Category Archives: News

Lancaster Bible College 2016

March 10th, 2016

LBC 2016

Lancaster Bible College has come to us with a work team again this March. These people KNOW how to work! In fact, they worked so much during the past five rainy days, they earned an extra half day of sight seeing. This morning, (Thursday 10 March) they are off to see El Yunque and then Old San Juan for the afternoon. Tomorrow, we are all going to the beach for some fun and playing together. Saturday evening they leave – so we are not sure of the Saturday plans. Probably a little more sleep and then some cleaning of their dorms.

It’s been a good week with them – seeing the Bible stories they have presented in clever and entertaining ways, learning more of those characters presented – Joseph, Ruth, Samuel – to name a few.

Several of the girls served as substitute teacher for Betsy who was out with a cold a few days. Most have been working on grounds work, painting, scraping, cleaning, and generally helping in a variety in places. We are excited to see God work in their lives and in our lives as we spend time together.

Thanks for your prayers.

March 10, 2016NewsChristian School and Chapel for the Deaf, Deaf Puerto Rico, deafness, Evangelical School for the Deaf, handbell choir, Lancaster Bible College, servant hearted, spring breakBetsy Hoke

Annual Concert (opening day)

February 18th, 2016

We had a small audience and enjoyed showing them around the school, talking with them and teaching them some sign language. Our bell repertoire included: EL Coqui, Day by Day, Grace Medley and Oh How Lovely. The guitars played How Great Thou Art and No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus.

It was nice. We are doing a repeat performance tomorrow and look forward to seeing some old friends and new ones also.

February 18, 2016NewsChristian School and Chapel for the Deaf, handbell choir, Mission work team, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico sordosBetsy Hoke

ending January 2016

January 24th, 2016

2016 01 students back at the school

So far, 2016 has been a wonderfully peaceful year. Students are learning – on all levels of learning – academically, spiritually, emotionally, physically. We love to see this.

Below, you will see Larimar working in class and also hanging out in a hammock. One day when she was the last student in the classrooms, we tried out the hammock lounge under the new deck. Larimar enjoyed hanging out with the new workers, sharing jokes and stories and enjoying some relaxed time.

In the other photo, Larimar is working on story telling by creating a “quadrama” (like a diorama with four open corners). She is such a creative young lady and we are so pleased to see her using her talents in ways that honor God. Continue to pray for her and our other students as they learn and grow in His grace.

2016 hammocks

January 24, 2016NewsASL PR, Christian School and Chapel for the Deaf, Deaf, Deaf education, deafness, Escuela para sordos, hammock lounge, Luquillo School for the Deaf, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico sordos, quadrama, school for the deaf, Sordo en Puerto Rico, Sordo PR, SordosBetsy Hoke

Merry Christmas in Puerto Rico

December 23rd, 2015

December 18: we celebrated our end of semester with the families of the students and the Palmas Community Church Outreach Committee. The student handbell choir performed at their best ever much to the delight of the director and those listening.

We had a wonderful leisurely celebration, enjoyed the food and fellowship, enjoyed the culmination of our Godly Ornaments advent series, and exchanged hugs and waves of “See you next year!” as students and guests drove away.

And then we were ready for some Christmas light sightings: Old San Juan and Fajardo both have light displays worth the effort. Saturday some of the staff went into Old San Juan and others went to Fajardo. How lovely to see that the Light of the World is celebrated in our country. Continue to pray that the doors and lights will remain open and onto God and His Word.

Challenging times are coming as policies change and the world responds to godless influences. Pray that Puerto Rican Christians can be a strong influence for God-honoring practices and teachings to remain in the mainstream.

December 23, 2015NewsCSCD, Deaf education, Escuela para sordos, handbell choir, Puerto Rico sordos, Sordo en Puerto RicoBetsy Hoke

They heard the BELLS before Christmas day!

December 19th, 2015

The student handbell choir performed EIGHT times in the past three weeks!

