More on Janeen
We’re proud to tell you a bit more about Janeen Jarrell, Ministry Associate.
Janeen’s call to ministry was around age 9, the night she committed her heart to Jesus. It would be several years before God clarified her focus should be on serving the deaf community, and several more before the journey began in earnest. “I left a computer career to pursue my calling to be a missionary to the Deaf community,” Janeen said.
For several years, Janeen immersed herself in professional education to work as a certified interpreter, then changed directions. Instead, she chose a career path that would, as she so creatively explains, allow her to “roll up her sleeves and get in close to people and their needs.” She also changed her area of study–to Liberal Arts with concentrations in ministry, interpreting, and deaf studies.
Much of Janeen’s passion for serving the Deaf community grew from frustrations she felt as a child about a deaf cousin’s circumstances. Janeen had met the deaf sister of a family friend and knew that people who couldn’t hear had a language of the hands. So, she was bothered when she heard her cousin’s family had been instructed to “not allow him to use his hands else he’d never learn to use his voice.”
“Often I have wished that Dr. Wonder’s Workshop and other resources available now would have been available, and known, back then,” she reflected.
Silent Blessings exists to provide resources for deaf children who are born into hearing families and attend churches with little to no means to teach them about Jesus and His love and faithfulness. Over 96% of deaf children are born to hearing parents. “Silent Blessings resources are for people of all ages and hearing statuses,” Janeen explained, “but the focus is for children like my cousin.”
Janeen’s cousin knows the importance of church, but could have benefited from resources to learn about Christ in a way that was more relevant to him. “Studies show that the time to reach people for Jesus is in their youth. That’s my motivation—to reach them while they are young,” Janeen said.
Described as the “utility infielder” at Silent Blessings, Janeen brings a vast array of education and job experiences to her work. The Vacation Bible School curriculum, God Loves Deaf Kids app, websites, and many other initiatives carry her special creative touch.
“My hope for the future of this ministry is that the true message of Jesus and God’s love and faithfulness reaches children of all ages and sinks deep into their hearts. I’d love to see more ways to draw children into Biblical literacy,” she said.
We’re happy God brought Janeen and her special skills and passion to serve here with us in this season. We are confident God is reaching many Deaf children for His Kingdom through her.