Silent Matters

It has been a week since the Pastor’s Retreat (and a very busy week) but I have an hour before I have to go out so I will try to post some pictures of the wonderful time we had together. Donnie and Irma Wiltshire were, again, wonderful, wonderful hosts (thanks to BSCNC as well) and it is always a blessing to gather, fellowship, pray, worship, and (thanks to the Marsha’s memory) sing together. This conference was also special because two deaf missionaries from Honduras were also with us, Melvin and Wendy.

let me post some pictures:

Kevin, Debbie, Glenda, and Bo

Donnie's Idea of Olympic Competition (Kinna)

Donnie, Irma, and Gena

Mmmm... lunch on Lake Lure

All play and no work makes Jack a difficult report

Melvin and Wendy

Go Fish

You will be missed!

Jerry and Leona Potter will be moving to a little Dutch town in Northern Washington. They will be greatly missed. It was a wonderful blessing to have had fellowship with them once again before they moved.

Hello, everyone! Jim Walterhouse here. I want to thank Dale for allowing me the privilege of posting on ‘Silent Matters’.

If you read the post that Dale made about me you will know that our family served as missionaries to the deaf in Mexico for nine years. Although I am now pastor of a deaf work in S. Texas, I am still involved in missions work in Mexico, and our oldest son and his family are now raising support to go to Mexico as missionaries to the deaf also. Missions is a subject that is very close to my heart, especially deaf missions. Without a doubt the greatest mission field in the world is the deaf community.

I want to encourage each of you to consider what your involvement should be in missions work. Not everyone can be a missionary in a foreign country, but everyone should have a part in foreign missions work. Let me share with you some ways that you can be involved in deaf missions:

1. The most important thing that you can do is PRAY FOR YOUR MISSIONARIES! Missionaries are not “SuperChristians”. They have the same aches and pains, the same worries, the same sin problems (!) and they even have to pay their bills like the rest of us do. Their cars break down, they have a ‘fit’ with the wife or husband once in a  while, they get discouraged, and they sometimes want to quit. Yes, missionaries need prayer!

2. Communicate with your missionaries! Get the e-mail or mailing addresses of some of the missionaries to the deaf and write to them. Let them know you are praying for them. Send them a ‘care package’ once in a while (Check with them first! Sometimes they have to pay heavy taxes on packages and it is better to just send them a special offering instead.) I cannot tell you how many times I felt alone and discouraged on the mission field and my day was brightened by one person who took time to write to me and tell me that they were praying for me.

3. Support your missionaries! Encourage your church to be involved in the Lottie Moon offering for missions. Consider special offerings for your missionaries from time to time.

4. Visit the mission field! Nothing will give you a ‘heart for missions’ like a visit to the mission field. Your life will be challenged and your viewpoint on life will be changed by a visit to the deaf missions and churches in other countries. Who knows, maybe God will call YOU to be a missionary to the deaf!

Let me close with this- the question is not ‘if’…, it is not ‘how’…, it is not ‘why’…, but it is WILL you be involved in deaf missions? Jesus said the field is ready for harvest, but the laborers are few. Let’s all do our part to share the Gospel with the deaf of the world.

On Saturday, our church was went to the JAARS (Jungle Aviation And Radio Service) Deaf Day and it made a wonderful impression on our members and other churches that attended. the JAARS encampment is locted an hour south of uptown Charlotte (where our church is located) in a beautiful dense forest.  This seems ideal for the training JAARS provides for missionaries. For a more thorough history of JAARS, visit this link. We met in the morning and were greeted by around 50 people from several Deaf churches around the city and and had several very interesting messages regarding why JAARS is in existence, but also Wycliffe Bible Translation as well.

The first presentation was on why it is important to use the ‘vernacular language” when ministering to different cultures and this was exactly the same message Aric Randolph gave at the SBCD. “Vernacular language” means “heart language” and I believe that the deaf hearing his (names forthcoming) presentation understood exactly what he meant having lived this everyday.

