Romanian Deaf People Finally Have Access to the Bible Sign Language
The sign language Bible translation for the deaf people in Romania is a project carried out by Wycliffe Romania organization.
The first steps in this respect were taken in 2015. Initially, there were only a few volunteers from a church in Oradea city who wished to be able to study Gods Word in an accessible way. Over time, the project developed.
The project had its official start one year ago with a team of sponsors, consultants, interpreters etc. Now, Wycliffe Romania has three employees in Oradea city and another three in Cluj city.
This is the first stage of the project. Over a period of three years, they will translate 32 Bible passages, the most illustrative parts, starting from Genesis, and ending with the New Testament. We hope the project will continue to grow until we have 77 passages. They will eventually build around the initially laid foundation.
Deaf people mostly use the written Scripture, but this format does not help them correctly understand Gods message. The Cuceuan family, involved in sign language Bible translation both internationally and in Romania, had a strong motivation to serve in this area.
I had this vision thanks to two special people that are part of my life, namely my parents. Theyre both deaf. I used to always be upset with God because my parents couldnt hear and this somehow made me doubt His love. But my parents always encouraged me using Gods Word and reminded me God actually loves me. This way, I realized how loved and precious I was. I also understood Gods calling for my life is this: to serve the deaf !
My in-laws were the first deaf people I interacted with. I met them 7 or 8 years ago. I remember my father-in-law would come to me and ask me: Ionut, what does this word mean? I love and respect him, he is my father now. He would ask me: What does land mean ? Is it country, or does it have the other meaning ? If I told him that, in that context, land was used as a transitive verb, then I would have to explain what is a transitive verb.
Recently, several members of the Romanian sign language Bible translation team attended the Upgrade Mission conference in Cluj-Napoca city. It was a good opportunity for deaf Christians to show the work of God in their community.
I feel a conference like this one is a good opportunity to share and show how God works in our community and to draw closer to Him. I feel excited and passionate, I want to do more for Him. When a number of deaf people from the deaf community found out about the project of translating the Bible in sign language, they felt very encouraged and enthusiastic. They want to know more and more of Gods Word. I believe the future is bright for the deaf community.
Monica lives in Cluj and both her parents are deaf. She is part of the sign language Bible translation team for two years now because she is eager to support the deaf community and wants to help them have Gods Word available to them in a clear way.
Yes, thats right, there are many times when the deaf dont have access to information or theyre the last ones to find out some piece of information. They feel valuable when they find out something important, they feel theyre able to find out the same thing the hearing people can. Sign language is the language they know best. Its the mother tongue of the deaf.
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