PRAISE REPORT!!

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I'm just back from the UPCI National Deaf Campmeeting.  2 hearing impaired
recieved the Holy Ghost!!!!.  The meeting was in Texas this year at Texas
Bible college. Wonderful!!! The day time campmeeting teaching and preaching
were great!  It was so neat to see the study of the book of Revelations
taught and come to life on the hands of a very skilled teacher who is
profoundly deaf.  The workshops for the interpreters and beginning signers
were also great!. The main evangelist was Bro. Ernie Maurillo pastor of
UPCs' first DEAF CHURCH in Riverside California.  His wife Sister Sherry
reverses for the sake of the hearing in the cong.  TALK ABOUT TEAM PREACHING
WOW! so cool!   ----People--This man has an awesome testimonie!

Next year will be the 25th anniversery of UPCIs' EPHPHATHA Deaf Ministry.  I
will be in WISCONSIN, Oak Creek.  On July 20-24.  To experience Deaf camp
will leave a lasting impression on you.  

We had vistors from Cananda (both hearing and deaf) as well as from
Colombia.  The impact is going world wide now.  Recently I talked with a
missionary to Austrlia, and one from Mexico and I just heard about a work in
Russia!!! ALL on the road to a deaf revival!!!! Remember?   Romans 10:14
....how shall they *hear* without a preacher...    

        Strongs concordance Greek #191  a prim.verb; to 'hear'(in various
senses):- give (in the) audience (of), come (to the ears), ([shall]) hear
(-er, -ken), be noised, be reported, understand.

    .....be reported, understand!!!!!

That is where deaf ministry comes in at! 

        So many people realy don't understand that the born deaf and even
those that lost their hearing at an early age Do not view themselves as
*broken* therefore needing to be fixed!  They see themselves as a
nationality, rich in a culture and heritage and rightly so!  I can not count
the times I have seen the looks on the faces of a deaf person that reads
"Not AGAIN!! and afterwards saying they realy wished the preachers would not
embarass them that way---when a head grabbing preacher slams his hands over
the deaf persons ears without even asking them *if* they wanted to be prayed
for on a restoration or a creation of hearing.  They would so much more
prefer to have hands laid on them for the sake of the soul!!!!!   One UPC
profoundly deaf preacher made the statment "I am glad I am Deaf.  Because it
could be that I would lose out with God if I had hearing!" "My soul, my soul
that is what is important!!!"  My hands, are they unable to make a living
for my family?? Are my legs useless and I in a wheelchair? No, no, no.
*Those* things are a handicapp.  I CAN work!

"The only problem we have is the langauge barrier, and with the hearing
learning sigh language and us being patient to teach them, the langauge
barrier is nothing now!" he said.  "When missionaries go into another
country do they not also have a language barrier?  They have to learn
Russian, French and the culture of that country ect....it is the same with
the Deaf."  "The sign languages are all different also for every country."
"But why learn sign? so that the deaf can *understand*(hear) the word of God
and be saved and go to heaven also!!!!"

Whoa!! that realy was an eyeopener for me early in the learning process.
That the deaf do not want your sympathay about their life style of Deaf
culture.  But they do covet your prayers for the salvation of lost deaf souls!! 

Oh well You can see I'm fulllllllll of IT (HIM) today. \o/   ILYa'lll
Sister Kathy Garza ***Being and Doing Hands on for the Nail Pierced Ones***