Our NEW Adult Deaf Handbell Choir also performed TWICE in the past week.

Our school Christmas party was lovely – the children signed songs, the bells rang, the parents cried at appropriate times, the food was massive in quantity and in flavor, no one hurried away and the cleanup happened.

We thank God for each of you and your prayers for our ministry to the Deaf here in Luquillo. Look forward to seeing you again in January 2016! Happy Holidays (Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Epiphany/Kings’ Day) !!

December 19, 2015NewsASL PR, Christian School and Chapel for the Deaf, CSCD, Deaf, Deaf Puerto Rico, handbell choir, Luquillo School for the Deaf, Puerto Rico, school for the deaf, Sordo en Puerto Rico, Sordo PR, SordosBetsy Hoke

December Schedule 2015

December 4th, 2015

We have such a busy schedule for the next two weeks:

Tuesday (8 Dec) and Wednesday (9 Dec) the handbell choir will be performing for some organizations who have been very helpful to our school.

Sunday (13 December) the combined efforts of our NEW ADULT Handbell Choir and our student handbell choir will be performing in Bible Baptist Church of Luquillo at 10 a.m.

Wednesday (16 December) the students on bells and guitars will be performing at the Palmas Community Church in Humacao in the evenings (7 p.m. I think)

And our Christmas celebration party will be 18 December at some time before 3 p.m.

With all of these dates and busy events in front of us, it would be easy to forget that Christmas is a time to think more carefully about God and enjoy the peace that He can give us. To help each of us keep our focus on GOD (and not on receiving gift and playing bells), we have just completed “40” days of thanksgiving (Canadian Thanksgiving through American Thanksgiving) during which time, we talked daily about things we are thankful for. One of the students wasn’t sure that AIR was something we needed to give thanks for… but she soon decided that it could be on the list,

During this Advent season, we are doing 15 school days of meditating on God’s character and how God changes our lives. The theme “adORN your life with ORNaments pleasing to God” has translated into ASL as “Decorate your life for God’s glory”. As we decorate the chapel Christmas tree with Bible verses written on cards placed inside clear Christmas ornament balls, we each write our own observation about the verses and place them onto decorations that each has made – a wreath, a wee Christmas tree, a light box, a poster.

December 4, 2015NewsChristian School and Chapel for the Deaf, Christian School for the Deaf, CSCD, Deaf, deaf mission, Luquillo School for the Deaf, missionary, missions, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico sordos, school for the deaf, Sordo en Puerto Rico, Sordo PR, SordosBetsy Hoke

Busy busy busy

November 21st, 2015

The students have been learning so much. It’s been a fun season of seeing them as they refine their skills socially and academically.

In October, we visited Dr. Suarez at the University of Puerto Rico in Humacao for National Chemistry month. We LOVE being in his lab and seeing science in action. It’s always amazing.

Philip Tomlinson returned at the end of October and got into repairing the front fence/gate. Seems a post had rotted and the fence was laying on the gate thereby rendering the gate non-functional. Philip and Valie got it repaired in short order.

Juan is learning and growing and always so happy. Please pray for the students and workers as we continue to strive together to learn more about the world and about its Creator.

November 21, 2015NewsChristian School and Chapel for the Deaf, Christian School for the Deaf, CSCD, Deaf education, deaf mission, deafness, ESD, Evangelical School for the Deaf, lenguaje se senas, Luquillo School for the Deaf, missionary, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico sordos, school for the deaf, Sordo en Puerto Rico, Sordo PR, SordosBetsy Hoke

Hispanic Heritage research

September 13th, 2015

students showing new books received from a friend

creating our display about Puerto Rican Heritage

Since school started in August, we have been busily studying and creating some poster projects for friends at the San Juan Community Library. We deliver the projects on Monday September 24, 2015.

The students have been learning WHERE in the world our island is located and how it was first settled by Native Tribes from North America. The Taino People who met Columbus in 1493 were originally from South America. After the Native People, Spaniards (Europe) arrived, then came slaves from Africa. Our little island is a crossroads for FOUR continents.

