A friend of mine has invited me to collaborate on an exciting ASL project for a biblical animated movie! He serves as the director of sign language for Revelation Media in Texas, and I couldn’t be happier to work alongside him in this meaningful project. This project is truly groundbreaking as we’re utilizing the innovative chameleon program and advanced AI technology to craft this animated film. Our goal is for biblical characters to sign instead of speak, interpreting in ASL what is conveyed in the film, allowing for a unique and enriching experience for the audience. We have already found two talented deaf actors who excel at both acting and signing, showcasing the beauty of ASL. As we were drafting verses from Luke chapter 1, we had enriching discussions about clarity, natural flow, accuracy, understanding, and what is acceptable in sign language, delving deep into how best to convey the message with authenticity. Our dedication ensures that our sign language is clear, natural, and precise.

We’ve begun filming the female and male roles separately over several days, and I’m thrilled to say that the filming has gone remarkably well! We continually check the sign language and translation to ensure everything aligns perfectly, making adjustments as needed to maintain the integrity of the project. Having completed our parts, the team is now busy with editing and integrating our actors into the chameleon program, pouring their hearts into every frame. I can hardly wait to see the finished film for this chapter, as I believe it will resonate profoundly with deaf people. This project will significantly enhance people’s understanding of the Bible through ASL, which resonates deeply as it’s the heart language for many deaf individuals. I also truly believe this film will help deaf children grasp the essence of the Bible, enabling them to engage in meaningful spiritual conversations. I can’t wait for them to experience it, as I believe this project has the potential to touch lives and transform the way stories from the Scriptures are shared and understood within the deaf community.

These pictures above are screenshots from Zoom, capturing an exhilarating moment in our filming process! It’s essential that we convey the sign language and the depth of facial expressions as we connect them to the powerful biblical verses in Luke chapter 1. The actors truly shone, memorizing every line with passion and dedication. The tech team was in awe of their talent! I’m truly blessed to be part of this inspiring project. If the filming of this chapter goes as well as we envision, we’ll eagerly dive into Luke chapter 2!

Check out on this link from Revelation Media: Revelation Media for ASL

FYI, now that I have a new job for Revelation Media, I want to share that I will be continuing my commitment to work with Wycliffe Associates as well. This opportunity allows me to blend my skills and passions while making a difference in the world through both organizations. I truly appreciate the dedication of my supporters, who can continue to support me financially through my ministry account in WA. Your generous contributions not only empower my efforts but also help to spread important messages and resources that impact many lives. Thank you for being an essential part of this journey!

Teaching Theology Online: Engaging International Students

May 26, 2026 / deafmgecko

Greetings! I hope you are all doing well. My family and I are doing fine in Brazil. As you know that I teach several courses for theology school in Orlando for years, but this year I taught Doctrine of Holy Spirit course with 15 international students. This is my first time to teach with this high number of international students on Zoom. In the past, there were very few students that live outside of US. It was a blessing to teach them last month. They were really eager to learn and asked a lot of questions. Some are leaders and pastors for their churches in their native countries. They understood clearly on this topic of the course despite there were different sign languages and different written languages from Benin, Togo, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Burundi, and Azerbaijan. They’re all in different time zones. I taught in the mornings in Brazil time and while they are on Zoom on afternoons on their home countries’ times.

They did very well on quizzes. They already completed this course plus 6 other courses. Now they are taking a break for summer and then they go back for second-year courses. I’m really exciting for them!

Taught them during the class.

Celebrating with international students for complete 7 courses for their first year of theology school.

Understanding God’s Holiness and Its Impact

April 10, 2026April 10, 2026 / deafmgecko

Greetings! I hope you all are doing well. I want to share what I have done few weeks ago in Brasilia, Brazil. A deaf pastor asked me to preach God’s Word in our church. I, of course, accepted and have prepared for a sermon on March 21st. I fell compelled to share about God’s holiness. This is something I need to tell people about being holy.

God’s holiness represents His absolute moral purity, total separation from sin, and incomparable, majestic uniqueness. God is holy in every attribute and every action: He is holy in justice. He is holy in love. He is holy in mercy. He is holy in power. He is holy in sovereignty.

God’s holiness causes an awareness of human impurity, often leading to a realization of sinful conditions and a need for repentance. Believers are called to be holy as a reflection of God’s character, setting themselves apart from worldly behavior through sanctification by the Holy Spirit. Holiness involves a life of moral purity, love, and obedience rather than mere legalism, transforming one’s heart and conduct to represent Christ. Scripture directly commands believers to be holy because God is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16, Leviticus 11:44-45). To be holy, we need Holy Spirit to help us to be sanctified daily. The Holy Spirit enables this transformation, aiding in sanctification and helping believers live a life that pleases God.

