The Importance of Intentional Ministry for Deaf Children
January 26, 2021
About the Executive Director
Thank you for clicking the URL to my blog. Let me give you a glimpse into who I am and what I do. My name is Tanya Polstra and I am the Executive Director of Silent Blessings Deaf Ministries. Our founder, Marshall Lawrence, is retiring from his role and is mentoring me. I am deeply thankful for his wisdom and his leadership; especially, his heart for all parents of Deaf and hard-of-hearing children. I want to take this opportunity to recognize Mr. Lawrence and the Board of Directors for their humble servant hearts to acknowledge the importance of Deaf people leading ministry organizations. It is not being put in practice often because many deaf organizations around the world are still led by hearing people. I am deeply grateful for their support and their desire to see changes in this world.
I am Deaf and was born and raised in Southern California. The city of Riverside is my hometown. Because my mother is Deaf, American Sign Language (ASL) is my first language. I was born hearing and became Deaf when I was 3 years old. I am currently living in Indianapolis. I am married to a wonderful Deaf man and together we have three children (born in 2016, 2018, and 2020).
From the Executive’s Heart
I have decided to start writing a blog post every month. The blog will be done in two different languages: English print and a video in American Sign Language (ASL). There will be no captions or voice-over in the video.
The things I plan to write about are focused on reframing the misconceptions about the deaf, nurturing deaf children and their families, inner transformation, encouraging the development of Deaf leadership, and increasing awareness about Deaf children, including those who identify as hard-of-hearing and have other disabilities. My deepest desire is to see Deaf children being equipped to achieve their full potential. This can only be achieved through the provision of full access to sign language in their environment. If you are thinking about full access as talking and signing at the same time, this is not what I mean. It is not full access. American Sign Language (ASL) is a real, complete, natural language. I will discuss this more in a later post. Please stay tuned.
We must adapt to those unlike ourselves in order to fulfill the mission. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
You might find my blog posts very confronting. Please be assured that they are written out of love and a desire for all Deaf and hard-of-hearing children to have a place in the body of Christ. You will also find me sharing quotes from advocates and authors that I highly respect. They are living proof of fulfilling their passion, their voice for marginalized people, and their actions of love for deaf people and people with disabilities.
To be honest, I was hesitant about writing a blog because I have never written a blog before. It was my newborn daughter, Violetta, who inspired me to start this blog. When I learned that she has bilateral hearing loss (above 90 decibels on both ears), I knew I am where I’m supposed to be.
When I learned that Silent Blessings Deaf Ministries was seeking a new Executive Director, I was very interested. After the second interview process with the committees, I learned that I was pregnant with my daughter. I was not sure about this whole thing because that means I have new changes coming. I prayed to God asking if this is right for me? My husband believes in this ministry as much as I do. I reached out to Mr. Lawrence for his wisdom. I also reached out to the CEO of Deaf Missions, Chad Entinger, for prayer support, and to my close friends and former colleagues for their insightful opinions. I wanted to make sure that I am being held accountable. I know this is going to be a very challenging road ahead of me for 3 reasons: (1) This is a non-profit organization ministry. (2) This ministry field is the most neglected and overlooked around the world. (3) This organization is dealing with seven different influences that frame negative perceptions of deafness. So, it was God and me for 3 long weeks. Finally, I gave it to God, “If I am not the person for this role, please close the door.” I went on my third round of interviews. When my daughter Violetta was born, I knew why God didn’t close the door. I knew that I had to do something. This is a start.
God designed people as He wants them, for His glory. (Ex 4:11)
I have three children. My oldest old son has unilateral hearing loss (deaf in his left ear). When the audiologist confirmed his decibels, I decided to do my research on unilateral hearing loss. Who did I go to first? Adults who have unilateral hearing loss. They are the experts, not the doctors or audiologists. What I have learned is that 10 out of 12 adults I have talked to wished they learned sign language even though they had a hearing aid or a cochlear implant. They shared their experiences in the classroom, social life, and relationships with family at home. I saw their inner wounds. I realized the best thing that my husband and I can do is give our son the richness of both languages: spoken/written English and American Sign Language (ASL). We are giving him the best of both worlds by exposing him to both languages. We want him to make a decision on his own identity when he grows up. He will either identify as Deaf or hearing or hard-of-hearing. My second son is hearing.
