Double Blessing!

I Want to share a Double Blessing that occured today:
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BRIEFLY: I met a new deaf lady today! AND.....
I met a hearing man who knows CUBAN Sign Language!
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Here's the story:

Ken and I went along with Captain Ed and Granny Ann to 'Royal Care' where they were scheduled to minister to the residents with their puppets and illusion lessons. Captain Ed had asked Ken to go along as his 'sound man'. I went along for the ride and could see Minnie.

Our dear friend Minnie is still a resident there while getting therapy. She told me "That lady" (pointing to a lady in a wheelchair down the hall) "is deaf". I never know what a person means by that ....is the person deaf because of age, or do they know sign language? But I turned to that lady and signed: "Are you deaf?" She signed back with enthusiam: "YES!" So we started chatting in the hallway while I heard Captain Ed begin his program. The deaf lady could not come down as she had to be 'swing weighed' soon and then put to bed - her time for being "up" was over. She fractured her hip and is still not to the walking stage. She was happy as the man had just hooked up CC to her TV for her! I started walking back to where Captain Ed, Granny Ann and Ken were giving the program........

THEN one of the workers there (all seem to be foreign) asked me if I was going to be here for a few minutes, that he would bring down his friend who worked with the deaf in Cuba, but is here now in the States and doesn't know much English or any american sign. I said 'SURE'. So he brought him over to me. A nice young man. We had fun showing each other the differences in our sign languages. I could see how his made sense too (as far as an aerial picture) but was totally different from ASL. I asked him if he went to Church anywhere. He said "SDA". I said "GOOD, then you are free on Sundays to visit our church!" I told him: "Come and you can learn ASL by watching me". He said, "HOW can I do that without knowing English?" I said, "by WATCHING like deaf people do. YOu will SEE the picture and you will pick up a few words, and God will help you to make the connection. It will be great way to pick up sign language as well as english".

I gave him my email address, and directions to the Church. I told him my name was Bonnie. I remembered from being in South America that it is a hard name (and so is Ken) for spanish speakers to say correctly. So I told him: "You can call me Susanna" (my middle name is Sue). HE smiled as big as Texas and said, "OK Susanna!"

When the program was done, Captain Ed, Granny Ann, Ken and I were standing by the car talking as we loaded up and this young man was in his car. He pulled up to us, looked at me and said in his broken english: "I be there Sunday!" And in my broken spanish I said, "and your wife?" and he said "YES and my wife."

What fun! I got to practise my broken spanish with his broken english and exchange two different sign languages - and we will see how the LORD uses this to HIS honor and glory! Isn't God goooooood!

So on the way home, I told Pastor Ken (my hubby) that he may be called Pastor Carlos (since 'Ken' is hard to say) and we smiled. [We thought God was going to have us use those names for years in South America - so it is nice to at least hear them now with that lovely spanish accent]. I teased Ken and said, YOu are going to surprise them with a copy of the sermon in spanish arent you? He said I just may do that!

Life is sure interesting. Interesting indeed.
Nothing boring about life or being in ministry!

HUG
Bonnie

Singing over the Phone!

We had a great prayer meeting! Attendance was low - we had six of us - but it was fun.

On Wednesday nights we each select a hymn of our choice. Then we go around the circle and sing the first verse of everyone's choice. Then Pastor Ken leads us in a Bible study and then we break into groups for prayer. TONIGHT because we have so may "shut-ins" we phoned a different shut-in for each person represented and sang the song to them over the cell phone. Each one we called was so thrilled to be a part of our service, even if they were not there in body. It encouraged them to KNOW that not only do we pray for them, but we truly think of them, miss them and think of ways to keep them involved. It was fun. That is the joy of a small Church - with a loving Pastor. :)

HA . . . I had to apologize to several deaf people today. About a week and a half ago I decided to get MORE organized on my email. I get about 100 emails a day from around the world. SO I directed all the deaf people's emails to go into their own folder instead of the general inbox. Then my brain forget about it. I wondered why they have ALL been so quiet! THEN my brain clicked in today and there they were in their own folders just like I had directed. GULP! They were wondering where I was, all the time I was wondering where THEY were. Life can be funny. Better to laugh at myself than to feel badly.

Three deaf friends informed me they would not be there Sunday and gave a decent reason. BUT another Deaf lady was excited about coming Sunday and asking if we go out to dinner afterwards, etc. I told her that most Sundays we go to the BLUE CRAB since it is near our Church and we do not have alot of time before heading over to the Nursing Home for ministry there. A few hearing couples usually go. A few deaf have come in the past but not often. So she was going to talk to the other deaf and see if they can join the hearing group this week. I LOVE the idea of togetherness - even though I do not get to eat much with all the terping of conversation. I have been in TOOOOO many churches where the deaf and hearing had basically nothing to do with each other. This Church is so very different, and I am so very grateful.

It has been a great day! Thank you Jesus.

Our Yesterday

Yesterday afternoon my husband and I went to meet a Missionary to the Deaf/wife, who is recuperating from a Kidney condition, here in FLorida. This is out of our comfort zones to enter someone's life without an introduction. BUT this is what happened:

I am sure both our hearts were pounding as we walked up the ramp of their home. I could hear mine, and I think I heard Ken's too. The air seemed silently still. We had called ahead so when we appeared, they welcomed us in.

Always interesting to hear Preacher to Preacher conversations. They always talk about what they have done for the Lord, where they have been, how many Churches, etc ..... I know it bothers my husband when the conversation goes this way, but it seems to be a 'man' thing (smile).

I wanted to know HOW he got into Deaf Ministry. I was pleased to hear his story was not dramatic, just everyday leading of our LORD: A sign language course was being taught in his church, he was the Pastor. He knew he needed to attend and learn as much as he could if deaf people would be coming to his church. Then he learned how few deaf actually go to church and how many deaf people there are. So that lit his fire to teach sign language classes in churches so they could share the gospel with deaf people.

Don't ya love to hear how God has worked in people's lives!

When we left them we headed to our Church where my husband carefully, lifted two TV's into our little car. One came from our house and one was from his office. [We had hoped to use them last Sunday as power point presentations - but when he turned them on Sunday they were both fuzzy, so he scraped it and just preached. :) Last Sunday he preached on Marriage and once again encouraged the people to vote YES on Amendment two. ]

We took the one TV back to our house, and the other one we took to a lady in a rehabilitation facility in Avon Park. They do not provide TVs or phones - but you can have them brought in. Well we had visited her Monday night and she was sobbing as the therapy was so very difficult and the Therapist had used words that were offensive to her. [She had knee replacement.] She was very upset, and ever grateful we had come. So Tuesday we brought her the TV so she could catch some of her relaxing game shows and also brought her a diet root beer - her favorite. She was thrilled. As you know, this is all a part of ministry. She and I sang a few songs together in her room, and her room-mate commented how lovely it was.....and ministry multiples. :)

We then visited another lady in a different facility in Avon Park where she receives rehab from a broken hip. It was supper time and we found her in her wheelchair praying over her meal and sobbing to God. It was a holy moment to stand in the doorway and to see this lady literally cry tears as she prayed over her supper and asked for His help in rehab so she can come home. That scene of urgent prayer was such a source of encouragement to us. When the prayer ended, she was delighted to see us and we visited while she ate. Such a precious lady - going through so much pain with her goal just to go home.

There are so many hurting people. God's people are hurting in their bodies and in their souls...Life is hard!...but our goal is to Glorify our Father....until we get HOME!


I LOVE being a Pastor's wife!
I LOVE being a Christian!
I LOVE Jesus!