"I think it's been about 20 mins.."

For ASL - click here

 My husband is one of those people who can estimate time with precision. I'll ask him, "how long have we been here?" as I'm looking at my phone to see the time. "About 15 mins" will come his reply, when in fact we have been there 14 mins and 20 seconds! 👀

I, on the other hand, when I try to estimate time, am usually no where in the ballpark! "What time is it?" I'll ask Azael. Let's assume I think it's 3pm, so I go to look at my phone. Azael will say, "4:25ish?".. it's 4:28.. HOW.. I do not have words every time he does this. It does not compute in my brain.. 

Anyways, all that to say - it's been a month or two since my last update, huh? 😉(Try SIXTEEN months, Jenna!) Oops.. 

Since there is much to catch up on, I'm going to try this and hope it works.. The cliff's notes are listed below. If you are curious for more details, click the link in that section, and get the full scoop. It will open in a new tab. Once you've read it, close it to come back to the main update. If not, scroll down to the next month!

If the links are too confusing, click here and it will take you to the EPISTLE (long form version) 🙈

January '21

As my previous post outlined, January 2021 was extremely busy. Five events back to back, two events overlapping. Due to a situation with Azael's work at the time, he and his co-workers were given 6 weeks paid leave - which helped me with the kids immensely during those back-to-back events.

February '21

Azael was laid off in a company wide downsizing. The company he was working for went from around 50 employees to 11. The lease for our apartment also expired in February, and "Dallaska" as someone called it/the cold-front + snow found us in the middle of moving out of our apt! 

March '21

Since Azael was not working, I increased my hours for Cru. Our team began planning for the second virtual Deaf Summer Mission. Deaf staff attended two workshops Cru offered. Azael applied for jobs, and we continued to live with our friends.

April '21

I was able to interpret for a one-day Christian based Foster/Adoption-care event with a friend of mine. That was amazing and so insightful! There was also more work on Summer Mission prep.

May '21

I had two back-to-back interpreting events that I needed to be in Orlando for. We took the opportunity to take the whole family to Florida for a week. 

June '21

Unfortunately, we did not have any students able to join the virtual Summer mission. After a lull with employment options, Azael had two job interviews in the same week. 

July '21

We verbally accepted the offer from DOOR International. This meant we would be heading to Kenya by January, and then Costa Rica come fall of 2022. Now we just needed to find somewhere to live for the next 5 months..

August '21

We moved to missionary housing in Dallas in order to downsize all our things. We also found out we would be adding a member to our family in Kenya! Surprise!!!

September '21

First trimester fatigue, trying to downsize our storage unit, and mentally and physically prepare (passports, shots, ect) to move overseas, all while Azael worked a temp position with DOOR makes this month a little bit of a blur..

October '21

During our discussion of which job to accept, we anticipated that I would continue doing what I've been doing for Cru, since most of my work is remote currently. I started to establish a part-time interpreting team under me to do the daily work of interpreting, as I knew that the internet - specifically in Kenya - would not be as reliable as it is in the States. In trying to establish this part-time team it was discovered that I could not continue the work I was doing for Cru - USA, and live outside of the US.. 

November '21

I took the kids and we spent two weeks visiting my family before and during Thanksgiving. Azael stayed in Dallas to wrap things up, and joined us for the Thanksgiving long weekend. The tension of how to move forward with my impending absence from Cru while also caring well for our Deaf staff hung heavy over me.

December '21

I interpreted my last in-person campus meetings for Cru in Orlando the first week of December. It was bitter sweet still not knowing if I would be able to continue with Cru after December 2021 since discussion about my position was still ongoing as we moved forward with our departure. December 15th landed us in Kenya. We suspect Azael came down with Omicron on the plane.. It made its way through the family as we adjusted to living 9 hours ahead of friends and family in the states.

January '22

As I predicted, power outages and interrupted internet connections have been frequent here. To abide by IRS regulations, it was decided that I could change my position within Cru to Associate Staff - which basically means I am now a volunteer. 

>> IF you are currently supporting me financially, I will email you directly with information about your options to cease support if you desire. <<

February '22

Trying to juggle kids, manual house work (no clothes dryer, dishwasher, vacuum cleaner, etc), adjusting to a new culture and expectations and preparing to have a baby here has taken quite a lot of time. There is not much left for Cru at the moment. 

March '22

Finally finding a rhythm.. one of those things includes a 4:30am meeting one day a week with teammates in the states as we plan for our first IN-Person Deaf Summer Mission since Covid! 

April '22

I'm trying to complete as much as I am able before baby joins us and I'm 'off' for the next few months.

Hopefully this is not the only update you get from me in 2022 - but at this point I make no promises about my next newsletter. I'm sure there will be an intro to baby.. but then we will be moving back to the states this summer, and on to Costa Rica this fall.. Thanks for taking this ride with me for the past 10+ years. YOU have been a blessing to the ministry in whatever capacity you have been involved and I'm grateful!

Soli Deo Gloria

:D

The Epistle form

January '21

As my previous post outlined, January 2021 was extremely busy. Five events back to back, two events overlapping. 

Due to a situation with Azael's work at the time, he and his co-workers were given 6 weeks paid leave - which helped me with the kids immensely during those back-to-back events.

Azael felt the Holy Spirit tell him that a change was coming. We were actively seeking to purchase a house in the DFW area, and sensed God asking us to wait until the issues at work subsided. We are grateful that we heeded that admonition with the news that came in February.

February '21

Azael was laid off in a company wide downsizing. The company he was working for went from around 50 employees to 11. The lease for our apartment also expired in February, and "Dallaska" as someone called it/the cold-front + snow found us in the middle of moving out of our apt!

While Azael's layoff was not necessarily in our plans, God was gracious in working out the details for us. Our friends were so kind and offered us a place to stay for the next 2 months while Azael looked for new employment. We were in the midst of moving to their place (an hour north of our apartment, but still in the DFW area) when the snow hit. In the craziness of packing we didn't grab the winter clothes 😬 so the kids weren't able to really play in the snow. But we DID have power the whole time of the inopportune snow storm event in Texas, since our friends live on the same grid as the Firehouse, which was a blessing to not add one more crazy layer to our already chaotic week of boxes and moving and sudden unemployment. 

March '21

Since Azael was not working, I increased my hours for Cru. Our team began planning for the second virtual Deaf Summer Mission. Deaf staff attended two workshops Cru offered. I began meeting with the Teaching staff team within Cru to work to make our core curriculum accessible for current and future Deaf staff. 

