India’s Deaf Community “Hears” the Scriptures for the First Time
India’s Deaf community is nine million strong. These people exist in virtual isolation and many struggle to learn how to read because written language is based on sound. A DVD Bible has now been released in Kerala Sign Language. And four more Indian sign language Bible translations are currently underway.
“My husband has become part of this group of Christian Deaf,” the woman said, standing side by side with her Deaf husband. She was speaking to Bible translators who were working to translate the Scriptures into Kerala Sign Language (one of 28 sign languages) for India’s Deaf communities.
“His transformation interested me to come here,” she continued. “He was an alcoholic. He beat me often. My two sons were also abused. I found his activities extremely embarrassing. My sons had become adolescent boys. I was still being badly abused in front of them. One of my sons went to the extent of trying to kill himself.
“I had prayed to my gods and goddesses. Many loved ones advised my husband. He would make many promises, but that was just momentary. There was no change.
“Suddenly his life started changing. He stopped drinking; he never touched alcohol. It lasted long. He became a loving husband and great father. I learned that it was this new friend he had who was teaching stories from the Bible. I fell prostrate at his friend’s feet and told him he was my god. He told me not to fall at his feet because it was not him but Jesus who has touched my husband's life.”
