In a very small room, with a computer, two television screens, and a video camera duct-taped to a tripod, a dedicated team of three Cubans work day and night to translate the Bible into Cuban Sign Language.

One translator moved his family across the island of Cuba to begin a Cuban Sign Language Bible translation project three years ago. As a deaf believer, he longed to gain Bible knowledge in the only language he could understand: Cuban Sign Language. But the Bible was only available in written form. This motivated him to become a part of a team that is now translating the Bible into Cuban Sign Language.

Cuba’s Deaf Community

There are over 23,000 deaf people in Cuba and 1,000 of them are believed to be Christians. Currently, they depend on Cuban Sign Language interpreters to translate the songs and messages shared during church services. But Cuba’s deaf Christians long to experience God’s Word for themselves in the language they think, speak, and dream in—Cuban Sign Language.

In 2015, the Cuban Sign Language Bible translation project began. To date, the team has completed translation for the first 12 chapters of Luke. This involves filming translators as they act out the Scriptures in Cuban Sign Language. As portions of the Bible become available on DVD, they are distributed by the Cuban Bible Commission and Cuban Council of Churches to deaf Christians in local churches around the country.

Pray that by 2019, translation, filming, and recording of the remainder of Luke and Acts will be completed!

Will you join us in praying for Cuba’s deaf community to meet Jesus through God’s Word in their heart language?

Pray for:

  • Deaf Communities in Cuba: Pray that their spiritual, emotional, economic, and societal needs will be met. Ask God to transform hearts through the power of his Word in Cuban Sign Language.
  • Cuban Sign Language Translation Team: Pray for strength, stamina, and encouragement as the team members continue this journey of Bible translation. Ask God to provide for them and their families as they give their lives to this mission.
  • Cuban Bible Commission and Cuban Council of Churches: Pray for funds that would enable these two organizations to continue producing and distributing DVD Bibles to Cuba’s deaf community.