|
|
| Judy's Jottings February 2010
View as a PDF file
Dear Family and Friends
This month has just flown by. We have been busy with a work team from Hanover Pennsylvania. What a blessing they have been. They checked and repaired all our vehicles, did plumbing work, electrical work, painted and much more. It was wonderful to have Christian men to relate with the kids at the school. We heard their testimonies. We laughed and cried together.
I managed to provide much laughter when I told a story of what happened to me one night. I have the New Zealand time and the Puerto Rican time on my cell phone. Very handy to know what time it is in NZ. Well, one night I woke up and turned on my light thinking it was morning. I looked at the time and thought 5:30am. I get up at 5:45 normally, so decided I would get up. I was making my coffee when one of the women who was staying in my apartment came out and said she was just checking the time. She looked at the clock on the stove and with a “good morning” went back to her room. I looked at the stove and saw 11;20pm and thought I wonder if she changed the time on the clock. I took my coffee to my room and had my quiet time. Then showered and got dressed and made my breakfast. I looked outside and thought that‟s funny. It should be light by now, so checked my cell phone again and it was 1:20am. I then realized I had read the NZ time of 5:30pm as the Puerto Rican time of 5:30am. Of course by this time I was wide awake so spent several hours getting work done. Finally, at 4am I was feeling tired and managed to get to sleep!
I am very careful now to check which time I am looking at. ;-)
I have also had an interesting experience shopping for material. The team here painted my classroom and we wanted to cover the notice boards with fabric. I went to the shop with the measurements and chose the material I wanted and took it to the counter and started to work out how much fabric I needed. The assistant came and helped me work out how much fabric. She said I needed three yards, but when she measured that out I told her I was sure it was not enough. She firmly told me it was and she would only sell me the three yards. I came home and of course it was not enough. The next day I went back to get more. I thought another three yards would finish the job. There were two bolts of fabric and so I took the one I thought had the most and asked for three yards. There was only two and a half. I went and got the other bolt and asked her to measure it and that I would take whichever had the most. The second bolt had 1.45 yards, so I said I would take the first lot of material. The assistant told me firmly I would take both lots of fabric, or none. I looked at her surprised and said I only wanted the one piece, but she said she would sell them both to me, or I could have none. I asked for her supervisor and another assistant who had been watching said she was the supervisor and that I had to but both or none. I wasn‟t happy, but needed the fabric, so bought both. I came back to school feeling quite bemused. I was telling Betsy the story when the lady working putting the fabric up on the notice boards came and told us the material I had just purchased was a different shade to the first piece. What to do now? Did I go back and try to change it, or what? We decided there was enough of the first colour to do the board at the back of the room and the rest would do the boards at the front of the room, so that's what happened. I am thankful that my classroom is finished and looks fantastic. It got cleaned, painted and new white boards put up. Thanks Hanover team.
 I have been leading chapel each morning and enjoy joining with students and staff to worship our God.
Bible class for the seniors is also one of my responsibilities. We are doing an over view of the book of Exodus. It is great to see how many of the stories form that book the students already know. It has been a challenge for my signing. Many of the signs are new and I spend time at night learning the signs for the next day only to find I have forgotten them in the morning. The students are very patient and can often help me by showing me the sign.
I help out as required in the classroom throughout the day and for one week I had the responsibility of making lunch for everyone. I have released Jen and Betsy from their classrooms to attend to other things, so have been keeping myself busy.
I am also working on one of the gardens at the front of the school that had been rather overgrown and am giving it a remodel. It‟s rather slow progress as I can only do a little bit at a time because of the heat.
I am well and loving being back, but am struggling at times with homesickness.
Think I have found a church home here, so that is good. It is quite a distance from the school, so can‟t really be part of the Bible studies through the week. Makes it harder to get to know people too, but I certainly feel more at home.
We have a weekly staff Bible study. Currently we are using a book called „How people Change‟ by Timothy Lane & Paul David Tripp. Interesting and challenging stuff. Can recommend it if you are interested in growing more Christ like.
Remember you can go to the school website esdluquillo.com and can see pictures and read about what‟s been happening here. Also remember to use goodsearch.com as your search engine and put in Evangelical school for the deaf (Luquillo PR) as your charity and you can raise funds for the school. Every little helps.
Items for prayer and praise.
Give thanks for:
The work team's safety and the blessing they were for all the work completed. Especially my refurbished classroom and for painting my apartment bathroom.
An increase in my confidence to drive here.
The many volunteers who come to support us in many different ways.
Pray for:
Retention of the new signs I am learning.
Many people are contacting the school about coming here to learn about deaf ministry. Pray that we would be open to what God is trying to do here.
Me to overcome the bouts of homesickness.
Betsy as she heads up the school, teaches students and signing classes for parents and others interested.
Pray for our volunteers especially those who don't yet know Christ. Pray they would see His light shining through us and would want to know more.
Thanks for taking the time to read and to pray. I appreciate each of you. I pray for you regularly and am thankful that God has brought each one of you into my life.
Love
Judy
August 2009 February 2009
View as a PDF file
January 2009 View as a PDF file
24 November 2008 View as a PDF file (see the pretty pictures Judy included!) 16 October 2008 View as a PDF file
Thanks so much for partnering with me.
Each and everyone of you is an important part of what God is doing in this place. Love, hugs and blessings Judy  | |
|