“The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” Matthew 11:5
Meet Angelina. She is unforgettable.
Angelina lives in Uganda and was born without the ability to hear. In her community, being deaf is often associated with being “cursed”.
Many children with deafness struggle with abuse and mistreatment in this community. Pastor Raphael, the pastor of King Jesus Church in Busega, was burdened with the reality that children who are deaf are some of the most vulnerable in Uganda, many even abandoned as orphans. In partnership with King Jesus Church, the Busega Community School for the Deaf was born out of this need.
God arranged the intersection of Angelina’s life with the Busega Community School for the Deaf.
As the doors to the school first opened, Angelina was among twelve other girls and boys to enter. King Jesus Church discipled these children with the truth that they were created in the image of God. Angelina began to see her value and worth in Christ. For the first time, she learned to communicate through sign language and received an education from Christ-followers who loved her and taught her about the Messiah. Angelina began to thrive in the love and acceptance found at the Busega Community School for the Deaf and King Jesus Church.
Angelina became a mother at a young age to a beautiful baby girl, Pearl, who was born blind.
There was much difficulty for this young mother, who is deaf, to communicate with her baby girl, who is blind. Yet, Pearl’s birth brought the opportunity for King Jesus Church to reach out to children and their families who are without sight.
(un)adopted, Lifeline’s international orphan care ministry, recently expanded the school for the deaf through Pastor Raphael’s leadership.
The school now teaches and disciples children who are blind. Angelina and her daughter, Pearl, are now able to communicate with one another for the first time through tactile signing and are receiving love and support from King Jesus Church.
From stories like Angelina’s, we are seeing the Lord work through the Church as Lifeline is “equipping the Body of Christ to manifest the Gospel to vulnerable children.” God designed the Church to be on the front lines. Pastor Raphael, our dear brother and partner, knows the importance of this truth as his church has wrapped around the needs of Angelina, Pearl, Angelina’s mother, and many more families in the community. Angelina and Pearl are now members of King Jesus Church, where Angelina surrendered to the lordship of Christ and is raising Pearl to know the hope of living in Christ. Both are thriving as they receive an education and form new friendships. Angelina radiates the joy and redemption of Christ. Since Pastor Raphael along with the loving community in Busega have welcomed Angelina, Pearl and Angelina’s mom has begun hearing the Gospel.
Angelina’s story is not about the challenges she has faced. Rather, the most important truth to know about her is that God has redeemed her pain and is using her unique abilities to proclaim the good news of the Gospel.
As we enter into this season of celebrating the birth of Christ, we rejoice! We give thanks that our hope is a King and a High Priest who personally came to redeem our lives.
Thank you…
You are helping to equip the Body of Christ to manifest the Gospel to vulnerable children.