Azael applied for jobs and had a few different leads, but we felt the Holy Spirit asking us to rest in His timing and wait a bit. It was a blessing that I could devote more time to Cru as Azael was able to invest in the kids more during this time. We continued to live with our friends.

April '21

I was able to interpret for a one-day Christian based Foster/Adoption-care event with a friend of mine. That was amazing and so insightful! Azael and I had begun training classes for foster care licensing in December. When he was laid off in February, we had to put our training on hold. However, having just been through most of the training that was used in the one day conference made it so much easier to interpret the content. Azael is also an adult adoptee. Many of the classes/trainings have been so helpful to us in navigating things that happened in his childhood that he is just now finding vocabulary to be able to process. It's also been an asset to our own nuclear family and helping to identify unhealthy habits or patterns and implement better ones. If foster care/adoption is something that you are impacted by, I would encourage you to check out the annual conference. :)

There was also more work on Summer Mission prep for our online Summer Mission Opportunity.

May '21

I had two back-to-back interpreting events that I needed to be in Orlando for. If you remember, last year we did an event for 24 hours, but it was not recorded. This year it was condensed into a 12 hour event, and the recording worked! If you have some time to watch, you can repeat the prayers for the people a year later now. ;)

We took the opportunity to take the whole family to Florida for a week. Azael had a few leads for a new job, but nothing substantial, so while he could go with me, we took the chance to go on the road trip! We also got to visit my Grandma and the kids enjoyed seeing one of our former roommates who lived in Florida at that time. The 3 day drive there and the 3 day drive back were good opportunities for Azael and I to really discuss future options too. Six days in the car with kids can be a little stressful, but overall we were glad for the trip and it worked out well.

June '21

Unfortunately, we did not have any students able to join the virtual Summer mission. 

After a lull with employment options, Azael had two job interviews in the same week. Both were jobs that had been brought to Azael's attention back in March, but due to various circumstances had been delayed in finalizing job offers. One job, with DOOR International, would move our family overseas for the next 5 years. First to Kenya, then to Costa Rica. The other would keep us in Texas, where Azael could purse his long-time desire of higher education. After much discussion with some trusted advisors and seeking the Lord's guidance, we had peace about which offer He was inviting us into. 

July '21

We verbally accepted the offer from DOOR International. This meant we would be heading to Kenya by January, and then Costa Rica come fall of 2022. Now we just needed to find somewhere to live for the next 5 months since our friends, who had graciously allowed us to stay with them for an extra 4 months, were needing their space back. We needed to find temporary housing for the rest of 2021. Thankfully DOOR has connections with DIU (Dallas International University, a partner with SIL - Summer Institute of Linguistics) and we were able to secure missionary housing for August to December. 

Adding an new critter to our ZOO! 
The kids had "animal themes" at birth that they continue to
enjoy as they've gotten older. This baby will be a Koala.

August '21

We moved to missionary housing in Dallas in order to downsize all our things. We also found out we would be adding a member to our family in Kenya! Surprise!! 👀

September '21

First trimester fatigue, trying to downsize our storage unit, and mentally and physically prepare (passports, shots, ect) to move overseas, all while Azael worked a temp position with DOOR makes this month a little bit of a blur..

October '21

How I told my family.. Grandkids #9, #10 and #11
for my parents. Lauren is 8 months pregnant here, 
Lindsey is 4 months along, and I'm barely a month.

During our discussion of which job to accept, we anticipated that I would continue doing what I've been doing for Cru, since most of my work is remote currently. I started to establish a part-time interpreting team to do the daily work of interpreting, as I knew that the internet - specifically in Kenya - would not be as reliable as it is in the States. In trying to establish this part-time team it was discovered that I could not continue the work I was doing for Cru - USA, and live outside of the US.. 

To say I was shocked is an understatement. Working with Cru for the last 10 years, attempting to provide access to the Deaf community, and trying many times to build a team of interpreters to work along side me over the course of those 10 year has been very trying to say the least. My goal was to continue the work that I felt I'd been given and at least transition it well to the next person who may take it up - a task I felt would take 6 months to a year to complete. However, now I was supposed to be leaving the country in less than 45 days! Many tears and conversations later, I still felt stuck between a rock and a hard place. I continued to remind myself that even though it was no where on my radar over the summer, it was not a surprise to God and that he cares about the Deaf community more than I do. 

November '21

I took the kids and we spent two weeks visiting my family before and during Thanksgiving. Azael stayed in Dallas to wrap thing up, and joined us for the Thanksgiving long weekend.

The tension of how to move forward with my impending absence from Cru while also caring well for our Deaf staff hung heavy over me. I had a 3 day event in Florida at Cru's headquarters that needed interpreting at the beginning of December. I was able to contract with a skilled interpreter who is also dear friend and process through much of my disappointment with how things were turning out. I also tried every which way I knew to see if there was an option to re-code my position so that I could continue to do what I was doing and still live abroad. Cru is an international organization, so it would seem feasible. However the IRS doesn't see it that way.. more waiting to see what would become of my position.

December '21

I interpreted my last in-person campus meetings for Cru in Orlando the first week of December. It was bitter sweet still not knowing if I would be able to continue with Cru after December 2021 since discussion about my position was still ongoing as we moved forward with our departure. This is why there was no mass end of the year email from me.. With so much to catch up on, and so many things "up in the air", I decided to hold off until we had some more details.. 

December 15th landed us in Kenya. We suspect Azael came down with Omicron on the plane.. It made it's way through the family as we adjusted to living 9 hours ahead of friends and family in the states.

January '22

As I predicted, power outages and interrupted internet connections have been frequent here. To abide by IRS regulations, it was decided that I could change my position within Cru to Associate Staff - which basically means I am now a volunteer. I will continue to do the things I've been doing to the best of my limited capacity, only now I don't get paid to do them. I am planning to try the volunteer position for a year to see if it's sustainable for our family dynamic, while also working towards a more permanent solution with Cru staffing teams. 

 >> IF you are currently supporting me financially, I will email you directly with information about your options to cease support if you desire. <<

February '22

Trying to juggle the kids experiences of a new place, manual house work (no clothes dryer, dishwasher, vacuum cleaner..), adjusting to a new culture and expectations and preparing to have a baby here has taken quite a lot of time. After recovering from the jet-lag and illness, we are finally starting to settle in. The adjustment to Kenya is taking quite some time. One of the easiest ways I've found to describe the nuance of living here is that I placed an order for an item via an online portal - similar to Amazon, local to Kenya - but same day delivery. When I asked for an ETA, they replied by saying they would dispatch it immediately. That was at 10am.. I checked in around noon, and they assured me it was coming. The location was less than a 30 minute drive from where we live. I checked in again around 2pm.. again I was assured it was on it's way. It arrived at 4pm.. 10-4 = 6 hours.. the Kenyan definition for "immediately"? It turns out that is pretty par for the course here.. Any estimation of time is taken with a grain of salt, as things just take longer here.. getting adjusted and a daily routine set up included!