My daughter Violetta did not respond to the screening hearing test taken twice at the hospital. She was referred to an audiologist. At her first audiology test appointment, she did not respond to the test on her left ear. The audiologist wanted us to return for another test at a different location where there was advanced technology that can receive results for severe profound hearing loss.
After the test had confirmed the results, the audiologist asked questions about making a referral to ENT for amplification (cochlear implants). After several discussions on this, the audiologist realized that I would not go this far getting her amplification. She told me that she has seen that I already have resources. I found this amazing because even though I knew I have several options for my daughter, so does the audiologist. Again, the last thing they want to provide is Deaf mentorship or ASL as one of the options. My heart breaks because we have millions of parents that do not know about ALL resources.
We have 75% of parents that don’t learn sign language to communicate with their children (“Making Education Accessible to Deaf Children” YouTube). Here’s why: The first professionals hearing parents of deaf babies see are the doctors and audiologists. They are the professionals who do not work with deaf people or develop relationships with them. The first thing they know is to find a way to “fix” deaf babies. What does this mean? To provide hearing aids or cochlear implants, depending on the degree of hearing loss (decibels). Please note that in my personal opinion, there is nothing wrong with exploring a world with sounds. However, it is not okay to deprive deaf children from their sense of belonging and sign language. American Sign Language (ASL) is almost never included in the list of options. It is the last thing they want to try.
Discipleship starts at home. (Deut. 6:4-8)
Also, I would like to add a statement from Stuart Thiessen, Chief of Programs at Deaf Bible Society. He said, “Deaf people do not enter deaf communities through their families. They enter at some point after they become deaf. It may be at birth, or when they are children or teens, or even as adults. Some have Deaf parents, but the majority will have hearing parents who have no idea how to raise a deaf child.” The hard truth is that the Church has no idea how to minister to parents on how to raise a deaf child. You see, basic commands are a start, but not enough to truly connect. Interpreters are a help, but not enough to disciple. Deaf adults and Deaf children must fully belong to Jesus and his body. The Church needs Deaf leaders to lead for the purpose of the Great Commission. How can parents truly disciple their children if they do not have any resources to go to? That is why we are here.
If you are a parent of deaf and hard-of-hearing child and you are reading this post. I hope you will reach out to us. We are here to support you and give you all the resources you need. We also have an exciting parents outreach ministry coming up. We have a wonderful group of parents who are ready to serve and pray with you.
My deepest desire is to find opportunities to raise strong Deaf and hard-of-hearing children of God. In turn, they can encourage their generation to know God and make God known among their deaf communities. I hope you will dive in with me in this most neglected ministry. Together, we can advance God’s kingdom – every child deserves a place in the body of Christ. Our responsibilities as parents are to train them up to be a beacon of light to a fallen world.
Go, Fight, Win!
Reference:
DiMarco, Nyle “Making Education Accessible to Deaf Children” YouTube. Link: https://youtu.be/U_Q7axl4oXY
Invite me as a Speaker
The thing I love the most is speaking. I’ve had the honor numerous times to give training and workshops on the importance of Deaf Worldview in Ministry, Sign Language Scripture and being Christ-centered and Deaf-Centric.
Tanya Polstra Email: Tanya@silentblessings.org Video phone (VP) number: 317-343-8596. Front Office: 317-288-0757 (v)
Silent Blessings Deaf Ministries is a 501(c): non-profit organization. If you are interested in monthly updates, prayer partners, and/or financial support – please email adminteam@silentbessings.org with your email address and your interest.