At Wycliffe, we gather together a few times a year for Scripture Celebrations: We celebrate with language communities around the world that have reached translation milestones and pray for the work still to be done. Karen Vergara, a speaker at our most recent Scripture Celebration, shared a powerful and personal story that illuminates the critical need for Bible translation in sign languages.

This Scripture Celebration’s theme was "The Greatest Story Ever Told" and focused on the significance of the Bible as a transformative story. Karen's heartfelt testimony about her journey as a mother of a Deaf son highlighted the urgency of reaching Deaf communities with God's Word in a language and format that resonate with them.

A Personal Journey of Faith and Healing

Karen shared that she and her husband, Jorge, welcomed their son Felipe into the world in June 2023. What should have been a joyous time turned into a season of sadness and confusion when they learned, just weeks later, that Felipe was born with permanent hearing loss.

"I was devastated," Karen recounted. "What would life be like for Felipe? Will he have friends? Will he be able to go to school? Will he play sports?"

Karen turned to the Bible for comfort and guidance during this season as she wrestled with her questions and specifically resonated with the Book of Job. Through her exploration of Job’s story, Karen found solace in God’s sovereignty and wisdom.

She also turned to the Book of Psalms for comfort, specifically reflecting on Psalm 139:13-14, as she was reminded that God created Felipe with a purpose from the beginning: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (NIV).

This realization transformed her perspective from questioning God’s will to seeking His purpose. Instead of asking, "Why him? Why us?" Karen began to inquire, "What are you trying to do through Felipe, through us, through me?"

A Call to Action

Karen's journey led her to discover a startling statistic: There are over 70 million Deaf individuals worldwide, and only 2% have been introduced to the gospel.

She was surprised to learn that only one sign language Bible translation has been completed to date — the American Sign Language Version (ASLV), which took more than 30 years to accomplish.

"I had never realized that the Deaf needed a visual translation of the Bible," Karen admitted. "For most Deaf individuals, their heart language is sign language, not spoken or written language."

More than 380 known sign languages are in use around the world today, so the urgency became clear to Karen. This epiphany propelled her and Jorge into action. They made it their mission to connect with the Colombian Sign Language translation team.

The couple’s visit to Colombia allowed them to engage directly with Deaf communities and learn about ongoing translation efforts. Karen recalled, "We met with teachers and young leaders involved in ministries that serve the Deaf with the mission of sharing the gospel." The trip profoundly transformed Karen and Jorge’s hearts, igniting their passion for reaching Deaf communities with the message of Jesus.

The Power of God's Word

Karen’s story exemplifies how having the Bible in your language transforms lives. "If it had not been for having a Bible in a language I understood, I would have missed the invitation that God had made to our family to become ambassadors to the Deaf," she shared.

When Karen was concerned and in need of hope, she turned to God’s Word for comfort and guidance. Her initial questions evolved into a commitment to serve with and advocate for the Deaf. Through Scripture, she gained a deeper understanding of her faith and how God was prompting her into action.

Today she understands that God’s purpose was bigger than she initially imagined: "God had to break my heart for the Deaf by giving me a Deaf son."

This personal experience transformed her family into advocates for a group that has historically been marginalized and overlooked.

Vision 2025: A God-Sized Dream

With only one full sign language Bible complete, Deaf communities represent one of the top five priorities for Wycliffe and our partners. And around the world today, God is raising up local churches to take the lead in Bible translation for their own communities, countries and even entire regions, accelerating the pace like never before.

Vision 2025 is a God-sized vision that seeks to ensure that every language still in need of a Bible translation has a project initiated by the end of 2025. This includes the critical work needed for sign language translations.

Karen is a reminder that God has uniquely equipped each of us to play a role in ensuring that every person can access Scripture in their language. At Scripture Celebration, she encouraged the audience:

Bible translation is about more than Scripture access — it’s about changing hearts, lives and communities through the gospel. You’re invited by God to consider how you can participate in this God-sized dream.

Together we can ensure that the greatest story ever told reaches every person’s heart — including those who communicate through sign language — in a way that resonates deeply with them.