Well, I keep joking with Daron (interpreter that is here until Friday) that this week has come in like a Lamb and will go out like a Lion. Kinna (female Deaf student) left last Thursday for a wedding, and came back late Tuesday night. So the first few days Daron was here, there was only one deafie..
**yes, that is a politically correct term to use for someone involved in the Deaf community. I am called a "hearie", Deaf ppls are referred to as "deafies".. just a lil' fyi for all you hearing ppls**
so - back to one deafie..which means we (Daron and I) had been interpreting everything together. Staff meeting- check, Monday night meeting - check, Outreach time and debrief - check.. Tuesday was our first un-teamed terp events.. poor Daron.. I feel sorry for him, esp. since he doesn't quite know what he is walking into. I have tried to prepare him.. it's just one of those things that you don't really understand until you are there, in the moment, and you've been hit with the ton of bricks, and you have to continue on anyway .. poor Daron..
By Thursday I am hoping we're still friends ;) as Thursday is going to be a looooong evening in terms of terping.. for both of us.. This is when I really could use 4 terps - 2 girls and 2 guys.. sadly there isn't an "Interpreter Bank" with ready made terps waiting to be ordered.. it'd be sweet if there was.. here's to hoping that when they figure out all the kinks with Clones, that we'll be able to clone great terps, and start that "Interpreter Bank" (every interpreter schedulers dream = ever-present/skilled/qualified/available terps!)
So - lets see, what else of interest has happened this past week..
Last Friday, I dropped Cory off at the airport, then Auzy and I had to go find some shoes.. for my Bro/Soon-to-be-sis-in-law's wedding in August.. They are high heels.. yeah.. and not like "inch" high heels either.. I don't think I've ever owned a pair of legit high heels in my life..
yes, I am 26 years old, and
actually scratch that.. I can't walk and chew gum in high heels.. If I concentrate, I can walk in them - but Auzy asked me a question when we were at the store, when I was trying them on, and I started tripping all over the place.. Practice makes perfect tho - right? so here's to a SUMMER of practice! haha - by August 6th I will CONQUER you, high heels :)
While in Philly, after said excursion to find "tower shoes", Auzy and I picked up "Week 2's Interpreter" (and a friend of Auzy's from RIT) named Daron. My flip video camera is still giving me some problems, but I'll introduce him when I can get it figured out! :)
After picking up Daron, we met up with some friends we met last year - Rich and Jess (a married couple, both interpreters) and Ed (A Deaf guy who leads the Deaf bible study Auzy and I visited last year). We had some great time chatting and catching up over dinner at Texas Roadhouse - then made it back to Wildwood by night fall. Friday's are designated a "Day off" for the staff - and while it wasn't specifically that for us, I think all involved had a great time!
Saturday, while out sharing on the Boardwalk (during an outreach time) we ran into 2 Deaf couples and their little (2 yo) Deaf boy.. Very fun to talk with them - Esp since Wildwood is not a hub of Deaf people - I am always so thankful to my Adoni for having us "bump into" Deaf people here - knowing it is HIS Divine plan that has brought them here for us to meet. We got their contact info - as they said they come back periodically - so we'll see what the Lord has planned for our involvement in their lives :)
Sunday, Auzy and I cooked breakfast for the Deaf participants at TLC *The Lighthouse Church* and got together at 9am before the service started at 10:45am. It was great to spend some time with all of them as they tend to work during the week, and last year we only saw them while at church. I hope to take some video of them too - but again.. when Flip video camera = figured out, I'll get some footage.. We are planning to continue to meet for breakfast and engage in community/fellowship with them this coming Sunday also. It's so hard - because ideally we want to have a "discussion time" after the church service to make sure that the point of the sermon was cohesive and understandable.. But our schedule isn't conducive to a lunch meeting sadly, so we are trying for breakfast.. After the service was over, Auzy and I stuck around for a time tho, and did end up clarifying some misunderstanding that had occurred during the translation process..
