“I cycle an hour and fifteen minutes one way to be able to learn and understand God’s Word. I do this at least twice a week,” shares a Deaf man from Burundi.
“I am so glad I can learn the Bible in my heart language, and it is worth every bit of sacrifice on my part.“I don’t have any electronic devices on which I can watch the Bible in Burundi Sign Language—I don’t even own a DVD player—so traveling the two and a half hours’ roundtrip to Gatoto’s house is the only way I get access to the Bible in my heart language.“Before I met Gatoto (the DOOR 2-by-2 team member), I would only go to church on special occasions. I attended a hearing church that did not have an interpreter, so I would miss everything that was going on.
Skipping services was the easy thing to do.“But now, I am learning about God and His plans for me, and I have rededicated my life to Him. I was baptized, and my passion for God keeps on growing. I feel so at home with other Deaf people as we learn God’s Word and fellowship as believers.“For the past two years, Gatoto and Francois have been training me to become a leader here in Burundi, and I know that I need to continue to watch and learn God’s Word so that I can grow in my faith and become a better leader.
“I pray and look forward to a time when I will be able to watch God’s Word anytime and anywhere. I pray for a more accessible and convenient way to receive the Gospel in my heart language. In the meantime, I am deeply grateful for the access I have now that I did not have before.”
