MAN ON A MISSION

Brandon Gaskin is a young, confident, African American man with a million-dollar smile. He is a successful graphic designer who loves coffee, exploring coffee shops, and taking long walks with his dog. He is a Christian who exudes a joy and peace rarely seen in today’s Millennials. Brandon is also Deaf, but that has never slowed him down.  His latest project is very close to his heart.  His mission? To bring the Gospel to the most unreached people group in the world; his own community, the Deaf.  Brandon says, “98 percent of the Deaf community have never heard the gospel!”         

BRANDON WAS HOME GROWN WITH STRONG ROOTS

Brandon was raised in a family where everyone could hear but him.  They always encouraged his uniqueness, and his mother searched for the best schools to ensure her son succeeded. In Brandon’s case, the best school was not a Deaf school, but a public school. He calls it, “going mainstream.” He was also taken to a “hearing' "church.  He says, “I knew about Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit, but I never fully comprehended the Gospel found in the Bible.  Yet, he believes the freedom to go “mainstream” laid a good foundation for him later in life. Brandon had some hearing in his right ear and a hearing aid to improve it.  He explains, “I could hear sounds, I could hear the teachers talking, and the chatter of other students.” Fortunately, he was never bullied, but he did feel different and a little excluded from some activities. That is when his mother decided Brandon needed to experience another culture.  She enrolled him in a school with a program for Deaf students. There, Brandon learned sign language, and some surprising things about the deaf community. For example, they distinguish themselves as either a capital “D” deaf person or a lower case “d” deaf person. The former is heavily involved in the culture, the values, and the “language” of deafness. The lower “Ds are not as educated in the culture of deafness, nor do they want to be. Brandon learned there is some bias against a person, like himself, who has minimal hearing, in one ear, and went “mainstream.” “The deaf community thinks you are trying to act like a hearing person, but you are deaf. That is offensive to them,” he shares. After interacting with the deaf community for several months, Brandon began to question his identity.        

IDENTITY FOUND WHERE HE NEVER EXPECTED 

When Bradon was in high school, he was invited to church by an interpreter. He explains, “I went to a Deaf church for the first time in my teens. I saw God’s word in sign language. It changed my entire life. Everything was in sign language. I was blown away. I thought, ‘I want to be here, I want to get involved.’ The more I learned about Jesus through sign language, the more I fell in love with Him.”  Brandon read the scripture of the exchange between Moses and God in Exodus 4:11. It's part of the burning bush encounter, where God calls Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. Moses expresses his reluctance and self-doubt to God, claiming he's "slow of speech and of a slow tongue." God responds, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or Deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the Lord?"  Brandon was struck with the Love of God—knowing that God created him the way he is and that the Lord can use him to reach others. 

When people ask Brandon about himself, he says, “I tell them I am a Christian first.” Brandon also learned different facts about the Deaf community and some very sobering statistics. Around 80% of the Deaf population live in low to middle-income neighborhoods. Many are socially isolated because of stigma and prejudice.  Often, the children of the Deaf are language-deprived. Many Deaf adults are unemployed or underemployed because they were excluded from the education that could have landed them higher-paying jobs. Yet, Brandon was most shocked to learn that 98% of the Deaf have never heard the Gospel. He says, “That’s when my identity, mission, and calling became crystal clear.”             

BRANDON NOW ON A SUPER CHARGED MISSION

Brandon became a voice to hearing world churches. He told them, “We must make reaching and engaging the Deaf a top priority. Don’t relegate the Deaf to a tiny corner of the church.” After 20 years, the Deaf community in America finally has a Bible completely in sign language. Brandon says, “We must teach them how to study God’s word and apply it in their lives. We need to make Deaf disciples who go forth to make other Deaf disciples.”

Brandon is quick to point out that four hundred Deaf people groups worldwide do not have a full Bible in their heart and sign language, though some have half or parts of the Bible. Brandon exhorts the hearing church, “Embrace the Deaf community. I do not need you to pray for the healing of my ears, I need the church to come alongside me to help.”

He's excited that there is now a movie called “Jesus” completely in ASL; a film made by the Deaf, for the 
Deaf with more spiritual resources in sign language in the works.

For more information on the Deaf Millennial Project click the LINK!

CREDITS
Founder and Executive Director, the “Deaf Millennial Project;” Global Deaf Catalyst, Converge  
International; International Speaker, graphic designer, and social media spokesperson.

Liatu walked miles every day to fetch water with her mother. Her mom is a hardworking businesswoman. She uses much of the water they gather to make potato porridge, a main cooking ingredient in Nigerian dishes. It’s difficult work, and Liatu couldn't stand watching her mom struggle alone.

“It's a long, exhausting walk. By the time I get back and try to get ready for school, I'm already late. Most days, I can't focus in class and I end up falling asleep. Sometimes, I just want to have fun and play with my friends, but I can’t.” – Liatu

She walked for miles to fetch water, but even then, the water was still contaminated.. Her family used it for everything, drinking, cooking, and washing.

“The water smelled bad, but I had no choice but to drink it. Because of the dirty water, I got sick a lot.” – Liatu

“I felt helpless. I did my best, but the water kept making my daughter sick. She missed school for days, and her grades suffered. I prayed for God to send us help.” – Happy (Liatu’s Mother)

Thanks to you, Operation Blessing dug a well close to Liatu’s home, and now her village has clean, safe water.

