Jade will never forget the first time she encountered God’s Word in her heart language. Instead of holding a Bible in her hands, she watched the Scriptures on the big screen, brought to life by Vietnamese Sign Language interpreters.

“My heart was overwhelmed,” Jade said. When she returned to her village, she saved enough money to buy a smartphone, which allowed her to access the Bible stories translated and published by Vietnam Bible Society. “I’ve watched each video more than 10 times,” she said. “It is so wonderful to meditate on the Word of God at home. I hope to have more Bible story videos.”

For international Deaf communities, Bible translation has been a long time coming. Five percent of the world’s population experiences disabling hearing loss, and millions of people communicate, think, and pray in Sign Language. But for most of the Deaf population, the Bible is still only available in a written format. For those who can read, the printed Bible often lacks life and clarity. For those who cannot, God’s Word remains out of reach.

Today 35 Sign Languages have access to some Scripture. But 275 languages are still waiting, making the world’s 300 million Deaf people one of the largest unreached people groups.

But thanks to you, change is coming! Deaf communities are celebrating the completion of the American Sign Language Version (ASLV), the first complete translation of God’s Word into a Sign Language—a project taking 53 translators and 38 years to complete.

With the ASLV Bible completed, future Sign Language translation projects have a template to follow. Technological advances and growing digital access in Deaf communities will accelerate the distribution of God’s Word.

Thanks to your generosity, people like J.P., a young Deaf man, are seeing their lives transformed. “I become so engrossed in it that I watch some parts over and over again,” he says. “Sign Language is beautiful and exciting, and it draws me into God’s Word.”

Thank you for bringing the Bible to life for Deaf brothers and sisters around the world!