Slacker Saturday!

Sorry, I've been a slacker for the last 3 weeks.. My "[what]S'up, Wednesday?" post has been edged out by wedding planning (71 days away!), and sleep (catching up on 2am mornings.. silly college students that think sleep is optional!) So, today, I'm calling this post "Slacker Saturday" to catch you up on the last few weeks.. I'll keep the same format as "[what]S'up, Wednesday?".. a place where I give weekly updates about how day to day life is going here in Wildwood, New Jersey. It will typically include something that has just happened, a "forecast of a schedule (always subject to change), and an update on my financial situation..  
Thanks for your grace in my delay! :)
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Happenings: Today the students are hosting a BBQ for their coworkers and international friends, as well as the local community. Jacob - one of the Deaf students from Oklahoma - will be sharing his testimony this evening. I'm so proud of him as he takes this step of faith to tell others what God has been doing in his life! :)

Schedule: Tomorrow (Sunday) Ashley comes down to help interpret for a week. She and I graduated from the same Interpreting program. I'm excited to have her here! :) We'll have 5 interpreters again for 2 days (which will be wonderful!) as Tencia leaves on Wednesday (which will be sad!). When TJ left the first week of June, we went down to having 4 terps for 5 Deaf students. It's hard during social times, as they don't always join the same conversations. Going to Zone Defense after being Man-to-Man for a while takes some adjusting >.<   

Finances: Ticket to Seattle for my terp has been booked! Thanks to my wonderful flight donor and his patience with me switching flights! :)

Thanks so much to any of you that have donated to Azael's/the students accounts! Below are update info about where they are in their support raising, one student is at full support. :) The students support raising goals are $2850 each.

THANKS so much for partnering with me on this journey!

Soli Deo Gloria
:D

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Deaf student Bio's:

Azael Perry - is fully supported! He has been working solely as a Deaf Interpreter for the past 3 weeks. Unlike the Hearing Interpreters he doesn't have a team, or get a break during the 3 hour meeting sessions. Thanks so much for helping him to make his support goal! We feel very blessed! :)

Heidi Birchler - is about $400 away from her support goal. She is a student at RIT. She is involved in Hands of Fire, will be on their student leadership team this coming fall and  attends Cru meetings on campus. https://give.cru.org/0746231
Taby Benavides - is fully supported!  She is also a student at RIT. She is also involved in Hands of Fire and Cru.
Jacob Walden - is about half way to his support goal. He is a Community College student in Oklahoma. Involved in the Deaf Bible Study for College Students. https://give.cru.org/0766419
Joel Herrera - is a little over half way to his support goal. He moved from Honduras last year, and is involved in the Deaf Bible Study for College Students as well. https://give.cru.org/0760206
Dennis Alvarez - is a little under half way to his support goal. He flew from Honduras on May 31st. He is learning ASL since they use LESHO in Honduras. Azael is interpreting for Dennis (and occasionally Joel, since he's been in the states less than a year) during the meeting that we have most nights of the week and for social times until he picks up more ASL :) https://give.cru.org/0758657

FrienDay FriDay :D

FrienDay FriDay is where post a "new friend" that I meet, 

or something that is definitive of the Wildwood experience

 that I would text a picture of to a good friend..

Dennis (in the green jersey) is praying before the students go out on the boardwalk to initiate spiritual conversations, asking people what they believe, and sharing the gospel with them. Azael (in the purple shirt) is translating from LESHO to ASL (since Dennis just moved here from Honduras and uses LESHO), and Cory (in the gray shirt) is translating from ASL to English for Damien (in the white shirt), who is a fellow student, who paired up with Dennis. It seems like a long process, but because Azael and Cory are both skilled interpreters, most people that they approached marveled at the smoothness of the conversations..  Praise the Lord for His gift of languages and community! :D

FrienDay FriDay :D

FrienDay FriDay is where post a "new friend" that I meet, 

or something that is definitive of the Wildwood experience 

that I would text a picture of to a good friend..

