"Where did you find him?": God and ASL (Part 3)

So why three parts? Because I had more thoughts than I had time at a time to write. And because what I wanted to say falls roughly into three points: background, what's going on now, and the obligatory abstract reflections.

Incidentally, this is Christopher writing.

I'm pretty sure we've said this stuff before. Anyway, it won't be news to anyone who follows us that biculturalism guides our thinking re Ellis, a commitment to which the name of this blog attests. But in church, the stakes are raised. We put it to our pastor this way: we want Ellis to know that the gospel is for him, regardless of his culture and language. And we want him to be able to engage the gospel in his own, native language and culture.

So there's that. And then there's the fact that being in a church means being with people. And that means more than just communication, thought it certainly does mean at least that much. What it really means is that Ellis knows he is loved by these people. Realistically, we don't expect anyone to get as good at ASL as we are (not that we're all that good). But Ellis ALREADY sees people's efforts and is responding to them.

The other day we couldn't go to prayer meeting, but Ellis wanted to go. So we sent him with someone else who was coming by. That's right, we sent E to prayer meeting by himself. And he spent the time before and after, while people were chatting, to teach people the signs he was using, starting with the alphabet.

He tells us that he wants to go to church. He talks about it during the week. And this is after only a few weeks attending. So maybe what we're feeling is vindication. We've always said that a little goes a long way, that we don't expect people to master the language but just to try, and that would be enough. And as it turns out, it's more than enough.

We know that eventually Ellis will have to learn how to function in a Hearing world that doesn't understand or won't accomodate itself to him the way we do. We know that eventually he'll be in a church where people don't make this kind of effort. But he'll be an adult by then, and settled in himself and in his relationship to the Gospel. But for now, we think this is the way we, and the Church, fulfill our vow to raise Ellis in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

I'll be writing more on this from time to time. But in the mean time, thanks to everyone who commented on parts one and two of this. Your comments mean a lot to us. And we especially appreciate Deaf people sharing their own experiences growing up. They instruct and encourage us.