⏳ The countdown is on! ⏳

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To view in ASL: click here

It's that time of year when your inbox is flooded with "THREE MORE DAYS UNTIL OUR MATCHING GRANT RUNS OUT"   "You can make a difference in the lives of.."  💰 "Give, Give, GIVE!"

This year, I don't have a matching grant so the only incentive for you to give before January 1st, 2021 is to have it documented on your taxes for 2020. 😉

However, the statement above is true -  ✨ 🙌You CAN make a difference! 🙌✨

I, and those who will receive interpreting services through Cru, are grateful recipients of your generosity if you choose to give this year.

This coming year is shaping up to be the busiest year interpreting so far.

👉On-line Theology class 

👉 3 day 2021 Vision Conference

👉 3 day workshop Intensive

👉 Summer Mission Team Leader Training

👉 Movement Team Leader Training

(and that's just in January!!) 📆

I don't want to keep you too long, nor do I want to guilt you into giving before the New Year. But I do want to invite you to join us on this journey of making these resources listed above and more available to the Deaf community in their heart language so that they can in turn take the information back to their communities and transform them with the Love of God. As our ministry continues to grow, so does our need for ongoing donations 💵, not just year-end giving. Would you take a look at your budget and see what the Lord prompts you to give?

🌟🎉 If you already join me, I'm so grateful!  🎉🌟

If you'd like to join the team, click here. 💵

May your 2020 conclude with your face turned towards our Abba, 
✨soaking in his goodness and grace! ✨

Soli Deo Gloria
:D

2020: A Year in Review - and a playlist to set the mood

To view the ASL Version - click here 

Wow. We are almost to the end of our "unprecedented" year.. Does anyone else cringe every time they hear/see that word.. It's not my favorite! 

(Music/songs to get you through the year - that is a favorite. You can click each link below for the individual song, or you can click here for the full playlist)

I realize I've been MIA on my updates this year. Much has happened, but I've not yet adequately documented it. Azael was able to take some time off, so I'm fervently trying to record all the things God has done to make sure he gets the glory from this! in this unprecedented 😏 year. 

As I'm compiling the list of things that happened with the Deaf Ministry and Interpreting needs for Cru during in this calendar year, I'm grateful for the "great things he hath done". Please join me in saying "Praise the LORD", our Adonai as he continues to increase our ministry for Deaf students and staff.

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In February, I provided a team of interpreters for a 4 day intensive training workshop. Due to the nature of the workshop, I needed 2 male interpreters and 2 female interpreters. The interpreting field is disproportionally made up of women, so I was easily able to book two wonderful ladies. I also secured one guy a month before the training was scheduled but I was still looking for second guy the week before the event. My typical search for an interpreter will only need me to ask 10 or so interpreters before I am able to cover a job. However, in this situation, I had to press on and ask 39 Christian Male Interpreters before the 40th one was able to accept the job! Before this, I didn't know that 40 Christian Male Interpreters existed!! (I joke, but they are a RARE breed for sure). I was so very grateful for the network that God provided me, as the training ignited deep growth and healing for the participants!

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I received an email in May asking if I could provide interpreters for only the first 3 hours of a virtual 24 hour prayer event. After calling the organizer on a Friday to discuss more details, it turned out they were open to covering the whole 24 hours with interpreters, but they did not have the funds, nor did they expect the need could be met - since the event was less than a week away. Feeling the Holy Spirit confirm within me that we could indeed cover the full 24 hours, I told the organizer I would work on it over the weekend, and felt confident that we could have interpreters for the whole event. As I drove back home, the song PEACE, BE STILL, came on the radio. I felt it was confirmation from the Holy Spirit that he would do it! An amazing 72 hours later, all 24 two-person team two-hour slots were covered!!! I wish I had the video footage of the event to share with you, but unfortunately a glitch did not record any of it. It truly was an amazing time!

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Even with the lock-downs/quarantines that have become our norm, we had our FIRST Deaf Virtual Summer Mission during June and July. It was such a sweet time of growth both for our staff and the seven (7) students that attended. This is only the SECOND Deaf Summer Mission that has ever happened in the 69 years that Cru has existed. We are so excited for the opportunities on the horizon to EQUIP Deaf Students to share their faith with their peers! Often, because the hearing church is generally in English, Deaf individuals don't feel as though they have a place, since English is not their first language. Through the summer teachings and trainings, many of the students realized they can do the things God has called them to using ASL!