“Now, I don’t have to walk far for water. I’m healthy, and I even have time to play with my friends!” – Liatu

“Thank you for the clean water! My daughter no longer gets sick, and I wash my clothes with clean water.” - Happy (Liatu’s Mother)    

Liatu’s journey didn’t end there. During a follow-up visit, our producer found her picking mangoes instead of attending school. She had been sent home because her family couldn’t pay her school fees. Thanks to your support, we paid Liatu’s fees, and she was back in school the next day. We also gave her a few things she really needed, like a new bookbag and a pair of shoes. Now she’s ready to take on the future with confidence.

“I love my new bag and shoes. Thank you for paying my school fees and bringing clean water to our village. Now, my mom doesn’t have to walk so far, and her business is really doing well. Thank you to everyone who supports Operation Blessing.” - Liatu

What a beautiful example of how CBN partners share the love of Jesus around the world with people in need! If you’re not yet a partner, we invite you to join us today. Help bring God’s love through initiatives like clean water wells, medical missions, feeding programs, and so much more—all in the name of Jesus! Join us today and become a part of what God’s doing through CBN partners. 

Everyday Rosemary Gustafson rises early to manage her and her husband's, Ragnar, 41 acre horse farm called, “Son Shine Ranch.” It takes a lot of energy and strength, especially when it comes to throwing around the 60 pound bales of hay they use to feed their 12 horses. 

Rosemary said, “Well, I don't, I do if I have to, but my husband, who is 85, throws the big bales of hay around and he, he works just as hard as anybody at 85.” 

In October of 2022, that task would fall on Rosemary when Ragnar and their son were out of town visiting relatives in Norway for two weeks.  

She said, “I pulled a bale of hay down with one arm, this one, my right arm, which it hurt a little bit. And then I picked up way too much hay and threw it over the stall, which I shouldn't have. And I just felt it rip and tear.” 

“I know better than to throw that much hay over. And I wasn't thinking...I was probably, I don't know what I was thinking because I should know better than that.” 

Rosemary assumed she had just pulled a muscle and went about taking care of the farm the best she could. Over the next couple of days, the pain only got worse. “Horrible, excruciating,” recalled Rosemary. “I just kept it right at my side and just fed the rest of the horses with one hand.”

For a minute she thought about going to the doctor. “Doctors are good. I’m not saying don't go to doctors because God can use doctors, but I just didn't feel like at that time they would do anything but give you pain pills. And I don't do those.”

She said, “I put my own pain patches on, which helped a little and then just held it real still. I just held it right here.”

Rosemary also went to God. “Just, 'God, help me get through this. God help me get through this. Help. Give me the strength, Father God. And I thank you for the healing because You're just....you thank Him.' You're not moved by what you see or what you hear. You're moved by God's word and His word says, 'He healed them all,'” said Rosemary. 

Then, on October 22nd, Rosemary came in the house at noon as she has done for years and turned on The 700 Club. Later in the show, Gordon Robertson started praying, “There's somebody out there that has terrible pain in their right shoulder,” said Gordon.

“And I said, oh, that's me. And I put my hand on my shoulder. But then he went on to say, 'but then it goes up into your head and you have headaches, and it goes down your back and all over your back.' And I thought, oh well, that's not me. So, I didn't even think about it and didn't think it was me. So went on the rest of the day, didn't think much about it.” 

That evening, still holding her right arm at her side to prevent pain, Rosemary was putting on her jacket to go outside when. . .“All of a sudden, my arm moved and I, I moved it. I could not move it before that. I held it up in the air and it was totally, completely healed,” said Rosemary. 

“And because we support The 700 Club and are members - they call us every once in a while and ask, 'Do you have a prayer request?' Well, actually I shared with them that I don't have a prayer request, but I do have a praise. And so I shared that praise with them.”

Rosemary was able to take care of the horses – and moving around that hay – with no pain at all! When asked about God and His healing, Rosemary says she and Ragnar believe there’s something we all need to remember, “Faithful. He's faithful and there's nothing in your life that He's not interested in. I mean, you cannot, you cannot limit God because He loves us.” 

In February, a Superbook team in Guatemala hosted a super evangelistic event that brought joy and excitement to many children. The event was centered around the beloved Superbook series, which has been touching lives around the world with its engaging and transformative Bible stories.

The teachers prepared various activities from Superbook Academy lessons about obedience. They even made sure to involve Gizmo, the friendly robot from Superbook, in the program. The children were attentive and receptive, eager to participate in the games and activities designed to teach them about the importance of following God's Word.

The main highlight of the event was the prayer of faith. As the event drew to a close, several children raised their hands, signaling their desire to accept Jesus into their hearts. This moment was a powerful testament to the impact of Superbook and the work of the local children’s ministry teachers. The children's enthusiasm and openness to the message of Jesus were truly inspiring.

Superbook has been instrumental in bringing hope and transformation to children in Guatemala. Through its captivating stories and relatable characters, Superbook helps children connect with the Word of God and experience Jesus's love. The lessons learned through Superbook not only change behavior but also foster a deeper understanding of faith and obedience.

The global reach of CBN Animation's Superbook is evident in events like this. It shows how the stories of the Bible can bring hope, transformation, and faith to children and families, regardless of their cultural or regional background. Superbook has the potential to reach even more children, offering them a chance to get to know Jesus Christ.

We invite you to join this mission. Whether by donating to CBN Animation’s Superbook ministry through the link below, sharing this inspiring story, or accessing Superbook resources for your own family, your support can help this ministry reach countless others. Together, we can bring the light of God's Word to children around the world, transforming lives and fostering faith.

Give to Superbook