Tag Archives: Deaf

February 2024

February 17th, 2024

We had a lot of rain at the end of January.

Our Wednesday student is picked up after school at her mainstreamed school and we work on ASL and speech and awareness of environmental sounds and CRAFTS!

In addition to tutoring this little girl, Betsy spends time online with ZOOM classes for other students too remote to come in person. We also have 9 ASL classes for a variety of groups through the week. Betsy is working on a variety of projects including videos of the book aprende señas conmigo and the Hear-Me-Read Bible. (videos available here)

We are down to ONE teacher – BETSY HOKE – who is taking care of her mother who is slowly sliding into dementia. Betsy is thankful she can fulfill this role and asks your prayer for her as she serves both her mother and the Deaf community here. Betsy continues to teach those students who come and we are praying for new younger teachers – turning away students in need because of distance or lack of hands to work with them is sad. GOD KNOWS and in His time, He will provide for these precious ones. She also works through her church in Fajardo with the Deaf Ministry there – interpreting services and Bible studies and meeting the Deaf adults for fellowship.

We also have a maintenance man – Dave Markle – on staff as a missionary. Dave serves the school and his local church with his skills at fixing things. Dave has taken on the role of Work Team Coordinator/Host and we are seeing the return of mission groups, interpreter training groups and others interested in supporting Puerto Rico and her churches. We are SO THANKFUL for Dave and God’s timing in bringing him to CSCD.

Every month we have Second and Fourth Saturday activities with the Adult Deaf community: We have movie day on the Fourth Saturday and Fellowship day on the Second Saturday. We open at 10 a.m. for Adult literacy classes – pray for these – many say they want to learn but most do not make it a priority. Have lunch together around 12:30 and then the afternoon activity. It’s a fun day and we are thankful we can do this.

Recently, a volunteer helped us make Valentine Cards – even the Deaf men joined in on this one!

Thank you for praying along with us for the Deaf in Puerto Rico. The needs may seem small but to those who have them the needs are pressing and scary. We are so thankful that our God knows and provides for each one and that FAITH is grown as we discern His Hand at work to protect, guide and provide.

February 17, 2024Christian School for the Deaf, deaf in Puerto Rico, missions trip, News, StaffDeaf, deaf in Puerto Rico, deaf ministry, deaf missions, evangelical school for the deaf. cscd IncBetsy Hoke

hearing the bells means Christmas is just around the corner!

October 28th, 2022

So many years, people have commented -IT’S NOT REALLY CHRISTMAS UNTIL I HEAR THE BELLS. We are well into our Christmas music practices and looking forward to presenting our bell choir offerings beginning December 2! To me (Betsy) Christmas has already begun!

If you have opportunity, go to see this movie – I HEARD THE BELLS ON CHRISTMAS DAY – it sounds like an awesome movie about a favorite carol of mine.

October 28, 2022NewsASL, ASL PR, Christian School and Chapel for the Deaf, Christian School for the Deaf, CSCD, Deaf, Deaf education, deaf mission, Deaf Puerto Rico, Escuela para sordos, Evangelical School for the Deaf, handbell choir, Luquillo School for the Deaf, missions trip, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico sordos, school for the deaf, Sordo en Puerto Rico, studentsBetsy Hoke

MidOctober Days’ work

October 15th, 2022

You can check out the newest newsletter here: WTH_Fall2022 (1)

The middle of October and we are still feeling the summer humidity. Someone thought playing outside on Friday was a good idea. And it was. But getting back into the school chapel was a better idea!

We always enjoy our friends from Young Life come for some fun and games and the challenge from God’s Word. Jerry and Christina are amazing and we love having them and our friends from the Palmas Community Church.

There are four of us on staff now – we welcomed Dave Markle (white shirt) as our maintenance and Go To Guy for all things dysfunctional. Valie is enjoying having another guy around who knows how to fix things. Last week Dave installed a new hard drive on the school ZOOM CLASS laptop. This week he fixed leaks in the east wall that allowed Hurricane Fiona waters to enter the preschool classroom and kitchen. Imagine finding water in the breaker box! Only God knows what next week will bring to his plate!