Also with internet/power outages and the 9+ hour time difference from the states, I'm having a hard time figuring out a work schedule. I feel I've dropped many balls lately, but I'm hoping for grace in this season and trying to do what I can with what I have available to me.

March '22

Finally finding a rhythm.. one of those things includes a 4:30am meeting one day a week with teammates in the states as we plan for our first IN-Person Deaf Summer Mission since Covid! I am excited to prep for our in person summer mission. We are hopeful to have Deaf students attend this year. The early hours meeting is not sustainable long term, but for the next few weeks until BabyBu#4 comes, I'm trying to make it work.

There has also been some good conversation amongst the leadership within Cru about needing to establish some sort of sustainability of interpreting for the future.. which is something I've been trying to get going for quite a while, but with my impending absence, it seems to finally have been made a priority.. which, I guess, is a blessing in disguise.. 💁

April '22

I'm trying to complete as much as I am able before baby joins us and I'm 'off' for the next few months.

Hopefully this in not the only update you get from me in 2022 - but at this point I make no promises about my next newsletter. I'm sure there will be an intro to baby.. but then we will be moving back to the states this summer, and on to Costa Rica this fall.. Thanks for taking this ride with me for the past 10+ years. YOU have been a blessing to the ministry in whatever capacity you have been involved and I'm grateful!

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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! :) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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!

-----------

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

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

on being Shipwrecked

It's hard for me to know where the line is when it comes to being honest about current ministry situations. I feel there is an unspoken undertone that in ministry most updates should be happy, grateful and only about progress. If updates are consistently dreary or growth is not evident then an alternative career may need to be considered.

And while I can see the wisdom in evaluating the place where you are and wondering if God is closing a door, or moving you on to other things, I also know that Paul's ministry was certainly no walk in the park. Eugene Peterson wrote a book titled 'A Long Obedience in the Same Direction.' I think that sums up Paul's journey from conversion to final breath pretty well. But I don't feel like those who are 'career missionaries' have the opportunity to share freely about shipwrecked times without those who support them wondering why the missionary is not producing steady fruit. (And this could be a projected fear/lie that I believe - please feel free to reply and correct me if you do not feel this way!)

I've been wrestling with this currently, as I want to give an honest and vulnerable update but I don't want this to sound like I am complaining about where I am - in terms of ministry with Cru, or in my personal life. However, the truth of the current situation I find myself is that I am sitting in the middle of a shipwreck (multiple, actually) in just about every facet of my life. BUT the things that are also true of the situations are that growth is happening and Abba is present. I am in the midst of wise council, and am trying to continue to take the 'next right step' in each situation.

It's hard for me to know what to share, as my part of the story is mine, but the other part of the story (that would need to be shared for the story to make sense) is not mine. In each situation, there are one or more participants of whom I do not want to throw under the proverbial bus or cause to look bad because of how they have affected my current reality.

I feel a burden to try to gloss over the shipwreck, and make it less disappointing. It is hard for me to know how much or how little to share. I'm hoping to switch over to a newsletter system in the near future that would allow you to choose the level of updates you would like to get as I think this will give me more focus in knowing what to share. There will be the lighter, inspirational updates that come out quarterly. There will be an option to receive longer, more personal reflections from me as they come, and there will also be an option to be on the prayer warrior post - which I'm hoping will be a place where these shipwrecked moments feel more at home and less adrift at sea.

I do want to thank each of you who have invested/are investing in me thus far. There are great strides of growth and Christ-like character being developed in myself and the Deaf community connected to Cru. There are stories of redemption and grace that are still being penned. And there are new mercies every morning! ;)


Soli Deo Gloria
:D

"That or Crazy.."

Hi Friends. It's been a hot minute since my last update.. much has happened in that time, but in order to make this update not the length of a book, I'll try to be succinct (not my strong-suite). ;)

I'm sure you've all experienced a friend who is in the process of adoption or is a foster care parent, and overnight, because of the way the system works, they suddenly now have a baby or a toddler. It's not that your friend didn't know the child was coming or that they were unprepared, but this new arrival in their life is sudden and time consuming and you're not sure how to help - have you been there?

That's where I feel like I am now - but it's not a baby ;)
It's the FIRST DEAF SUMMER MISSION with Cru!! 
We have been planning it since January. We've been recruiting.
We've been working out details and setting up things.
It started at the end of MAY.
It's a 6 week Summer Mission, so we are just now starting week 4.
(yeah.. I know.. a lil late on the announcement)

But that's the thing. I wasn't sure if it would happen. We only had 3 students confirm to come, and one of them came but wasn't feeling well so had to go back home :( So we have 2 students and 3 staff members and it's a mess (cuz it's the first year we've done this - lots of "oh, we should have's" and "ahh, that's why other Summer Missions do that..") but it's also Lord willing making significant life change in the lives of those who are participating.

However, since I wasn't sure it would happen, I was waiting to make the announcement about it - then since it did happen it's been all consuming. Kinda like that baby or toddler that shows up at your friends house at mid-night one day, and then you wonder if they moved to a different state cuz you've not heard from them in a month..

The Summer Mission is at my house (for various 'Deaf friendly spaces" reasons), and when people have heard that we've rearranged all the furniture (that is moveable) to a different room or switched the location of rooms (dining room moved the the living room and living moved to dining to make more space) for the Summer Mission to be here they often say, "wow, that's amazing", "oh, that's brave", or "cool, that's great." Given my current reality of directing the Summer Mission while still living in my house and with all the other planning and things that are going on this Summer, my response as of late has been, "ha.. that, or [I am] crazy".. ;)

But where the Holy Spirit leads, I'll follow - even it looks, or makes me feel crazy.
--> on a serious note: Since this is the first ever Deaf Summer Mission, we are defiantly feeling the brunt of the spiritual warfare as these students and staff members are growing in their spiritual maturity and developing godly character with access to all of the information in their first language of ASL. For most of them, this is the first time they've had this type of direct communication to deep truths about themselves and God's word in sign language. Please join me in praying for a spirit of Peace to permeate the last 2 weeks of Summer Mission, and for soft hearts to continue to be cultivated to receive the truths from God's word. Also that we staff members would have wisdom to know how to meet the students where they are and walk beside them as we challenge them to "follow me as I follow Christ."

