Bohol Deaf Academy Weekend Retreat

Wow, has it been an amazing weekend! About 40 Deaf high schoolers came to the Sunrise House this weekend to learn about Jesus and have fun. We welcomed them here Friday night with signs (paper and hand) and big hugs. We saw most of these students on Wednesday night for Bible study, but were SO excited they could come be a part of the weekend. We ate dinner, had organized game time on the court and then settled in the community room for a word from one of our team members, Jen. I interpreted her message as she did a great job! In for the night, we woke up to a beautiful, hot day. This picture is of Rosaly, one of my favorites. We met last year and she has an absolutely horrible story... yet look at her face. She loves Jesus!!

Saturday was our big day. We woke up very early and started into our day. We had more organized games (see picture to the right), including a huge, well organized obstacle course. It was so fun! I went around taking pictures to show the kids later for a slide show. We then designed t-shirts with paint, hence my new blog picture with the blue hand. After lunch came time for a siesta, which meant organizing a obstacle course picture powerpoint and a collection of weekend pictures put into a movie for the show later that night. Pool time was fun. Many of our female team members gave the Filipino Deaf students pedicures and washed and styled their hair. After dinner, another team member, Scott, spoke as I interpreted for him. After I showed the powerpoint and movie, our team and the Filipinos had a talent show. It's really like any talent show, but what was SO amazing, is these Deaf students are such great dancers! You start them off with a beat, to the music for us hearing people, and they keep the beat while dancing. They were break dancing, hip hop dancing and papaya dancing (I think a Filipino dance).

This morning, Sunday, was my time to preach (picture). I brought the word about the power of salvation. The students were really into it, answering my questions, and participating. They seemed to really grasp the severity of what sin does to us and how much it separates us from God. Along with that I taught about repentance and how, after accepting Christ, it mends the separation. It was quite a long sermon, for me, but Filipinos are used to hour, hour and a half sermons (this isn't counting worship and everything else). We then headed off to the beach... in the rain. However, arriving at the beach, the sun was out, ready for us to go play (picture). Most of the students, Americans and Filipinos, headed out in the warm, perfect blue water. Some students played link tag in knee deep water, which allowed for some serious diving. Some played chicken fight... actually I participated in this one and remember only seeing girls in this. This game I had a Filipino girl sitting on my shoulders and we were trying to get another pair or pairs of girls to fall down in the water. My partner and I took the group, we won! This afternoon is fun, but also a great time to sit one on one, or with a small group, in a comfortable setting to talk to them about Jesus. Many students fear raising their hands or accepting Christ in a larger setting, because the Catholic church always sends a "spy" to this "born-again Christian" camp. In years past, this "spy" goes back home to tell the church who raised their hand or accepted Christ. Those students, or most of them, are then persecuted physically or sexually for their decision. I've heard awful stories, but looking at those students now, am just amazed at the fruit in their lives. Some of them are now encouraging other students in their faith. Some students have help their families realize who Jesus really is. They have SO much FAITH! Because of this "spy" and the persecution these students face, we decided to have them come up and sign a book if they want prayer. They could accept Christ or get prayer for anything. At the end of the beach day, 14 students had signed up. So the team is going to BDA Monday night to pray for these students. This is so encouraging to me, as I will be with these students for 5 more weeks. I'm excited to see all the friendships that are formed.

Tonight I will sleep in the middle of the jungle, on top of a mountain overlooking the jungle running into the blue ocean. I am now sitting in an air conditioned house, typing away using their satellite wireless internet. Tomorrow, after going to our 3rd Deaf school and then to the high school to pray for the students, I will sleep on the outskirts of the city, on the BDA campus. No AC, no wireless, and currently... no food. Tuesday and Wednesday I will be at BDA watching, meeting teachers, learning about their school. I'm not quite sure what is expected yet. I won't be back at this house until Friday night, so I may not be able to check internet or blog until then.

Talibon Elementary School

Our second Deaf school was a two and a half hour drive up north. We follow basically the same routine with each school we go to. Talibon performed for us today, it's always so moving when they do. The video is now on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhFS7M_Jf_M, I love it! It brought me to tears. I didn't recognize the song, but it was moving nonetheless. You may have to turn up the volume to hear the song.

Also today the Lord spoke to sponsoring another child from this school. My other sponsor child is from Loon Elementary School, in which we'll visit Monday. This girl is in preschool and 5 years old. Her name is Rogelle and her family is very poor. She started school three weeks ago, as their school starts in June. Right now she has no language base and will only copy signs. I'll ask her what her name is and she'll just mimic what I sign. It's so sad, but I know when I see her again next year, she'll have a language base and will be able to communicate. I took MANY pictures of her and of her and me... I think my paparatzi-type behavior intrigued her though, because then she started following me everywhere. It was cute. I think she was a little scared of my big camera though. The picture is of her and I.