Similarly in the classrooms – as teachers, we can know ourselves and prepare but we never know what will be behind the faces that enter. Our morning students are pretty settled into their studies and arrive knowing we will be doing SCHOOL work. Afternoons, we face ZOOM class with a teenaged girl and Tuesday Thursday with a Kindergartener girl. Oh dear. Pray in the afternoons if you think of it!

We love a weekend to do prep work and gardening but one Saturday each month we have Deaf Fellowship Day. The ladies have taken an interest in Diamond Art which is very tiny work. They got a little competition going to see who can complete the Christmas pieces they are working on. For me (Betsy), this project is too small and I took the paper sample to the printer and made an enlargement to help explain what we were doing.

There are already plans for more Christmas themed projects.

We also enjoy a night at the movies each month – coming up November 4 will be MOSES by Sight and Sound Theaters. Love their productions and the way the play shows us more of the character of the Bible person and times.

Pray with us for more opportunities and more hands to help with reaching out to the Adult Deaf community. Thanks for stopping by today!

Read the Fall 2022 newsletter at our webpage: https://cscdluquillo.com/with-these-hands/

October 15, 2022News, StaffASL, ASL PR, Christian School and Chapel for the Deaf, Deaf, Deaf education, deaf mission, Deaf Puerto Rico, Escuela para sordos, Evangelical School for the Deaf, Hispanic Heritage Month, Interpreter training workshop, lenguaje se senas, school for the deaf, servant hearted, Sordo en Puerto Rico, Sordos, studentsBetsy Hoke

Wonderful Work Team!

June 6th, 2022

An amazing team from Elmhurst IL has come to bless us with energy and work ethics! First Congregational UCC, Elmhurst – 235 S Kenilworth Ave, Elmhurst IL 60126 (630) 832-2580 (elmhurstucc.org)

They are power washing, painting, cleaning, and replacing some rain spouts and roof tiles that were in need of attention. WOOHOO! Thank YOU!

June 6, 2022missions trip, NewsChristian School and Chapel for the Deaf, Christian School for the Deaf, CSCD, Deaf, Deaf education, deaf mission, Escuela para sordos, ESD, Luquillo School for the Deaf, Mission work team, missionary, missions, missions trip, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico sordos, servant hearted, short term missions, Sordo en Puerto Rico, Sordo PRBetsy Hoke

How is it possible that we are in the last full week of September already?

September 22nd, 2021

Our NEWEST NEWS as of September 22, 2021:

Roxy is no longer with us. She lost her vision in July and was suffering loss of mobility, weakening due to internal issues, and was taken to the vet for a peaceful euthanisation on 21 September.

Flowers continue to bloom and bring us peace.

We got an air fryer and the students made french fries from real potatoes. We need to practice and try again to get the setting just right but ketchup was a good cover for our attempt.

During our Lockdown, termites moved into our book cupboards in the science and math classroom. Our handyman, Valie, took on the challenge of repairing the classroom. A summer work team painted it and now we have new shelves (made in PVC board) and are preparing to set up the classroom for use again!

A close up of the wood from the door frame shows how horrible the situation was. New we have a new aluminum door frame, new door and less concern about the termites. Also we can SEE them coming now – we hope.

The grounds are looking good also thanks to our handyman who is enjoying a new lawn tractor. So much grass and so few hands to work at keeping it trimmed led us to purchase a new lawn tractor in June. As one who has been responsible for the grass work, Betsy is SO thankful for the men who come to help out and the new lawn mower.

THANK YOU for your prayers and if you want to come to work on any of our projects – get in touch!

