Why it matters:
- Missionaries engaged more than 1,500 Deaflympics participants, many of whom have never seen the gospel in their native sign language.
- Through gospel conversations with IMB teams, 13 people made professions of faith, 245 expressed interest and one believer was baptized.
- The work in Tokyo was aided by 1,742 prayer warriors and generous donors who provided daily prayer support and funding.
- Many Deaf people have never seen the name of Jesus signed in their heart language.
- Videos are available for churches to download and share.
TOKYO, Japan (IMB) – Tokyo was a whirlwind of colors, sounds and — most importantly — signs. For two weeks in November, the Deaflympics met in the capital city of Japan, where the International Mission Board had more than 50 workers and volunteers sharing the gospel during the worldwide event for Deaf athletes.
IMB teams engaged more than 1,500 people at different venues, which led to 492 gospel conversations. Missionaries reported 13 people made professions of faith in Christ, and 245 people showed interest but were not ready to follow Jesus.
One conversation resulted in a baptism. This person was already a believer, but after talking with an IMB team member, they decided to make their Christian faith known in the baptismal waters.
Alissa Brown spent the two weeks working alongside IMB team members who represented eight different countries. A sign language interpreter from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Brown appreciated the opportunity the Deaflympics offered to reach the worldwide Deaf.
“It was incredible to see the unity that the gospel brings,” she said, describing how people of varying ages, nationalities and cultural backgrounds gathered for a single purpose of sharing the light of Jesus.
The teams’ strategy was simple. Go to different Deaflympics venues, meet as many people as possible, distribute resources and plant gospel seeds for future growth.
“I was grateful for the sustainable relationships we formed with some of the people we met, and I keep in contact with them now,” Brown said. “For the rest, we handed out gospel tracks and other resources, trusting that God will work through those seeds — perhaps years later when someone pulls out a track and hears the message for the first time.”
Brown, who is hearing but knows sign language, appears in videos, reporting on IMB work during the Deaflympics. She admitted she felt unprepared at first when doing the videos.
“I definitely didn’t feel qualified to be the person making a video,” she said. “There’s always going to be someone who signs better or speaks better.” Yet she recognized that God often “uses ordinary people in ordinary moments to reach extraordinary audiences.”
The videos showcase not just Brown’s Tokyo experience but also the collective effort of prayerful and financial supporters back home. “People need to know how much impact their prayers and contributions have,” she said. “Taking on such a big endeavor — doing outreach to the Deaf — truly wouldn’t have been possible without the Lord’s power and the generosity of those who stand behind us.”
Brown can be seen in the videos talking with fans as well as cheering along with them at the sporting events. She also is shown sharing the gospel, telling the story of how God created the world and how He desires people to be in relationship with Him.
“Many Deaf people that we meet have never seen this story before,” Brown stated. “They’ve never seen the name of Jesus signed in their language.”
Madeline Hawthorne recapped the Deaflympics experience in one video revealing colorful settings of flags waving and arms moving to show excitement that surrounded the games.
“IMB missionaries, volunteers and national partners have come to share the name of Jesus with the Deaf who are here,” Hawthorne explained. Many interpreters are shown communicating with Deaf people in the stands, demonstrating how IMB teams covered a lot of ground while the games were happening.
Hannah Walker shared in a video how they used a trading pin and a card to connect Deaf people with the gospel. The card featured a website that helps Deaf people see the gospel in their local sign language.
The videos are available for download and sharing in churches. They emphasize how the teams appreciated the prayers and financial support while they were in Tokyo. Reports share that 1,742 people committed to pray during the Deaflympics. These prayer warriors received daily emails with specific requests to lift up to the Lord.
“Thank you for all of your giving and prayers so that Deaf from all over the world could see the name of Jesus signed in their heart language,” Hawthorne said.
The two-week mission left an indelible imprint on the participants of Tokyo’s Deaflympics, and on every IMB team member who stood in lines, sat in the stands and walked the streets. More importantly, they made an eternal impact that could affect the more than 80 million Deaf people worldwide—people the IMB is committed to reach with the gospel.
Some names changed for security.
Chris Doyle writes for the IMB.
The work of the IMB is sustained through faithful giving of Southern Baptists through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering®.