There was a wonderful skit that morning also demonstrating the burden that missionaries carry when they go to a far-off village and are pushed to quickly translate the Bible into the vernacular language. A young volunteer, Ron Caughman,  came up to act as the missionary called out to a obscure village in Northern Africa to translate the Bible, but he also found that, along with his work as a translator, he would also work as the carpenter, reading teacher, homeschooler, doctor, financer, editor, father of six, and husband. The point of the skit was to show the need for other volunteers to help ease the burden on many missionaries around the world. Ron did a good job in the skit and throughout all the burden he carried, kept copying the translation of the Bible.

Shawn Collins

After the skit, we moved to another building to listen to a presentation by Shawn Collins. This presentation was very interesting because in included a new concept of using technology to create 3D animation to translate the Bible. How the Technology works would take several years of college study, but Shawn explained to us laymen the goal of the program was to create a software that would allow the creation of signing in different sign languages around the world. He explained that there are around 300 to

Dee Collins

400 different signed languages around the world and that this software would provide a safe alternative to using locals on video. Often when locals who speak the vernacular language sign on video, opposing religions would hunt them down and kill them so it is often hard and dangerous using locals to create Bible videos using signs. Everyone really loved this concept and look forward to see the finished product. You can see an example of the work at Shawn’s blog. Shawn and his wife, Dee, are a wonderful asset to our Christian Deaf community in Charlotte and we are so blessed to know them.

After lunch, we all went down to the JAARS hangar to prepare to be boarded onto the helicopter for a thrilling ride (3 at a time). The heat and humidity that day was high, but it did not dampen our spirits. It was also a good time to fellowship. We did not have enough time to tour the museums, but will next time we visit.

From all us here at FBC Charlotte Deaf Mission, many thanks to JAARS, Shawn and Dee, and the interpreters who volunteered their time there. God bless you all.

Let me introduce you to a wonderful brother of mine, Jim Walterhouse. We met on the Baptist Board several years ago where Jim was a regular contributor and clicked right off. We have been prayer partners from afar over the few years and finally last month met at the SBCD in St. Louis. It was wonderful finally meeting him in person. I asked him if he would like to be a contributor to Silent Matters and he agreed. Let me me take his “About” information from his website Deaf4Christ.org:

The Walterhouses

About us – Let me begin by introducing you to our family. Jim (that’s me) is tall, dark, and handsome. Well, two out of three isn’t too bad- I’ll let you guess which two! I was born in Indiana and graduated from Tennessee Temple University in 1982. My wife Debbie is a Georgia peach. We met at Temple and got married in 1979. We have two sons, Jonathan and Joshua. Jonathan is married to Michelle and they currently reside in Tennessee while on deputation as missionaries to Mexico. They are also parents of our first grandchild- Jaiden Paul. Joshua is still living at home with us. He is in 12th grade in our home schooling program, and plans to attend Bible college next year.

About our ministry in Mexico – After working with the deaf (starting deaf ministries in churches) in the USA for 15 years, in November of 1997 the Lord saw fit to call us to work with the deaf in Mexico. In January of 1999, we arrived on the field to attend language school in Saltillo. In November of that same year, we moved to Tampico and began the ministry of Iglesia Bautista ‘El Faro’ para sordos (Lighthouse Baptist Church for the deaf). We also have a mission church to the deaf in the city of Ciudad Mante, teach a class on Mexican Sign Language (LSM) to the students in the Baptist Bible Institute in Mante, and direct a camp for the deaf every summer.

About our people – There are anywhere between 6-7 million deaf in Mexico. The majority of them have very little education, and thus very little hope for decent employment. Many live with family and are completely dependent upon others for their subsistence. But that is not their biggest problem. Their biggest problem is the lack of knowledge of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. In all of Mexico there are very few Gospel preaching churches with an outreach to the deaf, only about 7 Baptist churches for the deaf, and less than 20 independent Baptist missionaries to the deaf (including their families). Truly this is a field ‘white unto the harvest.’