THANKS for reading this long-over due update, and for taking time to join us on the [spiritual] battle-front. May the Lord expand your heart for his glory during your times with him!

Soil Deo Gloria
:D

"It's the MOST WONDERFUL Time of the Year" (year end giving..) ;)

Hello Friends and Family.

I'm sure you've had many email reminders from various organizations about year-end tax-deductible giving. I had planned a grand giving campaign, but then my son was born early, and ended up with a broken leg so I'm just now getting out my end of the year request. I trust God will bring in what is necessary to keep the ministry a float, but I would like to give you a brief update if you have the time.

We've added four members to our Staff this year who are working with the Deaf ministry of Cru - Hands of Fire. This is three more people than last year, and the first time to have staff members DEDICATED TO the needs of THE DEAF COMMUNITY. Praise the Lord for bringing workers to the ripe fields! :)

We also currently have THREE Winter Conferences that we are providing Interpreters. This is TWO more than last year, AND there are 5 more Deaf students in attendance than last year (last year there were 2 students, this year 7 students).

I could go into more statistics, but suffice it to say we are finally starting to REAP A HARVEST from all of the years I've put into building the foundations of this ministry. Your support thus far has enabled us to be where we are today, and I hope that you will continue to invest in the growth of the ministry.

As we come to the end of 2018, I am in need of $8,000 to stay on budget. If you are able, I would appreciate whatever generous amount you can give towards that number. Thanks for partnering with me so that the Deaf community can SEE the gospel in their heart language, and share their understanding with others.

Soli Deo Gloria
:D

*(to receive the tax-deduction, your gift needs to be processed by December 31st at 11:59pm)*

On Expecting the Unexpected.. and a lil' bitty hello! :)

It's December 19th - technically I should be 41 weeks pregnant today. And because of that my plans for November were as follows:

November 1st - return home from a month long trip to Honduras (visiting Azael's biological family).
November 11th - drive down to Tulsa, help with prep for Lauren's wedding.
November 19th - drive home to Iowa from Lauren's wedding.
November 21st - purchase a van from our friends in Nebraska (as our van died a week earlier).
November 26th through December 14th - PREP. ALL. THE. THINGS
- for Baby's arrival, and for Cru Winter Conference, and the house for Snow, and..
December 16th - have all the things done, and be ready for baby to come. It may seem "late" but since my first two kids came at 42.5 and 41.5 weeks, respectively, I felt like it made sense to anticipate a later delivery.

BUT here's what happened

November 1st - return home from a month long visit to Honduras = Check
November 11th - drive down to Tulsa, help with prep for Lauren's wedding = Check
November 19th - drive home to Iowa from Lauren's wedding = Check
November 21st - purchase a van from our friends in Nebraska = Check
November 24th - 2:34am WATER BREAKS (this has not happened with either of my other kids = surprising!) Midwife checks on me through out the day, labor stalls thrice, but she decides to stay overnight since there's a snowstorm coming which can induce labor. I'm glad she did, as active labor started at 9:30pm, and Baby BOY was born at 11:31pm.

He was 37.5 weeks, so considered 'term'. We didn't have any complications - we also didn't have a name, as Azael and I had scheduled a date for Sunday, the 25th to discuss possible names!
Lil' buddy just couldn't wait.. ;)

I was woefully unprepared, however, for his arrival. We had ordered the 'Birth Kit' for his planned home birth just 2 days prior (it arrived Monday afternoon, when he was 2 days old.. oops!). Since my water broke in the early morning, Azael did have time to run some errands that day to get the necessities. We also had some of the other supplies left over from Kaspien's birth, so it worked out fine. We got the birthing pool set up just in time - that was wonderful!

I was also mentally not prepared for the transition of 2 to 3 kids. I had a list of things I wanted to do before baby came and I felt like the 5 virgins who ran out of oil. The first week of Baby being on the outside was a mess! Fortunately Azael had paternity leave from work and was able to stay home - but it was crazy. At one week old Baby Boy still didn't have a name, so we put off announcing him to the world. We weren't intentionally hiding him, just lots of adjusting for our hearts and minds to welcome this little one so 'early' (in our minds).




My mom was able to come up by the second week, and that gave Azael and I time to discuss names. In the Bible, we see God give very deliberate names to people, and Azael and I feel that same way with our kids. We've been entrusted by our Abba with these small humans to raise, and we feel like naming them in a way that honors Him is part of that responsibility as well.


As always, His name has a story: click here to read it though, as this post is getting long! ;)






On Saturday, December 10th, at two weeks old, he finally had a name! We sent the picture out to family and close friends and planned to make the obligatory Facebook Official post later that night. However, an unfortunate accident that evening landed Emaias in the ER with a broken leg. It was pretty traumatic for all involved. He had to stay overnight in Children's Hospital. I have a new found appreciation of and understanding for NICU parents. Recovery is slow going. He's in a harness - the typical regiment for this age and injury - but diaper changes and any movement of his leg are still pretty painful. I was overly optimistic that he would nurse sooner than he could - and thus have been struggling to keep my milk supply up as well. I texted a friend saying, "You don't realize how hard it is not to hold your baby until you can't." Things take longer now - diaper changes require two of us - one to immobilize his leg, the other to change him. He was nursing well and had a great latch pre-accident, and now I'm having to pump and use bottles (not bad, just more work.) I can't baby-wear him, and we have to give sponge baths for the next month or so. Our days look a lil different than the typical newborn bonding/adjusting and I'm trying to make sure I'm engaging with him as often as I can. It's hard, but God is good in it, helping me to think outside the box for ways to accommodate Emaias and his injury.

We've thought back through all the 'what if's' and 'if only's' to know that it truly was an unintended accident. It doesn't make it easier, but it is what it is, and we look forward to him feeling better. It's hard to see such a lil baby in such intense pain but he is predicted to make a fully recovery.

Thus the reason that he's a little over 3 weeks old and we are just now getting this announcement out. Jaelyn and Kaspien love their brother and are eagerly awaiting when they can hold him again.

WELCOME EMAIAS!

What's in a name? (well, apparently a lot!)

