People group profile · PG048850
The Deaf Timorese of Timor-Leste
The Deaf Timorese of Timor-Leste, numbering about 6,900 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a community of individuals who are culturally Deaf and actively participate in Deaf culture, often using sign language as their primary means of communication.
They are an indigenous people in the Deaf people cluster of the Deaf Peoples. Their primary religion is Roman Catholicism, and they primarily speak Indonesian Sign Language.
Fast facts
- Country
- Timor-Leste
- Population
- 6,900
- Affinity group
- Deaf Peoples
- People cluster
- Deaf
- Primary language
- Indonesian Sign Language (inl)
- Primary religion
- Roman Catholicism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Unengaged and Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC
- No Evangelicals, Churches or Resources
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Deaf Timorese are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, there are no evangelical Christians or churches among this people group and there is no access to evangelical print, audio, visual or human resources.
- Congregations exist No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Deaf Timorese
- Pray that God would send workers to this people group
- Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
- Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice
Primary religion
Roman Catholicism · Christianity
Primary language
Indonesian Sign Language · Sign Language family
15% speak Indonesian Sign Language
Gospel resources in Indonesian Sign Language
- Bible not available
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings not available
- Audio resources not available
- Bible stories not available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Deaf Timorese
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
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