Holiness involves rejecting immorality and conforming to Christ rather than worldly standards, allowing believers to serve as witnesses. To be honest, I do not think many Christians today practice to be holy. They do not showing the good Fruit of the Spirit to others and also being “light” to others in this dark world. They are often following worldly pleasures, being cold to others or practicing sin without repentance. According to the Bible, a “great apostasy” or “falling away” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) will occur, many professed Christians abandon their faith due to deception, persecution, or the allure of sin. This is happening today. We need to be vigilant, be rooted in Scriptures, and be watchful. We need to pray ceaselessly, to help others, to love unconditionally, to encourage those who are in need, and to support each other.

I hope we need to examine ourselves and realize that we need Holy Spirit to help us to follow God daily. It’s really easy to take things for granted, we all want to live comfortable but we need to be outside of comfort zone to serve others and share others. Sometimes worldly pleasures look very appealing to us but we need to realize that God does not like us to conform the worldly pleasures and behavior. We glorify and please God when we obey Him and do things that help others like being a godly example, help those who are in need, practicing of being holy, sharing God’s Word to both believers and non-believers, etc. Don’t give up on God, He is always faithful to us, no matter what! He does really cares about us and even non-believers.

God bless you abundantly!

I’m sharing some pictures below taken on March 21st. I did sign LIBRAS instead of ASL. I’m getting better on this sign language!

Understanding Chilean Family Traditions and Customs

February 4, 2026 / deafmgecko

Greetings! I just want to share what I have learned while I was in Chile.

Americans value individualism much more than Chileans. Americans usually move out of their family home when they were 18, sometimes they move farther from their home. Chileans are more focused on families and groups. This is especially true when someone moves out of the family home to get married.

I also notice that Chileans are friendlier, especially towards strangers. Sometimes they help others when needed, even if they are strangers. Physical contact is a sign of friendliness and public displays of affection are accepted here.

Chilean people like to have face-to-face contact and give big importance to relationships and family issues. Even though Chilean culture is very family-focused, they usually have 1 or 2 children.

Chileans value traditions and customs, they have deep roots of Catholicism that influence their culture.

In Chile, it is very common to greet each other with a kiss.

Chileans are not punctual, they usually arrive late.

Meals are different in Chile. It’s not so much about the Chilean food itself. It’s more that the time food is eaten is drastically different. In Chile, it’s not popular to eat a full dinner like it is in the States. Lunch is the main meal of the day and is typically consumed around 2 p.m. Here, it’s more customary to eat a large lunch followed by a small snack called once at night. Avocado is popular here, served with almost every meal.

I don’t see a lot of air conditioning in Valparaiso. Valparaiso has nice cool weather during December-January which is like their summertime. July is pretty cold when we were there for a week.

In Valparaiso, it’s common to see people sell their personal things on the streets. There are some vendors sell brand new things, usually pretty low costs. I see a lot of fruits and vegetables sell on the streets.

Landscape is very beautiful in Chile. A lot of mountains!

I would definitely recommend Chile if you feel an urge to go there for missions.

Mission Experience in Chile: Supporting the Deaf Community

January 26, 2026 / deafmgecko

Greetings! I want to share my update about my missions in Chile. It was productive and fruitful. We did give some necessary basic things to people who are living on streets. We prayed with them. Later, we went to church camp in the country. We saw a baptism for the 4 deaf believers and 6 hearing believers. I also trained discipleship with deaf people. We observed their Bible translation work and shared my mission experience at church. See pictures below for our experiences.

We went to meet deaf people at church and Sergio did a discipleship with deaf believers. Sergio and others did interpret for deaf people at church service.

We went to church camp in the country. We enjoyed our time there. We also witnessed baptism for 4 deaf and 6 hearing believers.

Sergio asked me to train discipleship with deaf. I was glad to do it for them. I taught them about stewardship for God’s gifts. It is important to use what God gives us to help or share with others.

Meeting for preparation of Bible translation

They did translate a book of Philippians. Alan and Silvia each did a chapter of Philippians. They did a great job. Also, Sergio did a great job on technical work especially with a new camera.

The pastor at church asked me to teach on Wednesday’s Bible study.

