Hosanna.. Hosanna.. Hosanna in the Highest

This Sunday is Easter :) This time is very precious to me just because of all the new life around. Even though, being in Puerto Rico, i feel like i jumped into summer. I love the adjustment from winter to spring. i love seeing nature bloom, seeing it change, and spring shows new life- which makes me think of JESUS. Praise be to God in the highest.

this is Rhoda

All last week i was in Arecibo- the northern part of Puerto Rico (on the side of the Atlantic, not the Pacific which i told Nic Hann ha ha). I enjoyed every moment of it- i stayed with Rhoda and Tony Perez and they are so humble and on fire for God. The way they live their life, serving others, is so beautiful to me. They also take care of a Deaf and Blind woman who is so precious to me. Spending time with her this week has been great- she sews and she is making me a dress how exciting, i have also known her since i was 12 :) I have known them since i was 12 so it was like i was with my family. I visited and met some new Deaf and some CODAs. I met an amazing mother of a CODA child- who teaches her son about the Bible and they even do dramas together at home of Bible stories. The mother has been through a LOT in her life, and i am amazed at her testimony, she will not let anything come between her and God. On Thursday we went visiting and we found a 15 year old Deaf boy who lived in the states for a short while, but his family is so supporting of him. This is very rare with the Puerto Rican Deaf to have their families truly support their Deaf children in what they want to do. I see so much control over the deaf here with their families- it is like they tell their children that they really can't do anything- let them "their parents" take care of them forever and not live their own life. It was such a blessing to run into a family who is very loving and supportive of their son.

Friday- i helped a pastor/ Deaf artist paint. He is an amazing artist and a really good friend of my dad's. He tells me he is my puerto rican dad ha ha! This is the piece of art we were working on for our Good Friday service coming up this Friday! The mural isn't finished yet but you have an idea on what the theme is- very visual and i love the hand of Jesus reaching out to God.

I am back to the office in Ponce, PR aka "my home". It is good to be back so i can actually sit down and plan out the 3 hour class i will have with the CODAs this good Friday. Currently, i have no helpers :( Pray that some hearing youth from some churches will be willing to come and assit me with teaching and drama. There are so many different ages that will be in the class with me on Friday- babies up to teens. I just pray and hope you pray for this- that God will bring some people along to help separate the classes. I am so excited about being with so many CODAs and getting to know them through playing games, dramas, signing, being silly and most importantly learning about a HOPE that is true- Jesus!!!

Yesterday, i helped Bob Bell (a missionary who started this Deaf ministry- he also started some schools for the Deaf in Honduras, Guatemala, and he travels everywhere doing ministry) come up with a devotional guide for the Deaf here during Holy Week and after. It has been such a blessing working with him- He is from South Carolina as well, yeah represent!! Also, our staff in the office had devotion time and i was asked to do a song- i could sign it, play it on the guitar, or sing. David, another missionary, asked me if i could do all that at once ha ha- could you imagine?

So i ended up signing a song- because i miss doing that. They were in awe- they asked me to sign 2 songs this Friday at the Deaf Revival- as a call to worship before i gather the children (chiltlens) ha ha. What an honor :) Them asking me to do that made me so excited!!!

This is Bob Bell, Jose (Deaf pastor) and me before visiting around to the Deaf to inform them about our service on Good Friday.

Last night, i got to go running and it felt GREAT! I had the ocean breeze blow on me while i ran beside it- not on the sand because i would die ha ha. It was lovely. This was a way for me to spend time with God :) I am excited to see what God will do this Friday with tons of Deaf from around the island coming to worship Him

*more to come*

Gloria a Dios (glory to God)