So, we have officially begun the new Florida Orlando ASL program on April 6, 2010. It has begun with only two Sister missionaries: Sis. Homer and I. It's going great so far! We have contacted a lot of the strong Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (HH) members in the three magnet wards: Oviedo, Winter Park, and Hunters Creek. We are attending the Hunters Creek ward, but are able to travel during the week to the three stake boundaries to meet and teach the Deaf and HH. It has been quite an adventure so far. We've used a lot of our miles traveling all over the metropolitan area meeting members and trying to contact. There is a lot of trial and error so far in what is effective and what is not, but we are constantly learning and growing with each action we take. The Deaf/HH members are amazing! So willing to help us with anything we need and teaching us a lot about the language.
This Sunday, I was able to do some interpreting in church, which was a lot of fun. Typically, we have a member who interprets, but he is also on the High Counsel and is very busy with work. I'm glad we are here to be able to lighten his load and actually allow him to sit with his family when he is at church. We also have a young woman - a senior in High School - who wants to become an interpreter and is willing to help out for Sacrament meeting. We had five members come to Sacrament meeting, and four were able to attend Sunday School that we hold together in ASL. This week, they left before RS/Priesthood, but they said they'd try to stay the full three hours next time. We then drove up from Hunters Creek to Oviedo for an evening Youth Bishop Discussion where another Deaf couple was teaching about adversity. It was really great to be able to attend. We had hoped to have non-members attend, but not this time. We are working with other events to be able to create fun gatherings for non-members in the area to come together so we can meet them.
Life is going well! I make sure each night to write down something I learned from the members or our experience in the program to remind me of the progress we are making and eventually be able to see the growth that is coming in the program. And of course, I continue my nightly tender mercy also. I am almost ready to get myself a new journal! All is well! Sis. Homer and I are going great! We are excited to see what this next week brings as we apply the things we have learned this past week.
‘Make no small plans: They have no magic to stir man’s souls.’ This is the vision I have for the South. I believe that one day the South will baptize more people into the church than all other English speaking missions in the world together. There are great hosts of marvelous Baptists, and members of the church of Christ, Methodists and Catholics who are honorable people, and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and love him. As they see their church veering off to the right or to the left of these basic teachings, they will begin to search for the truth. And as pivotal teachers come into the church and have influence, we will see the time when we baptize hundreds and thousands, tens of thousands. In your day you will see a million members of the church in the South. There will be Temples plural in the Southern States. What a great call you have to serve with these marvelous people. ~Spencer W Kimball (1974)
