“Joy in the room” – your letters delivered to deaf Christians in Central Asia

When we invited you to send letters to deaf believers in Central Asia, the response was incredible, with so many of you taking time to write to them. These have now been handed out, and here’s a glimpse into how they’ve been received…

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More than a thousand letters and cards written by you and other supporters worldwide have been delivered to deaf Christians in Central Asia – and what joy they’ve brought!

In parts of the region, being deaf carries a stigma that brings discrimination and isolation. Deaf people can struggle to find work, which affects income, and because they can’t read and write, there’s a lack of access to training and education. The challenges can be heightened for those who leave Islam to follow Jesus.

This is why the letter-writing campaign was created, to encourage these believers in their faith and God-given identities and callings.

Connected in Christ

“I could see so much joy in the room!” said Jan*, who works for Open Doors and is connected with local partners. “I wish I could share the photos of their faces, but it would be unwise to do so. They can be persecuted or discriminated [against] if their new faith in Jesus is found out.”

“Our contacts translated the written words from English into Russian and then into local sign language,” he explains. “Seeing the reactions, conversations and feelings the letters inspired was just wonderful. I thought to myself, here is the global church family coming together, connected in love and in Christ!”

The distribution was the first one of many that took place last year and into 2024. Thank you so much for spending time writing letters to your sisters and brothers in Central Asia, and elsewhere across the world through our other campaigns. This campaign for deaf believers has closed, but there are other opportunities to write to your persecuted family. Head to our letter-writing page to find out more.

*Name changed for security reasons