Summer Newsletter – Year of Our Lord 2020

Please praise God with us that Steve is alive and getting better. He was told that he did not have one year to live (over 4 years ago), but he is alive and in April the scan showed marketed improvement. He has had ups and downs with pain. He had chemo again on July 8th.The chemo caused GERD, but he has supplements and a medicine to help him. God is faithfully healing him. His April PET scan showed only a tiny area of light up in T!2 and on the right area of sacrum in his spine. The doctor said that he either has inflammation or just a little cancer left in both areas, it cannot be determined. 6 months or so from now, he will have another PET scan, and we pray that it will be NED completely (No Evidence of Disease). Your prayers and the prayers of many have sustained us and ushered in God’s healing. Please continue to pray for God’s healing and that this will be a witness to the Deaf Community around the world. In January, I (Vonda) was told by my oncologist that I no longer have to see him. Praise God for my healing. Please pray that God will use us to reach the masses, the millions of Deaf people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray for Deaf Souls to be won to Christ! God has given us an extension… we just want to share Jesus!

James 5:15 ” The Prayer of Faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”
Mark 2:17 ” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them,” Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Praise God with us that a local church that is only 4 blocks from our home has allowed us to put our boxes of DVDs that we distribute at Deaf conventions…etc., our multitude of props, and mass of costumes in a storage room at their church. My brother in law-built clothing racks. Previously all of these things had to be stuffed in every nook and cranny at our mission house and offices, now we are able to have our audio studio up and running and our offices in better working condition due to having space and getting new “USED ” desks. I am thanking God that the HCC (Hillcrest Christian Church) men helped me lift that into our truck from a private seller’s home in McKinney. Just Today, we finished organizing every room! In 2019, we traveled extensively. This year due to the pandemic and etc… we are home. Since March, Steve has edited 28 Bible devotionals. Please pray for us to be able to add the voice (in the middle of the night in our semi-sound proof booth) for the hearing and hard of hearing to benefit from the voiceovers. We pray to record the voice in the next two weeks. Steve still has 277 Bible devotionals and 134 Christian songs left to edit, so staying home is fine for us. We were going to have interns, but due to the pandemic, we did not. If one or two young people should join us to learn to edit and help us complete these, then pray for God to send these workers. One Deaf Christian homeschooled 17-year-old young man in Chicago is working to help us from afar. Steve plans to send some footage to Isaac Darrah. Please pray for Isaac as he seeks to help us and Steve seeks to teach him editing skills. Please pray that all of this work will be completed and distributed via our website, social media, our YouTube channel, and eventually in DVD form to distribute to the Deaf at massive conventions. Please pray that the estimated 250 million Deaf people will come to Christ, as only one to two percent are Christians. Thank you for sending us to share Jesus with the Deaf, whether we go in person or share online. There is an urgency that we all share Jesus! Let everyone know!!!

Romans 10; 14-15 ” How, then, can the call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!”

Isaiah 40:3 ” A voice of one calling:” In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God!”

Now that the mission offices, annex storage at the nearby church, and the mission house are better organized, we need to get into a consistent rotation of posting many more Bible lessons and songs in sign language on our website ( expressionsofemmanuel.com ) , YouTube channel ( Expressions Emmanuel), and on our social media platforms so as to share Jesus with the many Deaf who are often deeply involved on the internet. We have a volunteer, Bethany from WebPro in Lubbock who helps us. Please pray for Bethany to get much Biblical content out to lead people to Christ and to help the Deaf grow in Christ. Many years ago, a deaf woman, Tracy was baptized at HCC and then a few months later, her mom and daughter were baptized at HCC too. Recently Tracy came and helped us with the organizing of the mission house library. Please pray for her and her family as they live in Bonham.

Acts 26:18 ” To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of satan to God that they may receive forgiveness of their sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”

2 Kings6:17 ” Then Elisha prayed and said, ” O, Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So, the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

I (Vonda) recently purchased a light ring for videotaping. I have had requests that I do even more Bible studies online, so I am seeking God about Bible lessons, devotionals that I can tape even without needing the help of Steve… just simple still camera shooting of Bible truths. We were given the opportunity to also use the songs from two of ‘Answers in Genesis’ VBS programs, so Steve and I hope to record those with children learning to sign along with us. I also have several other songs and lessons that I hope to have Steve shoot as he has time. May the Lord guide our steps as there is much to do and we must be balanced as to not overdo it. May we do the projects that that the Lord wants done in His timing. As I look at the evil around us, I am convinced that people so desperately need the Lord. It appears that the Lord’s return could be soon. Even if the Lord tarries…. life is short and many people’s time clocks of life are ticking away! May we intercept people and offer them eternal life that only Jesus can bring. Please pray for God to use EOE mightily even in new video projects. and that people will turn to Jesus!

Psalm 119:105. ” Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Psalm 96:1-2 ” Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise His name, proclaim His salvation day after day.”

EOE is so excited to have updated a previous EOE VBS mission program, Faces of Forgiveness. We added to this existing program making a complete VBS curriculum that can be used in person or online. The Christian Church in Willow Springs, MO. used our EOE VBS program during the third week of July, Becky Martin set it all up and reported that it was very successful and easy to use. Nevertheless, whether in person or on the internet, this VBS material can reach Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and hearing children to come to Christ. Please pray that this new VBS program can be used by MANY! In July Compass Christian Church did an online Deaf VBS. We supplied props and costumes for the VBS and Vonda did voice interpreting on Zoom. Please pray for us to be able to produce more songs and Bible lessons that reach children and youth for Jesus. May the hearts of all children come to know and receive Jesus!

Last year, I went to the Sing Conference in Nashville, it was wonderful. I made contacts with artists to ask for their help to get licenses for songs… etc. Thankfully it was there that Answers in Genesis gave me permission to use their VBS songs for the Deaf. Nate, Selah, and I made plans to attend August 30- September 2nd. The pandemic struck and now this conference is going to be online, we pray for our involvement in this. Please pray that God will help us grow in our worship experience in corporate worship and in our lives of worship daily.

Please pray for Steve and me as we will be leading one or two workshops at that International Conference on Missions in Indianapolis. So far, due to Steve taking chemo, and the ups and downs that he has felt, we are being very careful, but we really hope to participate in this conference in person. Whether we share workshops online or in person, please pray that God will use us mightily to encourage others. Let’s share Jesus!

Matthew 19:14 ” Jesus said,” Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Colossians 3:16 ” Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Psalm 95:1 “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord, let us make a joyful noise to the Lord, let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!”

Click Here to see pictures.

Donations

With our New — Website it is really easy to donate. Click Here to Donate. VISA, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. On the “memo line” please put what it is for: example “EOE” or “Sponsor DVD” or “EOE Steve Med,” or mail to the following address: Expressions of Emmanuel, P.O. Box 62, Ector, TX 75439 Or Chase QuickPay. This money will go into our Mission Account. Use Steve email address hamilton.steven@gmail.com.
Click Here to Donate

Love in Jesus,
Steven & Vonda Hamilton and family,
Missionaries with the Deaf,
Expressions of Emmanuel