Idalia’s Story

Idalia, a beautiful young woman in her early twenties, lost her hearing at a very young age and had never learned sign language. She spent nearly her entire life isolated at home. With no way to communicate with her family, Idalia cried herself to sleep every night.

From the moment I met Idalia, my prayer each day was, “Lord, what about Idalia?” Soon afterwards, I took her and her mother to a special needs’ center run by a missionary, where a team of Nicaraguan professionals assessed her abilities and helped formulate a plan. The Lord provided a sponsor for Idalia, and she began taking private sign language classes in her home. She also began working with a Christian psychologist to help her deal with many emotional issues such as anxiety and the loneliness of isolation.

I still recall Idalia’s first spontaneous conversation as she looked down at her sign language teacher’s white tennis shoes, and joked, “Your shoes are dirty!” The next step for Idalia was to attend classes at the school for the deaf.

Her mother also attended a separate class and learned sign language. In December 2021, Idalia graduated from sixth grade. She recently joined one of my sewing classes and has been learning a new skill while making beautiful things. Idalia’s story is unfolding into a beautiful design!

An Unreached People Group

An estimated 600,000 deaf persons live in Nicaragua and the majority are left without services to meet their needs. Among these, more than 60% lack basic communication skills and are isolated even within their own families. The deaf population is an unreached group of people in which many of its members have yet to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Our vision is to reflect the light of Jesus Christ which shines as a beacon of hope, giving light to all who walk in darkness. We desire to display God’s love to those who are deaf and disabled, forgotten and unattended, and restore value to their lives through their identification as children of God.

We are making an impact in the deaf community through teaching sign language classes to the deaf and their family members. Deaf students are learning to communicate and are belonging to a community in which they can communicate with others in sign language. Deaf students also participate in art, sewing, and cooking classes.

Sponsors Needed!

Opportunities exist to sponsor a deaf student to attend the School for the Deaf in Managua. Students who graduate from the School for the Deaf are qualified to attend a university, with the help of an interpreter, and obtain employment.

Would you please pray about supporting a Nicaraguan in need of learning sign language?  Your gift of support can change the life of someone today!

For more information on sponsoring a student, contact us at “krandall.nica @ gmail.com” (remove the spaces in the email name before sending email).

A Special Need

We are in need of a passenger van to transport deaf and hearing students to various locations throughout the week.  Whether going to sign language classes, to the supermarket, to the medical clinic, to sewing, art and cooking classes, or to see and experience the beautiful world which God created, we cannot get there without sufficient transportation.  Our goal is $46,000. Would you please prayerfully consider giving towards this need?

Deaf sewing school student
with a beautiful hand towel
she made in class

Sign language class – making a real difference for the deaf and their families