Some of the students are still mis-labelling the world map exercise we do in Social Studies as part of our regular review (name the 7 continents and Puerto Rico on this map) but they are beginning to have a more global knowledge.

We are studying the refugee emigration crisis in Europe and learning about some of the associated countries in Europe, Africa and Asia. As we learn about our place in the world, I am praying that the children will begin to understand that GOD LOVED THE WORLD SO MUCH THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON (John 3:16).

We are also working on NOUNS and VERBS and sentence structure; a wide variety of math concepts; how to understand what we are reading (WHO? WHAT DID –DO? WHERE did it happen?) and the time line of the Bible.

We estimate that the first Native People arrived from South America around the time that Abraham and Sarah lived. We estimate that the Tainos arrived around the time of Jesus’ birth. It has been a fun first month of school and I (a teacher) am excited to see what comes along in the next month!

Thanks for praying for us. PRINT THIS staff students 2015 09 if you want to know the names of those for whom you are praying.

September 13, 2015NewsChristian School and Chapel for the Deaf, Christian School for the Deaf, Deaf education, deaf mission, Deaf Puerto Rico, deafness, Escuela para sordos, ESD, Evangelical School for the Deaf, Hispanic Heritage Month, lenguaje se senas, Luquillo School for the Deaf, missionary, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico sordos, school for the deaf, Sordo en Puerto Rico, SordosBetsy Hoke

Progressing

August 31st, 2015

We are ending the month of August 2015 and the students are still smiling 🙂 As you can see from the photos above, we have 5 students at this time. We are working on place value and trying to improve memory (hence the bottle of glue pouring into a brain cavity).

Five students – and days often feel overwhelming as each of these students could use a full-time tutor. Each has special needs in addition to requiring that their coursework be presented in visual means. So much out of the classroom time goes into preparing powerpoint and worksheets and captioning pictures and developing specific for THIS child activities to help them learn.

Christie Hoeksema just joined us last week. She is proving to be a valuable resource – (1) because she is fresh and new and has energy! and (2) because she can use technology to make worksheets, flashcards, and materials that are time consuming and (3) because she is Deaf herself and can offer insights when all of the Hearies are rather at a loss for WHAT? is being signed to us by our low language learners.

Thanks for praying along with us this school year.

August 31, 2015NewsASL PR, Christian School and Chapel for the Deaf, Christian School for the Deaf, Deaf, Deaf education, deaf mission, Deaf Puerto Rico, Escuela para sordos, Evangelical School for the Deaf, lenguaje se senas, Luquillo School for the Deaf, missionary, Sordo en Puerto Rico, Sordo PR, SordosBetsy Hoke

St Croix Camp 2015

July 15th, 2015

STX 2015 1

Larimar and Mizael joined Betsy this year at St Croix Deaf Camp. The three of them traveled to STX on July 6 (because their July 5th flight was canceled). They spent 4 wonderful days with the Deaf camp of STX making new friends and loving every minute of it.

STX 2015 billiards

Betsy praises God for the opportunity for the team of three to go. The CSCD students were able to share their faith in private conversations and in Wednesday morning devotional time before the camp day began.

STX 2015 termites

The students loved the whole adventure – from billiards to jumping off the cruise ship pier to eating termites under the supervision of Discovery Grove nature trail staff. They are already asking if they can return next summer. Pray with us as we pray for the Deaf of St Croix – that maybe next summer at Deaf camp, we will see some Deaf adults and have more opportunities to share God’s amazing love.

July 15, 2015NewsASL, ASL PR, Christian School and Chapel for the Deaf, Deaf, Deaf education, deaf mission, Deaf Puerto Rico, deafness, Escuela para sordos, Evangelical School for the Deaf, lenguaje se senas, Luquillo School for the Deaf, short term missions, Sordo en Puerto Rico, Sordo PRBetsy Hoke