Zapatos for Everyone!

Yesterday was shoe day! A church from San Diego comes every year to the Ranch at the end of September and buys 2 new pairs of shoes for all the kids here at Rancho Sordo Mudo. We rented a bus and packed all 35 of us into the bus to Ensenada where we would meet up with the SHOE GROUP at a local shoe store. It was a dusty ride, but the closer we got to Ensenada we began to feel a nice cool breeze that brought joy to us all because the weather in Valle de Guadalupe has been hot here at the Ranch so the ocean air was delightful. Each of the staff were assigned 3 kids and we connected with the church volunteers to help our kids pick out 2 new pairs of shoes (1 for church and 1 for play). It was about $35 per kid for 2 shoes and everyone walked away happy. The church even offered to by each of the staff a pair of shoes, which I wasn't expecting. I found a pair of red tennis shoes that are fun for running with the kids. The joy in each of these kids eyes and the patience the shoe store had for such a large group was amazing. It was a blessed day and now we will see how long these new shoes last. Kids are hard on foot ware....here.... which is probably true for any kids really. Yeah for shoes and the little blessing that church groups provide for this ministry.

We need to be like clay

It is hard to believe that September is almost over. Where does the time go? We have church here at the Ranch every Sunday and this morning it was a new experience for me. Eugene and Linda are a deaf couple who have been missionaries in Mexico for over 15 years. They are helping our teachers, and students to learn Mexican Sign Language. Linda led us in worship, and for many of us when we worship we have music, or a worship band playing, but for the deaf there was none of that, instead Linda led us in worship using movement of our hands, and body. It was different not hearing anything, but yet we were worshiping. It was a unique experience that I am blessed to have witnessed. Eugene later shared from the book of Jeremiah about prophesy and told the story about Jeremiah being sent to the house of the potter. Eugene used play dough and a hard pot and talked about how God wants us to be like the play dough (clay), moldable, teachable, open, and not allowing our stubborn ways to harden our hearts or our minds. He is our creator and he has uniquely designed each one of us and is constantly molding us into the something beautiful. It was a good lesson to hear again. As I am teaching I am reminded to pray for patience with these kids who are teenagers and can have a hard time sitting still or just focusing on me while I am teaching. I am also reminded to have patience with myself, because I am learning and as I practice and study more sign the better I will be able to communicate. I want to be like clay and be shaped into something beautiful. I pray that I can continue to have patience through the process of learning and not get frustrated with the fact that I am not yet in a groove with planning, but again if I stop and I remind myself to let go andn let God then I can....breathe....pray...and remember that I am here to be a light to these kids in all that I do. Thanks for your prayers. Mucho amor.

Mi vocabulario

We are moving into week 3 and it is so much fun to look back on the past couple of weeks and realize that my vocabulary in Mexican Sign is improving. I think when I first arrived I knew how to sign my name, the bathroom, and other staff member names. I know feel more confident about leading my class with the little vocabulary I know. I bet I am up to at least 100 different signs. I know animals, colors, commands, places, people, some nouns, and now I am working hard to memorize the spanish verbs. I know many verbs in spanish, but the signs are what I am stuck on. It is great though because if I can't remember how to sign a word then I can finger spell and my students will still be able to understand me, and it forces them to work on their spelling so it is a win / win situation for us all as we learn together. I am looking forward to teaching the INEA books to my class this week, which are the standardized books provided by Mexico's education system so that our kids here at the Ranch can study and prepare for the tests at the end of the year. My homework lately has not only been practicing my LSM (Mexican Sign), but to practice math (fractions, division, measuring, perimeter), vocabulario (spanish verbs), and much more. I have just as more or probably more homework then the kids, but the more work I do now the better my teaching will be. Thank you everyone for your continued prayer for myself , the staff, and the students. I will try to post some photos of each of them and our play for Independence Day last week. Te quiero a todos familia y amigos.

My first week

Wow! I have been learning so much Mexican Sign Language that at times my hands get tired, but the entire process is so worth it because the more I learn the better I am able to communicate with all these incredible kids. I was blessed before starting this week a family friend Steve Sundin came to provide the staff with Sunday devotion. He brought many hugs from family and friends. He also shared with all the staff that this year was going to be "UNFORGETABLE" I have only experienced two weeks and I am already beginning to realize how this year will already live up to that word. I am being transformed daily, spiritually, mentally, and physically as I serve these kids in numerous ways. I may have the title as a teacher here, but I am learning that my responsibilities are much more than that. I am a parent figure to these kids, cook for certain meals, coach, translator, lifeguard, sunday school teacher, devotional & worship leader, luandry & cleaning many rooms here at the Ranch, and most of all with each thing that I do I do with love....lots of love to model for these kids WHAT JESUS WOULD DO. This week I am working with my class to prepare an Independence Day drama for Mexico's Independence on Wednesday September 16th. We are having fun acting, preparing costumes, and learning about eachothers little quarks. I was super nervous beginning this week, but as the week progressed I felt more and more comfortable expressing myself. God is GOOD! Thank you everyone for your continued prayers and support financially to make this opportunity possilbe. Mucho Amor

Thank you friends and family

I just want to give a big thanks to everyone who came to my FAREWELL FIESTA! You all lifted me up with so many words of encouragement, financial support to assist me here at Rancho Sordo Mudo, and I am truly blessed. I miss you all and will be in touch via snail mail and email. Keep smiling and talk to you soon. "WHEREVER YOU ARE BE ALL THERE" - JIM ELLIOT

How it all began....

Hello Everyone! I loaded up my car on August 24 and headed down to Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico (northeast of Ensenada) to teach 3rd/4th grade at Rancho Sordo Mudo, which is a boarding school for the deaf. (www.ranchosordomudo.org) Making this decision happened quickly, and I felt confident that God was calling me to follow a long time desire of mine to serve kids, teach, speak spanish, and share my love for art. Everything fell into place as I began packing, sharing final moments with friends, figuring out how to share the good news with friends, and the fear of jumping into a new environment was gone. So here I am living in another place, and another country serving God, meeting new people, and enjoying each day to its fullest.