Jagna Elementary School

Today we drove an hour and a half to Jagna Elementary. This is the team's first visit to a Deaf school. We arrived and it was blazing hot! We played dodge ball, various ball games, parachute and tug-o-war out in the sun.

We then headed undercover where we performed our dramas. We have four dramas this year. One of them is one we have done the past few years: The Redeemer. We have three new dramas: Jonah, Sticky Chair and Everything. Jonah was scripted by one of our team members and tells the basic story of Jonah disobeying God and then finally realizing his sin, once inside the whale. Sticky Chair is a Young Life script where there is a chair with a sign saying, "Do Not Touch." Many people touch the chair and get stuck to it. It isn't until they confess and repent of their sin (touching the chair) where they are able to let go of the chair. The final drama Everything is the most touching. It's hard to describe this drama or at least put it in perspective for you. If you feel led, you can watch it yourself at http://youtube.com/watch?v=U_M33GcJAmU I am still moved every time I watch it, and I've seen it many times. There are some hard things to watch, but when we perform this drama for the younger students, we adapt it for their level.

Our last activity with them were crafts. We have white stuffed bears in which they use markers to decorate. They receive a white, Styrofoam plane in which they also decorate. The last craft is making a beaded necklace or bracelet.

We said goodbye to the students are proceeded to eat lunch at one of the four Garden Cafes on the island. This is a restaurant run by the Deaf and funded by IDEA. The students are trained in high school and have the opportunity to get a job at these restaurants, following graduation. It's a great opportunity for these students. There is one friend that works at this particular restaurant, Francis. I met her the first two years I came here, when she was in high school. We made a connection then and now she's working at this restaurant. I'm always excited to see her.

From here we traveled home for a brief stop before going into the city to shop for supplies. One thing that surprised me and Josh, the leader, was he had asked the team if they had wanted to eat dinner at McDonald's, just around the corner. Not one person raised their hand. Instead, we chose Pizza Hut. We then headed to BDA, my future home, for Bible study.

Every Wednesday night, the Deaf pastor, Mart, leads a Bible study for about 50 Deaf students. We arrive plenty early and socialized while they ate dinner. That's when the monsoon hit. Most of us become sopping wet, including me. I don't remember even being chilly in the Philippines, except for this night. Because the monsoon lasted around two hours the roads were not safe, as the pastor rides a motorcycle. He didn't come, so they asked me if I would preach.... yikes! I came prepared with my glasses to interpret for the Deaf pastor, but now I needed to prepare something on the fly. I decided to have the team perform "Sticky Chair" and then I expanded on it for several minutes. The students were interacting and it just felt good to be up there again teaching about Jesus.

I also saw MANY students that we had prayed for last year. Two students specifically, I had really bonded with and had some deep conversations with, came. I was SO excited to see them and to see them still running after the Lord, after knowing they've had some pretty hard, physical abuse this year.

Going to the Philippines!

I'm on my way to the Philippines! This year I will be traveling by myself and will be doing something a little different than I've done in the past.



Normally I travel with a team for 3 weeks going to 5 Deaf elementary schools and 8 barrio (hearing neighborhood) schools telling them about Jesus. We do a VBS type day with them. On the two weekends we have also had about 80 Deaf high schoolers and about 100 barrio high schoolers come up to the house and have a weekend retreat. We stay at the Sunrise House, a very nice American house in the middle of the jungle, which has enough housing for our team and the high schoolers.



This year, I will be with the team on the days they go to the Deaf schools and hold the weekend retreats. On the other days I will be working strictly with the Deaf high school (Bohol Deaf Academy) with a more academic focus. I will only be staying at the Sunrise House when I'm with the team. The rest of the time I will be staying in the city of Tagbilarin at Bohol Deaf Academy (BDA). They have given me a tiny, two bedroom house in the back of BDA. It will be very strategic for me to be on campus, near all the students. I'm excited for that.



What I'll be doing at BDA I'm not quite sure. At this point they say they don't have any specific expectations for me so we'll see what they come up with. They have mentioned mentoring teachers, modeling teaching, and adapting their curriculum to meet the needs of the Deaf. Teachers, in the Philippines, teach using the lecture style. This is not best practice for teachers of hearing students, but for the Deaf, it's the worst way to teach. Often teachers will write their notes on the board and the students will copy them. But when asked to read their notes, they can't. It's sad! It's not the teachers' fault, they haven't learned any other way.



I'll hopefully be updating this frequently with pictures!