How time does fly. Our school year is half over and we welcomed the rainy season and visitors and vacation days! The rain has made the fields and mountains very green! I love seeing the corn sprouting all over the hillsides and fields nearby. This year we aren’t planting corn so our fields are empty. It rains almost every day. Some days, I can only hope and pray that the wash will dry, and other days, finds us running out at lunch to bring the wash in. My favorite part of rainy season is hearing the thunder and the downpours at night.
My sister, Lynita Beachy, and a friend, Esther Brenneman, both from OH, visited us the first two weeks in June. Lois Ann Weaver from PA visited María Eva the end of June. They worked with each other a few years ago in the orphanage in Honduras.
We all headed to the Youth Retreat at La Palma June 16-18. We also had off for national teacher’s day on June 24. Wesley surprised his family and friends by showing up at his cousin’s wedding in Ohio in mid-June.
So what are some things that make life at the deaf school special and makes working here fulfilling? Let me tell you a few stories:
It’s so encouraging to see the children change and learn to enjoy life. When Silvia came, she cried at nights and didn’t know how to play and always was asking for her mom. Now she can’t wait to get her work done to play with the other children and she doesn’t even ask for her mom every day. I’m convinced she’s even cuter now that she is enjoying life more, as she can express herself better and is learning to work, play and obey.
Deaf children are amazing actors and use lots of expression. I love to see them enjoying their favorite foods like cinnamon rolls and donuts we get at the bakery and sweet and sour dressing for their salad. They are great dramatizing a Bible story and their faces light up over receiving a piece of candy or a little jar of bubbles. Lots of jokes are played in the deaf culture. It’s definitely a common thing to be told to look behind you and then it was nothing. The children also love to creep up behind you then poke you and scare you badly!
I noticed Elmer, 18 years old, seemed a little preoccupied and a few times noticed he had his eyes closed as he was in the hammock or doing the dishes. When I asked him why, he said he was praying and thinking about God. One night I noticed the light was on in school and looked out and saw Elmer out praying with Wesley. He just asked to join the church here. What joy to see the children making choices to follow God!
Silvia and Beatriz love to pray. Usually they take turns to pray at nights but sometimes they both want to. A typical prayer is something like this: God, thanks for everything, for food, school is over, thanks for everything, thanks for the teachers, it is bad to not play nicely, now its time to sleep. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Thank you for your interest in the mission here. May God bless you!
~Margretta~