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In September, I officially transferred to my new department. If this sounds familiar, it's because I did the same thing last year 😆 When an organization made up of thousands restructures their leadership, it takes a while for the dust to settle and people to be 'filed in the new system'. I started out under HR when I first joined staff, and now I'm back in HR! It's a different team, now, since I'm on the national level and not just designated to one region (as there are Deaf people EVERYWHERE) 😉 So far, its a great fit with appropriate oversight and room to grow. God has been kind and taking good care of me - I'm excited to see where He leads! :) 

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Lastly, in December of this year, due to our virtual year, the National Campus Staff decided to host an "all staff day" for encouragement and to cast vision. There are over 3,000 staff members on the campus level of Cru. This endeavor meant we would have to use a Zoom Webinar instead of a Meeting. I'm sure many of you have become more familiar with Zoom than you ever would have thought. Zoom has many integrated features that allow for Deaf people to use an interpreter on the platform, but a Webinar is not one of them 👀 With God's grace and some creative settings we were able to make it work! We raise a hallelujah for the technology of today that allows us to involve the Deaf community!

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I hope this update brings a smile to your face and joy to your heart. May the Lord bless you and keep you this holiday season. May he make his face shine upon you. 

As always, I'm grateful for your partnership. If you would like to make a monetary donation towards supporting the ongoing ministry, click here. We have many projects for accessibility in the works for 2021. More updates to come!

Soli Deo Gloria
:D

🙌 Full of gratitude! 🙌

Yes. I'm grateful for you!

(TL:DR - just read the Bold highlights) 😉

I'm grateful for the support you've given (financially, experientially, emotionally) over the last 10 years that I've been on this journey of working with and for Cru among the Deaf community. 

Back in May, Jesus Film, which is a ministry of Cru, hosted a 24 hour prayer live stream. I had less than 10 days to get 24 interpreters lined up to cover the 12 - 2 hour blocks needed for interpreting the whole 24 hours. God graciously provided all the time slots to be covered in 3 days! While I didn't have time to get the word out amid the furry of plans, the event was supposed to be recorded. I planned to share the link post event so you could see me (and other interpreters) in action! Unfortunately, due to some overlooked YouTube setting, the event was not able to be recorded, and all footage was lost. 😭

I was awake and working with the team for the full 24 hours that day. It felt crushing to not have any recording to show for it. I started an update a few times, but I was at a loss for what to say. Thus I didn't post anything.

This past summer, we had the FIRST ever Virtual Deaf Summer Mission. Seven Deaf and hard-of-hearing students attended via Zoom. Five students were from RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) and two were from Gallaudet. Myself and two other's from the Hands of Fire Staff lead the team. It was a great experience. 

One student shared: "I learned that some of the problems in my life aren’t my fault and that I shouldn’t be harsh to myself - [I need to accept God's] GRACE TO MYSELF!"

Another student said: "Also I found that I don't have boundaries between myself, people and God and this is the reason I keep falling as I let everything get inside my home and things got messed up. So I planned that my next study topic is to explore more about boundaries."

While there was much good that happened this summer - TIME (especially my time, with 3 young kids at home) was quite limited, and I did not get an update sent out about all the good things that were happening. The groundbreaking FIRST Deaf Summer Mission to happen via video chat slid by without much fanfare, but the Hands of Fire ministry at RIT is still reaping the rewards of that event. I'm grateful that your continued support of me allowed us to offer the option to students. :)

My last bit of news might seem a bit redundant since just 2 or 3 updates ago I mentioned that I was finally 'landing in my new role' officially after waiting for the dust of the organizational restructure from two years prior to settle. It turns out that there were misunderstanding on both sides of my placement, and my 'new role' actually meant I would have to stop interpreting with Cru. 😣 During Covid quarantine, there were many conversations about whether Cru was the right place to continue in ministry with the Deaf community. Which is one of the main reasons I've not been able to pen an update until now - feeling as though there was a very real possibility that this communication with you might be me saying "I have appreciated your support thus far, and am now going in a different direction." HOWEVER, I am happy to report that a better fit for the Interpreting ministry within Cru was found, and I am able to continue doing the work I feel the Lord has commissioned me to do under the ministry of Cru. 😁

