jesus

Mission Experience in Chile: Supporting the Deaf Community

/ 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.

Discipleship with deaf people
Discipleship
Worship at church service

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 worship in the morning at camp.
It was a great experience at camp.
Veronica taught us about God’s Word.
4 deaf and 6 hearing were getting ready for baptism.
A deaf believer baptized!
We celebrated with this deaf believer.

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

I trained them for discipleship.
I taught them about stewardship.
Sergio and I talked about importance of stewardship.

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
Discussion about plans for translation
Silvia was getting ready for translation.
Alan was practicing his translation.
Alan did his translation for Philippians.
He did a whole chapter of Philippians.
A different view of translation work.
Silvia did her translation for Philippians.

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 was sharing my testimony and mission experiences.
Alan helped me to translate to Chilean sign language so an interpreter was able to speak Spanish for audience.
I was explaining about the facts about Deaf in the world.

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

/ 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!

My Year-End Reflection of 2024

/ deafmgecko

Personal reflections – I’m thinking about 2024 and how it was for me this year. The most amazing moment in 2024, and probably in my whole life, was when my daughter was born. Having a baby has significantly affected me. It drastically alters my lifestyle, reshapes my priorities, and even defines my new identity as a father. Each day brings a wave of feelings. These range from immense love and responsibility to moments of sheer joy. At times, there is also exhaustion. My days are now filled with challenges like sleep disruption, a time commitment devoted to her needs, and the social adjustments that come with being a new parent. Yet, midst these struggles, there is overwhelming love and joy for my daughter that outweighs it all. It’s incredibly fulfilling to watch her grow and develop. I delight to see her smiles. I love the way she locks eyes with me. Her natural curiosity to explore and learn is fascinating to witness—every little discovery seems like an achievement. She also imitates sounds, which brings such a joy to our days. I’m looking ahead with excitement to see her first crawl and the day I hear her say “Dad” for the very first time. I imagine her taking her first steps, walking on her own, and all the new physical and social developments that will soon unfold. Every milestone feels like a great blessing, and I am truly grateful to have her in my life, knowing that each moment is a treasure that I will hold dear forever.

Mission work – In 2024, I did go to Belem, Brazil, Mozambique, and Angola. It was a great experience for me as always, as each location brought some opportunities for growth. Right now, we are making some adjustments for DOT to enhance our program, ensuring a more effective translation for our projects. Our goal is to make our projects better for Bible translation, recognizing the critical need for accuracy and accessible for the Deaf. Bible translation is very challenging work. This is especially true for the Deaf. It requires not only linguistic precision but also cultural sensitivity to convey the intended message. We want for all Bible translations to be clear, natural, and understandable, maintaining high standards of accuracy and acceptability so that the Deaf community will understand better. I’m still keeping in touch with my projects, collaborating closely with dedicated teams. They all are eager to do more translations in 2025, fueled by a shared passion for making the scriptures accessible to the Deaf. The enthusiasm and commitment I see from my projects involved inspire me to continue this important work.

Goals for 2025 – I’m hopeful to do more missions in 2025 to meet and see how the ongoing projects are progressing. Observing them in person works best. In-person interactions give immediate feedback, share ideas, build relationships, etc. Relying solely on contact via video calls, messages, and emails lack these qualities. I’m excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. I am looking ahead to discovering what God has planned for me. I believe that each journey holds unique lessons and opportunities for growth. This is not only for myself but for everyone involved.

Prayer requests – Pray for wisdom in raising our daughter. Pray for effective ministry to deaf communities. Pray for mission opportunities. Pray for guidance in finding a new home.

I’m blessed to do Lord’s work so I’ll continue on this path in 2025.

Thank you for your support and prayers! Of course, I will continue to update with my missions in this blog.

May the Lord shine His light upon you and bless you abundantly in 2025!

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