Doesn’t seem fair! I was living my dream of working with youth and being a missionary. Then at the age of 30, I became deaf. I lost everything in my life. The job I loved, my friends, and my life were changed and gone. I prayed every night for God to take me home to heaven. He didn’t. After 3 months, I realized that God wanted and needed me to do His work. I had the choice to be sad and deaf or be happy and deaf. My choice wasn’t being deaf but how I responded. God has now led me to a unique ministry in the Lutheran church. I am the only rostered DCE and am leading the only deaf youth program we have. American Sign Language is the primary language in my home (do you want to learn some?).
Bio: I was just a normal girl growing up. Graduated from Christ College, Irvine (now called Concordia, Irvine) with a B.A. as a Director of Christian Education in 1991. I lived my dream of working with youth and doing mission work in Panama. Then God changed plans. I am now the only rostered deaf DCE in the Lutheran church. After becoming deaf, I have worked with deaf young adults, families, and youth in deaf churches. My current work is leading the Deaf Youth Ministry of Texas in Austin, TX which has weekly Bible studies for elementary students through young adults. My husband is deaf and we adopted two deaf sons. God has blessed me and used me in ways I never realized.
Youth and adult sessions recorded at the 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering in Houston, Texas. For more information about the Gathering, visit www.lcmsgathering.com.