I am attempting to establish a schedule to better manage my time - I'm getting better at the curve ball's kids throw into the rhythms and routines of the day. I always want to end these updates on a positive note, and I really do have plans to update this newsletter to a better format, but realistically, I need to just say I'm trying to be faithful to the call that God has given me to make information about Him accessible to the Deaf community in their heart language of ASL. I hope to update you more frequently going forward, but if you don't hear from me, just know I'm still taking the next step towards making access to God's Word more readily available for the Deaf community!

Soli Deo Gloria

Thoughts on my 35th attempt

Hello Friends,

Today is the inaugural day of my 35th trip around the sun. The last 34 times I've succeeded.
Lord willing, I hope I make it to the end of this one as well! ;)

With the media abuzz about coronavirus, I don't have much to add to the constant updates and articles that are flooding the web. I will say that in situations such as these my mind tends to wonder about those who have gone before us in regard to things like the Black Death in Europe and the Yellow fever that overtook those building the Panama Canal. If this virus is going to threaten us, I can't think of a better time in history to have to self-quarantine. It's akin to when I was dating Azael. He lived in Honduras while I was here in the States. People would ask how our long distance relationship was progressing, and I would always say, "I'm glad he's only a video call away, and not writing a letter and waiting 6 months for a response!" As Trevor Noah said, "There's no other time that someone will give you the advice to [look at your phone, watch T.V. all you want, and binge on social media.]" I hope you are all enjoying some of the 'down time' you've been 'given'. :)

It's been a couple of years since I did a birthday countdown or update, but I wanted to continue to the tradition of documenting my 'new year' with you all. ((And since I know my updates have been few and far between these last few years, I wanted to give an overview of where I am..)) I had hoped to get this out in the morning, so you could read it ON my birthday, but in reality I took my first breath in the evening, so it's fitting that it's dark while I'm finishing it. :)

In August of 2018, I sent an update explaining that I had not been feeling well for a while. At the time it seemed like it was stress and life changes (and those probably did play into my overall health); however, I have recently been seeing a doctor for my persistent extreme exhaustion and finding there is more to the equation. The brain fog and consistent headaches that have accompanied me for a while now have become too much to just 'muscle through'. In February I had some initial blood work done that came back inconclusive. I need to get some more tests run, but the doctor suspects it's either food allergies or Lyme's Disease. Thus, I'm starting the Whole30 today as a way to try to identify any possible food allergies, and I am taking the next steps to corner the potential Lyme invader. It's both a relief and a burden to have a possible diagnosis.  In my limited amount of "good days/time" updates have been put on the back burner. I apologize for not prioritizing communication and I hope to have a "State of the Ministry" update coming soon.. :)

And, if I'm honest, part of the reason for not updating this past year is that I'm still picking up pieces from the 'shipwreck' that happened last summer. I find myself thinking that I've got my 'sea legs' back and I'm ready to go, only to find another layer of insecurities or interpersonal issues to work through. I feel like I'm in good company and I have a great support system around me, but that doesn't make the work of cleaning up a spiritual/emotional shipwreck go more quickly. I'm trying to be diligent to do the work now so as to avoid another shipwreck in the future.

In the mean time, Azael and I continue to be amazed at God's timing and the blessing that moving to Texas has been - even though I didn't necessarily want to come nor was it in my itinerary for the future - it has been very good for us, both individually and as a family. We are grateful to our Abba, for knowing what we need and giving good gifts, even when we aren't able to see the bigger picture.

Speaking of pictures, I did a thing today. This is the shortest my hair has been since I was 3 or 4 years old! ==>

Thanks for reading through this update. Please know that ministry IS still happening  - and those who benefit from using the ASL interpreters at the conferences and events that Cru hosts ARE Eternally Grateful!

Really and truly - so very grateful for your partnership with me in this mission!

Soli Deo Gloria
:D