The guys on Project hosted a "Women's Appreciation Night" a few weeks back for all the ladies. The picture is a lil grainy because I stole it off of Azael and I's Instagram (if you'd like to follow). After the guys served the girls a full course meal and had a swing-dance lesson, they started playing worship music. I asked the Deaf girls if they would like me to interpret the songs and was was met with an enthusiastic, "YES." I tend to get lost in the worship songs when I sign them and looked up part way through the worship set to see ALMOST ALL of the Hearing students joining the Deaf students in signing the songs. I didn't realize I was leading all of them in ASL worship. It was a humbling and grace-filled moment! :)

FrienDay FriDay :D

FrienDay FriDay is where post a "new friend" that I meet, 

or something that is definitive of the Wildwood experience 

that I would text a picture of to a good friend..

T.J - or TreeJ as he's become known around here - flew back home today.. Only after we made a stop to a local yet hidden beach that is one of my favorites though.. (if I have to go to the beach, I'd pick this one every time..) You'd have thought he'd never seen the ocean before! ;)TreeJ is posing with one of the interpreters "inside jokes" sign of the Awkward Terp. I'm glad T.J. was able to come out for the month he was here, and we're sad he's gone. 

[what]S'up, Wednesday?

"[what]S'up, Wednesday?" is a place where I give weekly updates about how day to day life is going here in Wildwood, New Jersey. It will typically include something that has just happened, a "forecast of a schedule (always subject to change), and an update on my financial situation.. :)
          ******************************************************************
Happenings: Tomorrow is July 4th - which means everyone and their dog comes to the beach. In other words, it gets crazy here! The monsoon season seems to have let up, though (for the first 3 and a 1/2 weeks we were here, it rained everyday for a good part of the day)! There was a tropical storm off the coast that was interfering with the SUNNY Skies here. It was very a-typical weather for this area, as flash thunderstorms are common every other week or so, but not rain all-day every-day. All that said, it's more humid now (much to my interpreter roommate from Seattle, Lindsey's, chagrin , and I think it's back to the normal swing of things..

Schedule: On Friday, TJ flies home He's been here interpreting for a month, and has been a great help. Then on Saturday, Cory, Azael, and Tencia move to their respective new housing locations, as the time is up for our current leases and the rest of the staff (they have been living with) leaves on Saturday too. There will be lots of shuffling around on the interpreter side of things, but we are all looking forward to a more relaxed schedule once the only things we need to interpret for are in the evenings for the students. It's great having the staff here, but it makes for looooong interpreting days.

Finances: I am still needing a one way ticket from Philly to Seattle (around July 19th/20th). If you have airline miles that you could donate, I would greatly appreciate it :)

As always, money is also tight on the students side of project. If you are looking to make a tax deductible donation, or would like to support any of the students, below are the links to their accounts and a short bio about them.. All students have some amount of their support raised, but none of them are at full support yet. The students support raising goals are $2850 each, the Staff goal is $1750.

THANKS so much for partnering with me on this journey!

Soli Deo Gloria
:D

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Deaf student Bio's:

Azael Perry - is the Deaf staff individual. This is his 3rd summer on Project, and he's functioning in a dual role (as staff and a Deaf Interpreter for a Deaf student from Honduras who has come on project this year). He's working super hard this summer, going between the staff/councilor role and the Deaf Interpreter which has not given him much time to work on raising support. The link to his account is here: https://give.cru.org/5572350

Heidi Birchler is a student at RIT. She is involved in Hands of Fire and Cru on campus. https://give.cru.org/0746231
Taby Benavides is also a student at RIT. She is also involved in Hands of Fire and Cru. https://give.cru.org/0745970

Jacob Walden - Community College student in Oklahoma. Involved in the Deaf Bible Study for College Students. https://give.cru.org/0766419
Joel Herrera -  moved from Honduras last year. Involved in the Deaf Bible Study for College Students as well. https://give.cru.org/0760206
Dennis Alvarez - flew from Honduras on May 31st. He is learning ASL since they use LESHO in Honduras. Azael is interpreting for Dennis (and occasionally Joel, since he's been in the states less than a year) during the meeting that we have most nights of the week and for social times until he picks up more ASL :) https://give.cru.org/0758657

[what]S'up, Wednesday?