Jim was called a few months ago to pastor the Deaf Ministry at the McAllen Baptist Temple in McAllen, Texas but he still sneaks across the border to cast the gospel net whenever he has the chance. Last week he went to a camp there and reports 109 came with 7 accepting Christ as their Lord and Savior. Now he is hopping the Rio Grande once again to help start a new Deaf ministry in Reynosa, Mexico. Pray for his ministry and welcome him to Silent Matters!

It had been my goal to live blog the conference this year, but it turned out to be quite an overwhelming task for one not disciplined in such a practice. I have decided to give reflections on different parts of the conference I attended and some of the unique people I have met there. I have been to many Baptist conferences as well as a few other denominations but have not yet come across one so organized and maintained as SBCD 2008. I have not had the fortune of attending one before, but was very impressed. Jim Walterhouse, Pastor of McAllen Baptist Temple and missionary to Mexico, told me he had the same first impression. Hats off to President Aric Randolph and the executive committee and trustees as well as the host church FBC Arnold.

Some Reflections:

The atmosphere at SBCD was mainly that of brotherly love for each other. Many had been coming to SBCD for years. When Larry White’s son was giving a prayer, Tim Bender Pastor of Louisville Baptist Deaf Church,  told me that he remembered Aric when he was that age and standing up speaking at SBCD and now he is the president. Carter Bearden was there as well and when Donnie Wiltshire gave the history of SBCD he showed Carter pictured standing with the group at the 4th conference 56 years ago.

One of the joys of SBCD I experienced was seeing all the missionaries home. I wish I could name them all, but am really terrible with names. If you ever go to SBCD, be sure to listen to what they say. I know it is a joy to serve the Lord in foreign lands, but it can be very, as one missionary said, lonely. I believe that is why the missionaries enjoy coming to the SBCD so much as Paul said, “that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” (Rom 1:12) I actually believe this is true for everyone who attends SBCD, but expecially for the missionaries.

It was a joy seeing many old friends again and meeting new ones who share the same passion for Christ. I believe I have made some very strong friendships and strengthened others I have had for years. I could not grow weary of hearing the testimonies of so many who gave their lives to Christ for his work. I have really been encouraged by their faith and I pray I can encourage them some way as well.

Donnie Wiltshire was the speaker to the Pastor and Missionaries Fellowship and I really enjoyed his leadership. He is a great example of humble leadership through service. He spoke to the pastors and missionaries regarding their health; physically, spiritually, and in the church. It was a great time together encouraging eachother in the Word.

The evening began with an introduction to the missionary needs of Central Eastern Europe with Severa Trevino speaking from experience and of God’s work in the region. Severa wore traditional Romanian clothes and gave a testimony of the power of prayer and giving.

Ricky Milford, pastor of Faith Baptist Deaf Mission in Alabama. He gave a wonderful message the importance of faith and what it means to us. He read from Hebrews 11:1-2 and said the beginning point of faith is believing in God’s Character and in his promises. He also said that the test of our faith is if we hold to it when the times are hardest. He gave seven points we should follow to increase our faith:

1. Think about God more (Ps 1:2) – That we should mediate on God’s character and marvel at his perfections (Is 26:3)

2. Look more to God (Hebrews 12:2) – Stop looking to the world for answers but turn to God face to face

3. Hear more from God (Ps 85:5) – Don’t let yourself be distracted from God when you are so enamored in the things of the world (TV, Pagers, Internet…)

