Finding God in a Deaf Coffee Shop
Fotizo was nothing short of life-changing, and my time spent there has taken me on a deeper dive in my relationship with God. Through conversations, unique experiences and reflection, I have experienced God’s love in a new way.
One experience that helped me feel and see God’s love in a new way was at a deaf coffee shop. My fellow intern Lucy* found the shop and was ecstatic about visiting, as we both have a history with American Sign Language (ASL) and the deaf community. The coffee shop was in the metro and as soon as we arrived, we were greeted by the smiles of the workers. One person I immediately connected with was a man named Adam*. He was very welcoming and was astonished that we were from America. I communicated with him through Google Translate and he taught us how to order coffee in the regional sign language.
Lucy* and I spent a couple of hours there learning new signs, listening to stories and having conversations over coffee. We loved it so much that we brought our other intern friends a few days later, both to the coffee shop and to the museum that was connected. Through the museum, we learned more about deaf culture and history. We learned to sign our names, make shapes with our hands and played a guessing game.
A week later, Adam* and I connected at a mall, and I got to hear more of his story. There, he opened up about his rough childhood and shared about his passions in life. He thanked me for being a loving presence and someone who cared to listen. He explained that the deaf community in Fotizo is often ignored and lonely. He said he felt empty and ashamed of being deaf. I then got to share the gospel, and told him there is someone who loves him for who he is; someone who will never leave him or forsake him. Someone who considers him to be gifted and perfectly made. He became curious about Christianity and how there is a God like that out there.
I ended up connecting him with the missionary leaders on the Fotizo field, and they met with him over coffee and brought him to church. Since then, I have had some contact with Adam* and things are going well with him. God moved through this time with Adam*, to remind me of His love for everyone no matter their culture, religion and values. He helped me to see a population that needs to hear the Good News.
NEXT is a mentored, cross-cultural internship designed to help young adults deepen their relationship with God and find their place in the world. For more, visit gponline.org/next
*Names changed due to security reasons.