2019-12 Prayer Letter

December 2019

Dear Friends,

It is always good to report to you of God’s blessings. This year has probably been one of our most busy, but productive years. In addition to our normal traveling ministry, office responsibilities, and local deaf ministry, we have conducted ministry in three foreign countries. Please rejoice with us as you read this report.

Fantastic Saturdays – These all-day meetings encourage and help deaf ministry workers in selected areas around the country. Deaf ministry workers come to Fantastic Saturdays, much like bus ministry workers go to bus conferences. Some come from over two hours away. In our 10 SWM area-wide deaf ministry Fantastic Saturdays, the number results were: Attendance – 837; Deaf – 455; Churches – 100; Salvation Decisions – 8; Service Decisions – 88. Update: In November missionaries John Trisha Olson (GoDeafMissions) reported they led a German couple to the Lord. The couple’s two daughters were saved in our Florida Fantastic Saturday two years ago. That day, Trisha, John’s wife, interpreted all day into German Sign Language for them. Now their whole family has made salvation decisions. Praise the Lord!

ASL Institutes – One of the greatest needs in deaf ministries is lack of ASL training. Most church interpreters have never taken a professional sign language class. Deaf people value their language and need clear communication, especially in church. ASLI helps church interpreters get the skills the need. This year we conducted ASLI (and Deaf Bible Conference at the same time) in three areas: Trenton, Georgia; Holt, Michigan; Collegeville, Pennsylvania. The combined totals were… Attendance – 248; Deaf – 42; States – 22; Many Service Decisions. These are one-of-a-kind meetings!

Foreign Mission Trips – In April we hosted a 10-day group tour ofIsrael to help people, especially Deaf people, understand their Bible better. This was a non-profit program. The team of 14 included 6 Deaf people, one of whom got saved while on the trip! In May Diane and I conducted 5 days of training in Belize. The day focus was for new deaf ministry workers. Then we had special preaching times each evening and in 2 Deaf churches. There was one salvation decision, and many were encouraged to serve the Lord in the deaf ministry. In November Diane and I, along with SWM Deaf Missionary Allen Snare, spoke in the Efata Bible Conference in Lima, Peru (Missionaries Joe and Lisa Kotvas, MWBM). In one week together we spoke 29 times in Bible classes for Deaf men and women, in morning and evening services, and in special workshop sessions for Deaf and hearing. There were 7 salvation decisions and many service decisions.

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College Interns – Also this year SWM hosted 2 college interns, which helped fulfil part of their graduation requirements. We were blessed as one designed a new SWM ministry banner for our meetings, and the other upgraded the pictures on the SWM “You Can Go to Heaven” soul-winning flip chart. We are thankful for these open doors and for the work accomplished by Melanie Johnson and Anna Brooks.

Upcoming Projects – There are many things in progress now. Please pray as a special Gospel animated video is being produced for the SWMI outreach to the DeafNation World Expo. We are in the process of upgrading our online presence (website, social media, video placements, etc) to reach more people with the Gospel and our materials. We have enlisted the help of several others to advise us in this area of outreach.

Please pray for more missionaries to join us in reaching the Deaf world for Christ. Thank you for partnering with us to share the Gospel and teach Bible truth to the Deaf world.

Prayer Requests:

• New Gospel Animated Video & Ministry Upgrades
• Raising the final 4% of our monthly support
• More “Laborers” (Missionaries) to the Deaf at SWM

For Deaf Souls,

Jon and Diane Barr,
Missionaries to the Deaf