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HOW OUR LIVES CHANGED WITH TWO DEAF CHILDREN!
David & Judy (Top Center) have each had a struggle, as hearing-impaired individuals, to adjust to a hearing world. All the family learned and reached various proficiencies in sign language.
DEPARTMENT NEWS
My wife began to sense that something changed! Our three-month-old baby was reacting differently since having a high fever with chickenpox. It was after the crisis had passed and in the coming months that we began to suspect that our daughter, Judy, might have a hearing problem.
Our doctor scheduled a brain scan. After the scan, I still remember the social worker explaining that our daughter was profoundly deaf. She might hear a tiny bit, but deafness would change her life and, of course, our lives too.
We began to get in touch with other parents of deaf children. We wondered if maybe God had some plan for our lives that might involve us working with the Deaf in ministry. How could our deaf daughter get an Adventist Christian education? We knew of no Adventist schools for the Deaf!
My wife decided to take a particular, one-year course in teaching the Deaf, as she already had taught in a BC Adventist school, so mother and daughter both ended up at the Maritime Inter-Provincial School for the Deaf—our daughter as a student and my wife training in Deaf educational methods.
As time went by, we began to correspond with North American Division leaders about the possibility of starting an Adventist school for the Deaf. Eventually, we moved to the BC Hope Campground. We tried to start a school, but it proved too difficult for our family to pioneer. We also took a little deaf boy, David, into our home to be a companion to our deaf daughter.
Significant changes came to our home!
Our whole family needed to learn to sign. My wife taught our two deaf children sign language as they learned to read. We got two TTY telephone typewriters so we could communicate directly with the Deaf over the phone, or indirectly through a “message relay” operator. We discovered that there were some SDA “camp meetings” specifically for the Deaf in the USA and made a real effort to attend when we could.
We finally decided to accept a call for me to become the Director of an Adventist Deaf school in Arkansas. Alberta instructed the younger students, and I taught in the Bible School for the Deaf. This experience involved a significant change. We began to live and work daily with deaf adults. Teaching was our in-depth introduction to the “world of the Deaf” and the unique aspects of “Deaf culture.” Our two deaf children loved being able to freely communicate with most of the people at the Christian Deaf Center [CDC] in their language—Sign Language!
Before moving to the USA, while pastoring in Northern BC, our deaf daughter had felt somewhat isolated. At the deaf center, she began to find herself as a deaf person and not as a misfit in a hearing world. We rejoiced to see both children find acceptance in a deaf society and deaf culture.
My wife and I felt that our time at the deaf school was like a post-graduate course in “Deaf ministry.” I continued my particular interest in producing signed video productions for the Deaf. After three years, we returned to Canada to try and help establish a pioneer work for the Deaf, especially in Alberta and Toronto.
Our two deaf children grew up and left home. Our daughter married a deaf man and lives near Portland, OR, and they have two hearing children. Their older son has just finished his third year of medical school in Washington State. Our son married a deaf wife and is now a grandfather to two hearing grandchildren.
Has deafness been a challenge?
Definitely. It has been harder for both our deaf children to find work in a hearing world. With our deaf adopted son, it has been an up-and-down experience throughout the years. Our daughter works part-time in a nursing home for the Deaf, and she and her husband are active in the deaf SDA church in Portland, OR.
My ministry has led to working with Gospel Outreach, and we now have about 50 lay workers for the Deaf in 16 countries. God has helped us grow in ministry to the Deaf and blessed us in beautiful ways. In July 2019, my dear wife passed away, but her legacy in working with the Deaf has touched them in different parts of the world. Now she awaits Jesus’ call on that resurrection morning. As long as God gives me a sound mind and able body, I intend to remain active in some phase of Deaf ministry. There is too much need around the world to sit back and leave it to others!
Pastor John Blake, Alberta Conference Deaf Ministry Department PO Box 308, Clive, AB T0C 0Y0 (403) 784-3798 Email: blake@deafhope.org Website: deafhope.org
John Blake | Volunteer Deaf Ministry Coordinator, Alberta Conference
