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BY CHRISTINE KUMAR
UMCONNECTION STAFF

Although he can hear and speak, Caesar Galano Gonzalez has chosen a silent world. But that doesn?t mean his life is calm or quiet. Rather, as a voice that represents the deaf community in Cuba, Gonzalez?s life is bursting with expressive ministries of action and reaction.

Pastor Gonzalez, as he is called in his country, recently visited the United States and the Baltimore-Washington Conference to share and connect with other Methodists about the deaf world globally.

'God has a special mission for the people in the United States,' he said. 'So many people have turned away from God in a country that is privileged. But Christians in the United States have a desire to do mission work to help people in the disadvantaged situation in and out of the U.S.'

Gonzalez?s unusual relationship with the deaf community in the United States began a few years ago when the Rev. Kathy Reeves, an advocate for people with disabilities in the Northern Illinois Conference, visited Cuba as a member of EDAN (Ecumenical Disability Advocate Network). She met Gonzalez?s wife at a conference; the friendship led to meeting the Rev. Peggy Johnson, pastor of Christ Church of the Deaf in Baltimore.

Gonzalez credits his wife, Iadame Santiesteban, for the ministry they both do with the deaf community in Cuba. They are the team leaders who equip other leaders from 14 provinces with resources and support.

Santiesteban, whose mother and other family members are deaf, learned sign language at an early age. After marrying Santiesteban, Gonzalez learned Sign and developed a passion to help the deaf community.

They became Christians after marriage, he said, describing his life as being dark before knowing Christ. His introverted wife became an extrovert after finding God. 'She talks about God all the time and now runs the entire organization,'he brags.

According to Gonzalez, 34, the hearing and the deaf community of Cuba hold onto God as their only solution because of the poverty in their country, even though they have free health care and access to education in government schools.

They also have an association for the deaf, ANSOC, that is responsible for assisting deaf people with jobs and other resources.

'John Wesley talked about evangelistic revolution; once Christ is in one?s heart then the person?s life will change in all areas. This is also true for people in the deaf community,' he said.

The Christian community in Cuba has deaf people who take leadership roles with the liturgy, sermons and teaching within their community.

Because of the economic challenges, work with deaf ministries in Cuba is very difficult, Gonzalez said. Transportation, activities and food are expensive and the resources are scarce.

'We have worked without these resources because we are in the ministry of God. We prayed to God for resources and our prayers were answered - Peggy Johnson and Yolanda Pupo-Ortiz have been angels.'

Earlier this year, Johnson responded to an invitation from the Cuban deaf group to attend the first Cuban Deaf Conference. She, Pupo-Ortiz, who is a native of Cuba, and a team of pastors flew to Cuba in January to attend the conference.

The conference was funded by the General Board of Global Ministries and organized by Gonzalez and his wife.

'The conference helped deaf people become part of the hearing church. It strengthened their identity as a deaf community. It was libres del silencio - freedom from silence,' said Gonzalez.

Gonzalez has returned to his homeland. He carried with him hope that the Baltimore-Washington Conference and other conferences in the United States will continue to support deaf ministry in Cuba.

'Deaf ministries in developing countries are left out of reach,' said Johnson. 'Our unique ministry is a gift that we have to give to them - we have to go the second mile.'