The entire ESD website is prepared with prayer in mind - we want you
to know what is going on here, who the workers are and what the needs
are. Don't limit yourself to this page! Please browse the site and pray
for the people in the photos. Even as we prepare this, we are praying
that God will guide you, our visitors, to pray for us! Thank you!
August 2010
Pray for the land we are located on. Summary:
- The ministry first rented this property in 1957. There was one old farmhouse building.
- The ministry was incorporated in 1959 and classes started in 1960.
- 50 years of renting
Now the property is available for purchase (May 2010). The landowner "thinks" it is worth $500,000 (June 14, 2010).
We are getting a surveyor and appraisal done of course.
PRAY for this situation.
Does God want ESD to buy this land? He will provide the money.
Does God want us to move into another building in another area of Luquillo?
Does God want us to move into another area of Puerto Rico?
God will provide and God will guide.
Pray with us for the answers to be clear.
Pray for the landowner's heart to be softened toward the ministry, the Deaf, the needs.
God hears our prayers. Pray for ESD. Pray for God's Will to be done.
The ESD staff has felt a call to PRAY more as well as more specifically. We are setting aside the second Saturday of each of the coming months to do just that. If you would like to join us in prayer, please begin with this website followed by sending an e-mail to the school office or to any of the missionaries. We would love to provide you with some specifics to pray about and have you praying along with us for the needs of this ministry, the needs of the Deaf around the island and the world, and other needs as they come to mind.
Pray for OUR STUDENTS!- the older students to be prepared to return to their studies. We have heard from some of them and there have been some minor troubles at home. Pray for staff wisdom as we talk and pray with our students as they return. Pray for the battles our students face as evidenced by this list written by one of them:
- the younger students to be prepared for harder work as they are older this year than last year. Pray for their enthusiasm and joy for learning to continue.
- transferring students - we have had phone calls from 3 families with deaf children who are planning to re-locate to the island. Pray for their decisions regarding housing, location, jobs, etc.
- the students who have left ESD - pray for those who have moved and/or graduated. May the seeds of God's Word sown in their lives continue to grow into the fruit that only God can bring.
Pray for WORK TEAMS as ESD does not currently have a maintenance person, our projects are done by work teams. We are so thankful for the teams who have come this year to help us and those planning to come.
- August 4 - 14 from NY state and others - presenting VBS and carrying out "day camp" activities in our welcome back to school week, helping with preparations before classes start
- August 29 - September 5 - ASL students possibly coming to visit and share in story-telling and language building activities with the ESD students
- March 2011 - Teen group from Kansas beginning to make plans to come.
- May 2011 - Possible team coming to assist with year end activities and wrap up.
- Is your group interested? See our planning page and documents. We would love to have you visit.
- Pray for work team unity - within the team and also between the work team and the ESD team
- Pray for safety - as they travel here, travel on the island, serve and work around the school grounds
- Pray for growth and guidance - as the team members see God at work in a new place in new ways
- Pray for communication skills - as team members connect with various students and ESD workers
- Pray for God's glory to be served and praised as individuals work, take time for God, share in group and meditate in individual devotions
Pray for the ESD TEAM We are thankful for each full-time missionary worker and the part-time volunteers God brings to us. Please visit the
ABOUT US section of this website and
pray for each missionary (they also have their own newsletter page - see side menu!) and their sending church and their island church, each
volunteer, each
member of the ESD board, our friends on the
WMD board, and the things God would place on your heart regarding each one.
- Pray for Betsy Hoke our principal as she makes decisions in the office and classroom, deals with parent issues and student discipline. Betsy is preparing mentally and physically to teach Level 2 in the coming school year - pray for her as she adjusts her classroom and mind to younger children once again.
- Pray for Judy More, our chapel leader and classroom #1 teacher, for endurance with her students, understanding of ASL, continued adjustments to PR living
- Pray for Jen Johnson, our early elementary teacher, as she continues her education through on-line learning while working full-time in the classrooms, for her continued growth as a teacher, for her involvement as a Sunday School teacher at Palmas Community Church, and for her spiritual strength to continue. Jen is preparing to teach preschool fulltime in the coming school year. Pray for her preparations.
- Pray also for Elizabeth Emma as she enters into her first year teaching at ESD. Pray for her signing ability to grow rapidly. Pray for many good days of teaching and learning. Pray also for her emotional and spiritual strength as well as her physical health.
Pray also for
- Unity for the various team members as we work and live and pray
and serve together on a daily basis
- Clarity of thought and discernment in the classrooms and working
with the students
- Insight into the students' minds as we help them to put their
thoughts (problems, issues, traumas) into words
- Rest and peaceful sleep as the summer humidity is upon us and sleep is accompanied by sweat drenched sheets and the cacophony of fans.
The following website is included to remind us all to pray for those who are UNREACHED by the Gospel. As you pray for the UNREACHED people, remember, there are DEAF people within each people group - these deaf folk are even harder to reach.