StoryOne Sign Language Scripture for Thailand

In 2013, long-term Christian workers arrived in northern Thailand to minister to the Deaf. They discovered the Deaf didn’t have a Bible in their heart language.

Because of this, the Thai Deaf were largely biblically illiterate and struggled to have a church they could call their own.

Through the generosity of givers like you, Thai Deaf were able to form their own church within one short year; however, they were still largely dependent on others to serve as their “Bible.”

Soon, the church and Christian workers began planning to translate the Bible. At first, workers provided the translation tools, but that didn’t last long.

As Thai Deaf believers studied, they grew in skill, confidence, and independence. This Bible translation transformed them from biblically dependent to empowered.

The church also founded Asia Deaf Theological Training (ADTT) to provide theological education for Deaf church leaders across the Asia-Pacific Rim and beyond.

Through these efforts, biblical literacy has blossomed, leadership has multiplied, and a once-overlooked community is now shaping its own spiritual future.

Thanks to your faithful gifts and prayers, what began as a dream has become a reality! Now, they have the Word of God in a language that speaks to their hearts.

Please join us in prayer:

• Praise the Lord for His work among the Deaf of Thailand and the progress made in translating the Bible.
• Pray that the upcoming ADTT events will bless the nations from which students come.
• Ask Him to use ADTT to grow and empower more Deaf to plant churches and send believers to other nations.

Thank you for your “partnership in the gospel” as we labor together to share the gospel, disciple believers, and multiply churches among the Deaf of Thailand.

*Name changed

“I was perpetually consumed by fear. Darkness enveloped me, and I found no solace in hope,” Emon* said, describing her past life as a Buddhist.

Plagued by sleepless nights, Emon grappled with intrusive thoughts and fears of spirits harming her. But that’s where Emon’s story takes a dramatic turn!

Exhausted by these constant spiritual battles, she finally confided in a friend about her struggles. Her friend offered a simple suggestion: “Why don’t you pray to Jesus tonight?”

”Jesus, please give me peace tonight. Keep the nightmares away. Help me rest in You.”

To her astonishment, she slept soundly—free from fear—and awoke with a sense of tranquility. She approached her friend that very day, learned more about Jesus, and decided to follow Him. For the first time in her life, she experienced true hope and peace.

As Emon tried to grow in Christ, she struggled to understand Jesus’ teachings. The church she attended wasn’t in her heart language because Emon is Deaf.

That’s where you enter Emon’s story!

Emon noticed a Deaf couple signing in the park one day. She stopped to sign with them. The conversation naturally turned to Jesus.

Because of your generosity, the Deaf couple had been trained in Bible storying. They shared story after story about Jesus with Emon over the coming weeks.

“Jesus became alive,” she said as she learned and grew in Christ.

Empowered by God’s Word and the joy it brought her, Emon began sharing Jesus with her friends. Several have already accepted Christ!

Please join us in prayer:

• Pray for Emon’s spiritual growth and that of other new believers.
• Ask God for wisdom as we disciple believers and train leaders for Deaf churches.

Thank you for being so committed to bringing God’s Word to Thailand’s Deaf. Encountering Jesus transformed Emon’s life, as it has countless others. Your gifts and prayers make an eternal difference in their lives.

*Name changed

The Story One Sign Language Scripture for Thailand project took another step toward equipping deaf national believers with Scripture and Scripture tools, and your generosity was the springboard for the forward progress!

Through your support, local IMB workers brought together deaf Thai leaders and believers for a month of theological training based on our team’s scripture translation work. Some deaf leaders from Indonesia also joined.

The training was comprehensive, covering Old Testament Survey, New Testament Survey, biblical doctrines, and missions/church planting, and hermeneutics (how to interpret the Bible). The 15 deaf participants who completed the training left with theoretical knowledge and practical skills that will enable them to utilize the translated Bible stories accurately and effectively in their contexts. Our hope is that this training will lead them to a more comprehensive understanding of biblical messages and empower them in their gospel sharing.

They also left with a book—without words but with icons—that can be used as a tool for remembering and navigating Bible stories as they engage in evangelism, discipleship, church planting, and leadership training. This book, designed specifically for the deaf community, uses visual symbols to represent key biblical stories and concepts, making it easier for them to recall and share these narratives.

Your giving was crucial in making this training a reality. We are so grateful for your support!

Thank you so much for your generosity to this ministry and the Thai Deaf people God calls us to reach with the gospel. Your prayers and sacrificial giving enable long-term workers to evangelize, train disciples, educate church leaders, and provide resources to plant indigenous, Deaf-led, self-sustaining, reproducing Deaf churches using those core stories.

God is at work in the Thai Deaf community. Already this year, Thais have developed 12 videos because of your gifts. The most recent passages they translated and prepared for production are stories introducing the gospel. In addition to video production, Thais led a theological training in July to teach other Deaf from Thailand how to utilize the Scriptures. This training led to two people accepting Christ as Savior. Praise God! A dozen more believers want to form small groups to learn more about the Bible and what it says about Jesus. With your partnership, three Deaf churches in Thailand utilize these Bible videos as a part of their discipleship program. Pray for these new small groups to effectively share the gospel with seeking Thai Deaf and disciple new believers to become healthy church leaders.

God’s Word is spreading. Just as the early churches shared with one another in the spread of the gospel, Thai Deaf are sharing with Indonesian Deaf how to deliver the good news in innovative ways. Thai Deaf have assisted Indonesian nationals in starting their own translation project, with Indonesians already filming 20 Scripture passages. They joined with Indonesians in theological training and now have a Deaf church in Indonesia using these videos to equip and train new believers. Pray for strong leadership among Indonesian Deaf as they produce and utilize videos to share the gospel and strengthen believers.

Thank you for your generosity and prayers. Your sacrificial gifts and intercession are truly transforming lives as we partner together to solve the world’s greatest problem, lostness.