Our Ministry Journey

In May 2013, we lived in Mishawaka, Indiana.  Rob was a mathematics professor and a dean at a Christian college.  Michelle was working at home in homeschooling our four boys.  But by May 2014, our entire family will have moved to Nairobi, Kenya to begin work with DOOR International on sign language Bible translation and leadership development among the Deaf.

You might be thinking, "How in the world did that happen?"  Below is an attempt to give a short summary of why we're going, how we got involved in Deaf ministry, and what's ahead for us.

The Deaf Community's Need
There is a great need in the global Deaf community for the gospel.  According to sources like Wycliffe Bible Translators:

• A vast majority of Deaf people globally are not literate, and thus have no access to their native country's written language.
• Only about 4 to 7% of Deaf people have heard the gospel in their heart language.  If they were combined together, Deaf people would constitute the third-largest unreached people group globally.
• There are approximately 300 to 400 sign languages globally, and currently none of them has a completed Bible.  Almost all of them have no Scripture at all.
• These sign languages make up about 15% of the remaining languages that need a Bible, but less than 1% of the Bible translation resources are being dedicated to sign language translation currently.
• In addition to a lack of Bibles, Deaf people have little or no access to other training and study materials that the hear world takes for granted.
• Deaf Christians also often lack community.  An interpreter at a hearing church, while a huge blessing and great resource, it not enough to give Deaf people access to full fellowship and opportunities for them to use their own spiritual gifts in God's community.

Wycliffe, in conjunction with SIL, the Seed Company, DOOR, and many other organizations, has a vision to begin a Bible translation in every language by 2025.  This includes every sign language and Deaf people group.

Our Involvement with the Deaf Community

Our involvement with the Deaf locally began in 2005 when Rob met Joey and Jennifer Kutcka, Deaf faculty members teaching American Sign Language (ASL) at Bethel College.  Rob wanted to get to know them, but communication through an interpreter felt awkward.  Additionally, Rob noted how language barriers inhibited fellowship between the Deaf and hearing.  Rob also has an affinity for languages (he lived a year abroad in Germany, and German is one of his undergraduate degrees), so Joey challenged him to start taking ASL classes.  He did, and a year later Michelle began to take classes as well.  Through language exposure and building friendships in the Deaf community, we have been privileged to get to know some wonderful people with big hearts, amazing stories, and compassion for the world around them.  We also began to learn about the need among the Deaf globally for God's Word and for resources to equip Deaf believers.  For the last year or so, we have begun to feel God's pull toward international missions involving sign language Bible translation.  In preparation for this work, Rob has begun taking linguistic classes at Bethel (including English and ASL linguistics), as well as Biblical Greek.  

As we sought God's direction, we became more acquainted with Bible translation through a Wycliffe Associates banquet.  They passed our information on to the partners in Wycliffe Global Alliance, and through that organization we got connected with DOOR International.  

As we sensed God moving us in the direction of Bible translation, we took the opportunity to go over to Kenya for six weeks during the summer of 2013.  This gave our family, including our boys, the opportunity to pray and watch to see if this was truly the direction God was moving us.  By three weeks into our trip, it was clear to all of us that this was God's next step for our family.

While we were originally planning for Rob to train to become a linguistic consultant, plans have changed and Rob has been chosen as CEO of the ministry. He is now learning much of the administrative side of the ministry, and our family is relocating to Michigan.

His Grace is Sufficient

Have you ever felt like you've come to the end of yourself?  That you've tried and you've given everything, and still it didn't quite measure up?  Maybe you've tried to keep lots of plates spinning, and yet it feels like no matter how much effort you put in, something seems to fall.  Maybe you feel like others expect you to excel in a particular area of your life, but try as you might, you can't live up to those expectations.

As our family has started to walk down this journey of selling houses, selling or giving away most of what we have, raising financial support for the mission work God has called us to, traveling, speaking, coordinating little and big things (like health insurance or applying for visas), taking care of work details, and trying to maintain some semblance of normality in our home (with homeschooling in the mix), we've certain experienced times like that.  Sometimes I think, "How in the world is all of this going to get done?"

But this has also been a time when the Lord has been teaching us some amazing and important lessons. Lessons that you would think we would know by now, but we so often need repeated.

It's not about my performance.  This is by far one of the hardest lessons for me to learn.  Growing up with perfectionist tendencies, the "performance mentality" has been something that the Lord has slowly but steadily been working on in my heart.  If I'm honest, sometimes I think that this all depends on me, and if I don't come through, the world will come to an end.  But that's really my pride talking.  I want to draw my significance from what I do, from those who depend on me, from what I can offer this world.  But Christ says I'm significant for who he has made me to be.  I'm his child.  Peter says, "…whoever serves, [serve] as one who serves by the strength that God supplies - in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.  To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen!" (1 Peter 4:11)

His grace is sufficient.  Not only is it not about my performance, but Paul seems to imply in 2 Cor. 12 that the Lord is actually glorified in my weaknesses.  But it's not my natural inclination to "boast in my weaknesses."  I actually prefer to cover them up and try to show that I have it all together.  But that is not the way God's kingdom works.  In 1 Cor. 1, Paul says that God chose the foolish things of this world to shame the wise, and the weak things of this world to shame the strong.  When others see the cracks in my veneer of "having it all together," that gives them the opportunity to see a person in deep need of the Lord's grace, forgiveness, mercy, and long-suffering, and they are drawn to find the same in Him.

It's not about others' expectations.  Sometimes the pressure we put on ourselves is perceived pressure from others.  We do things because we feel we "should" or we think someone will be upset with us if we don't.  But as our plates get full and our schedules spin out of control, those perceived pressures can easily turn into bitterness.  I can sometimes develop my own internal monologue, thinking about why I'm upset about doing a particular thing, feeling that my time is being infringed upon.  But those feelings are always the red flag for me that my motivations aren't right.  Paul says, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." (Col. 3:23-24)

Appreciate the time.  It's easy to live in a constant state of, "I can't wait until _______ happens."  But as we live there, we miss out on the wonderful moments and people that God has given us right here, right now.  We've tried to take purposeful time in the midst of the chaos to enjoy time with our boys and invest in the relationships around us, even when our schedules, email, and to do lists are crying out to be heard.

We're not in this alone.  When it becomes about my performance, I tend to be less open to the help of others.  But God purposefully designed us to be interdependent, not independent.  We are part of a large body, and were made to help share one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2).  It's the three-fold chord, not the single strand, that is not easily broken.  We are so thankful for those who have come alongside us through this process and have given us all kinds of help, from shelter as we're traveling to monthly financial support to a word of encouragement.  You are all "partners in the gospel with us" (Phil. 1:5).  Thank you for so often being God's hands and feet to us.

We continue to appreciate your prayers, financial support, and encouragement as we continue to walk down this road.  Only two more months or so, and we're off to Kenya (Lord willing)!  To give to our ministry or for more information, click here.