Deaf Stories

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Okay! I finally was able to add pictures! They are kinda of random, here, there, and everywhere, sorry.

Now I must share two encouraging experiences.

First, last Friday I returned to Manabao to try to find my deaf study, Faustina. On the way up the mountain I came upon a group of school girls, all in there Khaki pants and baby blue polos. I offered them some tracts. Some refused, others happily accepted(it seemed). Further up the Mountain Lily (my preaching partner) recognized another girl and her group of classmates. We started talking with them. They walked with us for about a half hour, and we ended up placing 7 "Watchtowers", 3 "Enjoy Life" brochures, and my Spanish Bible. Really cool! They sang us one of there school songs, which we followed up with "Life Without End" in Spanish and English. This led to more questions about living forever and the Paradise.

Finally, after about an hours walk we arrived at Faustina's. She's about 30 and has had 4 children, two of them have died. She knows very little sign language, not even having a sign name for her daughter. Still she is very bright, and learing quite well. She has a lot of sadness in her eyes, but when we talk about Jehovah and His care for us she manages to get out a beautiful smile. I love it! I'm looking forward to our next study Wed. (Sadly, on the way down we found the tracts I had placed shredded, but, who cares, the postives out-weighed the negative.)

My next experience involves Miranelsie. She is the only deaf sister in our group. She is 18 and very sweet, but has had a lot of stuggles lately. Last Saturday I was thrilled when she showed up at my house. She wanted to go preaching together, so of course we went. After visitng a few deaf we came back to my place to get ready for the meeting. I was asking her a little about herself when she told me the story of her Baptism.

She had been studying the Bible since she was 12. The sister that studied with her had taught her Sign Language as well as the truth from the Bible. Sadly her parents were not pleased. Miranelsie was baptized when she was 16, but kept it a secret from her parents out of fear. One day at school, a deaf classmate asked her: "Are you a Jehovah's Witness? Are you baptized?!". Because of the students interrogative questioning, Miranelsie was quiet. "Well, are you?!" "YES! I am baptized." "That's so stupid, why would you do that?" "Because Jehovah cares about me. Jehovah's Witnesses have taught me so much, unlike this place!" (The deaf "programs" in the D.R. are pathetic. There's no interpeters, the teachers don't know sign language and the students don't read.) The student was quiet. Know Miranelsie had realized how Jehovah emboldened her. She knew she had to tell her mom and dad that she was a Witness. After much prayer she met her mom and through gestures (her parents don't know any sign language) showed that she had been baptized. Her mom was very angry, and called for her dad.
When the dad showed up Miranelsie was very calm, she simply turned and signaled that she was ready to accept her beating on the back side. Her parents, stunned by her cool, realized that although they didn't want her to be a Jehovah's Witness she was a very good girl. She's very respectfull, always cooking and cleaning. They've accepted it. She's learned that respect is important but, it's more important to never hide who she is.

I loved her story so much! Always be proud of who we are! God's fellow workers!

Love and Miss you all!

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