So there were just so many divine appointments and open doors
that I needed to add a part 2 to the blog so here it is!
In the picture below is Kari and her mom Diana. Kari was an undergrad student at Gallaudet when I attended school there. We were friends and knew that each other were strong Christians. As I knew that were were moving to DC I emailed her on FB asking if she was still a student and living in DC. She wrote back explaining that she graduate but was still living in DC as an independent full-time missionary! And the she knew of YWAM as her mother, who is Deaf did a DTS in Kona Hawaii through an interpreter in 1982 and went to Philippains and Twain for outreach. Kari and her brother were kids at the time their partners did their DTS thus spend the 3 months on the Kona base and then went on outreach with them! I was so excited to see Kari! The same week we arrived in DC, Kari's mother was visiting DC! So that week I had the chance to go out to lunch with Kari and her mom. We chatted for 4 hours about what God was doing in our lives and had done as well as her experience doing a DTS through an interpreter and any suggestions that she had for us as we desire to set one up in ASL for Deaf people to do! It was such an amazing connection!
Kari also attends the YWAM House of Prayer and Laura Penrod's (the girl I wrote the last blog about) happen to just move in with Kari as her roommate! Small world! Well, a week ago Kari shared that she was having some friends come into town that she would like me to meet who were christians and asked if I could go out on Thursday night! I said I would love to. Well, during the first day of interpreter workshop at Gallaudet, I met another interpreter who was christian named Abby (picture below). She shared she was excited to meet another christian who was in the Deaf community as she has not met any and really wanted to get more involved in ways that she can use her gift of signing to bring Deaf people into a deeper relationship with Jesus. We talked and got along great. Well, a couple days later God laid it on my heart to invite Abby to Thursday night outing as well so she could meet some Deaf people that love Jesus! So we came too!
Dan, Abby and I meet Kari and her friends at the zoo! One of her friends was a Deaf missionary that serves in Honduras at a Deaf school named Azael! I had met Azael in Honduras in Dan and I's first DTS outreach that we staffed when we were in Honduras. A good friend Alissa was on a missionary trip in Tegucigalpa, Honduras that same week that Dan and I were in Tegucigalpa for our outreach! So I joined my friend Alissa for a day at the Deaf school that she was working at and met Azael. It was the same guy! It was so cool to see him again and hear about what God was doing in the Deaf community in Honduras.
The other friend that Kari had was a girl named Jenna, who was Azael's girlfriend. We got to talking and she shared that she was involved in CRU and every summer interpreters for the Summer Project for CRU for people who are Deaf but just last year realized that she needs more interpreters due to the increased amount of Deaf people that want to attend as well the need to interpret all day long. She was not even gone finished explaining when Abby started asking questions and shared that she wanted to become one of the interpreters next summer for the summer project! That is why I knew I had to invite Abby, God wanted her to connect with Jenna! They exchanged emails and plan to keep in touch. Abby got motivated to get involved with CRU in her city in Houston TX.
It was such an amazing night! We glorified God by sharing what He was doing in our lives and then spend some time praying for God's will to happen in the Deaf community as it is in heaven! We praised Him for what He is already doing and asked Him for MORE!!! What divine appointments!
Thank you Jesus!
Below are some pictures of the socialization after the worship/prayer sets at the House of Prayer. We have had 6 different Deaf friends come within the last 3 weeks! The YWAM staff are so interested in learning ASL and the Deaf people are so excited to teach that we end up staying at least an hour after the worship just hanging out! It is so beautiful and fun to be a part of!
Laura is teaching Kate and Rachel, YWAM staff, the ABCs in American Sign Language! (above)
Dan is using his ASL skills to get to know Tom, Laura's friend, better! By the way, Tom is another divine appointment! Alissa my friend who went to Honduras is Tom's interpreter at his college in Florida! Tom was in DC at Gallaudet for the summer for an internship! Small world! He was able to come to the House of Prayer two times before leaving for the summer! We miss you Tom!
Kari using her sense of humor and God given gifts to communicate with hearing people to teach ASL as well as make everyone laugh really hard!
We are so excited about what God is doing and what more He has planned for us in Washington, DC!
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