| Missionary Profiles |
 | Christy Owen (with daughter, Lilian) Executive Director Missionary in Honduras since October 1999 After making five mission trips to Honduras beginning in 1994, Christy Owen has served as a full-time missionary with New Life Deaf Ministry since October 1999. Prior to her move to Honduras, Christy attended graduate school in Little Rock, Arkansas, and later worked as the Program Coordinator for Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Christy came to Honduras with a vision for reaching Deaf Hondurans for Christ. Christy's passion is working with Deaf adults and creating foundational programs that will evangelize, educate, and equip the Deaf community of Honduras. One of Christy's first activities within NLDM was creating a Deaf Leadership team which is still a focal point of the Ministry today. She also worked with a national university in Honduras to create a two-year interpreter training program. Having functioned as a small branch outreach under another ministry for three years, Christy helped NLDM become an independent ministry in 2002. After a Board of Directors was setup, Christy was chosen as the Executive Director. She continues to serve in that position today. Christy also became the proud mom of Lilian in June of 2000. After spending nine weeks in the burn unit of a poor government hospital, Lilian came under Christy's guardianship at age 11 and weighing just 31 pounds. Lilian has autistic characteristics, moderate to severe cognitive delays, and is non-verbal. Though running a ministry and being the single mom of a special needs child can be challenging, Lilian (now 21 years old) continues to grow and bless Christy and others in very special ways. Christy loves the NLDM Honduran and missionary staff as well as the children and families. Her vision for NLDM is that more Deaf Hondurans and their families would come to love and serve the Lord through the efforts of New Life Deaf Church, Happy Hands Christian School for Deaf Children, and the Community Outreach Project. Over the next few years, Christy hopes to be able to work on Bible study guidelines for Deaf leaders, curriculum development, workbooks for Deaf children, and spend quality time sharing Christ with Deaf people. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 |
 | Larry and Aura Rivas (with daughter, Carolina) Special Projects Assistant / Happy Hands Teacher Missionaries with NLDM since 2000 Larry and Aura Rivas faithfully serve the Lord with New Life Deaf Ministry (NLDM). Aura, a Deaf Honduran, was born in Honduras in a poor rural town outside of the capital, Tegucigalpa. At age 11, a missionary brought her to the United States where she lived with an American family and attended the Arkansas School for the Deaf (ASD). Aura came to the Lord when she was 15 while living in the U.S. After graduation from ASD in 2000, Aura returned to her country, Honduras, to serve with NLDM. She served for several years in administration and then became a teacher in NLDM's Escuela Manos Felices (Happy Hands School). She is currently teaching 5th grade. Larry, also a Deaf Honduran, was born in Tegucigalpa. He grew up in a very poor home with two Deaf brothers. His mom is also Deaf. Larry was not able to attend school after the 3rd grade, but he is an incredibly bright young man. At a very young age, he was involved in gangs and drugs with his older brother. On one occasion, Larry and his brother were involved in a gang fight where his brother was shot. NLDM's Deaf leadership team reached out to Larry and his brother who was now using a wheelchair. Eventually both Larry and Jeffery accepted Christ. Jeffery later passed away. Larry continued to grow in his relationship with the Lord and while he was dating Aura, his younger brother was killed by a gang. He was shot 16 times. Larry continued to put his faith in God and began working with NLDM in maintenance. He now serves as the Special Projects Assistant to the Executive Director and is responsible for assisting with mission teams, construction projects, and other programs. Larry and Aura have served together as national self-supported missionaries for the past five years. They have a beautiful daughter, Carolina, who is a delight to the NLDM staff and children. Carolina is hearing. She is fluent in Honduran Sign Language and Spanish and she is learning English at her bi-lingual school. Additionally, Larry and Aura are a part of the Deaf Leadership team of New Life Deaf Church. Aura co-leads a Deaf women's Bible study and is in charge of the Sunday School classes. Larry assists with men's groups. Larry and Aura also teach basic discipleship classes to young Deaf Christians. Please pray with Larry and Aura that they would serve their Savior well and for the strength to balance their home and ministry responsibilities in a way that glorifies Him. "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" 1 John 3:1 |
 If you are interested in having the Bughs visit your church or organization, please contact Andy at abugh@nldm.org or Janie at jbugh@nldm.org or call 214-556-4226. | Andy and Janie Bugh Construction & Mission Teams Coordinator / Publications Coordinator Missionaries with NLDM since February 2009 Having gone on several short-term mission trips to Honduras since 2003, Andy and Janie Bugh answered a Call from God and moved to Tegucigalpa, Honduras in February 2009 where they serve New Life Deaf Ministry in many capacities. Andy owned and operated his own construction company for more than 10 years, so naturally he is overseeing construction projects including the building of the New Life Deaf Ministry School. In addition, he served for 8 years on the Board of Directors. Andy is also responsible for coordinating and hosting mission teams. Janie has been a graphic designer for more than 25 years. For the past five years she has been voluntarily producing promotional materials including the newsletter for New Life Deaf Ministry. While in Honduras, Janie is continuing to produce these materials in addition to illustrating and designing several workbooks developed by the ministry for teaching Honduran Sign Language (LESHO). When they are not in Honduras, Andy and Janie spend time traveling in the U.S. and sharing about New Life Deaf Ministry with churches, universities, and civic organizations. "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.'" Luke 14:23 (TNIV) |
 | Beverly Chesser Happy Hands School Family Coordinator Missionary with NLDM since January 2010 Beverly was born in Missouri, but has lived in Arkansas during most of her life. Since childhood, Beverly has had a desire to learn about other languages & cultures. This led her to study American Sign Language and Spanish in high school & college. While serving as a college summer missionary in Arizona & Mexico, God planted a seed in her heart to work with Latin Deaf children & adults one day. In the years following that summer, she worked as a teacher and an educational consultant/audiologist with the Arkansas School for the Deaf. Then, almost twenty years later the seed came to fruition as God opened the door for her to go on several short-term mission trips to Honduras and in 1998-2001, she served as a full-time missionary with New Life Deaf Ministry in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. During her work with the Deaf in Arkansas and Honduras, God has increasingly touched her heart with the needs of their families. They all face challenges raising a Deaf child; however, Honduran families deal with the added difficulties of living in one of the Western Hemisphere's poorest countries. They need the one true "hope as an anchor for the soul…" (Heb. 6:19) found only in Jesus Christ. New Life Deaf Ministry is giving them that hope. After being back in Arkansas for 8 years, Beverly received an invitation from Christy Owen, NLDM's Executive Director and Oneyda Aguilar, Director of NLDM's Happy Hands Christian School for Deaf Children, "Manos Felices" to serve as the Family Services Coordinator for Happy Hands School. She returned to Honduras in January 2010 and is serving in this position. She is primarily responsible for family workshops, support care for families in crisis, family visits, data gathering, organization of materials and sharing information with families. The long-term goal is to identify and train Hondurans who share the ministry's heart & vision for reaching the Deaf and their families for Christ. |