The line into one of the stadiums at Tokyo’s Komazawa Olympic Park stretched out the door and down the street. The crowd waited patiently in the crisp fall air for a chance to watch the volleyball semifinals at Deaflympics, a worldwide event that brings Deaf athletes together to compete every four years.
For Suncica, a Deaf believer from Serbia, the main event was not the volleyball competition taking place inside the stadium, but rather it was the gospel conversation she was having with the couple behind her in line. As they talked, she pulled a card from her bag with an illustration of Mt. Fuji against a sun and five rays of color. She handed the card to the couple.
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When they scanned the QR code, a site popped up with short gospel presentations in different sign languages from around the world. As the line inched forward, Suncica continued explaining the gospel using the colors on the card.
Suncica is one of more than 50 volunteers from eight different countries partnering with International Mission Board workers to make connections and share the gospel during Deaflympics. Thousands of Deaf athletes and spectators from more than 80 nations are in Tokyo for the games.
“Deaf people are naturally spread all over the world, and having them come together at one time is a rare event,” said Hank Greene, who leads IMB’s Deaf work around the world. “We really want to take advantage of that to make as many connections as possible, because the gospel flows through those relationships we make in person. It opens doors to areas where we just don’t have access.”
Because Deaflympics events are spread out across Tokyo, volunteers are divided each day into small teams so they can scatter to different sites. Each team includes at least one IMB worker, one hearing volunteer and one Deaf volunteer.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Stella McMillian and originally published by the International Mission Board.
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