Deaf Family Ministries

“Envision a Different Kind of Deaf Family”

By Bill & Sarah Wainscott

One of our new friends in Nicaragua is Genaro. He was the only deaf child born to a large family struggling for survival in the city of Managua. As a youth he was often in trouble for getting involved in substance abuse and skirmishes with the law.  He tells of being beaten with sticks for misbehavior, but never understanding anything. Out of desperation his mother left him at a mission school for the deaf at the age of thirteen. He tells of the unconditional love he received, the amazing gift of sign language, the companionship of friends, and the message of the Gospel. Today Genaro works at that same school, where he is a mentor for other young deaf men. He has also become a leader in a small deaf church. His mother came to faith in Christ before her death and Genaro takes every opportunity to humbly affirm Christ’s work in his life. Our hope is that young deaf children in Nicaragua would have the same opportunities as Genaro.

Our purpose has been to bring the message and model of Christ to deaf youth and families. Without access to communication, deaf youth have no path to education, relationships, employment, or to learn about salvation through Christ. For children in impoverished countries these barriers are even greater. Our family serves the Lord in the Washington, DC area by working with deaf youth and families, but we’ve had opportunities to serve internationally, as well. As part of our international outreach we are cultivating a partnership with a mission school in Managua, Nicaragua; the same one where Genaro serves. Ongoing projects at the school include providing hearing testing and hearing aids for the children and improving training for teachers. For students that do complete an education there are often no work opportunities, so efforts have expanded to include job training and interpreter training. As doors of opportunity open and lives are changed, the Gospel message of redemption and hope are being clearly presented. As we partner with nationals we are providing support, but also building relationships. On our next trip to Managua we plan to bring our children in hopes of helping our Nicaraguan friends to envision a different kind of deaf family.