Check out what is happening with the GO Team!
We really enjoyed being at the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America this year. The conference concluded with an optional day trip to New York city, and we decided to go. Although everyone was supposed to ride home in the same vehicle they arrived in, when we went to the van, it was filled with other riders. We headed for the bus. Most of the seats were taken, John sat with a young man named Jesse and someone graciously gave up their seat so David and I could sit across the aisle from John.
At the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America at Solid Rock Baptist Church in Berlin, NJ
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People are praying for us, and God is working. I see it happening. I know God will provide for us. I'm just thankful.
Just thankful that the last four churches we visited have voted to take us on for support! Closer to full support. Keep on praying!
Tuesday - Day of Prayer
God has been working, moving, and blessing! Last week we left our home in the hands of a pastor who is remodeling bathrooms and installing new floors in the bedrooms. We have sorted through most of our belongings and much of what we need to pack has been listed, labeled, boxed, and sent to storage. It was hard and unsettling for David and Amanda, but God put friends in our path and they are alright. We have had some amazing services and meetings. At church yesterday, God blessed abundantly and we think by the end of the month we could have 90% of our support. This is certainly our prayer! With the rising cost of living and our growing team, we would love to go exceedingly, abundantly above the mark, but we trust God knows what we need and He will supply! Yesterday, God filled our hearts with hope and expectation for preparing to go to the field this fall. It is an honor to serve a great Savior!
What a day! This morning, we helped set up a tent for a camp meeting In Kentucky for tonight thru Wednesday.
Well, here we are. Packing everything from two bedrooms in the Olsons' house into one bedroom, because we have a family coming to replace the carpet. That's an answer to prayer. We're glad to be making some progress toward getting out of this house. I packed up almost everything from my room last week and this, moving my things to a different room in preparation for a friend to move into my old room, and in preparation for moving to Portugal.
I am slowly but surely gaining more mobility in my wrists and hands, but since before Christmas, I have not had a single day where my hands were not hurting. John and the kids have been pitching in on all my chores and they are a great blessing, but this does not seem to be the way to pack up a house and start a summer of travels. We have so much work to do and I just am not much help.
Tuesday - Day of prayer
The last two days we were at a camp meeting in South Carolina where Caleb Lindsey invited us. Through this meeting, Caleb introduced me to his pastor friends. Caleb and his family have become dear friends, and we thank the Lord for his friendship and encouragement.
Tuesday - Day of prayer
We are in Conestee, South Carolina, at a preacher's meeting. Between the two of us, Anna and I have already interpreted eight sermons and the day is only half over. God has been good to allow me to have the movement I need in my hands and there has not been a lot of pain. The preaching has been a blessing and a wonderful help. I am glad we can be here. God has been faithful to us.
Two years ago, I posted this video of the Gospel. I invite you to watch this presentation in ASL and voice. If you have any questions, please message me.
So many people are praying for my hands and I am truly grateful. Saturday was the first day since last fall that I didn't wake up in pain. It didn't take long to return, but slowly my wrists are recovering. My doctor thinks this was caused by illness. I have been seeking regular treatment and trying to do all I can to promote healing but prayer is the most important thing. For those fellow sufferers of tendonitis who carry on serving the Lord faithfully despite the pain, God bless you! For those of you who don't suffer, you have no idea! If nothing else, I have found new compassion for people with joint or tendon issues.
Last Sunday, a man from the church we visited came to my wife and said he is praying for David. He heard a while back about David's eyes condition through a pastor friend of ours, and has been praying for David. He was glad to meet David in person, and let us know of his prayers. That is very encouraging!
Prayer Tuesday - We thank you for your prayers. In addition to our list of prayer requests, please pray for Tricia's hands, still in pain. Please pray for improvements, and we appreciate your prayers.
