A surprise birthday party, a cryptogram and a late-night answer that was worth the wait. Ryan McDonald and Cori Walters have a love story of their own, but the language they share has also helped them bring others together.
For the couple, American Sign Language (ASL) is more than a way to communicate. It is a way to build connections, share their faith and help others feel included in their community.
Ryan, who was born Deaf, grew up learning to communicate orally. His mother enrolled him in speech school when he was about 4 years old. Although his family regularly attended church, there was no interpreter available to help him follow along with services.
His interest in sign language began in middle school, when a speech teacher taught him the alphabet. Seeing his older brother, who is also Deaf, learn to sign after leaving for college inspired him to learn more.
“I was like, well, I want to be like him and learn to sign,” Ryan signed.
As he met other people who used ASL, he continued improving his skills and found a community where communication came more naturally.
That connection eventually led him to another calling: teaching.
After visiting Deaf churches following high school, Ryan was mentored by a retired pastor who taught him how to lead a Bible study for Deaf members. He began teaching Deaf Bible classes in 2012.
“A lot of Deaf people, they struggle to read English. I had a heart for that and to help them understand what the gospel looked like, that picture,” he signed.
Ryan said the classes give people an opportunity to grow in their faith and find encouragement when they need it.
“They’re hungry for the Lord, and they want to grow, and I’m feeding them,” he signed.
Cori’s interest in sign language started years before the two met. As a Girl Scout, she remembers earning a badge for learning the ASL alphabet. She and her friends would even finger-spell to each other in class when they were supposed to be quiet.
By her senior year of high school, she realized she could turn that interest into a career.
At the time, Mississippi did not recognize ASL as a world language, so she pursued deaf education at the University of Southern Mississippi. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she taught at George County High School for six years before pursuing interpreting.
Today, she interprets at Rocky Creek Baptist Church and teaches ASL classes to members of the hearing community.
“I’m excited that people want to learn,” Cori said.
She hopes students will take what they learn beyond the classroom. Even knowing a few signs can help someone start a conversation with a person who is Deaf and make them feel welcome.
“They can tell them, hey, Jesus, God loves you. Come visit my church. We have an interpreter,” she said.
The couple’s shared passion continues at their church, where Ryan leads a Deaf Bible study on Sunday evenings at 5 p.m.
Cori welcomes anyone who is Deaf and interested in attending to join them.
For the two, helping others connect starts with something simple: making an effort to understand one another. Whether through a classroom lesson, a Bible study or a conversation with someone new, they hope more people will discover that communication doesn’t have to look the same for everyone.
Sometimes, all it takes is learning a few signs to open the door.
