Carrie Whaley
Missionary to Deaf and those with Special Needs
Sending Church:
Faith Missionary Baptist Church
Trenton, NC
Pastor: Jeremy Jones
Partnered With:
Silent Word Ministries International
Trenton, GA
Field of Service:
Liberia, West Africa
Ministries:
Language and literacy development
Evangelism
Discipleship
A Bit About Me
I grew up in a Christian home in a small town in Eastern North Carolina. I am the youngest of five children and was saved at an early age. As many young people do, I struggled with doubts about salvation for several years, but God gave me the victory over all the doubts with answers from His Word. I am a child of the King, and nothing will ever change that!
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I surrendered to missions in my early teens but began to drift away from the Lord in my early twenties. By the world's standards, I was a complete success, but by God's standards, I was a mess. I had developed unhealthy friendships in college and also became distracted by my nursing career. Through a series of heavy losses, God humbled me and brought me back to Himself. I was completely broken and at the end of myself when God, in His great mercy, picked me up and put me back together. The process of spiritual restoration was slow and painful, but my relationship with God was worth the struggle. A year into the restoration process, I rededicated my life to God and renewed my surrender to be a missionary ... whenever He wanted and wherever He wanted ... including Africa. For me, Africa had always been a stumbling block. I was willing to be a missionary anywhere except Africa, because I was afraid to go there. God brought me to a point of complete surrender then led me to one of the greatest blessings of my life - a trip to Liberia, West Africa.
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While in Liberia, God opened my eyes to the spiritual need of the Deaf and burdened my heart to reach them and their families with the good news of Jesus Christ!
The Need In Liberia
Liberia is home to approximately 5 million precious souls. Around 20,000 of those are deaf. For years, there has been very little available to the deaf in the education system and churches, so most families do not know what to do for their deaf loved ones. For that reason, many deaf are uneducated or poorly educated. In recent years, Liberians in the education system have been seeking to add programs for the deaf and those with special needs, but there is still much work to be done.
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Education is needed, but what of their spiritual needs? The deaf and those with special needs are born with a sin nature just like everyone else. They need the gospel just like everyone else. They are included in the "all" who have sinned and the "all" God desires to come to repentance. (Rom. 3:23, Rom. 5:12, 2 Pt. 3:9) I have met deaf Christians in Liberia who desire to be discipled. I have met lost, deaf Liberians who attend hearing churches but understand very little what is being taught; they know they have a spiritual need and are actively seeking a solution. There are other deaf with minimal to no language capabilities. What of their spiritual needs? Is it possible to share the gospel with a child or adult who is without language?
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It is possible to share the gospel with all deaf, including those with special needs and minimal language! In Matthew 15: 30-31, many with special needs were brought to Jesus and cast down at His feet. He healed them all, and when the people saw the changed lives, they glorified God. We can't save anyone, but we can lead them to Jesus who can save them. As the deaf are saved and discipled, God will be glorified - in the deaf community as well as the hearing community. As deaf lives are transformed through the power of God, it will open doors of opportunity to witness to their families, friends, and neighbors!
Deaf can understand the gospel. Deaf can be saved. Deaf can know God and make Him known to others. Deaf can become church planters, pastors, teachers, evangelists, missionaries, mentors, and faithful servants within the local church. Deaf can reach the lost in their own Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and uttermost parts of the earth. BUT, someone has to go to them!
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