Wowzers! We just spoke with a relocation broker about our move to Portugal. She said we have to have $17,784 Euros in a Portuguese bank in order to get a D7 Visa. Singles on our team are required to hav e$8,450 Euro. Or, we can invest $500,000 and get the Golden Visa, which we would much rather have. We are going to pray and she is going to see if there is another visa option! We never run out of things to pray about! We are trusting God for great things!
We are starting to look into logistics and the cost of shipping to Portugal. If you know of any shippers that discount for missionaries, please let us know.
Last week I went to help my missionary friends, Matt and Colleen Dundon, with interpreting for their mission board's family week conference. I had such a great time getting to know other missionaries and reuniting with some old friends. I met some pastors whom I knew, and some I didn't know. I learned about some wonderful ministries going on in different areas of the world, including some deaf ministries. All in all, it was a great time of refreshing fellowship and challenging preaching. I thank God for that opportunity.
Last Sunday, I preached at the Easter service for Deaf Baptist Church in Pinellas Park, Florida. This is a new deaf church plant, and I thank the Lord for 24 in attendance. (22 deaf and 2 hearing). Two deaf trusted Jesus as their Savior. It was a great day of celebration!
Prayer Tuesday - We thank you for your prayers. Not included in our list of prayer requests are Tricia's hands. Her hands and arms have been in much pain since January. She has been on a special diet, a plan of chiropractic treament, and resting much. She started to improve until last Saturday. She stepped through a broken place in the deck, and she hurt her hands again. This is a setback. Please pray for her. We appreciate your prayers.
If you want to receive our prayer letter by email, please message us your email address. You can always view our prayer letters at godeafmissions.com
We are taking steps to be able to rent out our house as an air bnb. This week we had a yard sale to reduce inventory. It is amazing that we could eliminate so much and have more than we need. God has been so good to us!
Tonight, we went to a revival with Evangelist Joe Alford at a church. It was planned to be one day last Sunday, but the pastor was led by the Lord to extend the revival to tonight. Two were saved along with eight in the past four days. That makes ten souls saved! The pastor extended the revival two more days. What a blessing to be at the revival and to see God working!!
Prayer Tuesday
I have not posted anything for awhile because it has been difficult to type. It seems I have tendonitis in both my wrists in the tendons that run to my thumb and index fingers. It is very painful and I am not able to do my regular activities. I am working on it with the help of a doctor and there are ups and downs. . I really, really, need my hands; half of my family is deaf and signing is all of my ministry. Please pray it gets better. Also pray for John. He is trying to manage all his work and most of mine.
I remember years ago being a told a story of a young group of people praying together, and after many of them had shared their prayers, one young girl said “I love You”, sharing her heart in this simple statement.
Every Friday, our team meets for a couple hours, and we always begin with this passage. It encourages us to let the Word of Christ be everything in our lives. As uncertainty fills our world, let's focus on the Word of God which never changes!
What a Friend we have in Jesus! All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
Prayer Tuesday - We appreciate your prayers. Please pray for our needs.
Hi everyone, I’ve recently captioned this video of David’s testimony and hope it will be a blessing to you as it was for me. I’m excited for how God is already using this young man, and I know God has big plans for him!
Go Deaf Missions: that's our name. Please pray for us, that we can soon really GO!
Last Sunday night, we were in a missions conference at Linwood Baptist Church where Bro. Jeff Alverson was speaking and his son, John Alverson is the pastor. What a blessing! We first met both of them in 1994 in Germany, and Jeff was speaking for Military Missions. John sang a song with his mother and sister. 28 years later, Bro Jeff is still passionate about missions. I thank the Lord for his friendship and his faithfulness!!
Last Sunday night, at a church we visited, a guy brought his guitar for David to play. David really liked learning how to play the guitar. Who knows someday David will be able to play the guitar?!?!
Prayer Tuesday
I thank the Lord that Palm Springs Drive Baptist Church in Altamonte Springs had a burden for the Deaf, and they started a deaf ministry in 1976. Through this ministry, I trusted Jesus as my Saviour in 1978. This picture was taken in 1979. Can you find me?