When Emaias was born, I had just started reading the Bible again on a consistent basis (hello Motherhood!). During the first week after he was born names like Emmett, Everett, Ellis, and Elias kept coming to mind, but they just didn't fit him. I've been reading the pocket book of Luke. I kept feeling the Holy Spirit say, "Pick up your booklet and look through there.. his name is there.." I didn't want to, so I continued scouring baby name websites that first week, feeling the pressure of others to find him a name. And I continued to come up wanting.. When I finally yielded to the Holy Spirit and flipped open Luke, I came to the story Emmaus, and felt a sea of peace encompass my thoughts. The Road to Emmaus could be summed up as an unplanned event, an unexpected wait for a promised outcome and a journey to understanding that began in confusion - which has very much been our story with this little guy. We weren't necessarily planning on a third biological child so soon, but God's timing is what it is, and it's been good. (more on this about his middle name.)

However, I wasn't thrilled with the spelling of Emmaus.. Yes, Christians know how to say it, since most have heard the Bible story, but it's a German word and I didn't know if the general public say "e-may-us" or "e-mos", the latter of which I did not want. Even though I had a strong feeling it was his name, I couldn't commit. Azael also didn't like the way it flowed while fingerspelling it, so we set it aside.

Through out the pregnancy, I have been making strides towards wellness. In my post a while back, I mentioned that I have been sick for a while. With this pregnancy, I've had a Nurse-Midwife attending to me. Not that my previous midwives were unskilled, but the "nurse" in this one has been extra helpful in getting blood work done and suggesting supplements that have made huge improvements in my overall health. When you have been chronically ill for some time, it's almost hard to remember how bad you actually feel, as feeling bad is your 'new normal'. It has been amazing to see myself "coming back" to who I used to be - who I know myself to be - but who has been buried by illness. I have a new hope that I can and will recover from what mono did to my body 5 years ago. During the last few months our Adonai had been impressing on me the concept of "Amaia (Ah-my-uh)" - a Spanish name meaning "the end" or "resolution". For me it's meant a feeling of "arrival to a more restful destination" and "a journey towards holistic healing - physically, emotionally, mentally." However, the name Amaia is typically a girls name, since we had a boy I wasn't sure how it fit.

But if you read my post about Kaspien's name, you know we have a penchant for mashing two names together, so why stop now? ;)
Side Note: It's funny to me when people comment on the spelling of my kids names, as my name (simply Jenna) was misspelled often while growing up (Jena, Jennah, Gina, Jeana - all fine names, just not mine). My siblings -with quite common names - experienced the same (LindsEY or AY? JessIe? Lauren can be Lauryn or Loren..) I feel like the millennial age kids will have their names spelled wrong regardless, but I digress.
As I played with alternate spellings it came to me - why not change Emmaus to Emaias? ;) The "aia" from Amaia, the sound of e-may-us.. And there you have it. Emaias :)

As for his middle name we have to go back a ways in time. "Not what I wanted. But better." is a six word memoir a friend back in college penned for one of her classes and I always found it soul-challenging. It's been something that I couldn't say of God's plan for my life up to this point. I had things working out very differently when I was younger, and as His timeline didn't fit mine, I've unintentionally harbored resentment along the way. This third child of ours -while affectionately welcomed- was not expected. I have wanted to adopt for as long as I can remember, and we were moving in that direction for our 3rd child. This pregnancy has also not been fun, with morning sickness dragging on till the 7th month. And we sure weren't expecting this baby to come sooner than the end of December! But for as troublesome as the pregnancy has been, as I mentioned above about my mid-wife, it's brought healing and good things with it. I've had a clearer mind, and been a better mom. It's not the way I anticipated I would begin to feel better, but God's been good in the midst of it.

I kept coming up blank, however, while searching the baby name sites for a name that meant "not planned, but better than expected" (people who write the baby name websites want you to name your kid "gift from God", not "accident") ;)

In my searching I came across the name Toviah. It was under one of those "gift from God"/happy baby names list. It means "goodness of God" (literally: Tov = Good, Yah = Yahweh, TovYah.. Toviah) It was accompanied by Hebrew commentary explaining that God is classified in Hebrew as good - not better - because better implies comparison, and you can't compare God to anything else as He's in his own category. I can't say I have fully uncovered and released my resentment of God's plan being better than I my youthful desire, but if I change my friends memoir to "Not what I wanted. But good." I am finding rest in those words. I have more thoughts on this to share at a later day, but suffice it to say, even though this son of ours might not have been in our plans, Emaias has, is and will bring much GOOD in our lives.

Thus is the story behind Emaias Toviah BuPerry's name. May we remember His goodness in our journey to meeting our son.

Will you be the whirlwind to my Phillip?

As you may have seen on social media, today is #GivingTuesday. As you are thinking about your finances and what you can contribute to the greater good, would you consider joining my whirlwind?

You may be wondering - what's a whirlwind and how do I join?

In the story about Phillip meeting the Ethiopian Official, verse 39 says that the Spirit of the Lord carried Phillip away, and then in vs 40 that Phillip appeared in another location. I remember a youth pastor once teaching about this passage and asking us what that would have looked like - to be "carried away" by the Spirit of the Lord. The Trekkies of the youth group suggesting it was probably teleportation (which would have been cool!). I don't remember how the Youth Pastor settled on the idea, but he had us think about it like a whirlwind (or for those of you in the midwest- a tornado - just a lil F2 or F3!) and that image has stuck in my mind all these years later.

So, now we know 'what' the whirlwind is, but why do you need to join? Well, the Spirit of the Lord often uses people to fulfill his purposes and his plan. A whirlwind is made up of many gusts of wind, all working towards gathering momentum for a specific trajectory. In the story, the Spirit of the Lord needed to get Phillip from one place of ministry to another, and he [may have] used a whirlwind to get him there.

Right now, Hands of Fire (the Deaf ministry of Cru on RIT/NTID's campus) is Phillip.
-- We have 4 staff members on campus working with Deaf students - the first time ever that we've had that many individuals dedicated to the needs of the Deaf community.
-- just this semester, TWO students (like the Ethiopian) have decided to follow Jesus and staff members (like Phillip) are in the process of guiding them into understanding of what that means.

What we need right now is a whirlwind to help equip those in ministry to continue to spread the news of the gospel with-in the Deaf community. We need a whirlwind to help take Hands of Fire resources to other Deaf individuals on other college campuses. We need your help to continue to serve in this way.

The easiest way to be part of the whirlwind is to give financially towards the mission and ministry. Volunteering your time to do any of these things is also greatly appreciated!

In honor of #GivingTuesday, would you join my whirlwind??

THANKS so much

Soli Deo Gloria
:D

A few NEW thing - Welcome!

