A recent missions trip by 43 adults and students from Tannehill Baptist Church, McCalla, brought home the realization deaf individuals often hear more with their hearts than those who listen with their ears.
The missions trip was part of Tannehill’s TeamEffort, in which they worked with children of migrant workers in the St. Petersburg, Fla., area. Students were responsible for Vacation Bible School (VBS) at the Good Samaritan Mission.
As part of the trip, the group traveled to a deaf community center, where the student drama team — Visual Truth — performed for a deaf audience by using sign language during several songs.
Students had to perform three songs without music after leaving two CDs behind in their dorm room. But students said they later realized what seemed like a disaster may have actually been a blessing in disguise because they had the momentary experience of hearing what their audience heard — nothing.
The only sound was provided by their voices singing two of the songs from memory. During “I Wish We’d All Been Ready,” a few other students gathered behind them and sang this song a cappella.
One of those at the deaf community center, Tom Cooney, spoke following the students’ performance. Cooney is deaf, but is a tremendous voice in a silent world.
“That was so beautiful,” Cooney said as he stood to speak. He said that he seldom cries, but that the performance brought tears to his eyes.
Cooney shared how a serious infection robbed him of his hearing when he was nine months old.
Even before he could communicate with others, his mother taught him about Jesus.
Tom could not read, write or speak, but in his silent world he heard the voice of a powerful Savior calling out to him.
He eventually attended the New Jersey School for the Deaf and learned to sign and speak.
“Most children’s first words are Mama or Dada,” Tom said, “but my first word was pencil.”
He told of a determined teacher who refused to let him live his life without learning to speak and of a mighty God that has blessed him tremendously through his ability to communicate with everyone.
Organizing the week’s VBS classes was not without obstacles.
The VBS director had planned for six classes, but arrived at Good Samaritan to find only three classrooms available.
With an attendance of 70 to 85 children, some rooms had as many as 30 children housed in a small area.
Many of the preschoolers and some of the 1st–3rd graders did not speak English; however, the students quickly adapted and realized that smiles and hugs are a universal language.
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