"[what]S'up, Wednesday?" is a place where I give weekly updates about how day to day life is going here in Wildwood, New Jersey. It will typically include something that has just happened, a "forecast of a schedule (always subject to change), and an update on my financial situation.. :)
          ******************************************************************
Happenings: We are now in the 4th week of Summer Project. Next week the Staff leave, and the students begin to take on the responsibility of the project. Last night they named the student leaders who will be taking over the director roles for the rest of the summer. Unlike last year, no Deaf students we placed in leadership positions which is not good or bad, it just means one less meeting for us (as interpreters) to interpret for.. :)

Schedule: As the students begin to take over project, some adjustments are made to the way the first half of the summer schedule has been established. For instance, the first 5 weeks there has been an all Deaf Men's Bible study, since Azael has been here as a Deaf staff member. However, when he leaves, the Deaf student men will combine with a group of Hearing student men. This adds a new interpreting challenge since we have not had to interpret for the mens group yet AND one of my guy interpreters is leaving next week. I'm currently looking for another guy to come for the last half of the summer. Please be praying that God would give me wisdom and wonderful networking ability as I search for someone who can come short notice and stay for 5 or so weeks :)

Finances: I am still needing a one way ticket from Philly to Seattle (around July 19th/20th). If you have airline miles that you could donate, I would greatly appreciate it :)

As always, money is also tight on the students side of project. If you are looking to make a tax deductible donation, or would like to support any of the students, below are the links to their accounts and a short bio about them.. All students have some amount of their support raised, but none of them are at full support yet. The students support raising goals are $2850 each, the Staff goal is $1750.

THANKS so much for partnering with me on this journey!

Soli Deo Gloria
:D

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Deaf student Bio's:

Azael Perry - is the Deaf staff individual. This is his 3rd summer on Project, and he's functioning in a dual role (as staff and a Deaf Interpreter for a Deaf student from Honduras who has come on project this year). He's working super hard this summer, going between the staff/councilor role and the Deaf Interpreter which has not given him much time to work on raising support. The link to his account is here: https://give.cru.org/5572350

Heidi Birchler is a student at RIT. She is involved in Hands of Fire and Cru on campus. https://give.cru.org/0746231
Taby Benavides is also a student at RIT. She is also involved in Hands of Fire and Cru. https://give.cru.org/0745970

Jacob Walden - Community College student in Oklahoma. Involved in the Deaf Bible Study for College Students. https://give.cru.org/0766419
Joel Herrera -  moved from Honduras last year. Involved in the Deaf Bible Study for College Students as well. https://give.cru.org/0760206
Dennis Alvarez - flew from Honduras on May 31st. He is learning ASL since they use LESHO in Honduras. Azael is interpreting for Dennis (and occasionally Joel, since he's been in the states less than a year) during the meeting that we have most nights of the week and for social times until he picks up more ASL :) https://give.cru.org/0758657

FrienDay FriDay :D

FrienDay FriDay is where post a "new friend" that I meet, 

or something that is definitive of the Wildwood experience 

that I would text a picture of to a good friend..

Having my cat on project is one of those little blessings to me. The first 2 years I was here interpreting for the summer, I couldn't bring her with me. Last year and this year, I have been able to rent a place that allows pets. I have an extra large dog crate that I keep her in during the day when we are out (so she isn't naughty/doesn't scratch the furniture). She doesn't look happy, but she really goes quite willingly into her crate! She makes me smile :)