Hearing the words of the prophet


On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a scroll, and out of their gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see. 
 - Isaiah 29:18


More than 150 students are enrolled at the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf in Amman, Jordan. Brother Andrew says the Institute works with 60 partners in the region to locate people who are sensory impaired or who are multi-disabled.


Nadia (with Brother Andrew above) was deaf and became blind at age 20. At the institute, she has become a substitute mother for many of the small children.


In addition to its work with students, the institute provides teacher and technician training for others who work with the 15-20,000 people who are deaf in Jordan. The institute trains sign language interpreters at the university and is in the process of publishing a sign language dictionary as part of celebrating its 50th anniversary.


Recently, Brother Andrew has caught a vision for taking the institute’s services to the nearby Syrian refugee camp. He has just opened a new center there.


I am pleased that the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf is a Mennonite Central Committee Global Family Project. MCC has helped fund an exercise area for children who are both deaf and blind.


In Isaiah 29, the prophet points to a day when the deaf shall hear and the blind shall see. At the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf, the prophet’s words are becoming a reality. 
Ron Byler is executive director for Mennonite Central Committee U.S. 



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