September 22, 2021classroom, missions trip, NewsChristian School and Chapel for the Deaf, Christian School for the Deaf, CSCD, Deaf, Deaf education, deaf mission, Deaf Puerto Rico, Escuela para sordos, ESD, Evangelical School for the Deaf, Luquillo School for the Deaf, school for the deaf, Sordo PRBetsy Hoke

2021-22 school year Week Four

August 30th, 2021

We have completed three weeks of classes and are happy to say that our students have been attending IN PERSON consistently!

This year, we have only THREE students – the two boys pictured above are 17 and 18 years old and attend full time (8 a.m. to 2 and 3:30 respectively) and our little girl comes Tuesday and Thursdays from 2:30 to 4:30 for ASL/language development instruction.

From these photos, you can see we are working to maintain safe distances while still being able to talk easily without masks. For our students, it is SO important that they SEE our facial expressions and read lips. While working with them, we are maintaining air flow and safe distance protocols, using clear face shields and desk shields are necessary. We are thankful for our outside spaces and the free flow of air through the classrooms plus an amazing supply of alcohol to spray the desks and floors and keep things as Covid-Free as possible.

We continue to have our Deaf Fellowship time on the Second Saturday of each month. (third photo above). Our next event is scheduled for Sept 11. Pray that our deaf friends will be able to come – many are aging and find it difficult to drive at night so we have changed our meeting time to afternoon. We are so glad that our friends in the area have been coming and we are glad to be able to sit and talk with them.

Thank you for praying for our students, our staff and our ministry here in Luquillo. Times are weird but God is FAITHFUL. Praise Him!

August 30, 2021NewsASL, ASL PR, Christian School and Chapel for the Deaf, Christian School for the Deaf, CSCD, Deaf, Deaf education, deaf mission, deafness, Evangelical School for the Deaf, hammock lounge, Luquillo School for the Deaf, missionary, school for the deaf, Sordo en Puerto Rico, Sordo PR, Sordos, studentsBetsy Hoke

Ministry Continues

January 23rd, 2021

Our 2021 year began with offering a community ASL class. We are excited to have several families and mothers attending the class and look forward to God working through this to reach more with His love. Mizael appears above – as our model for the activities we are planning for the class. You can play the game here! (only through Feb 192021)

We have left our First Friday evening activity time in 2020 and moved to a Second Saturday activity for our Deaf Adult Fellowship. As our population ages, we have to accommodate. Night vision problems were inhibiting some attendees. So now, on the Second Saturday of each month at 1 p.m., we hope to gather in small numbers for indoor or outdoor games – horseshoes? frisbee? dominos in the pergola? Come join us for an afternoon of fellowship in safe numbers and a safe setting.

January 23, 2021NewsASL PR, Christian School and Chapel for the Deaf, Christian School for the Deaf, Deaf, Deaf Puerto Rico, deafness, Evangelical School for the Deaf, lenguaje se senas, Luquillo School for the Deaf, Mission work team, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico sordos, studentsBetsy Hoke

TUTORING BEGINS TUESDAY

August 10th, 2020

While we all are under the Covid19Cloud, we are still working to get our students back into the school year schedule as soon as possible.

Our original plan had been to have full-time classes beginning TOMORROW, Tuesday 11 August. BUT we will be continuing our tutoring schedule for this semester. One student at a time. No mingling. Working from distance of 6 feet as often as possible.

Today, we are doing last minute preparations – locating the missing math book, trying to figure out phonics for our partially hearing children, making horizontal spaces empty so they are easier to clean between tutoring sessions. We are trusting God that all things will come together for His glory even as I feel like I am stumbling around in the clutter of the classroom today!

In an effort to help our students learn at home (they LOVE youtube!) we have been preparing videos as part of review and homework. Praying that parents will join them in watching and will learn the signs too. Pray with us for this school year. We are praying for the other schools on the island and the restrictions on numbers.

Personally, I am thanking God that our numbers are limited and our ability to serve the young students is excellent. We have three adult deaf learners waiting for their turn in the tutoring schedule so pray with me for willing signing Spanish-English speaking volunteers to help out with those desiring to improve their skill sets.