We appreciate your prayers. Last Sunday, another church voted to support our family! Continue to pray!!
The last few weeks we have just been awed at the goodness of God! He has been working, moving, and lightening heavy burdens. Tears of joy and thankfulness!
“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” James 4:14 KJV
We don't often say anything publicly, but we are very thankful for the work Timothy Pozo does for the Go Team; working from Peru. Please pray for him as he seeks God's leading in his life. He is a blessing to us.
Just when I was wondering if I'll ever really make it to the mission field, God sent me a reminder that He's got it all in grip. While I was visiting a church on a Sunday, God was working in the heart of the church the Olsons were at, and they voted to support both them and me! God is so good, but it gets sweeter!
Earlier this afternoon, I checked online the times of a church to visit, I discovered this church has Thursday night service instead of Wednesday. So, I prayed for the Lord to lead us to the right church to visit. Checking the list of churches we had visited before, I saw this church in Folkston, Georgia. Off to this church, our family and I went. The Lord blessed us with two future meetings out of this service! To God Be the Glory!!
Answers to Prayer Requests -
I am so thankful for how many people ask about David's eyes and how many have told us they are praying for him. It matters to me that he matters so much to so many. We have not had any recent check ups, but after the doctor told me, last August, he would be blind within a year, the Lord whispered to my heart, " Don't worry about David's eyes."
This week, we are at Tabernacle Baptist Church again for their annual camp meeting. It is our third time, and it gets better each year with great singing, great preaching, great food and great fellowship. I praise the Lord for friends who encourage our family so much. To God be the glory!!
Tuesday - Prayer Request
The Lord has been blessed our family in several ways this week
Deputation is tough on kids, especially teenagers. While other kids are going to youth activities, learning to drive, getting their first part time jobs, missionary teens are lugging suitcases, packing and unpacking the car, moving and transitioning from house, to hotel, to prophets chambers. They are almost never invited to bowling, putt-putt, bonfires, or youth rallies, and even if they were, they probably couldn't go. What is tough on kids, is tough on moms.
David sharing his testimony
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Today as a team we discussed the book of Nahum, and this verse stood out to me.
Last Sunday, we visited a church that Paul (PJ) Mosley had been to, and the church supported him. The church shared how much Paul Mosley impacted their lives. I miss PJ since he passed away last fall, and I thank the Lord for the lasting influence he left for Christ.
Tuesday - Prayer Requests
For nearly two years, I have been discipling a young deaf woman in Australia. Sarah was saved and baptized just a few weeks before lockdowns began in Australia. Since her pastor does not sign, we sought his permission for me to disciple her and he readily agreed.
Another answered prayer!
“God called you to take his power and change lives and the world.”
Here it is! These are some American Sign Language resources that we have used and found to be successful during our time in ministry, plus some others that look useful.
Another answered prayer!
Answered prayer!
It’s always helpful to be reminded to look to God when in times of waiting and uncertainty.
This beautiful poem was shared last night at church as we talked about intercessory prayer. It's a personal goal for me this year to pray for more people, more often, and more specifically than last year.
Tonight, we visited a church that just got a new pastor. Just watching him pray for the church and their requests, It encourages me to see a man of God taking much time praying. I pray that I will be a prayer warrior this year for my family and for our ministry.
Tuesday - Prayer Request
Every year we pick a theme verse for the Go Team. Colossians 3:16,17 will be the emphasis of 2022.
This week I added Spanish and English captions in the video we published recently - I hope this version will be a blessing for you all!
Due to so many requests, I am creating a list of resources for learning ASL. I will post it soon. Stay tuned!
In January 1987, before I enrolled in Bible college, I preached in a deaf service. That was 35 years ago. I thank the Lord for His calling on my life, and I pray that 2022 will be the best year in ministry! To God be the glory....
