In Guatemala, God is bringing together two groups of people who know what it means to be overlooked—and teaching them to see one another differently.
After church in Guatemala City, a table will be set. Four Deaf leaders and their families will gather with approximately 15 women from Casa Tabita, a Christian residential ministry for women recovering from addiction and a division of Teen Challenge.
There will be games, a shared meal, testimonies, prayer, worship, and a message about Jesus. Latin Deaf Services Inc. and Iglesia Vida in Villa Nueva are sponsoring this special gathering.
At first glance, these two groups may seem to have little in common. The Deaf have often experienced isolation because of communication barriers. The women at Casa Tabita have experienced rejection, broken relationships, and stigma because of addiction.
But they have something important in common: they know what it feels like to be excluded.
More Than a Communication Barrier
Many Deaf people in Guatemala grow up in families where no one knows sign language. Even when they are physically present, they may miss conversations, jokes, stories, and important moments happening around them.
For some, this creates a lifetime of isolation.
The women at Casa Tabita are also learning what it means to rebuild their lives and relationships. They are not defined by addiction. They are women in recovery who need dignity, belonging, restoration, and hope.
When these two groups sit down together, they have an opportunity to see beyond labels and recognize the person sitting across the table.
Learning to See Others
One purpose of this gathering is to help Deaf leaders discover that rejection is not something experienced only because of deafness.
They will meet women who have faced rejection for completely different reasons. Their stories are different, but they understand what it feels like when people see a label before they see a person.
As they eat, play, pray, and share stories together, we hope something deeper happens: the experience of being rejected becomes an opportunity to recognize and reach out to others who feel rejected.
That is discipleship.
That is leadership.
That is ministry.
We Are Missionaries Training Missionaries
This gathering also represents something much bigger than one afternoon.
Latin Deaf Services is not simply serving Deaf people. We are training Deaf leaders to serve others. We are missionaries who are training missionaries.
Deaf people are not merely recipients of ministry. They are disciples, leaders, evangelists, and missionaries who can carry the Gospel into places others may never go.
We don’t want Deaf people to simply find a place in the church.
We want them to discover their place in God’s mission.
The Table Is Bigger Than We Think
When the women of Casa Tabita sit down with Deaf leaders and their families, people who might never have met otherwise will share food, laugh, learn, pray, and worship together.
Some of the women may learn a few signs and discover that Deaf people have much to contribute.
Some of our Deaf leaders may discover something equally important: they are not the only ones who have experienced rejection.
The Gospel reminds us that Jesus invites everyone to the table—the Deaf, the recovering addict, the rejected, the lonely, and those who have wondered if they still belong.
And He doesn’t simply invite us to sit at His table.
He sends us out to invite others.
That is the heart of Latin Deaf Services: to see Deaf people welcomed, discipled, equipped, and sent—and to raise up Deaf missionaries who will reach the people others overlook and tell them about Jesus.
The table is bigger than we think.
And there is still room.
As we prepare for camp, we invite you to join us in prayer for the many needs—both known and unknown—that God already sees. Please pray for the mission teams as they prepare to serve, for the pastor training that will equip and encourage leaders, and for the 150 deaf campers who will gather around the table. Most of all, pray that every person who attends would encounter the love of Jesus and leave with Christ firmly seated on the throne of their hearts. May this camp be a beautiful picture of God’s inclusive table, where every person has a place, every voice is valued, and there is always room for one more.