There is always a fine line in Deaf ministry - that line of how do we provide general accessibility to the service vs how do we present objective truth and the Pastor's message accurately.. Deaf culture tends to naturally be more "slow paced, interrupt-me-with-questions, understanding is more important than finishing a 5 point sermon". Hearing culture is more often "sermon-lecture-oriented" style. So in an Interpreted ministry, it can be hard to decide (as an interpreter) what to sacrifice - the message for the sake of time.. or content for the sake of comprehension.. It doesn't matter how prepared or ill-prepared the interpreter is, there is always part of the message that gets "lost in translation".. an interpreters goal is to have that be minimal - but that is not always the case (esp in lecture-style orations that don't lend themselves to "excuse me, Pastor, I missed what you said - can you repeat that" kind of interruptions..
(Also, shout out to my Bro-ha who turned 22 on Sunday.. *beaming* he's super great, and everyone should know!)
Monday five of Auzy's friends from RIT came down, and attended the weekly meeting. It was sweet-awesome-cool-cool-cool to meet and hang out with them. Really, it's been a pretty funky week - in terms of normalcy (being that Kinna was gone for 5 days and we made breakfast for the Deaf participants at TLC and Auzy's friends came - since they are all Deaf, there wasn't any interpreting needed - just hanging out and chatting. So fun.. so lovely.. so wonderful!).. It isn't the norm, but was a sweet break for Daron and I to be able to be involved as participants of the conversations, not just facilitators of the convos ;)
His friends are Mario (and his brother, Vinny - Vinny will be a senior in HS this year) Erica, Sam, Janna,and Mercy. Janna is from Maine, and was visiting Sam, her boyfriend, but all the other students live in New Jersey - in different areas, about 1 or 2 hours away. They may come back to visit again - and 2 students (Mario and Erica) expressed interest in being a part of Summer Project next summer.. I'm excited to see what God does in their lives between now and then! :)
Lastly, before I close out for the day, I'd like to share a prayer request.. And I've been going back and forth on how to share this - how much detail to go into - esp since this is a public blog.. but I also 1) don't have internet access as often as I thought I would (so sending out a separate e-mail is hard) and 2) realistically it doesn't seem like too many world.wide.web stalkers have found my site.. so I will just trust the Lord that if you are reading this - you are suppose to be joining with me in prayer. *grin*
Many of you know that I have been a part of Campus Crusade for Christ (C3) for a long time. As a college student, many of you supported me to attend my own Summer Projects starting back in 2005. In 2007, going back for my 3rd Summer to San Diego Summer Project , I acted in a Student Intern/Interpreter role. Some of you may remember the events that occurred - but the short story is that the Deaf female student that year was a very angry person, and I was a very naive interpreter and the whole thing blew up in my face. I carried a lot of guilt from that situation for the past 3 years - things that I didn't even realize until last year, when I came out here to Summer Project and interpreted for Auzy. Last summer was very redemptive for me, and such a blessing to be a part of. After last summer, I thought I had processed through most of my "inadequacies" and "regrets" from 2007, but it is becoming evident this summer that I have some "unfinished business". I have found myself resenting interpreting for the Female only times - like Women's time, small group Bible studies and Discipleship times.. My attitude has been pretty "sour" in those situations to say the least, but haven't been able to pinpoint the reasoning behind it. Abba, so graciously, has been revealing things that are in my heart tho - as we all know that the Heart is decietful, and we can't often figure it out. But thanks be to our Lord, who does search the heart and examine the mind, He has been showing me the deep parts of my heart that have been reticent to engage in the "female activities" because of my fear of repeating the past failings of 2007. Would you be praying with me that the Lord would continue to help me process through those feelings, as well as help Kinna (the Deaf female student) to feel cherished and an important part of this project - since I'll be the first to admit that my poor attitude has not modeled those things.
Soli Deo Gloria
:D
"Great is the LOVE the Father has given us.."
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