This will be a little longer of a blog, but the story and lessons learned from it are well worth the time.
Languages was one of the things I was questioned about when I was preparing for the Race. Will you have a translator? How will you communicate in all those different countries? Do you know Spanish or any of the other languages you will need on your Race? These were just some of the questions I was asked.
I didn’t have answers to any of these questions when I left the USA. I am fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) and English. I know some German and some French. But I didn’t think any of these would be of any use to me on my Race. My first four countries are Spanish speaking countries. Then I spend four months in Asia…not a place where French and German are widely used, and then spend three months in Africa. French and German aren’t really going to be of much use in any of these countries. English very rarely will be understood by the nationals and ASL is considered offensive in some countries.
So why do I consider languages to be a blessing? Allow me to tell you a story of how ASL has been a blessing this month in particular.
One of the first questions I ask our contacts each month is what hand gestures would be seen as offensive. So far, only the middle finger has been considered offensive. Because of this I have been able to sign freely in worship without the worry of offending a national.
On one of our days off, a teammate and I were eating at a local restaurant for lunch when a woman came in and began handing out pamphlets. Honestly, I wasn’t interested in what she was handing out. I knew it would be in Spanish which means I would only be able to understand one or two words in the entire thing. So I sort of dismissed her presence. She came around and placed a pamphlet in front of us and I tried to ignore it, but God would not let me. When I looked at the front, there was a small illustration at the bottom of the page of a man signing thank you. This of course piqued my interest. I opened up the pamphlet and looked inside. Much to my surprise there was the entire ASL alphabet printed on the inside with information about ASL classes. I then began looking around for the woman who had given me the pamphlet. Thankfully she was still in the restaurant handing out more pamphlets and then collecting them. As she approached our table for the second time, I signed to her and asked if she was deaf. She understood my ASL and signed back in ASL. Joy unspeakable was what filled my heart. I was finally able to have a conversation with a national without the necessity of a Spanish speaker. I was the only one at the table who could have a conversation with her. Because of the blessing of ASL, I was able to carry on a conversation. It literally made my day, week, and month!
So what I learned from this encounter was first that every person has a story. Every person is placed in our life for a reason. God has a plan for us to impact or brighten someone’s day. We just have to be willing to be open and used of God when those people come into our lives.
The second thing I learned was that ASL is used in South America! I have two more months left here in South America. I can guarantee you I will be looking for opportunities in which to reach out to the deaf community in coming months.
