Signs of Peace ~ ABC

April 2012 Volume 1, Issue 2

The Bucklews in East Africa Evangelism in Sign

around 20-30 attending to have their free tea and time to play amongst each other. During this time we have passed out many bible tracts and watched several bible videos in ASL. Daily I am able to meet deaf as I walk the streets no matter where I am. Last month I was in a village just outside of Addis Ababa when a young guy came up to me begging. You see I was only 1 white foreigner among several but for some reason this guy walked straight up to me. He held out his hand and as I looked at him he began to point at his ears and shook his head no. I immediately started signing to him and he was frozen in amazement. I handed him a bible tract and he was so thrilled! I told him that the image he worships the one with the man on the cross that He is Lord! He said ok ok, as his signing ability was very low. He held the bible tract and walked off without begging anyone. The Lord is working among this people group in E Africa. The gospel is going forth among the deaf and we know that our God has a people among them. For if faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (rom. 10:17) then how will these people know if we dont teach them a language in which the Gospel can be presented to them? Join us!

Areas of tract distribution Mekelle Maichew Hagere Selam Addis Abeba Sebeta

This has been a very busy quarter for us! Starting out the new year with the celebration of Ethiopian Christmas, and traveling to Addis Ababa to look into some partnerships for the support of deaf children. We have had several great opportunities to do evangelism among the deaf and pass out bible tracts! In January my good friend Mussie and I went by motorbike to the town of Maichew for the Regional sports championships and attended the deaf Olympics for our region. We were able to meet many deaf from all over the state and pass out many bible tracts and have many great discussions of our Lord Jesus Christ! Our Tea Time program every Saturday in the new Location is a huge success! We often have

Signs of Peace focus areas Mekelle (City-cafe) Hagere Selam (Village-center) Addis Abeba (Partnerships)

Inside this issue: Evangelism in Sign 1 Partnerships 1

Pictures all around 2 Hagere Selam Pro- 3 ject Center

Signs of Peace Ministry Cafe

Partnerships in Commission and Compassion

Our work with Deaf Child Hope is beginning to expand as we make partnerships with local ministries in the desire to reach deaf children with the Gospel and with aid. Our work is allowing us to expand even our ministry to involve these partnerships and one being Operation Rescue Ethiopia. The thing about Ethiopia is that there are no organizations or ministries currently working with deaf people. There are some but they are not Gospel focused or biblically sound. So we are beginning to work with some ministries who are zealous for Christ and for the care of children. We will be training staff in sign language and providing a deaf teacher to work with them as they begin to work with deaf children. This has also introduced us to some heads of the local evangelical associations. One problem we see is that if the deaf children were encouraged to attend church where would they go and even if they did how could they understand. So in the next few months we will be holding sign language classes for the local evangelical churches to train believers within the church here to be able to translate or teach deaf that might attend their services.
Our goal is not to grow our ministry in numbers but to give deaf people the opportunity to receive the Gospel and be made disciples of Christ!

3 3

Prayer points

Contact information 4 and Chronicles of JR

Signs of Peace ~ ABC

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Photos all around!!!!

Thanks to Antioch Baptist Church for sending many supplies and nice things in January.

Volume 1, Issue 2

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Hagere Selam Project Center

Our Hagere Selam Project Center has begun and is a huge joy for us! The kids are growing in their understanding of sign and we see their desire to communicate growing weekly. They are beginning to correct each other on their mistakes, and even starting to walk and spend time together outside of our programs. Every week we meet on Fridays at 9:00am and have language training until lunch time. We hope to be operating a full day starting on June 1, 2012. We will have Language training from 8:30-10:00am and have tea and play time until 10:30 then start back with sign until 12:00pm. The kids will then get to eat a hot lunch and then at 2:00pm we will start our work skills training. Teaching the girls to make baskets and clothes, etc. Also teaching the boys how to handle chickens and other work. We will end the Friday program at 5:00pm. The Lord has really blessed us so far with our work in Hagere Selam. Unlike any other deaf ministry in Ethiopia we never hesitated to share the Gospel or pass out tracts. While others remain silent on this one controversial element (the Gospel) in order to keep their standing with local government heads and continue to be allowed in the community. We have given all of these officials their very own Gospels of John. We have also prayed in several of the deaf kids homes with their families, and introduced Douglas the missionary from the International Fellowship to them. He came and had many great opportunities to evangelize. Pray for us as we continue to work with these dear people in Hagere Selam, and for their understanding of Sign to be broad and their ability to understand the Gospel when presented to be clear!

