It can be intimidating meeting someone who doesn’t speak your language.  I encounter this when I travel to Haiti.   I rely heavily on interpreters to get me through conversations in Creole.

So, I understand the nervousness when the Deaf kids want to talk with hearing visitors and vice versa.  There is intimidation on both sides.  To remove this barrier, I often invite hearing Americans to engage in conversations with the Deaf.

Dr. Rand, a big-hearted man with a passion for serving in Haiti, accepted my invitation and stepped into the Deaf classroom.  One of the girls, Martine, had her hand-made purses on display.  I interpreted the discussion as Dr. Rand asked her several questions about the purses and about her own likes and dislikes.  After some discussion, he decided to purchase a purse for his wife.   As you can see in the picture below, both Dr. Rand and Martine were blessed because of the conversation.

Language barriers present obstacles in many cultures.  It warms my heart when God mends the communication gap with His love.

-Tammie Showalter