The Life Changing Gift of Hearing

There are moments that remind us of how personal our God is, how intricately He works and cares for us individually. Recent provision for a NEEMA student named Lewin has been one of these reminders. A second year student, Lewin developed hearing impairment after falling ill as a young child. She was initially denied the opportunity to come to NEEMA because of this disability and the staff’s concern they would not be able to teach her. After the persistence from her grandfather, requesting we allow her the chance to try, Lewin was admitted to NEEMA in 2016. Over the past year she has excelled despite her limitations, reading lips to follow along in class and working hard to progress in each skill she learns. Other students and staff members had begun noticing Lewin participating in worship, joining in singing songs of praise, and her grandfather who sees her on weekends remarks of the joyful expressions he hears coming from her. It seemed Lewin had been regaining some of her hearing. Not long after Lewin’s admittance to NEEMA Project, she was paired with a US sponsor who has been supporting her. Here’s where it gets special - Lewin’s sponsor happens to have a close relative who is hearing impaired. Neither Lewin nor her supporter knew of this connection between them until their relationship had already begun. When her sponsor found out about Lewin’s hearing impairment, she inquired to see if hearing aids would be of assistance.  A test was conducted, which proved Lewin would gain the ability to hear with the assistance of hearing aids. Thanks to the generosity of her sponsor and friend who recently shared her prayer is that the gift of hearing would, “truly help her feel God’s presence even MORE as she hears His wonderful world.”

This week, Lewin received hearing aids that will change her career and future. Today, she gleefully posed for photos and delighted, “thank you so much, I can even hear the sound of my flip flops.”

That is the personalness of our God, the individual vision and care that brings together two people like Lewin and her sponsor from worlds apart, to awaken in one another the greater experience of who He is and the wonderful world He has called us to.