So, I kinda knew this would happen, but I kinda didn't. I was hoping that I would plan things better, but I knew I wouldn't.. Thus here's two NEW things for the New Year :)

First off, I'll be doing a new approach to my updates, as I've gotten some good feedback from many of you. I've learned I'm not "pithy" enough ;) and that, if I could give more "cliff notes" versions, ya'll would be more inclined to read it.. So, I'll start with bullet points at the top of each update that are succinct and hopefully clickable. It'll look like this.. 

** Cool thing happening in Baltimore! Check out this link for more details.. ( Links in ASL and English)

** Remember that 90's commercial with Bob "WeHadABaby-ItsABoy".. ? (Link in Spoken English and written transcript)

** Matching Grant expires tonight - every little bit helps!

(I'm trying to figure out how to code so that the bullet point will take you down to that part of the update if you are one of the people who said you still like to get the "meat of the story". For now, you'll have to scroll down to the corresponding headline.) 


COOL THINGS!!
Right now, students are gathered for Cru's annual Winter Conference in places like Indy, Denver and Atlanta. However, if you clicked the link for Baltimore's conference Live Stream you will see that they are the only one offering the main session with an ASL Interpreter! This is the second year for the conference to offer the Interpreter on a live stream feed, and the staff has been great to work with us. I'm so grateful for their willingness to help us reach the Deaf community with this solid and refreshing content about God's character. Our hope is to expand this to more conferences next year. If you've got a few minutes, check out the video archives! :)

(Second New thing - BABY!)

WE HAD A BABY - ITS A BOY :)

     He was around 41.5 weeks, "a week late" by medical standards, but when he decided to come it was a fast and furious hour and a half labor. Daddy caught him, the midwives didn't make it in time! As soon as we shared with family and close friends the replies came back - "what's the story behind his name"?? Like with Jaelyn, it took us over two days to decide for sure what his name would be. I always tell people, "It's so hard for me to name a human! It's not like a cat that I can change their name later if I don't like it." ;)
     For Azael and I, the names of our children provide an opportunity for us to create an Ebenezer. We want to honor the Lord in the names we choose for our kids, and allow them to be constant and visual reminders for us of where He has brought us on this journey called Life.
     When you look up Kaspien (pronounced like Caspian) on baby name websites, they will say, "We don't know what this name means, can you help us out?" So I guess we get to decide what it means.  :) It's counter part Caspian - as in the Caspian sea - is near where Azael and I went on a Vision Trip with Cru this past May. God used that trip to stretch us in good ways, so part of the name comes from a reminder of our time there. The spelling of Kaspien includes "aspen" - as in the trees. Aspen trees grow in a communal root system. Azael and I have been in search of "community" since we married, not really finding a thriving place to root ourselves. Our move to Iowa has been a bountiful place to bloom, and connect deeply with like-minded SIGNING (Deaf and Hearing) couples and it's been a breath of fresh air for us. So, to us, Kaspien means "Finding home, settling where community thrives."
     When Azael was offered the opportunity to work in Iowa on the ASLV Bible Translation team, we had only been in California 2 weeks and were quite unsure if we should pick up and move again. The name Adoniram kept coming to mind for me, and I found it odd (since we didn't know if Baby was a boy or a girl). I knew of Adoniram Judson from reading about missionaries when I was younger, but I didn't fully remember his story so I googled him. Adoniram Judson lived in the 1800's, and his main work in Burma was Bible translation. Azael and I felt confident that this was God confirming for us to yet again pack up and move, this time to Iowa. We chose to keep the 'a' in Adonai - the name of the Lord in Hebrew, and were also blessed by the opportunity to honor Azael's mom in the process with her name 'Dona' being included in the spelling of Adonairam.

So, that's the story behind his name..

GIVING
I'm trying to make the transition from the event based budget I've had in the previous years to a continuous operating budget starting in 2017. In order to make that transition, I need to end this year well and start next year strong. Thank you to everyone who has already given. Thank you also for your consideration to steward your resources well! If you've not yet given, click this link for secured online giving. Thanks for your continued support!

May the new year find us doing more kingdom work than before!

Soli Deo Gloria

:D

Meditations&Musings4Mondays: Things pondered..

Monday's postings are longer, more in-depth thoughts or stories that I feel the need to share. If you don't have time to read this now, you can look at the cliff notes versions in the bullet points at the beginning of the posts.. When you have the time, please feel encouraged by the stories God is telling, and musings that he brings to my mind. 
HAPPY MONDAY :D
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* For those of you who've labored (birthed a child):
          Thoughts about the "round yon virgin"..

* It's not about the $$, its about the ministry (yours AND mine):
         Thoughts on year-end appeals, and monetary giving and motive..

* "Drudgery is the test of genuine character. The greatest hinderance to our spiritual life is that we will only look for big things to do." - Oswald Chambers

 MOTHER AND CHILD
    As we are in the season of Advent - I being in my own personal season of waiting on this baby inside of me to "finish cooking" - I was struck by a wonderment the other day during a conversation with my midwife. I experience "toning or practice contractions" (also known as "Braxton-Hicks") for two months or so before my baby is actually born. They started daily in June with Jaelyn, and she was born the first week of August. With this baby, it was about the beginning of November that I've daily had partial or full-uterine contractions. I know this is not common for everyone, as I have a friend (who has birthed 6 kids) tell me she only has contractions on the day she delivers.
    On social media there is a trend now to "tell the birth story" of your child's entrance into the world but I suspect it's been a word-of-mouth tradition shared for ages past.. However, the gospel writers, being men, left out that part of Mary's story, only telling us that "she brought forth her first born son" .. and so it causes me to wonder.. Did Mary have "practice contractions" leading up to the birth of Jesus? As she rode on the donkey, did she sometimes have to catch her breath at the intensity of her body "preparing room" for Jesus's entrance? Hollywood would like us to believe it was a dramatic arrival to Bethlehem with her in transition as Joseph frantically searches for a place for her to give birth.. But still, I wonder.. Maybe they got to Bethlehem, found a place, then her water broke the next day and Joseph had time to track down a local midwife to come help with the birth. It being her first child, I don't know all the Jewish customs, but I have to assume that there was help from a local midwife.. How long was Mary's labor? A short 5 hours? or a taxing 24 hours?
As I wait for this second child of ours to come into our arms, these are my ponderings of late.. :)