The Go Deaf Missions Team relies on your prayers. On Tuesdays, we are going to update and post the prayer requests listed on our webpage so those who pray know better how to pray for us. Your prayers sustain us over and over again. Thank you for loving and supporting us! It makes a difference!
Happy New Year! The word on my heart for this year is "surrendered." As God looks on my life I want him to find that every single part is fully surrendered to the his control so that others will only see Jesus in me. It looks like there is going to be some work to do. I am so thankful for His grace.
Why not make learning sign language your New Year's resolution? Deaf people need Christ!
This verse has been the theme verse for Go Deaf Missions this year. Trusting this verses has encouraged us much this year. I pray these verses has also encouraged you all.
Update on Pastor's Jowers' surgery. Thank you for praying, and please continue to pray for his recovery
Tonight, we went to Grace Baptist Church in Baldwin, Florida, where Dewayne Jowers is the pastor. There, we learned Pastor Jowers has kidney mass on one of his kidneys. He will have surgery on Tuesday to remove that kidney. I received permission to share this on FB. Please pray for Pastor Jowers and his surgery.
We adopted Amanda from Efata in Peru, but many do not know she was first found by Mike and Chelene Kennedy and brought to live with them at New Life Childrens home in Cieneguilla, Peru. We went to stay there for the first time for most of November. The work Mike and Chelene captivates my heart for a number of reasons. Not only do they provide a beautiful home for abandoned and orphaned children and help the find beautiful families where they can grow and thrive, they build homes for widows and the disabled opening the door to witness of the love of Christ in their communities.
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The heart of Go Deaf Missions is to reach everyone, both Deaf and Hearing with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was a joy to teach signs to the teens at New Life Children's Home in Cieneguilla, Peru. We hope they will also help go reach the world.
This week, we are in a mission revival at Blessed Hope Baptist Church in Alvarado, Texas. Steve Lindsey is the pastor, and two of his sons are evangelists, Luke and Caleb. Pastor Steve, Caleb and Luke have all been encouraging to our family and ministry. Tricia and I are thankful for their friendship!
Last Saturday, we stopped at a garden in Texas, to do a video of John signing the Gospel. We are learning how to use the camera. Pray that we learn how to use the camera well and that the video will be used to spread the Gospel to Deaf.
Traveling to a conference! The story of our lives! Amanda and I took advantage of this selfie op today. We'll probably never know the total number of people who were inspired to learn sign language just to be able to talk to Amanda. She's a blessing.
Arrived safely in Jacksonville, Florida! We are so thankful for this trip. It has certainly been eventful, in great ways. Thank you for all your prayers. Continue to pray for New Life Children's Home, for the staff and the children, and New Life Baptist Church, Pastor David, his family, and their ministries.
Happy Thanksgiving!
For weeks, I have been wanting to carve out a few quiet moments to write. Over the last couple of months, there has hardly been a moment of rest. July seems like it must have been a decade ago. In July, we were in Lakeland, Florida, visiting churches and helping our oldest son with some projects around his house. We were planning to go to Texas from there and stay six weeks, but the first week of meetings cancelled due to the illness of some church people.
Last Saturday, I went to Inca Market. I like it because it has many things from Peru. It makes me happy to buy things to remember Peru. I also passed out tracts to people at Inca Market. Pray for people to receive Jesus.
Our team verse for this Peru missions trip is Ephesians 3:20-21. Every morning, in our team devotions, one person will say the verse, and an example of God doing something above what we ask or think will be read from the Bible. This has been encouraging, and we pray for God to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think.
Estamos enseñando a los adolescentes la canción "Alcanza al mundo" en Lenguaje de Señas Peruana para un especial que queremos cantar el próximo domingo.
“Taking the Light of the Gospel to a Dark World”
Last Saturday, the team and I went to town to pass out gospel tracts. I love to pass out tracts. Please pray people will receive Jesus as their Saviour. Thank you.
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