Raised hands waved vigorously in the Arlington church in Riverside on May 31 when Sisilia Manu was voted into membership subject to baptism. The 13-year-old smiled at the sea of hands, but she could not hear the "amens."

Sisilia is deaf, and the hand waving was an expression of appreciation and approval. Sisilia is the first member of the deaf study group at Arlington to be baptized.

A quick lesson in American Sign Language by the pastor, Lyle Bennett, a few minutes before the vote had the congregation primed and ready when the moment for the vote came. Hands above the head waved with palms upward are a sign for applause and affirmation.

Before the baptism, as with any candidate, there was considerable preparation. Sisilia, with her 9-year-old brother, Laufili, who was baptized that same day, spent many Sabbath afternoons in Bible study with the pastor. In addition to the youngsters, there was an interpreter on hand for each of the class sessions, usually Darrell Strait, a member of the Arlington church and leader of the deaf ministry.

Strait works as interpreter for deaf college students at Riverside Community College. He joined the Arlington church last year to begin a deaf ministry program "because the church has a heart for special ministries," he said.

According to Bennett, the church has a unique approach to its deaf ministry, allowing it to grow without "overprogramming." The deaf members want to preserve their culture, not just to be an "add on" to the existing program, he said. Strait and his wife, Lorna, who is deaf, are members of the church social committee and active in every part of church. However, the deaf have their own Sabbath school and church service, sometimes joining the main service for special occasions such as a baptism.

Arlington is one of the few Adventist churches that offer programs for the deaf and is well suited to do so because it is a diverse congregation. A strong Vietnamese program and a Sabbath school class taught in Samoan expose members to other cultures. Offering ASL as another language wasn't something new for Arlington; it was just another example of cross-cultural communication.

By virtue of her family background, Sisilia has a "foot in both camps," so to speak. By ethnic background she is Polynesian; by virtue of her deafness she is immersed in another culture and linguistic group—a deaf community that uses sign language as a means of communication and to pass on the culture.

Sisilia was born deaf and until this past year seldom "voiced" any communication. Since Arlington began its deaf ministry, she has become a "new kid" said her mother, Ota, and her father, Manu. She's as eager to get to church as she is to get to school at the Riverside School for the Deaf, where she has been a student since preschool. She is part of an extended family that includes brother Laufili and big stepsisters Velma, Esther and Louisa, who sang for the baptism, and many cousins.

Sisilia's friendly smile lights up the room, and her eagerness to be at church is an example to many.

Church members have added a phrase or two in ASL to their vocabulary so they can greet deaf members. The blessing of this special part of the congregational family has spread to all parts of the Arlington church body.