JOYFUL GIVING
    From November 29th to December 31st it seems as though we've entered the era of social media pressured giving. As much as I want to take advantage of the social media trend, I also feel a tinge of remorse. I want to be an outlet for God to use your gifts, talents and resources to meet a need that I feel is very blaring, but I don't want to do it at the expense of you spending time with our Abba and asking Him where it is He wants you to invest those things. I am not a "one-man-team" and can't do it all on my own - so I need you to partner with me to accomplish the things that He's given me the vision to do. But I also don't want it to only be a check-mark on your financial duty to "give". I want you to want to be generous because you realize that you've been given much - and in that "much" you want to be blessing to others. I want to be a conduit of blessing for you, not a sieve of gilt on you.
   So I wax and wane in my support-raising efforts during this time. I did try to capitalize on the #GivingTuesday wave, as I keep hearing the saying, "People want to be a part of something bigger than themselves".. but I struggle to keep the fundraising side of things at the front of what I do, because I don't want you to give out of obligation - I want you to give because you see the vision, you can feel the need, and you want to be a part of the bigger picture too..
    And maybe that's where I've failed you in the past.. I've not painted you that picture, given you those stories - the Evidences of Glory - that are happening on the college campus with Deaf students right now. I've neglected to broaden your horizon's about the Deaf community and the lack of understanding they possess when it comes to Christian things *mainly* because of the lack of information available to them.  I hope to do a better job in the coming year of raising awareness regarding a Deaf individuals access to Christian resources as well as introduce you to some of the key players who are working alongside me in this fledgling ministry. Thank you for your time and patience as I learn how best to bring these things to your attention. And thank you for those of you who have been joining me on this journey from the beginning. I truly do value your partnership, and am grateful for the team that our Heavenly Father has provided thus far. May we continue the journey together, further up and further in! :)



MAKING MASTERPIECES IN THE MUNDANE
    And it's that quote from Oswald Chambers that has me thinking about the state of the ministry - where I find myself currently - two years in and still trying to figure out all that I should be doing. I actually prefer the "behind the scenes" work of a conference or event to the "stand in the spot light" side of interpreting. However, in doing the behind the scenes work, I don't always take time to consider that the work I'm doing will be of any real value to anyone other than myself, and those it immediately impacts - ie: attendees, conference planners, etc.. As I've been taking some courses provided by Cru on leadership, I've found myself realizing that in pioneering this trail within the larger organization of Cru, I'm actually leaving blue-prints along the way for those who will come after me. I'm laying foundation that others will build upon. And in doing so, I need to not only look to the here and now, but also to think about the others that will come after me, and how what I establish now will either be the "norms/best practices" for the future or the "draft that gets thrown away for faulty planning".. I long to be the former in my current role. I want to not get stuck in the "drudgery" of establishing a ministry, but I want to make sure I'm laying a solid foundation for the next generation of workers in Deaf ministry to follow. What about you? What do you see as mundane in your current situation that could actually be the formation of Christian character with in you?


Praying that you find this holiday season full of rest and time to reflect. In whatever way our Adonai is prompting you - to do, to give, to rest, to be - I hope you heed His advice and dwell there for a bit. :)

Soli Deo Gloria
:D

"When it rains, it pours.."

Hello friends!

I know not everyone is on Facebook that get's my newsletter updates, so I wanted to send out a quick note here. 

We are still on our way to Deaf Missions in Iowa.. However, it's been a doozy of a trip so far. I could give you the play-by-play, but suffice it to say that "if it's not been one thing, it's been another".. We started off the trip with a corroded spark-plug (yes, I know, HOW does THAT happen??) and since then we've been side-lined in Salt Lake City for the past 3 days with our car in the shop having the driveshaft rebuilt because it was "all sorts of messed up" to quote the mechanic. We are currently waiting for another part to come in that is only obtained from a dealer. The repair shop, knowing that we were on a cross-country trip, ordered it to be shipped overnight, however it didn't come today, and they aren't sure where it is. :(

I could go on, but I'll stop here with the lists of trials to say there have been some blessings along the way, namely that we are stuck in SLC at a friends house, and did not break down on the side of the road in a random town causing us to pay for a hotel room nightly. Sometimes I just find myself laughing at all the things that have happened, and a verse from the old newsboys song comes to mind:

Mom & Dad,

I'm fine. How are you? I have joined a
Small circus (that much is true). I'm a
Little malnourished, but try to relax.
Could you find a better photo for the milk
Carton backs?
Send money.

Not exactly the same circumstances, but feels that crazy at times.. I'll send another update when (if? ;) haha) we finally do make it to our destination, but for now, prayers for patience for us, and Jaelyn as she is becoming road weary, and for wisdom as we continue on this trip are appreciated.

Soli Deo Gloria
:D

[what]S'up, Wednesday?

[what]S'up, Wednesday?" is a place where I give updates about how day to day life is going as I work recruiting Deaf students to be involved with CRU, ASL Interpreters to meet the subsequent communication needs incurred, and prayer partners/a financial support base to join me on the journey. It will typically include something that has just happened, a "forecast of my schedule, and an update on my financial situation.. :)
          ******************************************************************

Happenings: I met yesterday with the Donor who offered the "Matching Grant" for the Interpreting Fund. The grant will be "live" until December 31st - so if you are preparing to give an "end of the year" gift this year, please consider donating to the interpreting fund so that we can continue to provide these services to the Deaf community. Remember your monetary gift will be DOUBLED :) You can give online by clicking HERE. 

Also, if you know of anyone interested in donating towards this amount, please hit reply (if you are reading this in your inbox) or contact me at jenna.buperry @ cru.org and introduce me to you friends! 
We know the phrase, "It takes a village to raise a child" - I'll add, "it takes a community to 'win, build and send' laborers for Christ!" Would you join my community?

Schedule:
* In December, the annual winter conference will be in Washington, D.C. and students from both Gallaudet and RIT will be able to attend :) The conference will have the main sessions and the interpreter Live Streamed!! YAY. (Link to come for Live Stream)
* A little ways out, but Big Break will be in Florida again, during spring break in March. :)

Finances: The interpreter account right now is low on funds. With RADIATE coming up and the Matching Grant running out in December, I would be ever grateful for your monetary investment into allowing us to bring access to the gospel to Deaf college students. 

Thanks for stewarding your resources well! 

Soli Deo Gloria
:D

Meditations&Musings4Mondays

Monday's postings are longer, more in-depth thoughts or stories that I feel the need to share. If you don't have time to read this now, you can look at the cliff notes versions that come out in my "[what]S'up, Wednesday?" posts. When you have the time, please feel encouraged by the stories God is telling, and musings that he brings to my mind. 
HAPPY MONDAY :D
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On Failing.. and the concept of attempting to "fail forward"..