4. Say more to God (Acts 1:8) – Spend more time in prayer whenever you can.

5. Do more through God (Phil 4:13) – Stop putting off things and believe God will empower you

6. Do more with God (Is 48:17) – Without God, people lose direction in life and faith

7. Be more like God (1 Pet 2:4) – Our faith grows as we follow him.

When Ricky finished his message, Aric Randolph (President of SBCD and pastor of New Life Deaf Fellowship of Fort Worth, Texas) gave a stirring tribute to the power of the Bible and how we tend to try to “improve” the Bible message through our worldly ways. Aric called on all people of God to let the Bible do what it has the power to do alone; change hearts toward God. He reminded us that the Bible was powerful and also trustworthy (inerrant). He pointed out that if the Bible could have mistakes here and there and be right in other places, who has the right to decide which is right and which is wrong. (Let me add that if the Bible could be wrong in one place, it could be wrong in any place because it loses credibility). Aric reminded us that when Jesus was tempted by the devil (Matt 4:1-11) he used Scripture to rebuke the devil every time. We should copy Jesus in that we always should look to Scripture every time we are facing trials. Aric closed with a passage in 2 Timothy 3:5, “having a form of godliness but denying the power.” We need to stop being Christians who fear the world over the Word.

What a wonderful night of worship! I had forgotten to bring my camera, but more will come tomorrow. Now to bed…

As you know, many countries in Asia ban the Bible and Christian missionaries from their countries. I asked one missionary from the Asia region at SBCD how they kept their ministry flourishing when the country kept such a strict watch over preaching God’s Word. She told me that they would meet in the park and have Bible study together and the police would show and even watch while they taught the gospel then leave when they got bored. The police did not know sign language so didn’t know what they were saying. If they knew that the gospel is what is being taught to the deaf, it would be immediate imprisonment, but because the police could not understand the conversation going on, they were ignorant. It reminded me of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were thrown into a fiery furnace and left to die, but they were not harmed, as Nebuchadnezzar noticed,

“I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” (Dan 3:25)

Imagine the fiery hatred of the Truth surrounding these and they policemen had the authority to imprison anyone suspected of such gospel preaching, but in plain daylight in a public place they were openly preaching the gospel to the Deaf.

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psa 18:2)

After a long drive from Charlotte, we made it safe and sound in St. Louie. Really enjoyed seeing the various changes in landscape and got a chance to try the Kentucky BBQ. It was quite a  trip, but I was glad when it ended. There is just enough fun one can take in one day. The hotel, Ramada Inn, is a comfortable enough place but I could sleep on a log if I am tired enough. Saw my good brother Rocky Shifflett.

more to come…

No, I did not take this picture

I spoke with Aric Randolph, pastor of New Life Deaf Fellowship and president of SBCD, about live blogging the SBCD sessions this year. For you who are not familiar with “live blogging”, it is writing about what the conference speakers are saying while the conference is in session. I will also be taking pictures and publishing them on this Silent Matters. If you are interested in what is happening at SBCD, check out Silent Matters beginning Saturday and I will keep you updated.

This morning I was reading Al Mohler’s post on the government’s control of the school systems and parent’s lack of input in this. Dr. Mohler was citing a column by the Boston Globe’s Jeff Jacoby in which he quotes John Edwards regarding schools teaching same-sex marriage literature at an early age:

former senator John Edwards promptly replied. “I want my children . . . to be exposed to all the information . . . even in second grade . . . because I don’t want to impose my view. Nobody made me God. I don’t get to decide on behalf of my family or my children. . . . I don’t get to impose on them what it is that I believe is right.” None of the other candidates disagreed, even though most of them say they oppose same-sex marriage.

John Edwards does not think he should “impose” his views or beliefs on his own children. Seems that he means the best option is to leave it up to the world to bring up his children, but the Bible commands us to train our children “in the way he should go” (Prov 22:6). Maybe Edwards was saying that his children can make their own decisions in what is right and wrong, but again, the Bible tells us in Proverbs 29:15 that “A child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” Proverbs 29:15 also speaks of “the rod and reproof give wisdom” but this does not mean beatings, but if we look to 2 Timothy 3:16, we find Paul telling Timothy that Scripture can be used “for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” So we can see the rod as not for beating with (as many misunderstand), but for correction as the rod was used to turn sheep to the right path and for protection not to beat them with.

So, as Christian parents, we do not say we have a right to decide what our children learn, but we have a God-given command to raise our children in Truth for as we belong to children