I have been teaching American Sign Language (ASL) at THEO since 2011. Before THEO, I taught ASL classes with a Deaf friend at MArCH, a local homeschool co-op. My friend and I also taught ASL classes at our church for several years. These classes were so much fun and the last couple of years we had over 100 people in attendance! I served as interpreter for the Deaf at this same church for 8 years. During that time my husband and I taught Deaf Sunday School and hosted a weekly Deaf Bible study in our home. My current church does not have a Deaf ministry, but I am planning to teach ASL classes soon due to lots of requests from church friends.
One of my favorite things in the world is to introduce students to the beautiful language and fascinating culture of the Deaf. I get a tremendous thrill when students come to class excited to share with me about an interaction they had with a Deaf person they met somewhere that week. I also love receiving messages from previous students who say they met a new Deaf friend and tell me they are so grateful they learned to sign. Over the years I have had many students go on to pursue careers in interpreting and Deaf education, but most go on to use their ASL to interact with the Deaf they meet in their chosen field or in daily life. Many people are unaware of the fact that 98 percent of the Deaf are unsaved. This is largely due to the fact that very few Christians are able to share the gospel with the Deaf in their language. My prayer is that more and more Christians will learn sign language, share the gospel message with the Deaf, and we change those statistics for the better.
The most exciting change to my ASL classes is the addition of my teacher’s assistant, Ally Farley. Ally is a long time friend who was born Deaf. She is a homeschool graduate, loves Jesus, and is currently pursuing a degree in teaching. She is a huge help in the classroom and we are so blessed to have her!