CEE Story From The Mission Field
Journeyman challenges American Deaf to step up
September 17, 2007
Stephanie Zawada serves as a Journeyman in Moscow, Russia. She has been on the field for almost one year, but began doing “missions” much earlier. High school and college trips whetted her appetite for more, and on a trip to Poland in 2004, her interest became a calling.
“It was the first time that I felt like it wasn’t enough,” Stephanie said.
That trip led her to seek a two-year appointment with the International Mission Board.
Something that makes Stephanie unique among other Journeymen is that she is deaf. She is, in fact, the only deaf Journeyman in Central and Eastern Europe and one of four in the world. However, Stephanie does not view her inability to hear as a disability, but an opportunity.
“Being deaf gives me the chance to meet different people I never would have met if I was hearing,” she said. “It has built my character—it makes me who I am. If I was hearing, I’d be a completely different person.”
This God-ward perspective has given Stephanie the strength and courage to survive some tough obstacles on the mission field. Not only does she have to learn to sign in a new language, but she also has to learn to finger spell, read and write in Russian. In addition, members of the Deaf community in Russia are wary of newcomers and slow to trust. They still call her “American” instead of “Stephanie,” and even at church not many people will talk to her.
“I’m the first person who is here for a longer period of time,” Stephanie said. “Others have come and gone. The trust might come when they realize that I’m here to stay for a while.”
Stephanie eagerly anticipates her mark of acceptance—when the locals give her a Russian name and quit calling her “American.”
Rays of hope break through the difficulty. Stephanie and her Russian Christian roommate, Olga, together shared Bible stories with a girl named Vika and brought her to church. Vika has now come to know Christ. This is the first step toward Stephanie’s goal of seeing a new church that is willing and eager to grow and tell others about Christ.
The Deaf church, generally, is not good at evangelizing. Adding to the dilemma is the fact that the Russian church won’t “let go” of the Deaf church and allow them to function independently. These obstacles are Stephanie’s motivation for being in Russia and for her desire to see other American Deaf follow in her footsteps.
“I want Americans to acknowledge the worldwide Deaf community, and to demonstrate how important it is to witness to others,” she said. “They need to come out. There are so many Deaf people all over the world who have no idea about the Gospel.”
Stephanie has given up identity, independence and security in America in order to share the love of Christ with the Deaf of Moscow. Through teaching first aid and CPR classes she is making relationships and breaking down barriers. Please pray for Stephanie as she searches for hearts that are open to her and the Gospel.