Signs of Peace Ministry Caf

Hot Tea! Fresh Donuts! Order up for Table 3!!! These loud phrases and commands are things you would probably not hear at our caf . Instead the flowing and waving of hands from one worker to the next, and the sights of the Amharic Sign Language Bible playing on our screen would be more like it! Although we have had a rough time getting our Caf opened we have had some great experiences along the way. While we do open every day with prayer we also get to share the Gospel all through out the day with deaf and hearing alike. Gospels of John are present along with many other tracts, dvds in sign, and Daily Devotion booklets. For the hearing they can sit and hear the sound of good Christian music playing and have the freedom to read their bibles, and even have the opportunity to share Christ with others. As so many cafs in town do not allow our friends to have their bibles open or the freedom to speak of Christ. Our caf allows for our dear brothers and sisters from local evangelical churches to meet and discuss in freedom. More so with encouragement! This month is going to be a very exciting month as we begin to have more outreach in the caf! We will be starting our mens bible study back up and be meeting weekly in the SOP caf! Please continue to pray for us as we share the Gospel of Christ from this ministry point.

many cafs in town do not allow our friends to have their bibles open or the freedom to speak of Christ.

Points of Prayer and SOP Caf devo times Evangelism in the City of Mekelle and a strong deaf believer who can work with us Expansion into new areas in the south Mens Bible Study New compound for the Hagere Selam Project Center Sign language training for evangelicals during the Summer Potential travels to the U.S. in the fall Thursday 4:30pmDeaf Devo Saturday 10:30am(English Devo pending) Saturday 3:00pm-5:00pmTea Time for the Deaf

Signs of Peace
Correspondence
Jonathan R Bucklew P.O. Box 1925 Mekelle, Ethiopia Tigray Phone: +251914420321 Email: bucklewjonathan@yahoo.com

Signs of Peace is a ministry of Antioch Baptist Church in Minden, Louisiana. All projects and outreach are done under the council and leadership of ABC. All doctrine, teachings, and project work are done in agreement with the Statement of Faith held by ABC which is the current SBC Statement of Faith which can be found at www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp The purpose of our ministry is to Worship God by preaching the Gospel to the lost and letting our Faith in Christ be revealed by the works we do. At this current time our projects are focused in on the deaf children of Ethiopia. Support can be sent to: Antioch Baptist Church 11812 Hwy 80 Minden, La 71055 Checks made out to: Antioch Baptist Church (with Ethiopia missions in the memo)

I will show you my Faith by my works. ~ James 2:14-26

Were on facebook! Just search for Signs of Peace http://www.antiochbaptistminden.org/Outreach_Ministries.php

The Chronicles of J.R. Bucklew

leave not only his home but his bed! Alemyeu is always rejoicing in the Lord and is in constant prayer and worship. He even says that he thinks the pain he feels in his back at night is the Lord waking him to remind him to pray. This man who cannot do anything has remained faithful to the Lord in prayer, the reading of Gods Word, and faithful to share Christ with all who visit him. Alemyeu now has an amazing childrens ministry that many who have full mobility and resources would just love to have. Weekly he teaches over 80 children bible stories and the things of Christ. He holds parent meetings to explain the progress of the kids and even shares the Gospel with them during these meetings. This man who cannot leave his bed has a ministry that has been given him by God. Alemyeu has been a testimony to me that I do not have to have an amazing program or organization to build a successful ministry, but only a heart that desires God, His Word, and the preaching of His Son. If I remain faithful in these things the Lord will build the ministry Himself! Next month I travel to Romania to meet my home church and I am sure I will meet deaf there. It is an exciting time to be ministering to the deaf. I want to say that it is because the project is growing and many things are happening. While this is true I know it is because I have been working on turning my focus from the success of this ministry to simply desiring God! I ask that you pray and make that your primary focus in your support of our ministry. That you simply desire God and let Him use you in the support of this ministry in his way. -JR

I have talked much in this article about Evangelism to the deaf. I have been so captivated lately in how the Lord equips the called! Then seeing Him work these things out in my life have been truly heart molding. There is an Ethiopian brother named Alemyeu who lives just outside of Addis Ababa. He has been paralyzed for the last 15 years and cannot sit up, but only remains laying down on his bed daily. You would think that the Lord could not use this man who is immobile and not able to

Shall not the Lamb receive the full reward for His suffering?