Sooo.. it's been a while since I've posted an update.. And really it's a combination of "time-got-away-from-me" and "we-just-moved-and-it's-taken-me-a-while-to-set-up-internet" but mostly due to the "I-feel-like-the-most-recent-thing-I-did-was-a-run-your-head-into-the-wall-kind-of-failure-and-I'm-not-sure-where-to-go-next" discouragement that came after I spent 10 days in Colorado. I was at the biannual Cru Staff conference in July in order to interpret the content of the main speakers that would be live-streamed. This conference brings over 3,000 current and newly joined staff to one location (CSU in Fort Collins) for a time to refresh and set the pace for the next 2 years. At the conference, they also live-stream the main sessions in order to accommodate the staff members that due to conflicting family schedules, restricted travel due to living overseas or other factors are not able to attend. It also allows our ministry partners (YOU) to eavesdrop on some amazing speakers (which can be seen here). (I intended to post an update once I got to CSU telling you about your opportunity to tune into the live stream, but the Internet and my computer would NOT cooperate in Colorado.) :( The current two Deaf staff members were not able to attend the conference this summer, and so the plan was that I go and interpret the sessions via live stream so that they would also know what was happening at the conference. If you happened to click the first link, you'll see that there are over 30 videos. If you look at the playlist (here is what is up right now) of the videos that are currently interpreted, you'll see a dismal few. Which is that 'failing' part that I mentioned in the first sentence. 

And I know that it's mostly *not* my fault that it failed. And I know that I gave my best effort.. I was met with resistance at almost every turn, and I got weary in the fight.. BUT still.. I failed.. and it was not something I expected, thus it's caught me up in this quandary.

You may be asking, "Jenna, it seems like you just hit some road blocks, but I wouldn't call that failure.. why do you feel like you failed?" Well, for starters take a look at these two pictures.. 

See those words in blue? and the lack of videos uploaded? Kinda self-explanatory.. Remember I said that the internet and I were not friends while at the conference.. It's frustrating enough to be working really hard on a project and met with resistance from people who are a subjective entity in their opinions and interaction with others.. however, when an item that should be a neutral, objective party provides resistance too, it's easy to become overwhelmed and discouraged.. 

And I can hear you thinking (yes, telepathically) "But Jenna, it couldn't have been that bad.." 

And.if.I.told.you.everything.that.went.wrong.every.day.this.post.would.take.you.5.hours.to.read.and.who.wants.to.sit.and.read.a.disaster.like.that..I.really.don't.think.you.have.time.to.listen.to.how.within.the.first.15.min.of.arriving.I.didn't.have.childcare.for.my.daughter.because.while.I.thought.I.had.signed.her.up.apparently.the.system.had.a.glitch.and.she.wasn't.registered.and.even.if.I.did.register.her.there.was.a.wait.list.and.if.she.got.in.she.can't.use.the.cloth.diapers.I.brought.and.I.don't.have.a.car.to.go.get.disposable.diapers.for.her.and.speaking.of.no.car.childcare.is.2.miles.away.and.only.opens.30.min.before.each.main.meeting.session.but.I.need.to.be.at.those.sessions.an.hour.before.they.start.to.set.up.and.meet.the.speakers.and.so.what.am.I.suppose.to.do.when.I'm.interpreting.for.2.or.more.hours.a.day.with.her..Wear.her.on.my.back.like.they.do.in.other.countries.when.mom.works.in.the.fields..And.even.if.she.gets.in.you.don't.have.the.required.paperwork.that.you.were.suppose.to.have.filled.out.by.your.pediatrician.at.home.and.they.are.closed.today.and.you.can't.bring.her.until.we.have.that.form.so.I.guess.you'll.just.have.to.miss.the.first.session.cuz.the.form.is.important.and.interpreting.can.happen.at.a.later.time,right? (You are suppose to read this in one breath, so you know how frazzled I felt)

After about 45 mins of filling out paperwork and talking to the right people, a woman offered to go to the store and buy a pack of disposable diapers for Jaelyn to use while in Childcare, a spot opened up for her to be accepted, and I found a friend who offered a ride to get her to and from the childcare location. However, the rest of the conference went about like that.. though, unfortunately most of the "I'm.sorry.you.can't.do.that/have.that./be.there/we.can't.accomodate.you" situations did not work themselves out like the childcare one did and I was left to figure it out on my own.. at a conference that I've never attended before, where I was "single parenting it" while trying to work 6 hours a day for events that were not on a flexible schedule.. (to any single parent out there reading this - I have a much better appreciation for what you do every day. I was very grateful to those friends that I did run into at the conference who offered to help out with Jaelyn for short amounts of time.) That being said, I felt like I just got more and more run down with each new day and each new obstacle faced. 

And I don't want this entry to be a downer. My goal in sharing the above is to give you a glimpse into the 10 days that I was there.. It was hard.. And could I have had lower expectations for the conference and the process? Yes, I could have. But I went in thinking that I would at least be welcomed to the table, so to speak, and instead I was handed the folding chair with the wobbly legs and told to set up against the wall and hold my plate on my lap. Not ideal (not easy when juggling a baby either), but survivable. 

So, back to thoughts on how to "fail forward" - It's hard.. it's hard to simply just fail. It's hard to not meet the expectations that you set for yourself - especially if other people are counting on you. It's also very humbling to fail.. but it's humbling-er (is that a word? more humbling?) to attempt to fail with grace so not as to burn bridges as you tumble down, and then once you've finished failing, to get up and try again (with the same people that just watched you fall on your face).. And that's the place I feel like I'm currently residing. Attempting to take the experience I had, and not let it become a bitter root, but instead asking Abba for wisdom to take the good and learn from the frustrating. It is HARD. Cuz there was s.o.  m.u.c.h.  f.r.u.s.t.r.a.t.i.n.g.. 

I think this quote (I've used here before) from a Cru staff individual back in my college days resonates with my experience.
 "Life wouldn't be so hard, if we didn't expect it to be so easy.."

And maybe that was the goal - His Goal, anyway.. To allow me to experience the frustration. To see how determined my spirit is to bring this level of training that Cru offers to the Deaf community. Maybe the test was to see if I'd fail and give up, or fail and get up and try again.. who really knows (He does, but doesn't seem too keen on filling me in on the details as of yet).. All that to say - I'm back.. there's still more work to get done, and I've got my sleeves rolled up ready to start.. I'll send out an update Wednesday with What'Sup :) 

Praying your Monday has started off swimmingly! :)

Soli Deo Gloria
:D