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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A great week is ending. We started on Monday with a group of signing (hearing and Deaf) visitors from Camuy PR. The rest of the week, we enjoyed the company of David and Mary Chase who are repeat visitors. It has been a refreshing and learning experience all around as we have enjoyed new and old friends.
Pray with us for the remaining 19 days of classes and our closing of the school year activities on May 21.
The LAST bit of paint has been painted (I hope) and our buildings are as blue and white as they will ever be thanks to the last efforts of our recent work team. How nice to look out and see the soffits and edges are white.
A work team of two came up with the idea of re-painting our street sign sign and used our new logo. Our own Rosa finished off the signs by adding SIGNS 🙂 announcing DEAF SCHOOL.
And finally on March 26, 2015, our sign guy came and installed our new sign on the front of the building. His instructions include trimming the tree on the right more regularly so that the sign is more visible.
Additionally, we received the document declaring Christian School and Chapel for the Deaf Inc to be a tax-exempt/charitable institution by the Puerto Rican government. We had received this notification by the USA Internal Revenue service previously and are thankful that we have been granted this status by Puerto Rico as well.
This week (March 30 to April 3) is Holy Week in Puerto Rico. We are closed for Easter Break and some time to rest and regroup before the last 35 days of classes. We are looking forward to a visit by a group of ASL students from Highpoint Christian Academy Saturday April 4 through Thursday April 9.
Pray for our students. Pray for the needs of the Deaf in Puerto Rico.
Check out other web pages as additions and changes have been made today! Thanks for praying and thanks for stopping by our website.
We have been blessed this week with a Spring Break group from Lancaster Bible College, Lancaster PA. Can I tell you – this group “complained” that they had three days of not WORKing on the front end of their mission trip!
What WORK they did once they got started. I think our TO DO list has diminished by 70%. Some things are just in need of skilled electricians and plumbers, eh?
But the paint has gone on. White trim that was overlooked last spring is now white for real and a classroom that had last been painted in 2005 was painted a lovely shade of lavender.
Some of the team are Phys. Ed. majors and they tortured us, I mean treated us with love and care and WORK OUTS and even made us our own 15 minute work out DVD! We did it on Monday for the first time and today, everyone is finally NOT stiff so we will have another go at it tomorrow.
The group was not afraid to sing at two churches. They were not afraid to go onto the roof. They were not afraid to tutor Deaf kids. They were great examples of what it means to be a Joshua 1:9 disciple of Christ:
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
