Equal Access

Nathanael has been a professional interpreter for over 10 years.  He has completed his degree and studied how to take words from English to ASL and ASL to English.  Interpreting ASL as with any language is difficult. There is a differences in grammar and syntax.  One does not simply listen and spit out the signs, concept is interpreted. It takes a professional to understand context, idioms, and give them to someone else hopefully with it's meaning in entirety.

In the United States it is the law to provide interpreters.  When going to a doctor's office, meeting, or even school; it isn't just expected it's required.

In Belize the first interpreters started working in schools just a few years ago.  Up until now they were former teachers who knew some signs or people who had picked up signs.

In Orange Walk, Nathanael has many hats.  As we wrote in a previous post, he spends 3 afternoons a week disciplining Deaf men in the area and 1 day in Belize city.

Interpreting is another "hat" that Nathanael wears often.  He has gone to doctor's appointments, work meetings and more.  Two separate men have had improvements in their jobs.  They now have a ability to communicate at a greater level with their co-workers. They can discuss issues, and understand what is being asked of them.

Nathanael is honored to be able to facilitate communication.  He has great goals to provide access to all of the Deaf in Orange Walk.
Na
and as a bonus..

Can anyone guess what song Ni and Josue are singing?

Finding retreat

This Monday we left with Nancy, Sulmi, and Danni (from the YWAM team) heading for Placencia, Belize.  We made a few stops on the way, one to the zoo. 

It was nice that Nancy stopped several times to help the 5 hour trip not feel so long.  We really enjoyed the zoo!  I also loved the artbox which had a selection of Christian books and CD's along with a bunch of beautifully handcrafted items.

At around 4:30pm we arrived in Placencia.  Why did we go?  We joined 3 other families, our supervisors, and 4 other singles for an EMM retreat.  All of the missionaries in Central America get together once a year.  This year it was in Belize so we had a shorter car trip.  One family didn't come. They live in Hondorus and the Honduran government gave them unexpected trouble at the border.  That was disappointing!

We spent 2 days fellowshipping, eating together talking and playing.  Twice a day we had sessions with Rich and Rachel Deeds who lead groups north of Placencia.  They do ministry at a place called Life Change Institute.  Nathanael and Danni interpreted for Nancy during the sessions.

We had wonderful childcare workers, some who are serving in Guatemala, and some who came from the States just to help with the children.  Our children really had fun.  The bulk of the children knew each other from Oasis and training in the summer of 2014.  It was good to be with friends especially other TCK's/MK's. 

While I am on the subject, I read an awesome article about TCK's I will share the link to.  Really it is Nathanael and my job to shepherd their hearts.  Lucianna also comes beside us to make sure the children are thought about and cared for.  I think though it helps if "you" the reader understand a bit of the world that my children live in. Saying goodbye often and struggling with emotions are common for them.  They are still unsure how to answer where they are "from" or where home is.  Sometimes they hate it here. Just last week Zion decide that when we leave in June she won't come with us.  This is just a part of the roller coaster we are all on.

We left the retreat encouraged and saddened. Saying goodbye is difficult.  It is our hope that we have raised enough funds to return by next year's retreat.  At this point we are not sure what will happen.

Thank you for supporting and praying for  us! 

Lucianna's guest post

Dearest Friends and Supporters of the Davis's

My name is Lucianna Alderfer and I have been a long time friend of the Davis's. The kids know me as "Aunt Lucianna" and even though we are not blood relatives, the connection we share is as strong as if we were. I had the privilege of spending my Christmas break in Belize with this amazing family and wow am I excited to share with you my experience!

My visit was a brief five and a half days, but I walked away with a very clear sense of what this family is doing, what their impact is and how God is using them and will continue to use them. 

We started my visit at the home of dear friends of the Davis's, a lovely Christian Belizian family who fed me a full course meal and welcomed me into their home. They also had Nathanael chop down a fresh coconut for me to enjoy! And boy did I! I was quite impressed with how quickly Nathanael is learning to use a machete! 

I arrived on a Saturday evening, so my first full day was spent at Jesus Deaf Church of Orange Walk (forgive me if I got the name wrong Nathanael!). What a privilege to meet the families that the Davis's work with and to get a taste for the ministry. Most of the adults were Deaf and most of the children were hearing, but there were some hearing adults and one Deaf child. It was clear they were a close knit community and had a strong connection with the Davis's.

After service we walked to by $1 tacos and as we walked to the taco shop it was amazing how many towns people knew the Davis's and wanted to talk with them or connect with them. I could see how the Lord had quickly knit them with this community.

While we were at a Taco shop we saw a family from the deaf church who I got to know a little (the hearing daughter). I found out later this family had great needs financially and if not helped would need to take measures that would put them in harms way.

While I sat at their home, people would come to the door asking for help or money. And clearly everywhere they went there was so much opportunity for ministry. They shared with me how it is so easy to just spend all day helping and to feel overwhelmed. They had to keep focused and be wise with their time to be effective in ministry and faithful to God's purpose there.

I went through bit of a culture shock while I was there. As you can see above, this is the Davis's make shift laundry room, on their roof. I watched Spring carry laundry up 2 flights of stairs and hang it all by hand. I took a cold shower every night and watched Nathanael take water jugs a mile away to a filling station (normally carried by bike) to get drinking water for the family. The kids picked up glass bottles on the road and exchanged them for penny candies and they have their favorite dogs that wander the streets. Many of the kids they know didn't get many Christmas presents if any and the living conditions are so much simpler than we have here. 

(we ate rat!!)

But it was a country of very loving and kind people. They are hungry for the gospel and the Davis's are clearly being used to reach a community for Jesus. What I love about the vision they have is that it's to work themselves out of a job. It's to establish a good work there that is sustainable and that is what I think missions should be.

When I returned home I was taken by how impacted I was by my trip. I wish you each could go down there and experience first hand what I saw and experienced. I'm proud of this family and so privileged I was a part of their lives for those brief five and a half days.