I had a great experience to share my testimony and mission experiences. I also shared about Bible translation and SUN (symbols) for deaf. The audience understood more better about the Deaf.

Pray requests for them:

Pray for them to continue to translate more books in Bible. They need more people to involve for this project.
Pray for them to grow in their church in Valparaiso. There aren’t many deaf people in the church.
Pray for leaders for wisdom and guidance for this group.
Pray for them to share their translation videos in Chile and help them to understand what they signed on video.
Pray for them to have strong deaf leadership like pastors for deaf community in Valparaiso and in Chile.

Thank you for your support!

Living for Heaven: Our Citizenship Beyond 2025

January 13, 2026 / deafmgecko

Greetings to all! Wow, time has gone so quickly in 2025! I felt like I skipped some months last year. It seemed like I was living for about 6-8 months instead of a full year. We had a great year especially with our daughter Hannah. We watched her to learn basic every-day things like walking, talking, carrying, waving, etc. It’s a joy to see her smiling and laughing. I’m really looking ahead to see her growing this year and many years to come.

There were a lot of happenings in this world. We see injustices, abuses and immorality. So often leaders demonstrate a near total lack of ethics and integrity. It keeps getting worse with every day. It’s a sign that Jesus will come soon. It’s not a matter of if but when. We are reminded of this verse, (Philippians 3:20), “We are citizens of heaven, where Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior.” We live in this world, but we are not part of this world. That’s why we need to focus on our citizenship with a perfect government when Christ returns. He will answer to our world’s problems and set up His power to change everything on this world.

I’ve learned to keep my eyes focused on my Creator and the calling He has given me. We all need to focus on Him especially the way this world has gone. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13). These verses are encouraging for all of us followers. This is especially true when I start to get distracted by other things. News stories and my own wants & desires are distractions. It’s crucial to continue to seek Him with all your heart and not to give up on Him. He knows everything going on with us. We are very grateful that He’s very patient with us. His love never stops! Keep praying, stand firm and stay connected with Him!

May God bless you all abundantly in 2026!

Our Mission Trip to Chile: A Journey of Faith

November 28, 2025 / deafmgecko

Greetings to all! I just want to share about my next mission, Chile. My family and I will go to Chile for 2 months (December and January). On first 2 weeks of this mission, it will be DOT workshop for Bible translation. After 2 weeks, we want to help people whatever God leads us to. I’m eager to see their Bible translation for Chilean sign language and what God wants us to do in Chile.

Pray for us to have God’s guidance and wisdom in Chile and use us to help others in need. We want to let our light shine for others!

I will post a blog when we’re in Chile and give some updates.

Thank you for your time!

Successful Deaf Conference in Brasilia

November 5, 2025 / deafmgecko

Last week, we had a deaf conference in Brasilia. Our church invited 2 pastors (one from Goias and other from Rio de Janeiro) and an evangelist from America. We have been planned for this for months. The American evangelist is Tim Smith. I have met him few times in the past. He’s a great evangelist. He travels a lot internationally. Anyway, he’s not familiar with LIBRAS (Brazilian sign language) so we had a plan. There is a guy named Rodrigo. He knows both LIBRAS and ASL. Rodrigo sat at the front row and interpreted ASL on what Tim said into LIBRAS for me. Then I copied what he interpreted in ASL on stage with Tim. It’s little unusual but it worked out well. Overall, the conference went very well because it was impactful for all of us. There were about 60 people attending.

Progress on Translating the New Testament in Angola

September 4, 2025 / deafmgecko

Greetings to all! I’m happy to share that the workshop in Angola was going well. There were some new and old translators that we already trained last year. We trained them with new methods and procedures that we help them to follow. They were excellent and they have good knowledge of God’s Word. We also trained a new tech person who is responsible for tech work like camera and editing videos. They did some completed chapters of Book of Romans. Hopefully, they will finish a whole book of Romans in next few months. I pray that they will continue to work on the New Testament until they completely all books of the NT. God bless them abundantly!

Angola Workshop Update: New Translators in Action

August 18, 2025 / deafmgecko

Greetings. I forgot to post it on my blog before going on the trip to Angola. However, I’m already here in Angola. Things are going well on the first day of the workshop. They have a lot of new translators so we had to train them with our methodology today. They are doing really well because they have been preparing for this. We are working on the Book of Romans right now. Pray for them to continue to have wisdom for God’s Word so they can translate it into their sign language. I will share an update after the workshop completes. Thank you!