I was over at Chaotic Home just now where she spoke of seeing life through the eyes of her deaf boys.
I realised that it's been a loooooooong time since I wrote of something that relates to our ministry here with the deaf. We've still been active in it . . . our lives cross pretty much daily . . . but that's what it has become to us, normal, daily, routine stuff.
And yet at the same time, it's not.
Chaotic Mom said that "They are 'normal'. They just communicate differently."
Bingo!
My thought drifted to my co-worker, and good friend Virginia. We've known each other since we were young and single. She's deaf. She and I were roommates when I first volunteered at RanchoSordoMudo, school for the deaf. They were so short staffed at that time that they were doubling up the duties so that the dorm parents were teachers. That was Virginia. That was exhaustion.
I went willing to do whatever was needed. I went down only knowing my "ABC"'s, that's about it! I showed up and -*boom*- the dorm parents took off. They needed a break and I was the baby-sitter! There were about 8 girls at the time and I learned real quick the signs "No!", "Sit down!" and "Go to bed!".
It's one of the best ways to learn sign language. It's called the "sink or swim" method. That and then Virginia would pull me aside almost nightly after the girls were in bed, after the school work and preparations were done and she would force have me interpret Star Trek-of all things!-for her. (The Next Generation . . . for all you Trekkie's out there!)
You explain what a "time warp continuum" is, not to mention Klingon's and Borg and "Q", in sign language when you just got down how to ask where the bathroom is.
I know that Virginia doesn't think of herself as different. Just deaf - kind of like the same way she thinks of herself as Mexican, or brunett, or a woman . . . being deaf is just a part of who she is. The way God made her.
GONE! are the days where I'd mention something related to my blogging and get polite smiles or right out loud snickers!
My cousin and his wife now have a blog. Mostly prompted by the need to keep their family updated on their NEW ADORABLE BABY!
Understandable since her parents are missionaries in Israel, his sister is in Egypt and the rest of the family may be in any part of this globe at any given time. You missionary families know what I'm talking about.
But this is only part of the reason I post today. Did you see the video I posted here? This is the same couple who wrote and produced that song! Yes, it's all in Spanish . . . but I know I've got some Spanish speakers reading. And my cousins know English. Go over and say hi!
Like her mommy, she does a lot of her singing while bathing. So when I heard her starting to sing, I got the camera goin as soon as I could. This is what followed.
Holidays got you Stressed out? Go here, click to hear the song and do, DO, sing along. Trust me, you'll laugh, and laughter as you all know, is a stress reliever. Go. Go now. It's worth it.
Me? My little boy has croup (again) so I got 3 hours of sleep last night. I'm getting my coffee.
Meet Danny and Brittney - a young couple with a keen eye for HUGE bargains on cruises. Thus they were able to take us. (They got too much sun this day)
We entered in a drawing for spa stuff on the boat and of the four of us Brit was the only one who did not win anything until towards the end, when she won a pedicure. That was fun. :-)
With our winnings, I got my hair cut and highlighted (a first), and my hubby got a clean shave. I haveneva felt that man's face so soft!
And Brit and I got a massage while the boat was tipping and rolling . . . there was stormy weather for the first three days . . it was kinda funny . . . like being drunk without alcohol.
The joke that the ones that did have too much to drink were the only ones walking straight. No one got sick though - that's good. It didn't do much for the conga line through the dinning room that we all joined in on either . . .
We only joined in on the conga line because our waiter, Yig, from China looked so uncomfortable and sweet when he asked us to join in the line, we couldn't just leave him all alone up there! Thanks to him we learned how to say "Thank You" - something like "shee-shee".
On the way to dinner, every day, we passed by this mural. The lady had NOTHING on, and her hand placement was . . .well, questionable, so I had them all stand in discrete places to take this picture.
That dinning room was one of several places you could get food. The motto was "Eat free, eat often" except here. This dinning room you had to pay for. It was at the top of the ship with a glass staircase that when from the deck below it on up, going over an 8 deck drop. (I told you not to look down, Brit!)
One morning we were just walking around when we came here and heard worship music. We were amazed and so sat down to enjoy it. Soon we met a young lady named Danisa from . . . were, again? Chek republic? I think, anyway - she just glowed.
Turns out the worship CD was hers. She told us that just the day before she was on the phone with her mother of how she felt very alone. Her mom told her to pray and so it was an answer to prayer to meet with other sisters in Christ to encourage and pray with her. We did. I- being the sap I am- didn't make it through the prayer without crying. It was . .. way cool.
Thanks to the lovely young couple with us, I got in more Karaoke in one week than I did in my whole lifetime . . . I did one song, my hubby holding my hand the whole time- hated the sound of my voice and am now CURED of any urge to do Karaoke EVA AGAIN!
My beloved mostly slept . . . which is EXACTLY what he needed! Other times, we played games or cards . . . the guys when scuba diving a couple of times. We stopped at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and-or favorite spot- PuertoVallarta.
There was one glitch,
When D&B where making the reservations they accidentally, and without realizing it, only booked one room for the four of us. After much begging and pleading to many, many, many people to change it, because after all we were two married couples . . . ehem . . . but it was all to no avail. The ship was booked. Whats more the room had one queen bed and bunks.So to work out . . . e-hem! . . . private time . . . we put to use this:
There are so many stories. This is one of the several towel animals that greeted us when we returned to our rooms at night, beds turned down, little chocolates on the pillows.
I miss this turn down service, and the way they straightened the room everyday. The fact that I didn't have to cook AT ALL and they took care of all the dishes and menu planning. It was fun. THANK YOU DAN AND BRIT!
My brother is getting married real soon. January 9th. He works in ministry, she is a student . . . they have nothing . . .
We offered to help decorate . . . and it is times like that when the key word is "cheap", so it was a delight to find cheap wedding favors online . . .
I love these little thingies . . .
And look at this! Is this just too cutsie for words!
'Love Beyond Measure' Heart Measuring Spoons in Gift Box.
Although, I'm not sure exactly what my reaction would be if my hubby gave this as a present for me. Hmm . . .
I visited my friend and her 5 month old back when he-baby N- was still 4 months old.
We were passing on baby clothes that had been passed on to me and after sorting through the bag we were left with some 0-3 month old clothes and we were talking about what to do with them.
That's when she first clued me in that she may, just may have use for them before anyone else. But since her firstborn was just out of being a newborn himself, and since we just had "ha ha-ed" at Britney Spears having the babies so close together . . . well, she was holding on to the hope that what she was feeling was just a fluke.
Then I got this e-mail:
Michelle,
Well, we can no longer deny the inevitable. We are indeed pregnant. 10 weeks along. I even saw the little arms moving. My heart melted when I saw that. Due date July 9th, but baby was a week smaller, so... basically around N's birthday. The nurse practitioner said it is what they call Irish twins when they are born so close together. She also told me there was another lady in at the same time as we were in the same "predicament". So here we go again, busting out those maternity clothes- oh, wait - I was still wearing them! Love, Karen (a non-blogging Karen)
I confess. . . I chortled, and giggled.
But my friend does read this blog . . . so if you care to de-lurk, say "Hi" to her, 'cause we really are happy for you Karen, really! You always did want twins.
Name: Michelle in Mx Home: Ministering in Ensenada, Mexico About Me: My family and I are missionaries to the deaf of Ensenada, Mexico. Plus working with neighboring ministries and communities.
And we will continue on here for as long as God direct. See my complete profile
My beloved mostly slept . . . which is EXACTLY what he needed! 
So to work out . . . e-hem! . . . private time . . . we put to use this:
